Insanity

So, after 56 minutes, we are getting to the results.

Jordin's first, so my guess is she's safe. Ryan says almost 60 million votes came in and he thinks she'll happy with them because she has made it through to next week's finale.

So, for me, this should be a no-brainer. Bye, bye Blake. But you know, this show has had some crazy results, so you never know...

Unbelievable - Melinda is off the show and Blake is going to the finale. I may seriously consider asking if I can boycott next week's finale. This is outrageously ridiculous. No one deserved to be in that finale like Melinda. So many words are flashing through my head right now, but none of them are printable. So, I'm out.

Filler, filler and more filler

The Ford commercial tonight is set to "Everybody Wants You" by Billy Squier. Oh how cute that they had young Melinda in the afro puffs that she said she loved so much as a little girl. But other than that, I'd say this commercial was one of the worst ones of the season - not entertaining at all.

Melinda's trip home is next - they show her in Nashville, talking to the governor, then heading to Belmont University, where she went to school andthe to her church. I think Melinda's great - I love that she's always appreciative. While Jordin and Blake were surprised by all the attention and seemed to enjoy it, elinda really seemed touched by it and was sure to thank everyone and show them how much it meant to her. She really is just a humble woman.

Up next is Maroon 5 with their song, "Makes Me Wonder." It's OK - not one of my favorite song, but I can see why people have been all ga-ga about the lead singer. He's really quite delicious.

Elliot Yamin hits the stage

Ooh, he looks kind of cute in that nerdy kind of way. I'm a big fan of the adorable dork and I have to say, his hair looks great - I love the disheveled curliness, and his smile is so beautiful. He's looking pretty good, I think. And let's not forget his voice. He sounds wonderful - it's almost embarrassing to compare him to this year's contestants. Blake can't compare, even Jordin pales in comparison, a bit. Melinda can hold her own, but really, it just shows the difference in quality from last year's batch to now.

Oh, and he's so sweet and genuine. He takes a minute to thank everyone for their love and support. He says he's had so many opportunities since being on the show and that he's very blessed. He tells the contestants to just have fun out there and he promises them that this is only the beginning.

Home videos

Ryan is talking to the contestants now and Jordin talks about how busy their trips home were. They had a parade, she sang, then hit the mall for more appearances and then had to return to LA to shoot the Ford commercial and learn her songs. Sounds pretty busy.

I love that they showed a video of her going home - it just cemented for me what a great girl she really is. She's so gracious and together, while still remaining a teenager. She's adorable and sweet and young and refreshing and just fantastic.

Whoa.... what's going on? Are they really doing results right now? That must mean she's safe. They wouldn't have done her first is she was going home.

Of course... it was just more filler - they told her nothing. This show is ridiculous sometimes.

It's Blake's turn now. Ryan talks to Blake about performing with Sir Mix-a-Lot. Apparently he's performed with him before. They show footage of Blake going home to Washington and I have to say, the producers sure know how to pull at your heartstrings. Watching Blake's dad and how emotional he was, it almost had me crying, too. It must have been very special for Blake to see the pride and emotion on his dad's face for something he's achieved. the video was so touching, it almost made me forget that I hope he goes home tonight. Almost, but not quite.

20 minutes and nothing but filler

So, before we get started with the show tonight, I have to get our picks out of the way. I have chosen Blake, as has Jamshid. Anne was missing in action, so I'm not sure who she's choosing. But Jonathan has had a thing against Melinda from the beginning, so my guess is his vote is for her.

Now, let's get to the endless filler and two seconds of results.

You know, as if I wasn't already annoyed with the show. They start off tonight with Homer Simpson acting like Ryan Seacrest. I'm sure many of you love "The Simpsons," so I won't bash it too much, but I will always feel resentful toward that show because of its role in the demise of "The Cosby Show," which is the greatest TV show of all time. So, I hope you all enjoyed the entertainment. I, for one, just rolled my eyes, and fast-forwarded.

Ooh... Elliott Yamin is singing live and they've got Maroon 5 performing too. I'm excited to see what Elliott has been up to - I saw him in People magazine with his new teeth a while back - it's amazing what a difference a smile makes.

