HouseFrau

American Idol: May 19, 2009

So we witnessed Idol history...Actually, we just watched it on TV.  My friends Melissa and Stephanie saw it live. 

I can't wait to hear their POV.  From here in the 'cheap seats,' the judges' praise for Adam seemed a little forced. 

I thought Kris took Round One, just lost Round Two (Steve thinks Kris even won that), and was 100 times better singing that tripe Kara Digigiwhat calls a song. (Though Simon has no right to criticize. Simon, you can start dissing cheesy songs when you apologize for giving us Il Divo, OK?)

Still by the end of Kris' night-- after a performance of the Digigiwhat song that sounded much more like a saleable single than Adam's version-- the judges were giving him the don't-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-way-out speech about how he and his parents should be proud.  If you really wanna take away an aspiring rocker's cool vibe, be sure to mention that his parents are proud of him. 

Paula was the worst in terms of the backhanded 'compliments' to Kris. (Apparently, she got into a fight with her spray tanning assistant.) But all the judges were pretty bad about the Adam-Is-A-Star-You're-a-Nice-Kid thing.   You'd think they would have figured out that this kind of "persuasion" backfires.  They're behavior last week assured Kris' place in the finals. Have they assured his victory tonight? Remember last year's finals? Simon went on and on about how David A won the night-- in retrospect, he must have realized that his talk would give David Cook the win.  Still, it's hard to imagine that they're orchestrating a stealth victory for Kris.

I don't have any comments about the specific performances. Both these guys are great, and I don't have a problem with either of these guys winning. I do think, however, that Adam somehow lost the Eye of the Tiger, whereas Kris showed himself to be a never-say-die competitor. 

Maybe every Idol contestant is better off being the Underdog. (I think Carrie Underwood (and maybe Fantasia) are the only obvious 'favorites' who actually won Idol.) David Cook was always an Underdog.  Taylor Hicks was always an Underdog (with Simon hating you, you get Underdog status no matter how many fans you have).  Jordin was an Underdog (and by the time she wasn't, she was up against Blake Lewis so that doesn't count).  Adam was an Underdog (to Danny) until the Entertainment Weekly cover.  And that's just about the time he started losing his edge. 

Kris, on the other hand, remains a true Underdog: No professional or quasi-professional music career behind him.  Unnoticed by most of us until well into the Top 10. Always underappreciated by the judges.  (Did Randy and Kara Digigiwhat really say they didn't like his cover of "Falling Slowly"?! The week Simon was not allowed to speak?!) No magazine covers. No nicknames.

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Kris Allen should be our next American Idol.  For reasons I explained last week, Adam Lambert might be better off if he comes in second anyway.  But Kris needs the win. 

In a way, it's like Kris is Paul, and Adam is John.  Paul was the one with the innate talent-- by far the most musical of the boys from Liverpool. But John had the charsima, the edge, the je-ne-sais-qua. Neither of them would have been who they became without the other. But John probably would have done something to make his mark. Paul would probably still be in Liverpool.

Funny....I always thought I was a John person...Until tonight.

American Idol: May 13, 2009

Preface...This is usually my favorite episode of the year. Obviously, nothing will compare to Elliot Yamin's hometown visit to Va. with Mom. But there's always some great stuff. 

And now...My Top 12.

First...What was your feeling on Noah from Rwanda? I thought it was kind of cute. Steve thought it was embarrassing. I thought the back up singers were cringe-worthy but Noah was OK.

Second...Danny.  Was anyone else concerned by the apparently balmy weather in Wisconsin?  Danny's visit was poignant. When he referred to his visit to Milwaukee as "bittersweet," it was the first time in a long time (ever?) that I felt the pain this guy has been going through.

Third...Kris. I'm torn. So tired of the Red State Idol thing. Yet, Kris is pretty darn good. And he's cool as a cucumber.  We all marveled at Alison's poise for a 17 year old. But this guy is only 23, and he seems like a seasoned pro. Nothing can rattle this guy. Not even the "lose-lose-lose" Paula mutters under her breath everytime she looks at him.

Fourth...Jordin Sparks. I said it with Taylor, and I'll say it with Jordin. You can tell me she won American Idol but I don't have to believe you. In retrospect, it's amazing that any of us stuck with Idol through the dismal Jordin-Blake season. And it's a credit to David Cook and Adam Lambert that I actually care about the show again.

