Top 3: Results Show

Well, that was a pointless exercise. I'm not even going give you people on the west coast a spoiler alert because, really, are the results even surprising? The Davids advance while Syesha is Sarasota-bound.

Starting off the colossal waste of time was the group sing. This week's ritual slaughter was "Ain't No Stopping Us Now," complete with choreography! You know, for a supposed bad ass rocker, David Cook looked all too game and comfortable doing the retarded dance steps. Lame-o.

Before cutting to a commercial, the camera panned the audience revealing some gray-hair who I think, but don't quote me, was the "Let's Get Ready to Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuumble!" dude. Oh, and David Hernandez. Man, I totally forgot about that guy and the accompanying gay non-scandalous scandal.

After the commercial, Season 3 winner, Fantasia, took the stage sporting a shade of lipstick that miraculously matched her shock of hot pink hair. Her performance of "Bore Me" was... um... actually, here's Simon's reaction which I think says it all:

Incredulous.

Up next, the journeys home. It was at this time that my cable decided it was time to resume its recent habit of freezing up, pixelating and warping the picture and then jumping ahead, leaving entire blocks of time in its wake. Actually, come to think of it, I think this is probably what it feels like to be Paula Abdul.

So, I missed most of David Archuleta's return to Murray, Utah and a good chunk of Syesha's time in the Tampa area. I did catch the mayor of Sarasota, Lou Ann Palmer, doing a handstand, of all things. You KNOW she's been practicing that since Syesha got her golden ticket.

Unfortunately, my cable stopped crapping out just in time for the David Cook coronation in Blue Springs, MO which was characterized by lots of screaming girls and David dramatically dabbing the tears from his eyes. Pussy.

And then, finally, after about 58 minutes of time-wasting nonsense, we arrived at the most anti-climatic decision since poor Kimberly Locke had to pretend she had actually had a shot at toppling either Ruben Studdard or Clay Aiken way back in Season 2. Syesha Mercado accepted her fate without tears nor invoking the memory of the civil rights movement. That, perhaps, was the most shocking thing of all.

So, to summarize for you skimmers and/or dolts, your Top 2 are David Archuleta and... yaaaaaaaaawn... David Cook. My money's on Archuleta. What do you think?

more at twiigs.com...

Recap: Top 5 Results

Like, I know Neil Diamond is a legend and crap but I have to say, this week's show? Not so memorable. Perhaps I was just distracted by all the shiny sequins on Neil's shirts in the tribute montage thingy.

Is it just me or was that sequence quite heavy on The Jazz Singer clips? I think I need to add that movie to my Netflix queue. I haven't seen it in ages. I remember Laurence of Arabia played the disapproving father in it. Oh wait, or was it Laurence Olivier as the grumpy dad? Whatever. I DO remember that Lucie Arnaz was in it because I'm random like that.

Anyhoo, Idol... yeah, so last night's show wasn't much to blog about... as you can see by the dearth of recaps up in here. Paula's retardation was the only stand-out and well, that's not exactly news now is it?

In tonight's installment, we wasted a good 15 minutes or so on the medley (no "America"! Thank you, David Archuleta!), recaps from the previous night and then an extended promo for So You Think You Can Dance. I won't bitch about the latter too much since Mejack and Jess will kick my ass but good. They're big ol' fans, see.

After the commercial break, the producers made a half-assed attempt at suspense by lumping David Cook, Brooke White and Syesha Mercado in the at-risk group. If you really wanted to dick us around, Idol powers-that-be, you could have sent Syesha to safety first and made David sweat it out a little bit. But noooooooooooo. He of the ridiculous hair was released to the couches right away. Actually, he was soon followed by the two doomed broads because this was only 24 minutes into the broadcast and filler comes before fate, girls!

Helping to stretch out the broadcast:

• A performance by Natasha Bedingfield
• More stupid viewer calls including one from a Ms. Tara Miller, Simon's first kiss at the ripe old age of 9 (Go Simon!)
• A performance by Neil Diamond, sans sparkly shirt
• A drawn-out post-performance Q&A conducted by Ryan who was no doubt dutifully obeying the director's order to stretch

And then, finally, the results. Brooke was already crying by the time she and Syesha made it to the center of the stage. Ryan, sensing her increasingly delicate state -- and not wanting to be blamed for her mental collapse -- delivered the news quickly and mercifully... Brooke was the next to go. Hit it, Ruben!

Brooke's tribute clip and sing-out actually made me sad. I felt for the girl. Sure, she made me uncomfortable week after week to the point of painful itching, but I didn't hate her or anything. And really, that's what these kids are really striving for, right? Record deal, schmecord deal. Staying off my shit is the ultimate goal for any worthwhile American Idol candidate.

Recap: Bullshit Results

This show officially disgusts me. First, we were beaten senseless with a nasty, off-key "All I Ask of You" group sing complete with Sir Andrew's piano accompaniment. My that man has an awkward relationship with the camera, doesn't he though?! When not gesturing like a goon, he had a tendency to expose his bottom lip and flash his his lower set of yellowing teeth. Tres chimp-like. His behavior tonight has all but guaranteed insomnia in my immediate future.

Even more disturbing was that the two strongest performers from the previous night -- Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson -- ended up in the bottom two. Such horse shit.

So, tonight we said goodbye to Carly Smithson but here's what we have to look forward to: a possible "America/Sweet Caroline" group medley during Neil Diamond week, at least one more Brooke meltdown, several more pinched arrangements from David Cook as well as dry-lipped-open-eyed David Archuleta performances. Lucky us.

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Results Recap

The good news is, I'm all done with culinary school hell and will actually have the time and energy to post on a regular basis! The bad news is, one of these youngsters has to pack up his or her dreams and head back from whence they came.