Ugh... so we basically don't even need to watch Tuesday nights anymore - they recap almost the entire show on results night. One thing I am appreciative of, however, is that they showed the judges' picks from last night - the TiVo here in the office cut off before they got to that, so I had no idea what their predictions were.

I love how Ryan has been making little digs at how long the results shows have been. A couple of weeks ago, he sarcastically commented that there would be no filler, yeah right. Then tonight, he asks the contestants if they're nervous during this loooong, hour results show. I'm hoping the execs will eventually realize how boring it is to watch nonsense just to get to like 2 minutes of content.

LaKisha goes home

So Ryan gets back to the results really fast and tells Melinda Doolittle that she is safe.

So, it's down to Blake or LaKisha. Either one works for me, because the other will be gone next week, anyway.

I really wish Melinda didn't have that stupid stunned look on her face, though. I mean, how long is it going to take for her to get that people know she can sing??? It's getting really old.

After more than 45 million votes, LaKisha Jones is the next to go home. And now we're down to the final three. It's almost over!!!

Barry's not so good without the other Gibbs

So, it looks like another reality show will be coming soon enough, this one looking for a band. That could be an interesting show to watch, especially since there won't be an age limit to that competition. I guess we'll have to stay tuned for that.

Barry Gibb is performing live and he sings "To Love Somebody." Is it terribly mean to say that he's just awful? Well, I'll have to take the risk, because he's really, really awful. He's not even really singing - he's more like chanting the words. It's very strange and choppy and just all-around bad. And I can't tell if it's his veneers or possibly Botox, but he has this weird lisp that just adds to how weird he sounds. I don't know - all you BeeGees fans, feel free to rip me apart on this, but I think he's terrible.

Filler continued... and a bit of good news

Seriously? are we really watching a promo for "The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"? I'm not sure why anyone would care that they got a sneak preview to the new movie. I definitely don't. It's insane to me how they keep coming up with all this fluffy nonsense to fill an hour when tehy can just shortne the show to 30 minutes. All people really care about on Wednesdays is who's going home. I wonder how much the movie studio paid Fox for the spot on the show - probably millions.

OK, so now we're getting to know the contestants a little more. Three of the four are only children, half come from single-parent homes. Most couldn't keep still in class and they're all very excited to be on "American Idol." A couple of them even cried. OK - can we please get to the reults already???

Jordin Sparks is the first one to be told she is safe... no big shocker there... but still great news.

Only two more weeks of this filler nonsense

I don't know about any of you, but I'm thoroughly bored by all the filler tonight... just like last week, they did a full recap of last night's performances and now they're back to the farmers market to get people's opinions. It's so putting me to sleep.

So the "American Idol" tour is back - over 50 shows this year. It
s crazy some pf people who are going to be on this tour - I would never pay money to watch Sanjaya or Haley sing. But i know there are millions out there that will.

So, they're finally getting around to playing the footage of Pink, which was supposed to air during the big charity extravaganza. I read somewhere that she was planning to sing "U + Ur Hand," but execs asked her to change the lyrics around because they're a bit risque. She refused and decided to sing "Who Knew" instead. It's a shame because "U + Ur Hand" is an awesome song - I prefer it to this one. But Pink's fantastic - I love how unique and crazy she is while still being articulate and intelligent.

The Ford commercial today is set to "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks. It's cute, but I'm still trying to figure what any of these commercials have to do with selling Ford cars.

So they're doing a group song again - a medley - and it seems like something is wrong with the sound - Melinda is singing but you can barely hear her. OK - it's fixed now and they sound terrific - better than they have so far this whole season. The harmonies are perfect - very nice, very entertaining.

My prayers have been answered!!!

Back to the results...

After weeks of praying and hoping, and wishing and dreaming... Chris Richardson goes home.

I can't believe the day has come. I'm very excited to see him go. I think after tonight, the competition is starting anew, because, really, next week, whoever leaves will be a shock. I'm glad that for the last few weeks, at least, the show will be a little more interesting, a little more intriguing.

You can't beat Bon Jovi

So, back from a commercial break and Ryan decides that after messing with Jordin so much last week, he wouldn't do it again this week, so he quickly tells her that she is safe. Only Blake and Chris left. I can't believe I'm this close to my dream of the past 3 or 4 months - Chris going home.