Fifth...Adam Lambert. Didn't we think he was from LA? I read today that his mom lives in San Francisco.  (Which explains why there was no family shown. On that note, why wasn't Danny's family shown?)  I feel like Adam may have had a somewhat rootless childhood experience. I think that explains a lot about him-- his self-possession, his fearlessness and ability to win people over.  Still, however it may have helped him as an artist, it made his San Diego visit a little underwhelming. 

Sixth...Did anyone else (in addition to Steve) notice that every contestant held a rally in front of an att store?

Seventh...Did anyone else (in addition to Steve and me) see the denim-clad carpenter walk on and off stage quickly before Katy Perry sang. 

Eighth...Does Katy Perry write her own songs? If not, how did she luck into two of the catchiest songs in the last few years ("I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot & Cold")? I think her luck has run out with this one.  And I'm not sure she did Adam any favors with the cape.

Ninth...How horrified did Paula look when Kris was the first to get to the finals?  The Idol folks assured his ascent by shamelessly throwing him under the bus.

Tenth... I don't know how to feel about Danny's departure. I never understood who was voting for him so I don't know why they didn't show up for him last night.  But am I right to have sensed a little relief from him? And, with his last song, the EMOTIONAL POWER that I'd been waiting for all season long?!

Eleventh... what does a "Ding Dong" mean? (I'm assuming Simon didn't mean the chocolate cupcakey treat.) 

Twelfth... The best two made it into the finals. I'm looking forward to next week. 

American Idol: May 12, 2009

When the three finalists came out, it hit me: This is all about the dudes, dudes.  Normally, I'm not a big fan of the ladies on Idol (I loved Melinda Doolittle at first, but otherwise I've never loved a woman Idol contestant). Still, the lack of a woman on the stage disappointed me.  This is, as Steve put it, a sausage fest. A *white* sausage fest.

One more disappointment: We don't get any of the great hometown stuff until tomorrow.  Tonight, we just sit through the singing.

Now, about the singing....

Danny (Round 1):  I remember thinking this last year, but are we really to think that Paula Abdul chose this relatively obscure TTD song?  This was sort of a weird choice.  I'm all for a TTD song...but how about "Wishing Well" or "Sign Your Name"? I thought this was kind of awkward.  It feels like we're treating Danny with kid gloves.  We can't give him a song that has any real emotion because--not sure if you know this--but he recently lost his wife. So we have him sing a generic song about dancing with a sister. It just felt empty.

Kris (Round 1):  You all know I didn't like Kris initially. I still don't love him. But I'm outraged how the fix is in for this dude.  He gets the middle slot.  He's criticized by the judges for the song they picked for him.  He's dubbed the "darkhorse." I didn't love this performance. I was glad Kris got to play the piano, but the orchestration behind seemed a little weird. He probably should have just done this as guy-and-his-piano thing. Still, it was not as bad as the judges wanted us to believe. 

    Meanwhile, are we to believe that at this point in the competition, the rules are not ironed out so that Simon thinks he could help Adam with his arrangements and Kara/Randy did not know they could do the same for Kris?!  At this point, the deck is so stacked in favor of Adam, it's starting to annoy me.  More on that later...

Adam (Round 2): (I guess this is a question for tomorrow, but why did Adam go to San Diego? Isn't he an LA guy? Was this because everyone knows the LA contestants (Katharine McPhee) fare poorly on this leg?)  I love Adam.  I love this song.  So why did I want to throw up when I heard this?  I think Bono was throwing up too.  This was an unmitigated disaster. I would rather have had Blake from '07 beatbox his way through this song than listen to this tripe.  Do we blame Simon for this?  Did he tell Adam to take one of the best rock songs ever and make it into a cover by Take That? And for the record, Adam and Simon, Bono does not think this song has beautiful lyrics. He thinks it's a song about how people in "love" hurt each other. 

    OK, it wasn't David Cook playing baseball with barefoot kids in the DR, but I was still glad to see Carrie Underwood in Africa for an 'Idol Gives Back' update.  Carrie wins my award for most improved Idol. I really disliked her during her season on Idol. She had a great voice but she seemed like a cold fish.  Now, she's light, funny, and-- as always-- great looking with a great voice.