But first there's something important we need to discuss. What is that monstrosity around Paula Abdul's neck? It looks like a flower bouquet ate and then threw up 12 diamond necklaces.

Mariah medley time. It sounds like a middle school choir performance. Everyone is pretty terrible, and it sounds like seven different songs are being sung at the same time. Ugh.

Secret boyfriend alert! Ryan knows that Simon has a grass skirt.

The kids are divided into groups, which I know because my mom called me all frantic that David Cook might be in the bottom three. Jason Castro is the first member of the group on Ryan's left. I'll call them Team Sexy. David Cook is the first member of the group on Ryan's right, which I'll be calling Team Smarmy. I have to give props to David for not playing the sick brother card. Didn't even mention it despite Ryan's prodding.

Carly Smithson joins Jason's team, forcing me to rename it. It's now Team Less Sexy. Kristy Lee rounds out Team Less Smarmy.

Ford Fusion time. "I Want to Break Free" by Queen is the song. Apparently, if you work in an office, you're a puppet, and the only thing that can save you is a ride in your Ford Fusion. No, really. I didn't make that up.

Oh, Elliott Yamin. You were my favorite underdog ever, and yet I just don't care anymore. I don't know what happened, honestly. Aw! He has "We Miss You Mom" written on his hand. That touches me. I care again. Well, I don't want to listen to him sing again, but I do care.

Syesha Mercado joins Team Less Sexy, bringing the sexy back. Brooke White joins Team Less Smarmy, making it Team Blond. Am I losing you? Let me recap:

Team Sexy: Jason, Carly and Syesha
Team Blond: David Cook, Kristy, Brooke

I know that Carly isn't particularly sexy and David Cook isn't particularly blond, but I'm going with the law of averages here, people. Try to keep up. Which team with David Archuleta join? My guess is, the one in which everyone is safe, and I have no fucking clue which one that is at this point.

Call-in question time! I hate this segment so, so much. Joan, age 23, Vegas wants to ask Kristy if she ever got back the horse she sold to get to the audition. The answer is no, and Ryan asks the dude to not be such a douchebag and sell the damn horse back already. Jillian from Maine wants to know what the first record each judge owned was. Randy's was either Led Zeppelin, Beatles or James Brown. Paula's three, because she forgot that the question only asked for one, because OxyCodone hurts your short-term memory, were Jackson Five, Earth, Wind and Fire and Carole King. Simon's was Paula Abdul. Megan, age 15, Jersey, wants to know which of Paula's songs best describes her relationship with Simon. Megan is "the" Megan from Paula's reality show, which I don't know what that means but suddenly everyone is uncomfortable. Paula does some wacky wordplay with song titles and then says "applesauce" a bunch of times while standing on her head and rubbing her stomach. I don't fucking know. And this is the point where I tune out and start asking and answering my own questions.

Jess wants to know how Simon keeps his nipples erect all the time. Simon says, "ice cube bra." Jess also wants to know why Carly allows herself to be dressed in the most unflattering manor ever. Carly asks, "What do you mean?" Jess really, really wants to know if she can see Jason Castro naked. Jason says, "I thought you'd never ask, Sexy Mama!" That's right, baby. Come to Mama…

Mariah time, which in my house means "fast-forward time." Team Sexy and Team Blond are back up on the stage. Ryan summons The Archuleta, Decider of Fortunes. David Archuleta is safe, and in a twist of fate, David Cook and Syesha trade places! David Archuleta gets to pick which group he thinks is safe, but he sits on the floor instead. Team Sexy, which is no longer Sexy at all, is safe and he joins him.

Bottom three: Kristy, Brooke and Syesha. Syesha is… SAFE! Brooke is… SAFE! Kristy Lee Cook is OUT! IN YOUR FACE VOTE FOR THE WORST! She sings out by serenading Simon from her perch on the judges' table. She sounds really rough, but she gets a pass because she was crying five seconds ago. My guess is VFTW is going to pick either Brooke or Jason next. What do you think?

Results Recap

"9 to 5" medley: More awful dancing. The guys all sounded super weird singing it. The girls sounded okay, even Kristy Lee Cook. The contestants came off the stage to fondle the judges for awhile. God, I hate the medleys so much. They are painfully cheesy, and not kitschy cheesy, which I like. Just straight up Gouda.

Aside: I love Dolly Parton so, so much. She's a national treasure. I do miss her old face, though. I would also like to point out that a few weeks ago, I went over to Curly's for dinner, and we discussed Dollyweek. She said, "Who's going to sing "Jolene," and I predicted Brooke White." I also predicted Kristy Lee Cook would sing "9 to 5," but at least I got one right. Actually, she technically did, in the medley, so I am a physic phenomenon!

Michael Johns is… safe! And wearing a Dolly Parton T-shirt?

David Archuleta is… safe! I think it's safe to say David Archuleta could burp his next song and be safe.

Carly Smithson is… safe! And I can't decide if I think her yellow top is flattering or not. It's hard to pull off yellow if you're not Brooke White, because she is the sun in human form.

Commercial time. I have to see if my tater tots are done. And my tater tots are… not done!

I am not digging Seacrest's fauxhawk at all.

Call-in time! Haley, age 13, wants to know what Syesha misses most about her home life. Answer: hanging out with friends and family. This segment is so fucking boring. Robert, also age 13, wants to know what talent David Cook would like to have. Answer: organization -- he's a slob. I'm falling asleep here. Bill, age 26, wants to know who Randy, in all his skull-shirted glory, hasn't worked with. Answer: he'd like to work with the next American Idol! Kyle, age 17, wants to know what Michael Johns and David Cook want to sing on the tour. Answer: they haven't thought about it yet. Mary, age 52, has a question for Simon. Why does he feel it's necessary to apologize after a negative critique? Answer: Simon is officially off the hook! No apologies from now on.