But first, it's time to rock out... Bon Jovi, baby!!!!

They sing "(You Want to) Make a Memory" and I love them more than ever. This is the only week that I really don't care what anyone else says - I'm not trying to be fair or objective. I LOVE Bon Jovi and I don't care if they sound better live or on their CD. I don't care if people think they were horrible tonight, because I think they were phenomenal!! And they're going on tour in January - if I have to go alone, I will, but I will be at one of those shows!!! And even better... they've got a new CD, "Lost Highway," coming out June 19.

Stacey goes home in a blaze of glory

So the Ford commercial this week is set to the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black." I love the circus theme. Jordin's hair looks exactly like she had it last night - I wonder if she got the idea from this shoot to keep it for her performance.

Let's get to some results, shall we?

Melinda Doolittle is.... safe.
LaKisha Jones is.... safe.
Phil Stacey is the first to go home tonight.

I'm kind of sad to see him go, just because he seems to be getting better every week. But it was either him or LaKisha and I guess she deserves another shot to improve on last night's turnaround.

Filler galore

Double the nerves, double the tension, Ryan Seacrest says. Will it be doubly entertaining? Let's hope so. He says Robin Thicke will be performing and of course, Bon Jovi will be live. He also says there won't be filler - yeah right, and then soon after proceeds to show "highlights" of last night.

And then he's back on the street asking people what they thought of the show. Looks like other folks thought Jordin wasn't great - they said it wasn't up to par, but they still think she can take home the prize. And, like, oh my God, this cute little girl like totally loves Chris Richardson - says that he's, like, awesome and hot and looks like Justin Timberlake, which is, like, super cool... (I've run out of words to express my disgust at that comparison). Not surprisingly, people love Blake and they loved his performance last night. Simon was spot on last night when he said half the audience would love and half would hate it. Here at work, I would say there was a slight majority - most people liked it. I hated it, as did a few others. Anyway, they show a few people supporting each contestant, and blah blah blah... where's Bon Jovi, already???

So, now they've moved on to asking contestants questions about last night and they're still talking about the big charity extravaganza of last week. While I know that they're trying to fill the space tonight, I'm kind of glad they showed some footage from last week - I completely missed it while I was away, so it was cool to see some of it.

So, I've been hearing a lot of hype about Robin Thicke. Besides knowing that he is Alan Thicke's son and having seen a picture of him and acknowledging that he's gorgeous, I don't know anything about him. I'm thoroughly enjoying his performance, but I have to admit that it's more for the view than the music. I assume people find his music very sensual and romantic - I'm not crazy about the falsetto. I'd kind of like to know what his regular range sounds like. But like I said, he's hot, so it could have been awful and I would have like it anyway.

Hot pants goes home

OK... time for the results. After the highest vote of the season - over 35 million votes...

Haley Scarnato goes home, hopefully taking her hot pants with her.

J.Lo's still got it

Well, that joy didn't last long. Right after the commercial break, Ryan sends Chris back to safety. It's either Haley or Phil tonight.

But, first, it's time for Jennifer Lopez. And she's singing, "Que Hiciste," off her new Spanish album, "Como Ama Una Mujer." What a great song - started out all slow and I was fully expecting to be bored for the duration of the song, but bam! she threw a beat into it and the song got interesting. It's always great when you don't expect very much and someone just wows you. I have never purchased any Jennifer Lopez music, but the Spanish album may be worth the money - who knows? Fantastic performance - best one so far this season.

Bottom three

Finally, down to the results. Ryan says he's going to ask the three people in bottom three to head to the center of the stage.

Phil Stacey is.... in the bottom three.
LaKisha Jones is.... safe.
Jordin Sparks is.... safe.
Melinda Doolittle is.... safe.
Haley Scarnato is.... in the bottom three. (and wearing more clothes than normal)
Blake Lewis.... safe.
Sanjaya Malakar is.... safe

and finally, Chris Richardson is in the bottom three.

Not in the mood for filler tonight

The Ford commercial this week is way better than the previous ones have been. First off, it's a great song - "Happy Together" by the Turtles. And the concept is cute - I like all the morphing.