Danny (Round 2): Did I mention that I can't emotionally connect with this guy?  This song was more meaningless than "Dance Little Sister."  I know it's too much to expect Danny to sing "Missing You," but at this point I need an honest moment from him. Vocally, he nailed it (as always). But there's no there there.  If I felt like Danny didn't have it in him (e.g., if he had the dead eyes of Kellie Pickler), I wouldn't mind the emotional wall so much. But I know he's got the emotion there.  (We glimpsed it with "Deam On" last week.) Until he does it "once more with feeling," Danny's not gonna be my Idol.

Kris (Round 2):  I'm so glad this guy will not die-- despite Paula's best efforts.  This was the best performance of the night. By far. I seriously hope Kris makes it into the finals. At this point, I don't care whose place he takes.

Adam (Round 2): Late Aerosmith?! You have thousands of songs and you pick late Aerosmith?! What was going on with Adam tonight?! I felt like he did not show up tonight.  Did the Entertainment Weekly cover go to his head? Is the 'come out of the closet' pressure getting to him?  After some thought, I think I've figured it out:  Adam knows he'll be better off if he loses Idol. Let's consider the Idol contestants who have musical credibility-- Melinda Doolittle, Elliott Yamin, Chris Daughtry.  Let's consider the contestants who do not have musical credibility-- Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, Ruben Studdard. (I admit David Cook is the wildcard.)  At this point, Adam has secured his record deal.  He's been on the cover of magazines. He's been deemed "Idol's most exciting contestant in years."  If he loses tomorrow, he has all of that plus the cred of not being the "American Idol," and the outrage of America that he got unfairly voted off.  Consciously, or unconsciously, Adam knows this.  That's why Adam's Eye of the Tiger was gone tonight.  He doesn't need it. He's not even sure he wants it.  The judges sure want it for him. And their extreme praise (i.e., begging for votes) tonight might be enough to put him over the top. But I'm not sure.

I can't begin to predict who goes tomorrow. Will the judges prevail on America to put Danny and Adam in the finals? I'm not so sure...Nobody's buying the Fox agenda these days, are they?

American Idol: May 5, 2009

Steve had some choice comments early in the competition tonight. When they announced the contestants would sing duets, Steve succinctly said, "Eewww."  When Ryan introduced Randy Jackson as "The Staple," Steve wondered if that was a reference to the Dawg's stomach surgery. (I don't know what the nickname was in reference to-- was it the fact that every other judge (and Ryan) is considering leaving the show next season?)

Tonight's show left me a little befuddled.  I don't know what to make of Slash's presence on Idol. Are we really to believe that it was this season's crop of contenders that made him want to do this?  Which means the offer was outstanding and Slash was watching past seasons, but wasn't impressed enough to become a mentor? Slash was OK. No Quentin Tarentino, but OK.

I also don't know what to make of tonight's theme. I consider myself a fan of rock. So why don't I like any of the songs performed? I hate Janis Joplin.  I like a lot of Zeppelin but not "Whole Lotta Love." "Come Together" is one of my least favorite Beatles songs.  I've always hated "Slow Ride."  (I guess I liked 'Renegade' and 'Dream On' the first 2000 times I heard them.)  I also disagreed with the judges on virtually every performance except Adam.  Given that Simon thought "Somebody to Love" was by Queen, I feel pretty good about that fact.

The bottom line is American Idol and hard rock are a contradiction in terms. And that's the way it should be.  Without Adam, tonight would have been a humiliating disaster.  Some sick part of me inside wishes Scott was still on the show so we could have seen him perfom tonight.

Adam:  If you closed your eyes (not that you'd want to), you could believe a young Robert Plant was on stage. The growl wasn't there and he didn't sound like Plant when he hit the high notes.  But Slash was right-- when Adam was singing (in the 'lower' register), he sounded like Robert Plant singing.  For what it is worth, I didn't like the hair (or the heavy eyeliner). But that is so at the margins. This dude rocks.

Alison: Fabria is not good, for Adam or Alison. I didn't enjoy this, which doesn't mean it wasn't a faithful rendition of Janis Joplin. I do give Alison props for 'talking back' to the judges in a way that did not make her loathesome. As for doing the Joplin biopic, those of us familiar with '30 Rock' will know that the rights for the Joplin story are very difficult to acquire. 

The Kris/Danny Duet:  De Young and James got nothing on these guys. They worked well as a team.  When they sang their individual parts, they suffered. It wasn't awful. But both of them looked absolutely miserable when they stood there waiting for the judges' comments. 