The Clark Brothers sang, "This Little Light of Mine." Badly. The singer is a bizarro, less cute Jordan Catalano singing "I Want to be Sedated" after Rayanne choked and ran off the stage. Luckily my tots are done, and in case you were wondering, yes, I'm going to eat my tots, and no, you can't eat them.

Ford commercial. "It's Tricky," which I enjoy very much when I listen to my Clueless soundtrack. The Idol hopefuls are facing off with a bunch of black guys in basketball. Because black guys are good at basketball, duh. Not good enough to beat this group of skinny, multi-ethnic midgets, though! Just kidding. They aren't all midgets. Just some of them.

David Cook is… safe, healthy and sporting questionable hair.

Ramiele Malubay is… in the bottom three! And wearing a Britney T-shirt?

Kristy Lee Cook is… in the bottom three! And she brought some sort of note claiming her silver seat.

Past Idol update. Bucky moved to Nashville, got a record deal and has two singles out. Phil Stacey grew a beard, looks like my boyfriend now, and has a country album coming out soon. Bo Bice had three intestinal surgeries, took a year off, built a recording studio and put out an album getting back to his southern rock roots. He needs a haircut now more than ever. He's also a dad now, which he seems to enjoy.

Syesha Mercado is… safe! And wearing a Paula Abdul T-shirt?

Brooke White is… in the bottom three! Holy crap! My beloved Jason Castro is safe!

Ramiele is boob height to Kristy and Brooke. Heee.

Idol Gives Back time. An Ethiopian girl living in poverty was given a home and was separated from her sister. After searching, she found her, and their reunion was really touching. They're both off the streets now and in a shelter.

Dollytime! Singing "Jesus and Gravity" from her new album "Backwoods Barbie." LOVE. She is wearing the craziest outfit EVER, and it is awesome because it's Dolly. She looks like a bride at a wedding at a retirement community for active seniors in Boca Raton, Florida whose next door neighbor from Texas, Betty Jo, took a look at her white capri pants and cape and said, "It's nice, Dolly, but it needs more pizzazz! Let me get my Bedazzler!" And then they drank white wine spritzers and spent the night bedazzling and gossiping about Martha down the hall, who is a TOTAL SLUT. And Jordin Sparks and Holly Robinson Peete fucking loved every second of it. Speaking of crazy outfits, Paula Abdul has some sort of weird cutouts on her shiny blouse. She looks like a Russian stripper.

Results time. Randy predicts Ramiele is out. Simon predicts it won't be Brooke. Brooke is emotional and can't stop talking. Brooke is… safe! And Kristy Fucking Lee Fucking Cook is safe AGAIN. I shake my fist at Vote for the Worst. Which means that Ramiele is going bye-bye. I'm not sad, because she showed so much promise early on and then never really delivered, and if I learned anything from my parade of shitty ex-boyfriends, it's that you can't fall in love with someone's potential. She's young, though, she'll be fine. And successful. She pulled herself together to do a decent sing-out, which I always like to see.

Top Chef time, kiddies. Stay tuned for a news update later this week.

Top 10: Results Recap

Later, Fat Alfonso Ribeiro. But before we get to the results…

You officially have until March 31st to enter your schmaltzy, forgettable song for the songwriter competition. Get composing, Marcy.

The medley was painful, especially the David Cook/Michael Johns chest bump. A close second was Kristy Lee Cook's singing, and third, as much as it pains me to say it, Jason Castro's dancing, although he's still adorable even when he's in full-on dork mode. It's endearing, really.

We got to see the Idol hopefuls in the studio recording the full-length versions of their performances for iTunes. David Cook sort of admitted that he looks for other people's arrangements on iTunes so he can steal them as pass them off as his own (or at least he did before the show got some flack, and now we get a quickly worded, barely audible plug for the original cover artist from Seacrest).

FYI, if I had to sing a song from the year I was born, it would be "Lovin' You," and I'd use Eric Cartman's arrangement, and give him full credit.

Hey, Carly Smithson isn't pregnant! You know why we didn't report that rumor? Because we're girls, and we know the danger of wearing an empire waist when you have hips and normal-sized arms, that's why. Once, while wearing an ill-advised empire waist dress at a department store, an elderly woman in a wheelchair nearly ran me over and then said, "Watch out, honey! I don't want to hurt your baby!" Yeah.

Ford commercial time. I have to say, I'm enjoying them more this season. This one was to Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me." They're still cheesy, sure, but the production values are better and they actually do interesting things. In this case, showing performances on T-shirts, CD cases, etc. I dug it.

I find it hard to believe that Chris Cornell called up Ryan Seacrest to rave about David Cook, by the way. And why did David have a scarf hanging down the back of his leg? Is that the new edgy chain wallet, only for like, pussies?

God, the new Q&A section is killing me this season. First question: Is Chikezie single? Yes, he is. Second: Why did David Archuleta pick a song that no one knows? Because it's one of his favorite songs, that's why. Third: How can she get Ryan Seacrest's job? Simon's answer: You don't need talent. He'll be paying for that later when Seacrest is withholding sex out of spite. Fourth: Who would Brooke White do a duet with? John Mayer. I think it's safe to say John Mayer would sully Brooke White beyond recognition. Fifth: Is Simon the most attractive person on the show? Simon says, "Have you SEEN my chest hair and dazzling teeth?" (He didn't actually say that.)

