American Idol - Wild Card Show Preview

Written by Scott Pepper
Published March 08, 2004

Tomorrow night, twelve AI3 semi-finalists get one last chance to win the hearts of the judges and America and make it into the Top 12. As Seacrest reminded us last week, Clay Aiken was a wild card in last year's competition, so these singers are anything but also-rans, or so the producers would have us believe.

The Wild Card Show is somewhat different from the other semi-final rounds in that, for this show only, each of the judges gets to pick one of the 12 singers to move on to the finals. The last finalist will be determined by America's votes.

Jennifer Hudson ruthlessly butchered Imagine in her first semi-final appearance, but most AI voters don't even know who John Lennon is, so don't expect them to hold that against her. The judges--even Simon--were kind to her the first time around, but it's hard to say if she'll be any of their top picks at this point.

George Huff shouldn't even be here. He was bumped up into the Top 32 when the producers yanked 20-year-old Donnie Williams for a DUI arrest last month. Simply put, George is creepy. Nobody should smile that much. Nobody. If he shaved the moustache, he'd probably look the right age to even be in this competition, but as is, he looks like he's pushing 30. Inexplicably, Paula loved his Always & Forever in Group 4. She could pick him to move on if America doesn't.

Leah LaBelle was shocked when she was passed over in Group 3 for the far superior LaToya London and Amy Adams. Well, she's back, and she won't take no for an answer this time. While her one performance in the semi-finals (Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing) seemed sub-par given the competition she was up against on the night she sang, she could come out ahead of the pack tomorrow night. If she doesn't get America's vote, either Simon or Randy could pick her. As for me, I still think she's a spoiled brat, and I can't wait to see her shock when she gets booted off the next time around, whenever that may be.

Elizabeth LeTendre continues the parade of mediocre Whitney imitators who've been invited back to ham it up for us again. In a competition like this one, you've got to stand out to really resonate with the audience. If you don't make your mark, there's no way they'll remember you when it comes time to vote. Elizabeth just seems to blend in. My guess is, while she'll pull off an okay performance, neither the judges or the audience will pick her for the Top 12.

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American Idol - Wild Card Show Preview
Published: March 08, 2004
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Filed Under: Video: Music, Video: Performing Arts, Video: Television
Writer: Scott Pepper
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