I'm FINALLY interested in American Idol

[LoneWolf]

Over the past 8 years I have tuned in to watch it sporadically. Mostly I got a kick out of watching the bad singers at the beginning of the seasons but the show couldn't hold my interest to follow it for long.

And then Adam Lambert came along. I'm sorry but this guy is good. SCARY good. The only problem is it doesn't really seem like a fair competition this year because as good as some of the others are, Lambert is in a whole other league.

[Lisa0315]

I watch it on occasion. Was Adam the last guy who got a standing O from Simon?

I like the 16 year old girl.

Lisa

[Christina]

Great. Now I'm probably the last person in America who's never seen the show.

[LoneWolf]

I watch it on occasion. Was Adam the last guy who got a standing O from Simon?

I like the 16 year old girl.

Lisa

Yeah, that is him.

And yeah, that girl has a cool voice as well. But I have been watching some youtube clips of Lambert and I am in awe of his talent.

[Lisa0315]

I watch it on occasion. Was Adam the last guy who got a standing O from Simon?

I like the 16 year old girl.

Lisa

Yeah, that is him.

And yeah, that girl has a cool voice as well. But I have been watching some youtube clips of Lambert and I am in awe of his talent.

He is extremely talented, and very unique. Oh, and HAWT! :evil:

[BioBeing]

My wife watches, so I see some of it. The singers seem generally pretty good this year. Seems to me that one week the judges tell them to make the song their own; next week they ask them why they changed the arrangement. Stupid judges.

[Lisa0315]

My wife watches, so I see some of it. The singers seem generally pretty good this year. Seems to me that one week the judges tell them to make the song their own; next week they ask them why they changed the arrangement. Stupid judges.

True.

My pet peeve is Paula. Everything about her. She gets on my nerves.

Lisa

[Mediancat]

Great. Now I'm probably the last person in America who's never seen the show.

No, you're not.

To paraphrase Robert Montgomery Knight: "If I was stuck in a hotel room, and the TV only got two channels, and one of them was American Idol, and the other was a bunch of frogs making love, I'd watch the frogs -- even if they was coming in fuzzy."

Rob

[Christina]

I'd read the damn bible in the drawer before I'd watch either.

No, not really. I'd have to watch it before I could say that. I haven't even seen 99% of what's on TV and AI is no exception. At least it has no slow moving plot to try to stay focused on. I need a pause button to pay attention to all of anything.

[crazyfingers]

Never have watched it. What's it about?

[nygreenguy]

He is extremely talented, and very unique. Oh, and HAWT! :evil:

Too bad your not his type. :)

[Lisa0315]

Never have watched it. What's it about?

It is a contest to find the next great American pop star. Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood are the three most sucessful. Clay Aiken is another one, but he became more famous for coming out than for his music. The rest are kind of forgettable.

Lisa

[crazyfingers]

Never have watched it. What's it about?

It is a contest to find the next great American pop star. Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood are the three most sucessful. Clay Aiken is another one, but he became more famous for coming out than for his music. The rest are kind of forgettable.

Lisa

OK thanks. I have never heard of any of those people.

[Lisa0315]

Never have watched it. What's it about?

It is a contest to find the next great American pop star. Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood are the three most sucessful. Clay Aiken is another one, but he became more famous for coming out than for his music. The rest are kind of forgettable.

Lisa

OK thanks. I have never heard of any of those people.

Wow! Really? What kind of music do you listen to because those three cover Pop, Alternative Rock, and Country.

Lisa

[Goodchild]

Great. Now I'm probably the last person in America who's never seen the show.

I'm with you. I have absolutely no interest in the show whatsoever.

And to correct Lisa a bit, Aiken has outsold Daughtry and produced more albums than any other AI contestant. He was well-known and liked well before he came out.

[Lisa0315]

Great. Now I'm probably the last person in America who's never seen the show.

I'm with you. I have absolutely no interest in the show whatsoever.

And to correct Lisa a bit, Aiken has outsold Daughtry and produced more albums than any other AI contestant. He was well-known and liked well before he came out.

Cite your source. :D I have a very hard time believing that Aiken has outsold Daughtry.

Clay Aiken SUCKS, man!

Lisa

[Steviepinhead]

I got sucked in last year, though my three favorites among the finalists (the motorcycle bluesy wailer, the tatooed irish belter, and the eclectic aussie guy) all got dropped too early. At least the more bearable David won.

Then I had to watch "So You Think You Can Dance." Much more demanding and original (original choreography in lotsa different styles) for this kind of thing.

I think Adam and the sixteen-year old (Alison, I think) are the strong candidates this year, though everyone in the final four or five will be pretty talented.