I can't even snark on Kimberly Locke. I find her tremendously likeable. She put out an album, lost 40 pounds and opened up a restaurant. Okay, I lied. I will snark on the boob mashing, goth prom atrocity she was wearing to perform in. What WAS that? It was totally something that the "So You Think You Can Dance" contestants would wear while dancing to a Wade Robsen-choreographed contemporary dance piece about a lady zombie who fell in love with a dude just as she was about to eat his brain, and decided to pirouette around him instead of having a cranial snack. She sounded good, anyway, but the song was kind of boring.

Last year, Idol Gives Back provided 120 million meals, 4,000 life-saving immunizations and 25,000 books. I won't give all the details about this year's lineup, because we already did and I've had a long-ass fucking day, but watch it. I'm sure my cold-withered heart will grow three sizes larger.

Bottom three were Chikezie Eze, obviously, Syesha Mercado (P.S. WHY DO YOU HATE BLACK PEOPLE, AMERICA?) and my Jason Castro, which hurt. I guess Kristy Lee Cook's pandering for the redneck vote worked. And Simon's inexplicable praise of said pandering. If they ever brought Hee-Haw back, wouldn't she be a great Hee-Haw girl?

I really wish the producers would let the ousted contestant sing their best song on the way out. I think it would be a bit nicer, both for the contestant and also for those of us who have to listen to it.

Later, kiddies. I have to go back and watch Tuesday's show now, and it's already midnight. Good thing I'm unemployed, eh?

Top 11: Results

I could lie and tell you that I knew exactly who was going to be sent home tonight but I'd be a lying sack of shit if I did that. I never actually posted my predictions this week but had I done so, I would have once again waved buh-bye to Kristy Lee Cook. I would have also predicted that Syesha and Ramiele would be sitting alongside her in the Stools o' Shame nervously awaiting their fate. Had I done so, my average would have sunken lower than... uh... you know, something really low. But I didn't go on record so my average stays the same... which isn't saying much.

And now, on with the show...

Ryan opens the show by planting yet another big wet one on the collective Beatles ass and then segues into a promo for the other notable names who will loom large this season. Serving as mentors in upcoming episodes, we can expect: Dolly "Can't See Her Shoes Either" Parton, Mariah Carey, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Neil Diamond.

Oh man, the Andrew Lloyd Webber show is going to be a complete cheese fest. Ten bucks says David Cook will pick something from Jesus Christ Superstar. I further predict that the girls will seriously duke it out over which one gets to sing "Memory" from Cats. The fur, as they say, will fly.

Next up was the horrendous medley portion of the program where we heard snippets of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Here, There and Everywhere," "Because" and "The End." During Kristy Lee Cook's brief solo, the camera jerked violently to the left totally robbing her of precious face time. I thought for sure it was a sign of things to come. Sigh.

Right before the commercial, there's a shot of previous also-rans Kevin Covais and John Peter Lewis clapping it up in the audience. Kevin grew out his hair and was sporting some thick-framed glasses. He sort of looks like that yelly dude in the commercials who wears a suit with all those question marks on it and really wants you to buy his book so you can figure out how to claim money the government supposedly owes you. Yeah, him.

After the commercial, we're face with the first bit of annoying padding to help fill out the hour -- a replay of songs from the previous night. Finally, Ryan cut to the chase and started announcing the results:

Brooke White = Safe
Carly Smithson = Bottom Three! Whoa, so not expecting that!
David Archuleta = Duh, safe
Michael Johns = Safe

More padding: Behind the scenes of the Ford video shoot. I find these things insipid so I'm not going to comment any further than the song was "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash.

More results, thank God...

David Cook = Safe. Fuck it all to hell.
Kristy Lee Cook = Bottom Three
Jason Castro = Safe... and sooooooooooo adorable
Ramiele Malubay = Safe

Then it was time for toothless, mind-numbing questions from the viewers. Oh why oh why can't one of Howard Stern's regulars get through? Can a bitch get a "Babbabooey!" up in here? Instead, we have to suffer through bullshit about iTunes downloads and staged kisses between Paula and Simon. I've seen beauty pageant questions with more bite.

Up next, Kellie Pickler performed "Red High Heels." It went a little something like this:

Twang-a-twang-a-twang. Red High Heels. Twang-a-twang-a-twang. Yodelaaayheehooo. Twang-a-twang-a-twang. Red High Heels. Twang-a-twang-a-twang.

BEGIN SINCERE/SAPPY ALERT!
Ryan briefs us on this year's Idol Gives Back (April 9) and then rolls some footage of Fantasia and Elliott Yamin in Angola, where they visited with locals and helped distribute mosquito nets. Thanks to the contributions from last year's effort, Idol Gives Back was able to distribute 8 million nets in Africa.

In a really touching scene, Elliott got super choked up after he learned that a baby boy was given his name because local custom dictates that newborns be named after visitors. That got me ::right here::.
END SINCERE/SAPPY ALERT!

Back to the results...

Syesha Mercado = Safe
Amanda Overmyer = Bottom 3! Totally unexpected yet awesome!
Fat Alfonso Ribeiro = Safe

Carly, Kristy and Amanda assembled in the center of the stage where Carly was quickly put out of her misery and released to the safety of the Top 10 couch. No surprise there. I think it's safe to say that Carly will never ever again compare herself to a dead bird or whatever while America is watching. Lesson learned.

It's down to Kristy and Amanda and while I hate Amanda, I think she has more of a right to be there than Kristy but then I had a sickening feeling in my stomach that Kristy's sympathy vote would swing hard and kick Amanda right square in the ass and sure enough, it did! Amanda Overmyer, with the voice that suggests she could use a good stool softener and an affinity for wearing Kevin Dubrow's pants, is outta here!

