American Idol: The Show Does Indeed Go On
Published May 04, 2005
It took five weeks for Carrie to finally, totally---not just in bits and pieces---get her mojo back. I thought her performance of "Trouble" was one of the best this season.
Unfortunately, Carrie's second feature didn't showcase her mojo or build on the power trajectory of "Trouble."
Frankly, since they were doing current Billboard hits, I was hoping Carrie would come out and make a statement by singing Kelly Clarkson's hit, "Since U Been Gone." (Sort of like the time Constantine wore a Justin Guarini t-shirt to an interview. Wouldn't that have been a hoot?)
Instead, she came out with the plodding "God Bless the Broken Road" and she reverted to her disappointing tendency to slur words and swallow phrases.
At this stage, Carrie is probably the first performer in history who might unintentionally, but regularly perform her own mondegreens. (There's a story that Jimi Hendrix purposely performed a mondegreen in "Purple Haze," where he sang "excuse me while I kiss this guy" instead of the actual lyric, "excuse me while I kiss the sky," but Carrie is not Jimi.)
Carrie: do you think Maroon 5 would have succeeded if you could not understand a word Adam Levine sang?
At least "Broken Road" should have been a song on which Carrie could have practiced performing---you know, delivering some kind of story with her whole self through the music. Just a little emoting would have been nice. But it didn't happen.
I wanted it to be heart-wrenching, tear duct-tugging, poetic version of "Desperado," but it came across as a cardboard version of something like the Swedish National Anthem instead.
To wrap this up, tomorrow, after the results show, will be soon enough to muse on Anthony's and Vonzell's performances. But clearly they were the weakest.
Scott pronounced that he would not be the one going home tomorrow and, you know, he may be right, with or without the chucklehead vote. As for my other predictions, revised for the Post-Constantine era, I also leave those for later.
All in all, a good show and a good time was had by all. Do you think Pray for the Soul of Betty was watching?
- American Idol: The Show Does Indeed Go On
- Published: May 04, 2005
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Reality TV
- Writer: Sticker
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Comments
Did I see Kim Basinger or Cheryl Ladd in the audience last night? We have a disagreement in the office. Thanks.
-E
Scott is remarkable as an escape artist--we all said that way before Simon trotted out the Houdini remark.
From time to time, just in the nick of time, he manages to pull it off.
And pointing out when Scott does something fairly well confuses the chuckleheads. I like that.
It was Cheryl Ladd in the audience.
Scott's attitude is just gross, he is a big scary baby.
Censureship was live and well last night in the A1 board Kingdom.
Constantine fans were hoping to show their frustration with what had happened last week when they felt that their "Idol" was booted off the competition unfairly, by carrying out their own mini vote for Constantine in the Constantine folder - a vote for #6. Seems like a pretty innocuous way to vent to me.
Well it started well enough. In a few minutes, over 1300 votes were cast on one thread for #6 (Constantine), with many other threads along the same line springing into existance every second. Then the Moderators went crazy and started blocking threads. This obviously didn't work (new threads were springing up everywhere), as they soon started erasing the complete threads. They ended up erasing the whole Constantine folder in an attempt to suppress the defiance of Constantine's many fans. They even erased threads that were totally civil, and were not taking part in the vote. It seems that last night any message that contained the word "Constantine' in it was banned for a while. Unbelievable! This type of attitude is just going to make Constantine fans even more livid and determined not to let the issue die.
The fact that the Fox machine seemed to have brought down the Vote For The Worst Idol site just prior to the show, while making statements to the fact that this site had not been able to make a significant difference in Constantine's (and probably Anwar and Nadia's) results, just added salt to the wounds. The comments made by Ryan at the start of the AI show last night that blamed Constantine's departure on the fans not voting, thoroughly ground the salt in.
You may have enjoyed the show last night, but the majority of Constantine's core fans just had the smoldering embers of their discontent flamed into a raging inferno. American Idol lost a whole segment of the population. I doubt they will ever return to the Idol fold!
You know what?? If there are people out there who can't enjoy the great talent that IS left on AI, then good riddance to them!
I'm over Constantine's departure. You know why??? I've had A WHOLE WEEK to deal with this "loss" and I am done with it! So many other people need to LET IT GO!
Anyway, Sticker, I can't believe it! You and I have finally differed about something! This would be the subject of Scott and his immature rantings and attitude toward Simon last night. I did not find it funny! I found it stupid and in bad form! Simon is NOT the reason Scott has gotten bad publicity and is looked to be "the next to go" by the media. You know who's fault that is??? Its Scott's! He is the biggest BOOB to ever grace the stage of AI (well, he might be in a tie with Corey). I found his little comments and attitude totally childish and embarrassing! After he made such a "to-do", I could have cared less if he had the most awesome performance in AI history! He is still a "sea slug" (I'm quoting someone here) and not worthy to grace the stage with great showmen like Bo and Vonzell. UGH!!!!
On another note, I totally agree about carrie's need for polish. The girl can WAIL but she needs so much coaching and advice about how to pull it all off. Thank goodness her Elvis song really took "ahold" of her and helped her shine!
Bo?? Well, there's not much more to add to what you said. He is the whole ticket. He knows what he's doing and he's doing it well! GO BO!
I have NO idea what will happen tonight but if there's any sane people left in the world, its obvious that SCOTT HAS TO GO!!!!!