Just to salve my pride, this is pretty much all the TV I watch, except for the occasional "House," and DVDs of "The Wire" and "Breaking Bad." I tend to spend my free time either out in the yard, out in the mountains, or with my nose in a book...

[Goodchild]

Great. Now I'm probably the last person in America who's never seen the show.

I'm with you. I have absolutely no interest in the show whatsoever.

And to correct Lisa a bit, Aiken has outsold Daughtry and produced more albums than any other AI contestant. He was well-known and liked well before he came out.

Cite your source. :D I have a very hard time believing that Aiken has outsold Daughtry.

Clay Aiken SUCKS, man!

Lisa

Wikipedia, the fount of all knowledge :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-selling_American_Idol_alumni

[Steviepinhead]

Of the past winners that I know anything about (and Aiken is not one of them), I have enjoyed Carrie Underwood.

Her song "Before He Cheats" was a fun and edgy new twist on a classic country genre.

[Lisa0315]

I'm with you. I have absolutely no interest in the show whatsoever.

And to correct Lisa a bit, Aiken has outsold Daughtry and produced more albums than any other AI contestant. He was well-known and liked well before he came out.

Cite your source. :D I have a very hard time believing that Aiken has outsold Daughtry.

Clay Aiken SUCKS, man!

Lisa

Wikipedia, the fount of all knowledge :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-selling_American_Idol_alumni

Okay, in TOTAL. However, Daughtry has sold 4.4 million on his first, and Aiken sold 2.8 and 1.4 on his first TWO! Aiken's combined sales are 4.8 million for 5 CD's. That says that Daughtry is kicking Aiken's ass! I mean Daughtry only needs 400K on his current CD to beat Aiken's total.

Lisa

[Goodchild]

Okay, in TOTAL. However, Daughtry has sold 4.4 million on his first, and Aiken sold 2.8 and 1.4 on his first TWO! Aiken's combined sales are 4.8 million for 5 CD's. That says that Daughtry is kicking Aiken's ass! I mean Daughtry only needs 400K on his current CD to beat Aiken's total.

Lisa

Ah, but the statement was "the most successful". By the only standard applicable, total album sales, Aiken is more successful than Daughtry :)

[dug_down_deep]

Adam Lambert is good. So is the 16 yr old, but not as ready to record as Adam.

[Lisa0315]

Okay, in TOTAL. However, Daughtry has sold 4.4 million on his first, and Aiken sold 2.8 and 1.4 on his first TWO! Aiken's combined sales are 4.8 million for 5 CD's. That says that Daughtry is kicking Aiken's ass! I mean Daughtry only needs 400K on his current CD to beat Aiken's total.

Lisa

Ah, but the statement was "the most successful". By the only standard applicable, total album sales, Aiken is more successful than Daughtry :)

Oh, as a statician, I strongly disagree. There are plenty more standards to measure by. First abum success, tour success, fan base, etc. Lots of ways to measure other than total sales especially when the base is not the same. Aiken has a bit of a headstart on Daughtry.

Lisa

[Goodchild]

If you judge success by first album then Milli Vanilli is one of the most successful acts of all time ;) I doubt you can find tour receipts online so we can't really judge that and there is no way of knowing fan base though I'd be willing to wager that Clay Aiken is much more well known.

Remember, you also said that Clay Aiken was more famous for coming out than for his music. But really that was just a blip in his career, that wouldn't have even gotten much attention if it weren't for the fact that he was already pretty popular.

I'm no Aiken fan (Kellie Pickler is probably the only AI alum who I know a song by. Or was Leona Lewis on the show also?) but I'd heard of him plenty before he came out and I've never heard of Daughtry until you mentioned him.

[Steviepinhead]

Here's some data to crunch (the numbers appear to be from about partway through last season):
Idol Artist Record Sales and Digital Download Totals:

Kelly Clarkson 9.4 million 9.4 million

Carrie Underwood 8.5 million 7.2 million

Clay Aiken 4.8 million 469,000

Chris Daughtry 4 million 5.2 million

Ruben Studdard 2.5 million 250,000

Fantasia 2.3 million 698,000

Bo Bice 721,000 474,000

Jordin Sparks 717,000 n/a

Taylor Hicks 702,000 344,000

Katharine McPhee 371,000 1.1 million

Blake Lewis 291,000 n/a

Justin Guarini 143,000 28,000

Highest Selling Idol Artist Albums

Carrie Underwood Some Hearts (2005) 6.4 million
Kelly Clarkson Breakaway (2004) 6.0 million
Daughtry Daughtry (2007) 4.0 million
Clay Aiken Measure of a Man (2003) 2.8 million


Sorry, I didn't save the site (first google hit or two for "most succesful Idol winner"), but apparently these are -- again, somewhat outdated -- Nielsen numbers.