And that settles that. Here are your Season 7 Top 10:

1. David Archuleta
2. Jason Castro
3. Chikezie
4. David Cook
5. Kristy Lee Cook
6. Michael Johns
7. Ramiele Malubay
8. Syesha Mercado
9. Carly Smithson
10. Brooke White

Results, Etc: Hot Chicks, Bad Accesorizing, and the Problem With Syesha

We learned some very important lessons tonight.

The first is, if you're a hot chick and you're lacking in the talent department, you'll be safe on American Idol for longer than you deserve. Don't worry, though, hot chicks with mediocre talent don't win.

The second is, if you're a talented singer who doesn't connect with your audience on an emotional level at all, it doesn't matter how many notes you can hit: your days are numbered.

And the third lesson, which is the most important, and Randy Jackson, please take note -- if you're wearing a sweater with a busy neckline, not only is a necklace unnecessary, it's offensive.

So, apparently there are some people who deemed it necessary to call and write begging for more Lennon/McCartney. Because of this, we're going to be subjected to it again next week. Who are these people? Show yourselves! I bet they're the same people who sent in the retarded questions for the new call-in section. Oh, and I'm brainstorming a question that will actually get me on the air, FYI.

Celebs in attendance: Jim Carrey, Sanjaya and Shymali Malakar, and Katharine McPhee with a boring performance. She looked great, though. And I think she winked at her creepy old husband during it. I bet she has daddy issues.

We also had our first Ford commercial tonight, an election parody set to the tune of Cake's "Going the Distance." I thought it was cute. I especially liked the behind-the-podium shots.

29 million votes, people, and at least six million and twelve of them were me voting for Jason Castro. Can you beat that, Melissa? It's on. Start working that dial finger.

Top 12: The Results

My prognostication skills are reeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally rusty this season. I was 2-for-3 with my bottom three predictions. I correctly guessed that Daniel Hernandez and Kristy Lee Cook would bring up the rear. I thought for sure they'd be joined by Ramiele, but because America wants to make an ass of me, Syesha was elected into their sad ranks.

Further bruising my psychic average was the end result. Kristy Lee Cook inexplicably lives on. Who has to bounce, you ask? [Insert dramatic pause here]... Why, none other than David Hernandez!

Fuck my piss-poor prediction percentage! I'm happy with this result. That dude was CHEEEEEEEEEZ-ZAY. On the other hand, his prancing about in his birthday suit for male clientele gave us our best traffic since Antonella Barba's whorey pictures surfaced last season.

But whatever, the season's still young and there's plenty of potential for more scandal and shame. Naturally, we'll be here to fan the flames and recklessly report on it based on nothing more than questionable hearsay and filthy innuendo. It's what we do.

You're welcome.

Results: America, Meet Your Top 12

The royal WE built them a new stage and bought them some Beatles songs to butcher. This is American Idol.

Oh Christ. Blake Lewis. The boyfriend and I watched his video on one of those Music On Demand channels. He liked it. I broke up with him. Okay, I didn't, but I thought about it for a second or two. Apparently Blake didn't get the memo about removing one shiny item of clothing before leaving the house. Paula's rocking out in an inexplicable hat. I want to shoot myself.

While we're having a commercial break, did anyone notice how unbelievably unhappy Amanda Overmyer was last night? I thought for sure TMZ would be on it today, but alas. Maybe I'll find something when I do my super sexy news update tomorrow.

Over 36 million votes this week. I like Ryan's suit. The judges are awfully silly this season. I think everyone's dipping into Paula's Kool-Aid.

David Cook is... IN! And Lionel Richie loves him.

David Archuleta is... IN! And he makes people happy. He and Brooke White do a Mormon fist-pump.

Jason Castro is... IN! And he loves me! Okay, I made that up. He hasn't even met me. Yet.

Man, I can't wait until Amanda Overmyer gets voted off and spills why she was so upset in an interview. And if it has "American Midol Blog" in it, even better. for the traffic, not for our souls. We're clearly going to hell.

Brooke White is... IN! I didn't recap last night, but I did love her performance.

Syesha Mercado is... IN! I found her screamy.

Kady Malloy is... OUT! Which means we have to hear that awful song again. Also, she looks pregnant in that dress. I think she should host TRL. Asia'H is inconsolable. Ouch, this hurts. I'm fast-forwarding. Man, Ramiele is a cryer, huh? Danny Noriega is also crying. Buncha fucking pansies on this show.

David Hernandez is... IN! No more stripper poles for him!

Michael Johns is... IN! Duh.

Luke Menard is... OUT! Jess is two for two! I also predicted Kady and Kristy Lee Cook, but I didn't post it.

Paula looks like a glitter demon is trying to eat her brain. And she is shaking it hard for Luke. Totally wants to bang him. I think he should become a soap star. I love how bored Simon looks.

Danny Noriega and Chikezie Eze left. Who's going home? Let's fast forward through the commercials and find out!

Ramiele Malubay is... IN!

Carly Smithson is... IN! Duh. Duh for all the foreigners tonight.

Amanda Overmyer is... IN! And she looks bummed about it. What the fuck is going on with that girl?

Asia'H Epperson and Kristy Lee Cook are left. Who will it be? Let's fast forward through the commercials and find out!

Hey, have you heard that this is the most talented season EVER?

Asia'H Epperson is... wait, no.

Kristy Lee Cook is... IN! And Asia'H is going home. The hell? So now we're down to one black girl and one generic blond. That sounds about right as far as these things generally play out. What will they do about all the gays on the boy's side?

Her singout is making me misty, what with all the holding back the tears and the dead dad and whatnot. I must be overtired. And I think Paula is on ecstasy.