So Ryan talks about the big charity thing again and says that Fox's parent company has pledged $5 million. Not bad at all. Then he shows more video of their trip to Africa - some girl drew a picture of Simon with boobs - hilarious.

Ugh... I wondered what they would have tonight to fill an entire hour - apparently a lot of nonsense. They spent like 5 minutes with Ryan ad Simon going back and forth about whether Simon would get up in sing if the show raised a certain amount of money. Can I nap please? I just want to know who's going home so I can go back to work, put it on our Flash! page and head home.

Oh no... now they're playing some gag video of Tony Bennett trying out for the show. It would be funny if I wasn't feeling kind of crappy tonight and wanting the show to hurry up and end.

Akon's back

The group song is back and this week they sing Enrique Iglesias' "Bailamos." They seemed really uncertain in the beginning - voices didn't mesh at all until the chorus - that's when it started to come together. It's not a great song, and is it me, but did a few of the contestants forget the words? How funny that they had Sanjaya do the sexy whisper part of the song.

So they're doing a new thing this week - Ryan is going out and talking to random people on the street to hear what people are talking about... (Uh, duh... I'm sure it's sanjaya.) Well, overall people thought Jennifer Lopez did a good job as a mentor, which she did. Some guy mentioned the "girl in the skimpy outfit" (funny how people don't remember her name now that she's chosen to hide behind the safety of her long legs) and there was a mom with her little girl who said they really liked Sanjaya. And then everyone else chimed in about Sanjaya - people like his moustache (I didn't notice he had one), they liked how he sang in Spanish. And then there was some great comment about everybody. It was cute.

Interesting... Akon is back this week, this time without Gwen Stefani, and he performs "Don't Matter." It's really a song to listen to in the car. Watching it was boring and he was pretty out of tune in some parts of it. I'm still glad he got to come out of Gwen's shadow, though.

WHAT?!?!?!

So here we are... time for results.


Ryan says he can send one of them back to safety and the audience immediately yells out "Gina!!" and I have to admit, I was thinking the same thing. I was shocked to hear Ryan say Phil was safe. But that's what happened. Even Gina looked a little taken aback.

And I don't even know what to say about the news Ryan throws at us next. Haley is safe too. It's Gina who goes home. And while I can't boycott the rest of this season, I really don't know if I'll be watching next time - the voting this season is insane... you know what? Before I get myself fired for typing what I really think of tonight's results, I think I'll just call it a night - until next week...

Bennett's out sick, but wow, what a substitute!!!

So, it's true after all. Tony Bennett is sick today and won't be singing after all. Instead, they get Michael Buble to sing, which is still pretty good, I guess. He sings "Call Me Irresponsible" and it's fantastic. I feel like if I close my eyes, I could pretend that I'm in the 1940s sitting in a dark club somewhere, listening to a crooner like Frank Sinatra or something like that. He's got a very old-fashioned sound that I love. Not everything has to be modern and updated - at least not in my book.

This is one of the reasons why I love this show so much. I'm not really on top of who's who in music nowadays - I've got my CDs in the car and that's about as far as I go, unless I hear a good song on the radio. But this show introduces people, like myself, to music and artists that we may never know otherwise. Now, I don't completely live under a rock - I knew who Michael Buble was, I just wasn't really familiar with his music. But, his performance tonight will have me checking out his stuff, for sure.

***Update*** I came home last night and listened to some of Buble's music and fell in love. However, hearing how great he can be, I now realize that all of you are correct - his performance last night was not great. I hope he returns at some point to redeem himself.

An expected bottom three

So Ryan is switching it up again this week. He's got the contestants split up into three groups of three, one group being the bottom three. no big surprise here - the first flash is of Phil Stacey, Haley Scarnato and Gina Glocksen in a group. It has to be them. Who else could it be, I mean, really?

I wonder if the guys in Sanjaya's group are worried - I mean, I'm sure they all think he's bad. Do you think being stuck in his group makes them scared? I think I'd be nervous because even though America has supported Sanjaya so far, there going to be that one week where the support runs out.