[Steviepinhead]

Taylor Swift was looking pretty hot last night (though a little bit lacking in the creamy twins department)...

[Lisa0315]

Thanks, Stevie. Add those digital downloads, and yeah, Daughtry is way ahead of Aiken.

Anyway, both are from my homestate of North Carolina. So is Kelly Pickler and Fantasia. Fantasia is from my hometown even. Daughtry lives in the same city as me, and my boss is next-door neighbors with him. He knew Daughtry when he was a mechanic and has a receipt signed by him. I keep begging for a copy of it. :D

Lisa

[Steviepinhead]

Yikes, Lisa, that reminds me, I think I meant "Kelly Pickler" when referring to last night's guest, not Taylor Swift.

Sorry, Kelly.

Though, for all I know, Taylor is creamier... :eek:

[Goodchild]

Thanks, Stevie. Add those digital downloads, and yeah, Daughtry is way ahead of Aiken.

Wait a minute! I just noticed that Daughtry is a band comprised of five people, not just one person. Therefore he should only get credit for 1/5 of those album sales and digital downloads.

Or in other words Daughtry, the band, has outsold Clay Aiken when you add in digital downloads. Chris Daughtry, the individual, cannot be judged against Clay Aiken as he has never released a solo album ;) So you really can't compare him against other AI alum.

Plus, Clay Aiken has a Christmas album. You're not anyone important unless you have a Christmas album.

[Goodchild]

BTW, looking at that chart of sales on Wikipedia I notice something interesting. With the exception of Kelly Clarkson's second album every Idol contestant albums have slipped in sales tremendously with each successive album. I wonder if that means anything? (i.e. they're really not that good).

[Lisa0315]

Thanks, Stevie. Add those digital downloads, and yeah, Daughtry is way ahead of Aiken.

Wait a minute! I just noticed that Daughtry is a band comprised of five people, not just one person. Therefore he should only get credit for 1/5 of those album sales and digital downloads.

Or in other words Daughtry, the band, has outsold Clay Aiken when you add in digital downloads. Chris Daughtry, the individual, cannot be judged against Clay Aiken as he has never released a solo album ;) So you really can't compare him against other AI alum.

Plus, Clay Aiken has a Christmas album. You're not anyone important unless you have a Christmas album.

No No. It just means that Daughtry has the star power to carry 4 other guys. Aiken just does duos and America's Top Model guest appearances.

Lisa

[Goodchild]

Plus, Clay Aiken has a Christmas album. You're not anyone important unless you have a Christmas album.

No No. It just means that Daughtry has the star power to carry 4 other guys. Aiken just does duos and America's Top Model guest appearances.

Lisa

Christmas album, sweetheart. That says it all really ;)

Shit, why am I defending Clay Aiken anyway? His obviousness greatness needs no defending :D

[crazyfingers]

It is a contest to find the next great American pop star. Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood are the three most sucessful. Clay Aiken is another one, but he became more famous for coming out than for his music. The rest are kind of forgettable.

Lisa

OK thanks. I have never heard of any of those people.

Wow! Really? What kind of music do you listen to because those three cover Pop, Alternative Rock, and Country.

Lisa

Grateful Dead, Dire Straits, Jefferson Airplane, Moody Blues, The Dead, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, The Beatles. Stuff like that.

[Christina]

Grateful Dead, Dire Straits, Jefferson Airplane, Moody Blues, The Dead, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, The Beatles. Stuff like that.

You should come hang out with us in the music thread. I like almost all of that and I've already posted some dead stuff.

[MrFungus420]

Great. Now I'm probably the last person in America who's never seen the show.

You and me, kid!

[MrFungus420]

Never have watched it. What's it about?

It's a cross between Star Search and The Gong Show.

Not even vaguely original.

[Christina]

We should start a little club for the pop-culturally clueless.

[crazyfingers]

Never have watched it. What's it about?

It's a cross between Star Search and The Gong Show.

Not even vaguely original.

Never have seen Star Search. I do remember the Gong show from when I was a kid.

[Christina]

Never have seen Star Search. I do remember the Gong show from when I was a kid.

Me too. I remember when every act sang "Feelings" for days on end, or at least it seemed that way.

[Goodchild]

godsdamn, I remember the Gong Show! Used to love it when I was a kid.

But then, I also loved The Love Boat and Fantasy Island so my tastes were probably pretty screwed up lol.

[Stout Drinker]

I watch it on occasion. Was Adam the last guy who got a standing O from Simon?

I like the 16 year old girl.

Lisa

Yeah, that is him.