Kris: The producers-- ahem, fates-- were against Kris tonight. Middle of the line-up going right after his duet, not getting his song cleared. I almost want him to stay just b/c it was so obvious the show is strategizing for his exit.  It was OK. What was he supposed to do? If he'd done anything softer, he would have been criticized for copping out.  If he'd gone harder, he would have failed miserably and embarrassed himself.  Kris might be in trouble tonight, but this wasn't a fair fight, was it?

Danny: Why did I like Danny so much more tonight than I usually do?  He didn't command the stage like Adam, obviously.  The vocals were sometimes screechy.  But I liked Danny tonight because he was finally able to have a little emotional release-- to show some anger and to let it all hang out.  Maybe that is what this dude has needed all along.  This performance made Danny seem real again and made me like him again. For real.

Adam/Alison: As I predicted, Alison -- and especially Adam -- are not capable of dueting.  Not that this means they should not be American Idols. As Steve noted with his initial comment, this is an inane drill to put the Idols through. But I felt like I was watching a split screen of two individual performances. When they put their heads together to sing at the end, I felt like I was watching Patty Duke and her twin.  Or Celine Dion and Elvis.  It didn't work for me on any level.

So...who goes? If all goes to plan, it will be Kris.  But apparently tonight didn't go to plan, so perhaps we are in for a surprise.

American Idol: April 28, 2009

KRIS: In that suit, Kris reminded me of Ron Livingston in "Office Space"... Can't imagine that is what he was going for.  Jamie Foxx predicted that I would be blown away and not even know it. I can't say I was blown away (maybe I just didn't know it). But I was impressed.  Kris no longer gives me the willies--and that is real progress.  I've developed respect for Kris as a musician and as a singer.  I accept that he is a nice guy.  But Kris blew me away once-- with Once ("Falling Slowly"). I don't think it's going to happen again.

ALLISON: We all love Allison. She has a great voice. But I actually don't think tonight's theme did her any favors. She just seemed a little out of place. The performance didn't move me (and that song has potential to move me).  I hate to say it, but I agree with Simon-- I think Allison could be in trouble.

MATT: Melissa was trying to tell me today that Matt was the Kristy Lee Cook/Bucky Covington of this season.  If that is so, I think it means we have had a pretty good season.  Matt is not at the level of Elliott (I still love him) Yamin. He's not even at the musical level at Kris.  But (unlike Kara Digigiwhat) I thought Matt was more emotionally connected to his song than Allison or Kris. It was the first performance where I felt something-- and felt like the singer felt something. On a related note, I highly recommend you listen to Melinda Doolittle's version of "My Funny Valentine," on her recently released album. It (along with a few other songs on the album) is really good.

DANNY: Probably my least favorite performance of the night. Steve and I agreed that Danny misunderstood this song...Isn't this a song of desperation? (When I hear this song, I think Sandra Bernhardt singing to Jerry Lewis when she's got him tied up in masking tape in "The King of Comedy.")  Danny smiled through it as if it were "Walking on Sunshine."  It's part of this whole emotional disconnect thing with him.  Randy can say that this is about singing not emotion, but there's such a wall with this guy, I just cannot connect with him.  I'm sympathetic because I know there are good reasons for the wall. But I just can't get past it.  On an unrelated note, was it just having Jamie Foxx on the show (which reminded me of "The Soloist") or does Danny sort of look like Robert Downey, Jr.?  I mean Robert Downey with 50 extra pounds and no brilliant energy or charisma.  But does anyone else feel me here?

ADAM: I was a little disappointed in this song choice (which gets trotted out at least once a season on Idol).  Then I saw the red stairs and the white suit, and I forgave everything.  This guy is a showman. And I don't mean a showman like he should be in a B'Way Musical.  I mean a showman the way Mick Jagger is a showman. You're gonna get your money's worth with this guy. Every time. Still, the truth is I'm a little worried about Adam. His "difference" is becoming almost standard.  I'll always appreciate the fearlessness and the commitment.  But will Adam ever move me again like he did with "Tracks of My Tears"?  I'm not sure. 

I can't get a handle on who is voting for Kris. If he has the tween vote (as I think he should), I think Allison and Matt are in trouble.