So, Ryan leaves the guys hanging and moves to Gina, Phil and Haley, who is wearing one of the shortest skirts I'v ever seen. She looks beautiful, but I'm still unsure about why she feels she needs to sex it up for the viewers.

So I can only assume that Jordin, Melinda and LaKisha's nerves dissipated once they saw they were grouped together. Clearly, they're going nowhere. And Ryan tells them they're safe. OK - all is as it should be so far.

So, looks like the suspense ends here - Ryan tell Chris, Blake and Sanjaya that they are safe, revealing what I think we all already knew - Haley, Phil and Gina are in the bottom three.

Surprise cameo in the Ford ad

I had heard rumors earlier today that Tony Bennett was sick and would not be performing live - I guess that turned out to be a hoax because Ryan says he'll be there.

After seeing the recap from last night, I'm more convinced than ever that it has to be either Phil or Haley going home tonight. Haley sang better than Phil, so I'd say it will be him, but I'm so annoyed by Haley's new sexpot image that I think it should be her. Anyone else leaving tonight would be ridiculous and would definitely have me questioning whether I'll be watching next season.

Finally, a Ford commercial worth watching. Set to Bob Marley's "One Love," the ad was cute in concept, great in song choice and actually had me entertained for its duration. And how cute - they got Kermit the Frog to guest-star. I really don't think these spots help sell Ford vehicles to anyone, but still, they help pass the time, I guess.

America should be ashamed

Back to the results...

Chris Sligh is the last to join the bottom three.

Chris Sligh, Haley Scarnato and Phil Stacey.

I have to admit, I have no idea who it could be - I mean, it could really be any one of them for various different reasons. I don't even have a guess.

Ryan sends Phil back - he is safe another week.

I think between Chris and Haley, I'd have to go with Haley - Chris has been a solid singer - he's only had a couple of flubs, while Haley has struggled for weeks now.

After more than 30 million votes, Chris Sligh heads home.

Wow... I'm shocked. Unbelievable to me that a singer with his talent is going home and Sanjaya is safe. Ridiculous.

Akon was robbed

Gwen Stefani takes the stage with Akon to sing her latest single, "The Sweet Escape."
It sounds kind of strange to me - definitely not like the version I hear on the radio. She's doing something strange with her voice - like a throwback to her style on No Doubt's "Tragic Kingdom" album. I don't know - and what's Akon doing up there? I mean, is he going to perform at all? It's like he's a glorified backup singer - not cool at all. Anyway, she announces the start of her tour - April 21 - and says that Akon will be going with her as well. I hope she lets him perform during the tour, at least.

What happened to the group song?

I can't decide whether it's funny or stupid or both. Ryan Seacrest comes out sporting a Sanjaya mohawk wig and it gets laughs in the studio, but I'm not sure how funny I think it is. Bu thankfully, it's over pretty quickly.

Tonight's Ford commercial is set to "I Fought the Law" best known as a Bobby Fuller Four song. The western theme is cute but these commercials are not as fun as I remember them being a couple of seasons ago - maybe they're running out of ideas.

No group song tonight - looks like they're getting right down to business. Ryan says he's going to ask the bottom three to head to center of the stage.

He asks Blake Lewis to stand first. He is.... safe
LaKisha Jones is.... safe
Phil Stacey is.... in the bottom three
Melinda Doolittle is.... safe
Chris Richardson is.... safe (complete garbage)
Sanjaya Malakar is.... safe (UNBELIEVABLE)
Haley Scarnato is.... in the bottom three
Jordin Sparks is.... safe

So, Ryan leaves Chris Sligh and Gina Glocksen hanging.

Bye, bye Beyonce

So, back to the results. It's down to Stephanie Edwards and Chris Richardson. While I think Stephanie can sing, I don't think she's very original. That's the same complaint I have with Chris, actually. Stephanie tries too hard to be Beyonce and Chris tries too hard to be Justin Timberlake. So, like I said before, I won't be sorry either way, but this week, after 30 millions votes, it's....

Stephanie Edwards

Lulu rocks!!!