And yeah, that girl has a cool voice as well. But I have been watching some youtube clips of Lambert and I am in awe of his talent.

He is extremely talented, and very unique. Oh, and HAWT! :evil:

And very very gay! not that there is anything wrong with that.

Lambert is amazing. I loved his version of Ring of Fire. It was brilliant.

AI is a guilty pleasure of mine. My wife is really into it so I've gotten sucked in via osmosis. Lambert is the only one on AI that I would remotely consider paying to see in concert. He is so unpredictable and talented.

[LoneWolf]

And very very gay! not that there is anything wrong with that.

Well of course he is gay. It is funny some of the debates that go on about that in the comments of his youtube videos. First, I don't know how there can be any debate about it, and second, I don't know why people give a damn either way.

Lambert is amazing. I loved his version of Ring of Fire. It was brilliant.

Thank You! I was blown away when I saw that. And then I was screaming at the judges "What the hell is wrong with you!" when they deriding him for it. I guess it was just a bit to "out there" for the show. I for one thought it was genius.

He is so versatile. One day he will be rocking it out and then the next he will sing a lovely ballad. His Mad World performance was haunting.

He actually has quite a bit of experience on stage though. I have been watching some of his musical theater performances on youtube and he is no amateur. Once again I don't think it is a fair competition this year. He is just too polished.

[Stout Drinker]

The gay comment was because Lisa said he was hot. I doubt she is his type. :)

Early this season I initially thought he was an art school type freakshow. But I have been blown away by what he has done. If anyone watches these clips and doesn't like the performance, then American Idol is not for them.

You don't see it in these clips but when he sang "Tracks of my Tears" on Motown week,they were with Smokey Robinson who wrote that song. Robinson was in the audience and absolutely jumped to his feet with a standing ovation.


Adam Lambert -- Ring of Fire (http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/adam_lambert_ring_of_fire).

Adam Lambert -- Tracks of my Tears (http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/adam_lambert_the_tracks_of_my_tears)

Adam Lambert -- Satisfaction. (http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/adam_lambert_i_cant_get_no_satisfaction)

[MrFungus420]

godsdamn, I remember the Gong Show! Used to love it when I was a kid.

But then, I also loved The Love Boat and Fantasy Island so my tastes were probably pretty screwed up lol.

Thursday night, wasn't it?

[MrFungus420]

Adam Lambert -- Ring of Fire (http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/adam_lambert_ring_of_fire).

Crap.

Adam Lambert -- Tracks of my Tears (http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/adam_lambert_the_tracks_of_my_tears)

Crap.

Adam Lambert -- Satisfaction. (http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/adam_lambert_i_cant_get_no_satisfaction)

Incredibly mediocre...

[LoneWolf]

MrFungus, how dare you disagree with us. We shall be forced to thrash you.

[dug_down_deep]

Matty does that, too. It makes them think they're cool. :D

[Christina]

*heads for the video thread with the other music snobs before someone is forced to thrash me.

[Lisa0315]

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/

Here is the video of Mad World.

[Zebulon]

Thanks for posting that link, Lisa. My DVR cut off Lambert's performance. :mad:

[nygreenguy]

Its not even a competition with him in there. I really like allison and matt but adam is ridic.

[Lisa0315]

Its not even a competition with him in there. I really like allison and matt but adam is ridic.

When I heard him the second time, I have to agree. I really, really liked Allison and she is mega-talented. No matter who wins, she will be signed soon.

However, Adam, as you say, is redic. I mean, dayum! He slayed it. I literally have been hearing that song in my head since I posted the video and I don't even care. Good Earworm.

Lisa

[nygreenguy]

I almost hope he DOESNT win because the albums put out by the 2nd and 3rd place people are always WAY better than the winners.

[Lisa0315]

I almost hope he DOESNT win because the albums put out by the 2nd and 3rd place people are always WAY better than the winners.


Well, I am almost positive that is what happened to Daughtry. He was NOT voted out, I don't care what anyone says. That was a ploy because he must have been offered some great deal.

I cannot wait to see what he does post-Idol.

Lisa

[Stout Drinker]

I almost hope he DOESNT win because the albums put out by the 2nd and 3rd place people are always WAY better than the winners.

Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson won and they are both multi-platinum selling artists. I think they are the two biggest people from idol.

[Goodchild]

http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_8/performances/

Here is the video of Mad World.

Wow. I've got two versions of Mad World, the original by Tears for Fears and the slow cover by Gary Jules (which is the one Lambert covered) and I have to say that if I had this one as well it would probably never get listened to.

It's really not that good IMO.

I'm not saying he's a bad singer, just that he wasn't very good doing that song. It's one of my favorite songs ever and it just sounded horrible.