American Idol: April 21, 2009

Thinking about this Matt thing a little more, how insulted should Scott and Megan feel? They were dismissed only 1-2 weeks earlier than Matt, yet their fellow contestants stood idly by as they faced the axe-- a far cry from the weepy cheering section the gang formed to save Matt last week. Granted Scott and Megan were not good, but Matt has about as much chance of winning as either of these two.  What gives? Maybe the contestants also knew that the judges would definitely use the "save" on the last possible week, and would definitely not use it any earlier.  In other words, the whole thing was an empty exercise.  Even less satisfying than the "Idol-Gives-Back"-no-one-goes-home-this-week ploy.

Whatever happened to "Idol Gives Back," by the way? Don't we need it now, more than ever? If not for the financial aid to those who are hurting, then at least for the feel-good moment of watching David Cook choke back tears as he jams with shoeless African kids.

But I digress. Let's get to the contest:

Lil: Was that Lil or Donna Summer? I'm all for mixing up styles a little but this woman's transformations border on schizophrenic. Who is she?! I'd give her some slack if she had a great voice...but, to put it mildly, she doesn't.  Can we finally stop the lie that this woman has talent?!! And can we stop Kara Digigiwhat from making the inane comments like, "You have been every woman on that stage...except you." Ugh. At least Lil had fun.  So for Lil, losing her voice,wearing a heavy wig and getting reamed by the judges yet again was fun.  I'm feeling more and more confident about my choice not to have a third kid. 

Kris: I guess in the disco era, "She Works Hard for the Money," qualifies as a message song.  I thought this would be make or break week for me and Kris.  But it turned out to be...something in between. I appreciate that he put a different spin on the song. But it wasn't an interesting spin. It was sort of an EZ Listening spin, wasn't it? I feel like I'd hear Kris' song in the speakers while shopping at Pier One Imports.  I'm not in love...But I'm definitely not in hate.

Danny: I give him credit for not getting drowned out by the music. Any other contestant would have been humiliated by this song and Danny wasn't.  That said, it was pretty awkward watching him move around. And I'm starting to wonder-- what is Danny's deal? He's a highly competent vocalist. But what's his point of view? What energizes this guy? What made him want to be a singer? I can't get a read on him.  He could be a great studio musician.  But can he be a star?

Alison:  I guess I should be worried. I actually agreed with Randy here.  I didn't enjoy the song. But I always enjoy her. She's got pipes, people. And a personality.  The clothes are never ideal. But I hope she sticks around for awhile.

Adam: Again, I think I should be worried. I actually thought Adam looked sort of handsome tonight.  This performance for me was kind of the flip side of Kris.  This reworking was completely interesting. But--dare I say it--I didn't like it that much.  The emotion was there (as always). The vocals were there (as always).  His performance was uncompromising (as always). But, then again, if it ain't broke don't fix it.  This song ain't never gonna be broke.  I can actually still hear David Cook's reworkings of "Billie Jean" and "Hello" in my head. But I can't hear Adam's version of "Can't Have You" now, twenty minutes after it ended.  Adam turned in a great performance. But he didn't remind me why this is a great song.

Matt: Did this guy just wanna go out with a bang? There was energy here. He hit the notes. But this was kind of embarassing. Matt was pretty much drowned out by the song. And the ebullience seemed so forced.  This was the kind of performance you dread when you hear it's gonna be disco week.  It wasn't quite as bad as Anoop doing Usher. But the fact that I even have to write that speaks volumes.  However, I did love Randy, Kara and Paula trying desperately to rationalize their decision to save Matt by praising the performance.

Anoop: I guess the fact that I didn't loathe Anoop tonight means that he did pretty well. Still, I found this somewhat of a snooze. This is a great song. He didn't do it justice. But he didn't embarass himself like Matt.

I'm thinking it's Lil, Matt and Anoop in the bottom three. I think Matt definitely goes, which renders last week meaningless except for the fact that it made the contestants and judges feel good about themselves, and it made "Idol History." 

American Idol: April 7, 2009

Preliminary Matters: 
Was Ryan wearing weirdly big shoulder pads?
Why did they keep showing that humorless skeletor Howie Mandel guy in the audience?
How much did Simon's baby picture look like Mike TeeVee from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?