Danny and Chikezie are holding hands, which just made me laugh out loud. My cat looked at me like, "Dude, shut up. I'm trying to sleep."

Chikezie is... IN! Hey, remember a couple of seconds ago when I asked what was going to happen with all the gays? Uh huh.

Goddammit. Why does my DVR always have to cut off the last few minutes of the show? I shake my fist at you, Time Warner Cable!

There you have it, folks. Your top 12. I may be surprised, but I'm not sad. When Jason Castro goes, though? Someone better show up at my place with a bottle of Riesling and a Vicodin.

Top 20: Results Recap

Well, kids, there you have it. Almost 31 million people voted this week, and apparently a lot of them actually like Amanda Overmyer and Luke Menard. Luke's cute, so I can get that, but WHO THE HELL IS VOTING FOR AMANDA?! Dialers, show thyself! (Oh, I totally forgot about Dial Idol. Let's go see who they predicted. Okay, they had it too close to call.)

Here's who will not be your next American Idol: Jason Yeager, Alexandrea Lushington, Alaina Whitaker and Robbie Carrico.

Here are some things from the show worth mentioning, says me:

- David Cook is wearing a tuxedo T-shirt. David Cook, why are you trying so hard to make me hate you?

- Robbie took my advice about never removing the bandanna and showing us his nasty wig again. (Thanks to Jess for the link -- awesome name, lady.)

- Davd Archuleta was inconsolable during Alexandrea's singout. Ryan Seacrest also seemed a little choked up. That, or he finally hit puberty.

- Cat Deeley from So You Think You Can Dance? was in the audience. Love her!

And now, some announcements:

- March 11th: Top 12. Ruben Studdard recorded the new exit song. Nigel and company finally got their grubby little hands on the Lennon/McCartney song book, which means Beatles week. Prediction: Michael Johns will sing Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds and David Cook will sing Helter Skelter. Anyone want to bet me? Ooooh, I'm sensing a contest coming up! Stay tuned.

- April 9th: "Idol Gives Back." Last year, they raised 75 million dollars for Katrina victims and Africa, and won an Emmy. This year, they're going to have; Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus, Reese Witherspoon, Mariah Carey, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood.

- Robbie Carrico has an insanely beautiful girlfriend for a former boy bander with a bad wig and an identity complex.

Check in for new updates early next week. I'm unemployed and have a new laptop on the way -- I may even post that shit DAILY!

The Finale: The Recap

In the immortal words of Barry Manilow... looks like we maaaaaaaaaade it! Finally! Sweet Jesus, this season took long enough to wrap up. It started out promising but it quickly descended into a steaming pile of poop and never quite recovered.

Speaking of a pile o' poop, let's discuss the two-hour finale, shall we?

The evening started out on a dubious note with Blake and Jordin performing a lifeless duet of "I Saw Her Standing There." Then Ryan introduced Gwen Stefani who was beamed in via satellite (although, it could have been pre-taped because the show is just that shady).

Gwen then warbled "4 In The Morning" while sporting a bunched-up frock that looked like it got stuck in her pantyhose when she visited the little girl's room. Not attractive.

Next up was the first in a series of painful Golden Idol Awards. Why? Why must we be tortured with this bullshit? Anyhoo, a yellow feather-clad Margaret Fowler took home the prize for "Best Presentation" and then proceeded to dry hump Ryan Seacrest in a most disturbing fashion...

Ew. I may never recover.

Then Smokey Robinson sang a couple of ditties with the Top 6 guys. I guess it sounded good. I can't say for sure because I was too busy scrutinizing Phil Stacey's suspect dance moves. Man, he sucks.

Up next, Blake and Doug E. Fresh engaged in a wee bit o' -- quelle surprise -- beatboxing...

Actually, if I'm being honest, I didn't think it was all that bad.

Then there was some other Golden Idol Award crap that I don't feel like discussing further.

Gladys Knight and Tony Bennett then swooped in (separately) and lent an air of class to the proceedings.

As Ryan introduced Tony Bennett, we got a glimpse of Constantine Maroulis who once again fucked the camera with his patented beady eyes/pursed lips combo. If that wasn't bad enough, the director cut to a shot of an applauding Justin Guarani who managed to look slimy even when appreciatively clapping for a legend such as Tony Bennett. Douche.

And then yet another unfunny Golden Idol Award where we witnessed Jonathan Jayne and Kenneth "Bush Baby" Briggs receving the "Best Buddies" trophy...

Because, apparently, these two easy targets weren't exploited enough during the auditions back in January, they had to be trotted out once again for a bit more ribbing in front of an audience of millions. It was bordering on cruel.

Up next was Melinda Doolittle singing about Jesus or turning on the lights or some such with CeCe and BeBe Winans. Then Jordin and Blake were informed by Ryan that they were each getting a Mustang courtesy of Ford. Blake then did a Borat impersonation that firmly cemented my hatred of him. Blake, not Borat. I adore Borat. I just hate young guys who impersonate him, you see. Ditto for people who do Pee Wee Herman impressions. I really hate people who do that.

And then we reached my favorite part of the whole show -- the African Children's Choir...

I adore these kids to no end. Look at their faces! Their energy and exuberance are completely infectious. I love them.

However, that good will was short-lived because a few minutes later, Sanjaya took the stage and once again desecrated "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks. This time with the aid of Aerosmith's Joe Perry. What did Ray Davies ever do to you, Joe Perry?!! Shame on you!

And once again, Ashley Ferl, the infamous Crying Girl, was there and, as usual, she was in hysterics. Somebody medicate that kid. Now.