[nygreenguy]

I almost hope he DOESNT win because the albums put out by the 2nd and 3rd place people are always WAY better than the winners.

Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson won and they are both multi-platinum selling artists. I think they are the two biggest people from idol.

Yeah, they are both great. But then we have daughtry, clay, and a couple others who outsold the winner by far! I think carrie and kelly are the exceptions to the rule.

[dug_down_deep]

Has anyone listened to Melinda Doolittle's record? She was great at doing the covers on the show. Just wondering if it translated well to an actual recording.

[Notta]

I kept out of American Idol for the past two years because I thought it was a stupendous waste of time (after spending the previous THREE YEARS watching every show!), but LoneWolf's posts sucked me back in.

That Adam Lambert is absolutely amazing! I'm pulling for him to go all the way. And the fact that he's gay has seemed to be totally irrelevant, for which I'm very grateful. Why should a person's sexuality be anything of note, no matter what they're doing with their lives?

Anyway, this week was "rock week", and Adam rocked the house! It almost makes listening to Paula Abdul's comments painless when you've been able to watch and listen to an upcoming musical star perform.

Now I have to watch the final two weeks of the show, just to make sure Adam wins it. We'll record the last two on DVR so I can fast forward past the commercials and Randy and Paula.

If you're interested, you can Google "Adam Lambert" and listen to some of his work.

[dug_down_deep]

An Allison/Adam finale would have been interesting. Now it's kind of boring. I like Adam's performances, but the other two are a big bucket of mediocre.

[Steviepinhead]

I basically agree with ^ ^. I don't find Danny "boring," but clearly Adam deserves to be the heavy favorite, so the end results OUGHT NOT to be in doubt. But that's been true for quite a while, which makes it all the more important to the careers of the other performers that they get exposure commensurate with their talents as the contest narrows down. In that sense--

--the results Wednesday night were simply a travesty. Aarrggh!

The three finalists clearly ought to have been Adam, Alison, and Danny. That Kris was the first "safe" singer was a shocker.

I mean, this is nothing against Kris. He seems like a nice guy, he sings well (but does not remotely have the power or range or versatility of the other three), and he has put some interesting personal style into a couple of his performances. But, let's get serious, he is just not "pop star" material. That doesn't mean that he may not put out a good album -- if he is fortunate enough to receive appropriate material and arrangemet/production.

It's just that, as the judges so often remind the contestants, this is a SINGING contest. We are looking for the hottest, most memorable and powerful VOCAL performances, plus some stage presence. While Kris probably deserved to get into the top ten, as far as I'm concerned, he could've been dropped anytime the last several weeks, ahead of Lil, Matt, Anoup, or several others, and it wouldn't have bothered me at all.

In my head, this year's final three will always be Danny, Alison, and Adam.

While it's a close call between Alison and Danny, the final two should probably have been Alison and Adam. Though at least that's a legitimate debate, and neither outcome would have disturbed me: Danny has great charm, stage presence, a cool smoky bluesy RnB type of voice...

At least Alison slammed her last performance out of the ballpark! She was all over the stages, right in the judges' faces, working her finale for all it was worth!

This has been Adam's contest to lose for a long time, so perhaps it makes no ultimate difference that Alison got shafted by America's voters...

But still: America, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?!

[dug_down_deep]

Yeah, Allison's final performance was one of the best I've seen on the show.

Adam isn't safe. He was in the bottom 2 last week, remember. A Danny/Kris finale would be a total snooze.

[BWE]

I youtubed adam's ring of fire and was blown away. Unfortunately, I can't youtube in the security environment today so you'll have to do it yourself.

[Matty]

(looks in on thread and writes down names for future reference, shakes head, backs out slowly)

:)

I kept out of American Idol for the past two years because I thought it was a stupendous waste of time
Fify.

[Notta]

It's addicting. I even vote!!

[dug_down_deep]

BWE...did you listen to the Mad World performance? That's a good one.

(Did anybody see that guy? He was scribbling something, and then he just backed out of the room.)

[LoneWolf]

(Did anybody see that guy? He was scribbling something, and then he just backed out of the room.)

Meh, some loser who realized he wasn't cool enough to hang. ;)

And I agree with Stevie, I was very surprised that Kris didn't go home. I like him and all but, IMO, he is clearly not as talented as the other three.

I personally enjoy Danny's music style more than Alison's just a little more but I still look forward to seeing what she does with her career. 17 years old. That is amazing. And yes, she went out with class.

I also liked how Danny laughed at himself with regards to the last screaming "note" of the song he made. That also takes class.

But singing wise, Adam is still my favorite.