Danny:  Ryan did say this was a remake by Mickey Gilley, right?  As in, the guy who owned the bar with the mechanical bull in "Urban Cowboy"?  Mickey's version couldn't have sounded anything like this.  This reminds me of when Taylor Hicks sang a Beatles song on Billboard Top 100 night because a Beatles album was on the "Catalogue" chart.  It's kind of cheating. Was 1980 such a bad year, Danny? As for the singing, it started off warbly but ended well. As always, the praise for Danny seemed a little out of control.

Kris: Does Kris' dad hold political office? He has the hair and closeted vibe of a southern Republican politician.  This week, I don't have to work too hard to convince you that there is something kind of icky/cheesy about Kris, right? As always, I admit the vocals are there.  But there's something a little...skeevy to me.  Needless to say, Paula's statement that Kris is one of the most likable contestants ever doesn't change my view.

Lil: I really had hope when I heard this song choice. That hope was quickly dispelled when Lil sang the first note.  Lil is not a good singer y'all.  Accepting that there has to be one powerhouse R&B singer each season, I simply cannot believe that Lil was the best Idol could come up with.  I really think discussions about originality or old-fashionedness are too generous. They imply that it is about style instead of vocals.  In fact, the judges keep insisting Lil has some vocal talent we just haven't seen or heard yet. At this point, I think their insistence is more about not having to admit that they got it wrong.  I think they did.

Anoop: There's one of these pre-planned mea culpa's every year, isn't there? ("So, Chris, it turns out that your version of 'Walk the Line' was an homage to "Live"?).  I'm not buying it. He didn't even apologize to Kara. (I venture to say he has never offered an apology in his life.) He just blathered about how he wants to represent his fans and his family. This dude is a tool. I thought his singing was OK. It wasn't embarassing like last week, but I didn't think it was as good as a couple weeks ago.  Contrary to Simon's assertion, this was not especially original-- it was a pretty straightforward imitation of the Phil Collins' cover of this song.

Scott: Please don't hate. But Scott is growing on me.  The haircut is a huge improvement. The song choice cannot be topped.  (Not surprising that Simon doesn't appreciate the genius of Survivor.)  I admire the courage to come from behind the piano (even if he still needed the guitar...which he wasn't really playing?). The judges ripped him to shreds. Not surprising. But Randy has a lot of nerve to hold Scott to the "best undiscovered talent in the USA" standard. Let's face it-- by that standard everyone but Adam fails.

Alison: Instead of arguing the merits of Alison (I like her- I think we all do), can we argue the merits of this song? I have always HATED this song.  It's soooooooooo boring to me. (Not to mention the fact that I've always gotten a little queasy from the image of Bonnie Raitt in bed with a lover.) But I think that the rest of this world views this song as a masterpiece. Please. Somebody. Tell me what I'm missing with this song. And one other thing...Randy has cajones criticizing people for not being original. Does he ever critique a contestant without a reference to another singer-- usually a past Idol contestant?!

Matt:  Is Matt a Mormon? The white gowns and cloudy background in the childhood church performance make me wonder.  I groaned out loud when I heard he was singing this Stevie lowlight.  But he actually brought the funk and he was working it. I liked it. That's the good news.  The bad news? When Matt is at his soulful best, it just reminds me of what a pale shadow of Elliott Yamin he is.   

Adam: As if we had any doubt that Adam was the real deal, we see a picture of him at age 4 dressed as the Phantom of the Opera. You can't fake that, folks.  Of course Adam goes with TFF. I love this song.  The Hurting was the first CD I ever bought. This didn't really blow me away-- it was not as original as some of his other songs. (It was just like the Gary Jules (?) remake of this song from Donnie Darko.) That said, Adam was still in another league from everyone else. I love him and I'm glad he got the standing ovation. (We didn't see anything after that since our Tivo cut off.) 

With Megan gone, there's no obvious chaff left. I'd guess Danny and Adam are the only ones safe.  Lil and Scott are likely bottom two. Who else will join them? We'll have to wait and see.

American Idol: March 31, 2009

We all found tonight pretty dull-- with the exception of Adam (who couldn't be dull if he tried). Here are a few thoughts.

Anoop: I hate this guy.  It's not just the military jacket. It's not just the moist upper lip.  It's not just his frat boy friends (finally, Kara Digigiwhat gets it right).  It's that Anoop was told by his parents that their only child was Special. Gifted. Better Than Everybody Else. And this guy believed it. He's internalized it. He really thinks he has every right to be on that stage, and to win American Idol. Everyone else seems to have a little "Wow-I-Can't-Believe-I'm-On-American-Idol" thing going. Not Anoop. After his assoholic response to the judges, I cannot believe Anoop will get anyone other than his parents to vote for him tonight.