Adding insult to injury, Taylor Hicks then took the stage and tarded his way through "Heaven Knows" effectively draining what little joy and enthusiasm I had left in me. However, I did derive some pleasure by snapping this photo of Taylor where I captured him in full Stroke Mouth glory...

Up next Jordin Sparks and Ruben Studdard performed "You're All I Need to Get By." So wait a second... Blake gets to perform with an accomplished performer like Doug E. Fresh and Jordin has to settle for the least remarkable Idol winner ever? How is that fair? First, the producers make her sing a lame Donna Summer song last week and now this? Why do they hate her so? Why?

Then Bette Midler came out and sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" and I fast forwarded it because while I'm down with the Divine Miss M, I really don't ever need to hear that song ever again. Seriously, does anyone still have a real jones for this tune?

Oh wait, it turns out Jerry Springer does! So much so that he was moved to tears...

Dude, even The Hoff didn't cry this year. Pussy.

Then there was a tribute to The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. It was just... random, for lack of a better word. I know they were celebrating the album's 40th anniversary but the lineup, transitions, etc. were just weird and kind of jarring, complete with Taylor pantomiming taking a bullet to the head during "A Day in the Life." Pity he was only "acting."

However, I will say that Kelly Clarkson did an admirable job with the titular song accompanied by Joe Perry who redeemed himself after his earlier Kinks infraction... I guess.

And then, finally, we reached the end of this exhausting marathon where we were rewarded with a proper and just outcome... uh, you know, considering our choices...

Ha ha! Suck on it, Blake.

That's it for now but don't start your blubbering just yet because we still have a few things to sort out. I'll have a Season 6 wrap-up in the days to come plus a final installment of The Official Paula Abdul Scattergram before we start winding things down for the season.

After that, feel free to bawl away.

Congratulations, Jordin Sparks!

The Top Three: The Results

Here's your top two, America: Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis.

Wow, I'm really pissed. I took notes and pictures during the broadcast but thanks to tonight's results, I'm too digusted to post them. Seriously. For Melinda's sake, I'm glad she didn't win the whole thing because now she'll actually have a chance for a successful career free from limits and bullshit. But still, she should have made it to the finals.

And sadly, you guys were wrong too. Only 19 percent of you correctly predicted that Melinda would get the boot.

I'm seriously too cranky to elaborate on this. Maybe my mood will lighten by tomorrow for a proper recap. But don't count on it.

The Final Four: The Results

Y'all are two for two! Congrats on successfully guessing LaKisha's ouster in this week's poll. Any of you want to come with me to the track? Or the corner bodega to get me a Mega Millions ticket? I'll cut you in, I promise.

I still have a wicked cough but I popped a few Ricola and managed to suppress the full body heaving enough to snap a few pictures tonight. You're welcome, bitches.

So, on with the show...

After the usual blather, we were introduced to the judges (for those among us suffering from short-term memory loss, I suppose.) For reasons still unclear to me, Simon and Paula switched seats at the judging table. Paula tried to explain it but all I got out of it as "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" and "Jessica Alba, you're hot." Fuck what I said last night, the bitch is getting a 9 this week.

Anyhoo, since he was occupying her usual seat, Simon treated us to a dead-on imitation of Paula's seal clap. Behold!

And then, much to my surprise, and I'll admit, disappointment, Paula managed to make a funny with her accurate portrayal of Simon's creepy nipple rubbing...

During the recap of last night's performances, I made an important discovery: Melinda once again soaked the first few rows with some errant spit. How did I miss this on Tuesday?!

That's becoming an issue, Mindy Doo. You might want to hook up your audience with complimentary tarps from now on.

And then we were subject to some more painful padding to fill out the hour, including insipid, charmless man-on-the-street interviews and an extended promo of the upcoming Idols Live tour. I understand that the producers want to capitalize on the large audience to tout the concert series, however, who was the dumb ass who edited a promo containing quite possibly the worst performances ever? We saw Hayley murdering "True Colors," Gina butchering "Paint It Black" and, of course, Sanjaya's memorable mangling of "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks. Um, do they want people to NOT show up?

Then Pink performed and it was awesome. I have no beef with Pink.

I cannot say the same for Barry Gibb and his gigantic dentures sorely in need of a filing down...

He finished up his song with a dramatic pose and facial expression that just screamed, "Rise, Lazarus! I command you to rise!"

I sat on my couch with a perplexed look on my face as the crowd showered Gibb with lengthy and loud applause. And Bill Maher! Bill Maher, of all people, seemed to really dig the theatrics, bad dentistry and all.

Really Bill Maher? You like "American Idol"? And... Barry Gibb? Seriously?

New Rule: Bill Maher cannot partake in such pussy dealings if he wants to maintain the inappropriately dirty crush I have on him. As it stands, that fantasy is kind of ruined.

The Top 6 Results

Wow, I think I may have a drinking problem. My productivity has taken a hit and I'm making excuses as well as promises of recaps I can't possibly keep. However, The Lovely Jess came through with your weekly fix so get off my back, yo. Seriously, there's a Riesling-flavored monkey already on it and there's simply not room for all of you.

The monkey stays, bitches.

And now the housekeeping portion of the post...

According to the results of our poll, the readers of American Midol correctly predicted tonight's outcome: Phil and Chris hit the bricks. However, I'm a dumb ass and forgot to turn off the voting before the live show began ('cause I'm overly fond of the drink) and when I last checked the results during the "legal" time frame, y'all had LaKisha pegged for extinction along with Chris. So if we're going to go the integrity route, you're only half right. But fuck integrity and dignity, congrats on your accuracy.

Bummer about Chris though. I mean, really, how hot is he?!