[LoneWolf]

And the American Idol website actually has all the performances available online, and unlike most proprietary sites they actually load fairly quickly for me.

[Notta]

The stage presence Adam has is amazing. I know he's been involved in musical theater for quite a while, and Simon would frequently criticize him for being 'too theatrical', but what makes a good performer better is a great stage presence. That guy is fantastically musical -- I'd pay good money to see him perform in person much faster than I would plunk down a couple of bucks to buy a CD.

[Steviepinhead]

There's time when Adam just cracks me up--

Like a couple of weeks ago, I forget what he was singing, but he not only hit some ridiculously high and extended note, which required him to do the whole operatic (or, in his case, perhaps, musical theater) thing of hanging his mouth open to hit the pear-shaped diaphragm-driven note...

...but then he deliberately waggled his tongue at the camera in mid-wail!

Ya gotta like a guy who has fun with the boundaries of "acceptable" behavior like that!

At the same time, he seemed to have taken Allison (apologies for dropping a "l" from her name, earlier) under his wing, and the duet the two of them did just rocked.

[Notta]

I wonder if Allison was dropped off because the majority of voters are teenaged girls, and they'd rather vote for one of the boys instead of a cute young girl. I think that's why Melinda Doolittle ended up being culled in third place; there were two younger, cuter people left.

[dug_down_deep]

Yep, I think that's it.

[LoneWolf]

I also think they are the ones most likely to keep calling and voting over and over again during the week. There ain't no way it is 65 million separate voters casting one vote each.

[Notta]

I also wonder why the separate vote totals are never stated. I'm wondering if Adam really DID score in the bottom three, or AI did that just to make more people dial in the following week.

[LoneWolf]

I also wonder why the separate vote totals are never stated. I'm wondering if Adam really DID score in the bottom three, or AI did that just to make more people dial in the following week.

My guess is they don't reveal the numbers because it makes it more suspenseful to not know. Maybe the numbers aren't so close.

I admit I was surprised Adam was in the bottom 3 that week but after that whole Quiz Show fiasco back in the 50's laws were passed outlawing the fixing of television contests. I wonder if AI would risk it.

[dug_down_deep]

If they were fixing it, Allison would still be there. They aren't fixing it.

[nygreenguy]

If they were fixing it, Allison would still be there. They aren't fixing it.

No way. Danny and Adam are way more commercial.

[dug_down_deep]

Danny ain't drawing viewers, dude. I hate to break it to ya.

Did you see the duet with Adam and Allison? That would have been a cool finale. Danny or Kris with Adam will be meh.

[dug_down_deep]

Danny's the next Taylor Hicks. He ain't going nowhere.

[LoneWolf]

Danny's the next Taylor Hicks. He ain't going nowhere.

I doubt any of the last four are going anywhere. Even Kris. His rendition of "She works hard for the money" makes me want to hear more from him.

[Notta]

So, the JUDGES pick musical choices for the next-to-the-last competition? I thought the songs the competitors chose were MUCH better than the ones the judges chose. I told my husband that it seemed like Kris and Danny were TRYING hard to be great singers, but Adam just IS a great singer. He makes it seem effortless.

It's like watching an old Fred Astaire movie. When he danced, he seemed to be floating around the room. You could practically see the other dancers sweating and looking at their feet, while good old Fred just flew around without any apparent effort.

Adam's singing reminds me of that. I wish he didn't have to include so many high notes all the time, though. He does just fine without showing off his vocal cords to the audience every time.

And an openly gay American Idol! Who woulda thunk it? Especially since the Mormons have been over-represented in the top 25 for the past few years.

[LoneWolf]

I agree, Notta, I wasn’t as impressed when they sang the judges songs. It doesn’t surprise me though. I never thought the judges knew better than the singers themselves what songs they would be best at singing. Even during theme weeks they still have a fairly sizeable pool of selections to choose from. This was actually my least favorite week of Adam’s, and he was still great.

And I also think you are right about Adam’s high notes. They are great and fit right into many of the songs he does. Last night was the first time I thought he was getting a little carried away with them.

I think Danny is a better singer than Kris but I think Kris is a more talented musician in general. I loved his performance with the acoustic guitar. Very brave. I think he knows he is the underdog and figured there wasn’t anything to lose in taking chances. I’m glad he did.

And am I the only one who becoming increasingly annoyed with the bickering and childish behavior between the judges? I use to think the bickering between Paula and Simon was funny. Now it is becoming very distracting.

[Notta]

Danny got booted?!?!!? WTF?

I guess it's a personal preference. I like Danny's voice better than Kris', although Kris consistently performed well.