Megan: Let's cut to the chase. Whatever Megan is trying to do, it's not working.  In my view, it hasn't worked all season. But even assuming for the sake of argument there was something appealing about her (other than her face) at some point, there has been nothing appealing about her for some time. Megan, your son misses you. Go home, honey.

Danny: He's always solid, but was this really so great? I was glad he didn't seem goofy tonight. He sounded good, as always. But we were not blown away. Tell us what we missed.

Alison: Singing Gwen Stefani. Wearing Cyndi Lauper. Alison always sounds good. I've never liked this song much so I can't really say whether she did well or not. She could be in trouble, which would be too bad because she's one of the better singers.    

Scott: This was undoubtedly Scott's best performance yet.  It should have been-- if he couldn't nail this he has no business being here. It still wasn't great. But it was good. The clothes were a big improvement over last week. The hair not so much.

Matt: Matt loves The Fray?  I don't dislike The Fray-- I don't always turn when they are on the radio. But I thought Matt was an R&B dude-- in the vein of Eliott Yamin (though let me repeat he will never be Elliott).  Is there a more white band than The Fray? I get showing some range and singing a song by a white artist. But how about Michael Buble? The one thing I always thought about Matt was that he was cool. The Fray is not cool. Matt could be in trouble too.

Lil: So finally Lil decides to sing. And it turns out she was right to yell. Because she cannot sing.  Ouch. Let's not get distracted by discussing whether the performance was old fashioned or not. The main point is it was not good. 

Adam: The people I was watching with groaned when they heard Adam's song choice of "Play that Funky Music, White Boy." I told them to have faith-- Adam would pull it off.  I think he did. This guy can do anything-- he always invests 100% and sells it.  In terms of vision and execution, Adam is on another level. Several of the contestants are competent. But Adam makes this season must-watch TV.

Kris: There's vocal skill, I admit. But he still does nothing for me. Why do I keep seeing him as a guest star on 'Hannah Montana'?

Bottom line. Megan or Anoop must go.

So, as an initial matter, what is up with the "PLEASE Welcome Your Judges..." followed by them strutting across the stage ... followed by the "And your host, RYAN SEACREST." It's so Vegas.  And I always felt like Ryan was supposed to be one of us (despite the $10M house and the fake dates with Teri Hatcher), but the "And your host..." sets him apart from us in a way I don't like.  Bring back Brian Dunkleman!

Smokey Robinson.  So talented. So scary looking.  Our newly acquired HDTV was not kind to Smokey. Was he on last year? I have a memory of noting his striking resemblance to Philip Michael Thomas at that time. If I didn't, let me note it now. He's like Philip Michael Thomas. With skin grafts.  

Matt:  I love Matt. He is the contestant I like the most this year. Still, he is a pale shadow of Elliot Yamin, isn't he?  There's style and likability. But the vocals are not special. I wish they were. I want them to be. But they're not. The fact that he is a "frontrunner" means it's a pretty talentless pool, doesn't it?   

Kris: Kris is the inverse of Matt in that the amount I dislike him has little relation to his talent.  He is just cheesy to me.  I guess I would be OK with him on a Disney TV show.  But not on American Idol.  And, Smokey, are you really impressed by "anyone who plays the guitar and sings"?  I guess I am too. But I'm not Smokey Robinson. 

Scott: I didn't want to make the 'did you get dressed in the dark' joke with Scott... but I also didn't want him to wear pink pants with a brown striped jacket and paisley shirt. I guess I never gave Phil Collins credit for how brave he was to be a man and sing "You Can't Hurry Love."  This was actually my favorite Scott performance of the competition. (If he had sang "Reach Out and Touch Someone You Love," I would have thrown up.) In contrast to Simon, this was the first time I actually saw a career for Scott. A career in Reno.  But, still, a career.  Let's face it, this guy would not be in this competition if he could see. There.  I said it. 

Paula, no you dinnt!! The crayons and coloring book to Simon?! No you dinnt!!