Hubba hubba. Here's one mug, however, that I won't be sad to see leave:

And since I didn't post a proper recap as promised, whiny ones, here's some choice shots from last night's show:

I don't know why but LaKisha reminds me of Patrick from "SpongeBob SquarePants" in this photo. Maybe it's because she's so very blobby and triangular. Perhaps I'm off-base but methinks LaKisha should refrain from ever wearing shorts with a tropical pattern -- Jams, if you will -- just the same.

Here's Blake and his "old man mouth" (full credit for that brilliant description goes to Melissa McGee) in all its glory:

And, lastly, here's a little bit of low-tech animation of Melinda Doolittle doing her best to rock the devil prongs. This makes me adore her even more.

Bye, Chris. I'll miss you. Oh and psst... call Jess. As for you Phil, may you finally rest in peace.

Top 6: Results... Um, I Mean, Cock Tease

Wow. That was an emotional two hours. Seriously, portions of it got me ::right here.:: Simon and Ryan's trip to Kenya was particularly brutal. I needed more than one tissue to get me through that bit.

Speaking of uncontrollable sobbing, anyone else think it was a little cruel to let Jordin Sparks twist in the wind like that? I totally thought she lost and judging by her sopping wet face, she did too. I don't think I need to remind anyone that SHE'S SEVENTEEN especially since Randy says it like clockwork, you know, each and every week without fail. God, that was cruel.

Even crueler? Subjecting us to the Celine/Elvis duet of "If I Can Dream" right on the heels of the celebrity-packed "Stayin' Alive" video...

I honestly don't know which one was creepier, to be honest. No wait, I do... Someone make the scary Helena Bonham Carter go away!

I guess there's not much else to say except that this concludes our week of subdued critique. Since no one lost, we can't do a victory dance or curse out the voting public. Well, technically we could but we'd look a touch silly. So, that's that and we'll resume being assholes again next week when there's no charitable causes to make us feel all guilty and shit.

And, continuing in the spirit of generosity and good will, I went and gave Paula a big ol' goose egg on the Insanity Index this week. But that's where this being nice bullshit ends! It's starting to give me hives. Grrr... Bloody do-gooders.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take an anti-histamine chased by a good stiff drink.

Sayonara, Sanjaya

Normally when my predictions are this far off, I get a bit cranky but tonight, my friends, I'm happy to be wrong. I'm grateful to be wrong, even. Check this out:

Sanjaya's Last Ridiculous Hairdo



Sanjaya's Last Time in The Bottom Three



Sanjaya's Last Creepy Face



Sanjaya's Last G-Rated Camera Fuck



Sanjaya's Last Time Hugging It out with LaKisha

More coverage to come tomorrow when the shock has subsided here at American Midol headquarters. Until then, so long, goodbye, aufwiedersehen, adieu, Sanjaya. It's been real... annoying. Good riddance.

Results Show Sort-Of Recap

Apologies for the slacking. I got a new job and, well, that shit is time consuming, yo.

I didn't think Phil Stacey's creep factor was a match for Haley Scarnato's gams, but hey, I've been wrong before. Besides, we all knew it wasn't going to be Sanjaya. I do have some questions, though:

1) Is Akon the new house band?

2) Did anyone else think it was "feel that passion" and not "percussion" in "Turn the Beat Around"?

3) Despite numerous reports of the souls-of-children-eating-shrew vaiety, how is Jennifer Lopez awesome on so many levels? And also, I may not sleep tonight based on the fact that I just said that.

Next week, when the life calms down a bit, I promise to be back on my bitchiest form.

One More Reason to Love Andy Samberg

There isn't going to be an actual news update today, because it's a slow news day, and I'm sure no one cares that Ace Young is performing at a rose bowl parade in some small town somewhere. Which he is. All the 'Idol' news is about how Chris Sligh got voted off and Sanjaya Malakar remains, much to my chagrin and yours. However, current SNL-er, and if I have anything to say about it, future husband Andy Samberg took on the mop-topped crooner this past weekend, and it was quite hilarious. Not dick-in-a-box hilarious, but I giggled. Here it is:

Results

Recap probably coming later from someone who watched the show more closely than I did (making the boyfriend watch with me usually leads to my missing half of the show because of channel surfing during commercials or talking or whatnot), but for those of you searching for who got voted off, it was, as we all predicted thankyouverymuch Brandon Rogers, with his adorable face and fabulous skin and pretty smile and cute hairdo and disappointing vocals. What we didn't predict correctly is who would actually comprise the bottom three. Phil? NO! Sanjaya? YES! And there you have it, folks.

Results Show: The Recap

Let me blog about this bullshit show while it's still fresh in my mind. America, I hate you.

First to get the ax was Nick Pedro. I predicted him to go, and in this case, I think America got it right. When he did his exit song, I thought it was really cute when he turned away from the audience and gave each of the guys handshakes. Simon was right when he said it was Nick's lack of charisma that got him voted off.

Next to go home was Alaina Alexander. This was a pleasant surprise, as I thought America would be too smitten with her cute face and pretty hair to let her go. I thought it was kind of lame how she gave up on the song halfway through, though. If I remember correctly, Ayla Brown cried through her whole exit song and still managed to rock it. Also, when Paula was delivering her parting words did the sound cut off on the actual show, or was that just my digital cable?

Then Kellie Pickler performed. As I've mentioned previously, I'm not a fan of the Pickler. And the way they had her all done up, with the weird hair and the harsh eye makeup, she looked like a washed-up, 60-year-old ex-country singer who just can't give up the karaoke bars. Also, did she get a boob job? If not, I really want to find out where she gets her bras and stock up, because her rack was awe-inducing. The song itself, I hate to admit, kind of touched me. I thought it was sad and it was sweet and I actually thought she sounded good. G