I saw scenes from Adam's 'homecoming' on last night's show. Those poor little teeny-bopper girls. Apparently, none of them know he's gay. One girl took off her top and ran towards him while wearing just a bra at his high school day!

He needs to do something spectacular to make those girls like him more than Kris and his wholesome boyish smile.

I get the feeling that the American Idol is chosen by hordes of 11-year-old girls using speed dial on their cell phones.....

[dug_down_deep]

Yep. It's the Teen Beat vote. It stopped being theoretical when they showed Kris's visit to his home town. Those were actual 11-year-olds.

That said, Kris deserved to be in the top two. He's made a respectable showing the last few weeks. I would guess the vote difference between him and Danny was pretty narrow.

And Adam is a natural, but I'll agree I haven't been as blown away by him the last couple of weeks. He deserves to win, but it doesn't mean he will. Especially if he keeps counting on those high notes winning him votes. He's got to do stuff the audience can feel. Do they do one more song now, or two, or what?

[LoneWolf]

I really like Danny, and we'll be seeing more from him, but Kris earned that spot yesterday. He pulled out all the stops. Next week should be interesting. And I think they sing two songs each next week.

[nygreenguy]

Guys, danny was an overblown self-important chode. And he couldn't even sing at that, he could only yell.

[nygreenguy]

Yep. It's the Teen Beat vote. It stopped being theoretical when they showed Kris's visit to his home town. Those were actual 11-year-olds.

That said, Kris deserved to be in the top two. He's made a respectable showing the last few weeks. I would guess the vote difference between him and Danny was pretty narrow.

And Adam is a natural, but I'll agree I haven't been as blown away by him the last couple of weeks. He deserves to win, but it doesn't mean he will. Especially if he keeps counting on those high notes winning him votes. He's got to do stuff the audience can feel. Do they do one more song now, or two, or what?
we dont want adam to win. Then he will have to make some lame ass idol album.

[LoneWolf]

NYGG, if you want want to cause trouble in discussions about politics or religion or the environment or some such thing that is fine. But this is serious shit we are talking about here. Either jump on the band wagon or get out.

;)

[dug_down_deep]

What would that entail, exactly? What are the requirements, if you're the winner?

[Matty]

I wonder if Allison was dropped off because the majority of voters are teenaged girls, and they'd rather vote for one of the boys instead of a cute young girl. I think that's why Melinda Doolittle ended up being culled in third place; there were two younger, cuter people left.

Surely people only vote on the best musical act, not anything as lame as which talentless tool looks better in a miniskirt? Its a karaoke competition not a fashion show isnt it?

(harks back to being reamed for calling David Cook a talentless pretty boy)


And y'all watch this again why? :)

(one of these days y'all will listen to me, turn this shit off and go see a proper band in a pub somewhere)

[Steviepinhead]

It's a singing contest for the judges, but the judges don't control the outcome.

The outcome is a popularity contest. :mad:

And the most popular among that part of the audience that votes, and votes, and votes again -- judging by the hometown visits, an audience that must have a considerable number of tween girls at its core -- is not going to necessarily be the best singer. (Heck, last year they lost the three best singers several rounds before the final.)

But, if the audience is "supposed" to be voting for the best singer, Adam will win. If the audience is going to vote for the most-appealing-to-tween-girls-"heartthrob," then Kris could win.

Again, Kris is not terrible, he has definitely had his moments, and is an enjoyable if limited performer. But Adam is by a substantial distance the better singer, performer, and entertainer.

Of the final four, the order of elimination shoulda been: Kris, Danny, Allison, and Adam as the winner. That Kris slid by Danny is arguable. That either Danny or Kris got by Allison is disgraceful. That anybody but Adam might win it is ridiculous!

But, apparently, quite possible. But the tweens abandoned David A. at the last moment last year, so maybe tween ardor will again cool enough to let talent triumph.

I don't know, from Adam's point of view, now that he's gotten the exposure, whether is would be "better" for him to be unfettered by Idol obligations or not. Could well be. I'm just taking the thing at its face value (hmm, tho that's in a way what I'm accusing the tweens of doing, too).

[Notta]

And y'all watch this again why? :)

(one of these days y'all will listen to me, turn this shit off and go see a proper band in a pub somewhere)
I'll go back to clubs to listen to live music when they stop playing it SO LOUD IT CAUSES HEARING DAMAGE!

[Matty]

and when they have tunes you can whistle to instead of all this boom boom boom silliness ? ;)

you can always wear low level earplugs if gigs are really THAT loud for you. Or stand at the back.