Megan: The session with Smokey gave me hope. Megan sounded different but good. (Though she was strangely slumped. Megan, you are in the presence of greatness, FYI).  Then Megan came on stage.  I saw her hair flower, her tattoo, her walking and bopping moves. And most importantly, I heard her.  It was awful. Truly awful. I know we say this every year, but I really want anyone who sucked and then says, "I had a good time" to get automatically eliminated. 

Anoop: I cannot believe I am writing these words, but here I go: Anoop was good tonight.  He still makes my skin crawl when I look at him. (And did he actually assert that he was a legend?!) But closing my eyes and listening, I have to say he was really good tonight.  I wish he weren't. But he was. 

Michael: Obama won.  Do we still have to kowtow to the Red State contingent?  I don't care where I put him in my pool, I don't really ever want to see Michael again.  And I know we say this every year too, but shouldn't Idol have a ban on any and all songs off "The Big Chill" soundtrack?!

Lil:  Was it just me or did you all think one of Lil's relatives had died when Ryan referred to her "emotional week"?  It turns out she was moved by visiting Motown's offices.  Let me repeat: Obama won. Not to take away from the accomplishments of Martha and the Vandellas, but isn't it fair to say that we now have a better example than Motown of the strides African Americans have made?!  And for her to say she wants to do this for Martha and Diana, etc? With respect, they don't need you, Lil.  They've had Mariah. And Beyonce. And Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, Melinda Doolittle. To me, Lil sounded the same as she did every week.  But this week, Kara Digiggiwhat thought she was screaming.  There's a lot of talk about how she's an amazing singer. I still have not heard it. 

Adam: I was on the fence. But now it's official. I love Adam.  He's Sanjaya-- with talent and charisma. The Elvis-meets-Brandon Teena look?! And the Roy Orbison (in 'Blue Velvet') pipes?!  Every week, we tune in to see Adam-- not to watch the train wreck (like with Sanjaya) but to watch him actually pull it off.  He is a weird dude. In the best possible sense. And most importantly, he can siiiiiing!!!

Danny: So why can Danny go without his glasses in rehearsal, but not on stage?! Are the glasses some misguided schtick?! He can't compete with Adam on the charisma front, but Danny does have a great voice.  There is a texture and depth there that is missing from almost everyone else. He's not as good as Chris Daughtry, but he reminds me of him in that he is so solid. LIke Daughtry, he might end up getting boring.  But he doesn't seem quite as wedded to any particular style so he might do better on Idol (though worse on the charts). 

Alison: Do you love that Alison was supposedly so into "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" that she had to ask about it on the Motown tour...then it turns out she didn't know the words?! Alison's face and hair looked better than ever (I'll kindly overlook the black lace tights).  I accept she is a great singer--I've always thought that.  But tonight, she did nothing for me tonight.  What did I miss?!

 It's gotta be Michael and Megan in the bottom two, right? Of the two, I guess I'd rather see Michael go.  Unless he get some sympathy surge b/c he almost got the boot last week, I think he is toast. 

I'm Baaaaack.....

When I started yakking at you all via Housefrau almost two years ago, I had thought 2007 (my first year with two kids) would be The Lost Year.  In many ways, it was. That whole illness-deluged and sleep-deprived year has (thankfully) become a blur. (Was there really a beat-boxer named Blake in the finals of American Idol that year?!)

And yet, if 2007 was The Lost Year, 2008 was The Year of Loss. Financial loss (like everybody else) and personal loss.  In April, my Dad died suddenly. He was a fantastic man and we all miss him terribly. I don't want to dwell on the dark side. But, for a long time after my Dad's death, I just didn't feel like finding the comedy in Jane's bon mots or Frank's eating habits, and I certainly didn't feel like writing about it. So Housefrau took a hiatus.

Now, here we are in 2009.  It's a new year. It's a new American Idol season. And I'm feeling that Old Housefrau feeling. 

Things have changed around here.  Now it's Frank who's throwing down the bon mots. Jane's already plotting her attendance at an out-of-state college. (Seriously.)  I actually have read a couple books this past year (not many but a few), and I actually get to use my brain a bit more since I'm working part-time.

Despite these changes, many things remain the same. And I still remain--at heart--a Housefrau.

And so. I'm back. Not sure how often I'll write but I'm hoping to post Idol (idle?) musings regularly. 

I don't think my Dad ever watched American Idol, but he was the world's greatest Notre Dame fan so he definitely understood the joy of victory and (more recently) the agony of defeat.  This year, I'm dedicating my posts to him.