Blake falls from grace

I hate to be so crotchety about this show... believe it or not, I really used to enjoy it - I looked forward to the shows and the chatter at work the next day. But this season has drained my energy and love of the show. And I've been especially dreading the point when the contestants have to sing two songs each. Why not just make the show 30 minutes instead of a full hour?

Oh and tonight is Barry Gibb night. I don't know how entertaining that will be, but I guess it can't be any worse than the rest of this season has been already. I will admit to one guilty pleasure - I absolutely adore "How Deep Is Your Love?" and I hope someone sings it - except Blake, who will cut it up and beatbox through it, essentially ruining it for me forever.

Melinda Doolittle is up first. She chooses "Love You Inside and Out." Never heard of it. Barry Gibb says he's confused by her choice because it's a falsetto song, but he says she pulled it off.

It's great, as usual, but what a boring song. Maybe I'm just resistant to new things, but I just can't get into the performances if I haven't at least heard of the song.

OK... did anyone else get a kick out of the little girl in the group of Melinda's family and friends who was dancing and making faces at the camera? Cracked me up - had to rewind the TiVo to see it again.

But back to the performance... Randy tells her it was solid, but that he wasn't jumping up and down. Paula says it hard to critique her because her vocals are always spot on, and then she said something else that didn't quite make a point of any kind. Simon says that what he thinks Paula was trying to say is that she wasn't that impressed by it. He then tells her that there are four people left and he's expecting an incredible performance and that hers wasn't incredible. Then he tells her that the performance sounded like backup vocals. Ouch...

Just as an aside.... I'm so flippin' excited that "So You Think You Can Dance" is starting up again.!!! May 24!!! OK, I'm done now.

Blake Lewis is up next and he chooses "You Should be Dancing." Barry Gibb actually likes Blake's beatboxing and says that it really suits the song. I suppose he's right - it suits it much better than it does Bon Jovi, that's for sure.

I know a lot of you like Blake - I used to be a big fan, too, but don't you all see how his ego has blown up? Am I the only who cringes when he's on screen because he's just so cocky and full of himself? I have to admit - I can't even enjoy his performances anymore because I'm just so taken by his overall yuckiness. Plus, what's up with his hair this week - he's got these really thin, weird sideburns - not cute at all.

The beatboxing did suit the song better - but it still wasn't great. He did better with the disco song he did in Hollywood with the group... forgot what song it was - was it "How deep Is Your Love?" I think it was. Anyway, tonight was nothing in comparison to that.

Randy has finally seen the light... he tells Blake that he didn't think the beatboxing worked for him tonight - that it made the song very corny for him, like being in a weird disco in a foreign country. Paula says it started out shaky and that his pitch was off and that his beatboxing shows his musicianship. she says it wasn't his best night, but that he showed why he's unique. Simon says he'll give him unique, but that he thinks it was absolutely terrible.