Peace out!
thanks Sticker, great stuff - Bo and Carrie definitely ruled. Poor Paula was less ebullient than she might have been - tonight's "bombshell" night on Primetime Live
bo & carrie ruled...which means that they'll be at the bottom again tonight.
it wouldn't surprise me.
now that WOULD be a bombshell
Mark my words, it's bye-bye Anthony. And, perhaps, bye-bye Paula too...
hi, mir
I don't think our take is as different as you may think. I'm always thinking of things in terms of how they effect the contestant's fan base and I think Scotty played them well last night, with his Simon set-up and all that.
If Scott doesn't go tonight, some of that will be due to the fact that his fans *like* what they see as him standing up to The Man!
if they actually play the phone machine recording of her pleading with Corey not to reveal anything that Primetime Live claims to have, it could be sayonara
patricia -
what's up with Fox and the votefortheworst site, as you mentioned? did I miss something? (horrors!)
thanks-
Actually, thinking about it, perhaps Scott could go. If the people at that idiot "vote for the worst" site prove true its name, they'll vote for Anthony, leaving Scott vulnerable.
stragely enough, i have come to think that scott's voice isn't all that bad. in fact, at times it reminds me of aaron neville.
he's still in the bottom two, right next to mega-vanilla anthony.
i like vonzelle, but everything she sings seems to turn into Whitney Houston. heck, he could probably sing Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" and it would come out sounding like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody".
Patricia--
btw, I do feel empathy for Constantine's fans. I've been there.
hang in there. things will get better.
mark -
I agree with everything you said.
As for Scott, you know I think the people who really don't like him, don't like HIM---it's not really about his voice. He surely doesn't appeal to everybody.
And I love Vonzell, but I, too, am soooo over Whitney.
I think that vonzell is the best and that she should win the place to be the next american idol. She is the best of them all and if she doesn't win then I will be very mad. I LOVE YOU VONZELL!
Another great musing, Stick. Right on the money. I think we know how things SHOULD play from here on out but with FOX and their vampire-like taste for blood perhaps the shock & roll has only just begun. If the bottom 3 does not hold Scott, Anthony & Vonzel tonight then I'll know only the deaf community votes are being counted. It's going to get down to Bo & Carrie and, honestly, will it be the one who is well seasoned to an audience of people or one who, pre-AI, performed mostly for a barnful of animals?? After Bo wins his album will be a huge seller. We'll hear him on rock stations everywhere, hear about him punching some bonehead out in a barroom brawl, maybe a DUI in Vegas. Bo is Bo. Carrie needs more voice coaching and major stage persona work. In a few years we'll probably hear her crooning country songs from the radio down at BillyBobs House of Ribs and she'll be in one of the 'Got Milk' ads depicting her milking one of her own cows. Yeehaw!
hey,
I'm going to tell you what I think here it goes I think that Vonzell should win american idol. I think that Vonzell, Carrie, and Bo are the good ones but I think vonzell is the best one. I think that Anthony, and Scott need to go because they aren't really that good they just try to even though its a good thing that they are at least trying to be good. I LOVE YOU VONZELL! I hope that you all think that Vonzell is as good as I think that she is because she is very good and she knows that deep down in her heart. She always has a positive attitude with what the judges say to her nice or mean. I hope that Vonzell makes it through the whole competition and if she doesn't I will be very upset.I LOVE YOU VONZELL!
Thanks
I don't like Scott. I don't like his voice or personality. Half the time when I am watching American Idol it is on TiVo and in the background, so I don't really watch it to see the performance or get a feel for their personalities. I just don't think he can sing. I can't sing, so I am not claiming authority on the subject. But I am certainly a consumer, and I wouldn't pay for anything he put out (but then, I haven't spent a penny on any American Idol idols).
Ok, I have to add my input again. I was reading the messages from all the Vonzell lovers and I couldnt help but put my 2 cents in.
My sister and I had this same kind of discussion yesterday about Vonzell. (she likes her and would like to see her win it all.)BUT like other people have stated (Sticker & Mark), Vonzell is like so many before her, namely Whitney Houston (Mrs Bobby Brown). As I was saying to my sister, there is nothing unique and unusually wonderful about Vonzell. She is lovely to look at and always gets through her songs but personally, I am never inspired by her. When Carrie and Bo finish their songs, 9 times out of 10, I am saying, "Wow!"
I think Carrie and Bo are much more original and interesting. Especially Bo. I think they are the "new faces" that will go far. And they are the ones that recieve my votes every week.
I would like to see Baby V make it to the final 3 though. Anthony and Scott should have been gone weeks ago.
Peace out!
"there is nothing unique and unusually wonderful about Vonzell. She is lovely to look at and always gets through her songs but personally, I am never inspired by her."
That's it exactly. And up until last night, Carrie didn't blow me away either. I remain in Bo's camp; he could take it all -- if he really wants it. And I think he does. We'll see what goes down tonight.
I'm having the same prob in my house Mir. My daughter, Hailey also thinks Vonzell should win BUT just as you said there is nothing significant or unusual about her voice that screams 'original'. There are already atleast 100 women already famous for the same voice and style. She is a real cute girl but 'cute' isn't going to catapult her to #1. Then there's another issue in my house - Scott. My husband actually thinks he's good - probably because he can't sing worth a sh** himself but I'm thinking about committing him! Bo is THE man - he'll win it hands down.











I just can't stand listening to Scott. He isn't remarkable. He isn't on par with anyone else in the competition. Even Anthony is better than he is (and considering how much I dislike Anthony, that says quite a bit). He is mediocre at best. His performance of "On Broadway" was entertaining as a jab at Simon, but that's it.
I think the two ladies and Bo are the only ones who deserve to be in it at this point. And I generally do not like female vocalists. (But I've liked V since she got on the wrong bus during auditions).