Lulu performs her big U.S. hit "To Sir, With Love." First off... WOW!!!! She looks beautiful - would have looked better as a dress, but that probably wouldn't be her style. The song is not familiar to me, but I love her voice and after last night, I doubt I would dislike anything she did - she was just so great with the girls. She's awesome. I have to say, I wasn't looking forward to the British Invasion week at all, but both Lulu and Peter Noone were so fantastic. I'd love to see if Jennifer Lopez and the others can top it.

Some goofing around

The Ford commercial this week is set to "Another Saturday Night" by, I think, Sam Cooke. It's cute - I like the song and the laundry concept was fun, but I'm still not sure what it had to do with Ford or selling Ford cars.

Ha... how funny. Brad Garrett shows up on stage, hiding among the contestants. But it won't keep Ryan from reading the results... and sending Brad home first...

OK now it's down to business...

Phil Stacey, Melinda Doolittle and Blake Lewis are asked to stand... they are all safe tonight.

Chris Sligh, LaKisha Jones and Jordin Sparks are next. They, too, are safe.

Sanjaya Malakar, Haley Scarnato and Gina Glocksen are next. They are also safe.

So, it's down to Chris Richardson and Stephanie Edwards. I can't say I'd be sorry to see either one of them go.

Walking down memory lane

Peter Noone starts off the show with "There's a Kind of Hush," a song made famous by Herman's Hermits in 1967.

OH!!! I love this song - I never knew what it was called or who it was by. I grew up listening to this - my parents used to play it all the time. Well, truth be told, I grew up listening to the Spanish version - the version they grew up listening to in Chile as teenagers. That version was called "Dulcemente" and was sung by Buddy Richard, (I just called my dad to ask) but the melody is the same and I'm just really excited to be hearing the original. It's just as pretty in English.

It's so funny how songs trigger images, thoughts, emotions. I can close my eyes right now and find myself a little girl again sitting in our old living room in Queens on a Saturday morning with my mom making breakfast and seeing my dad come in and dance with her in the kitchen to these songs.... ah, the memories.

Anyway, what a great way to start the show. I was thinking about how Lulu made such an impression last night with her tips for the girls but Peter Noone's performance was so great, it left an equally lasting impression, i think

Back to the background for Brandon

It's just dawning on me now that tonight is just a half-hour show. Thank goodness - it gets so tedious watching the results shows when they're more than half filler.

Anyway, they're back to the cuts now.

Sanjaya Malakar is the last person in the bottom three and as expected, they're all guys.

So, Phil Stacey is off the hook - he is safe for another week.

So it's down to Brandon rogers and Sanjaya Malakar. To be fair, based on singing alone, it should be Sanjaya, but unfortunately, so many other things come into play - personality and likability are the main two, I think. And taking those things into consideration, I really believe that Brandon will go tonight.

And he does...

Diana Ross performs

So Diana Ross comes out like she's headlining a Las Vegas show - in this red gown and frilly shawl thing that keeps getting in her way - plus her shoes look like foot-high platforms. She performs "More Today Than Yesterday," from her new album, "I Love You."

Is it really mean that I think she sounded worse than some of the "Idol" contestants? She kept going in and out of tune - it wasn't a great performance, I don't think, but I guess with legends like her, you have to be a little more forgiving than with regular people.

She speaks a bit after her performance about how inspirational she thinks "American Idol" is. She says she is happy to be there and when Ryan asks her who's going home, she answers, "I have no... you know, me." I chuckled.

Two at the bottom

The group song tonight is a tribute to Diana Ross, with a medley of her songs. It was cute and I'm sure that fans of Ross probably really enjoyed it.

The group's first Ford commercial was on tonight, set to "Float On," by Modest Mouse. I think the contestants seemed more excited to see themselves in the commercial than America will probably be about the ocmmercial itself. It was OK - nothing spectacular.

Well, they're getting to the bottom three right away.

Ryan calls up LaKisha Jones first and she is.... safe.
Gina Glocksen is.... safe.
Brandon Rogers is.... in the bottom three.
Jordin Sparks is.... safe.
Chris Richardson is.... safe.
Melinda Doolittle is.... safe.
Phil Stacey is.... in the bottom three.
Chris Sligh is.... safe.
Stephanie Edwards is.... safe.
Blake Lewis is.... safe.

They're leaving Sanjaya and haley until later, I guess...