My point is that the pub gig, however loud, or even however rough, is real music. Idol is preprogrammed karoke shit fully intended to be disposable.
Is thre a single artist from say 2 years back or more that is still hailed as anything other than a karoke has been? Certainly not in any of the English cases, they have a 1 or 2 album contract and then straight down the pan (where they belong,granted, but i do feel for those that feel this game show win came with any kind of musical longevity).

[Notta]

Matty, watching American Idol is to experiencing music as reading the Sunday funnies is to reading a classic novel. It's candy for the mind and ears, nothing serious.

[Matty]

i personally agree, lots of people seem to think it counts as actual music though.

[Notta]

Yeah - all the 11-year-old girls who watch.

But even though it's not real music, it IS a treat to listen to a good singer now and then.

[Matty]

And Magdlyn of course. :)

fair enough. i shall not derail you guys' thread with my cynical bollocks any more.

[dug_down_deep]

It's a performance contest. Nothing more. And it's enjoyable if you see it as that. Some of the performances are very good, and it's fun to watch the judges be who they are, and to root for your favorite to win.

Some of the idol winners and runners-up have made tons of money and are still recording. I'm hard-pressed to name one that I'm still interested in much after the contest is over, though.

[Notta]

Jennifer Hudson has a great career going, but I never even watched the season where she competed.

[nygreenguy]

What would that entail, exactly? What are the requirements, if you're the winner?

You make the album THEY want. Some of the songs are already made before the winner is even chosen (this is why we used to see them sing the same song at the end)

[nygreenguy]

My point is that the pub gig, however loud, or even however rough, is real music. Idol is preprogrammed karoke shit fully intended to be disposable.
Is thre a single artist from say 2 years back or more that is still hailed as anything other than a karoke has been? Certainly not in any of the English cases, they have a 1 or 2 album contract and then straight down the pan (where they belong,granted, but i do feel for those that feel this game show win came with any kind of musical longevity).

Why do you restrict it to 2 years back? Clarkson ,Daughtry, Aiken,Underwood. All have had multiple albums (daughtry about to release second) and all have sold millions and won grammys. Hardly a karaoke has been

[dug_down_deep]

Why Danny Gokey is not a finalist... :P

R6wiYAJjaGo

[Goodchild]

I imagine there's a bunch of distraught Lambert fans right now. Wouldn't be surprised to find that Allen won because of the 'christian' vote lol.

[LoneWolf]

Well, I haven't watched the results episode because it is delayed by half a day in Cambodia but I looked at the winner anyway. I'm not really surprised. My guess is more people voted for Adam but the people who voted for Kris voted more times. I don't think it was the Christian segment that gave him the win as much as it was the teenage girl segment that gave it to him.

In any case, it is always fun to watch the underdog win and I am sure Adam is more than aware that coming in second will give him more freedom with what to do with his career in the short term. I enjoyed this season. But I'm not sure I'll watch again next season. There really needs to be a better system for choosing the winner, and I am not just saying that because my guy came in second.

[dug_down_deep]

I think there is backlash against contestants who are picked as the favorite early on - the underdog effect. Some people just didn't care for the high-pitched stuff and saw it as gimicky. A lot of voters were pre-teen girls. Et cetera.

Yeah I agree there needs to be a better way of determining the winner, but I don't think it will happen. They should have a cumulative rating of performances. And yeah, I think Adam was actually relieved by the results.

[dug_down_deep]

Check the dude out at his high school graduation. :notworthy:

wA7bA6rhKvc

[Notta]

I couldn't believe it when ROD STEWART trotted out in a plaid jacket to sing a song about a schoolboy in love. Good god, that man's old enough to be a great-grandfather!

And how about those new, hip bands? Like KISS and Queen?

Fer crissakes, what century are we living in?

I'm done with Idol. I have no wish to set my tastes against a bunch of tween girls in middle America.

[Steviepinhead]

Well, I'm just about over my disappointment! :D

Adam deserved to win, but I'm sure both he and I will survive the near-miss...

Now for the debut episode of "So You Think You Can Dance."

Another cheesy infotainment show that I'd never be caught watching!

[court and spark]

I heard earlier today that AT&T, one of Idol's sponsors, had also sponsored two Kris Allen voting parties in Arkansas, providing free texting and a special "10 votes in 1 push" button for the Allen fans. It did happen, but Fox is saying that it had no impact on the results.

Fox denies AT&T help influenced 'Idol' outcome (http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/27/ent.american.idol.voting/index.html)

[Notta]

CNN is hosting a poll that asks whether these types of 'voting' shows should allow only one vote per person. When I voted, the overwhelming response was 'one person, one vote.'

[Goodchild]

Adam finally came out publicly :)

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/adam-lambert-finally-confirms-i-m-gay/23594?nc

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay," the American Idol runner-up says.