American Idol – Season 3

Led by excellent and entertaining ongoing reviews by Scott Pepper and the Raging Critic, we are accumulating a very thorough look at American Idol – Season 3, whose popularity appears to be slowing not a whit:

Wither American Idol?
For three seasons, American Idol has been Fox’s top rated show, consistently ranking in the top 5 in the Nielsen’s and achieving water cooler status as one of the few reality shows with any real staying power. The controversies this…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 28, 2004 09:16 AM

American Icon
Thanks to Tivo and a busy schedule, I’m just now catching up with American Idol. I’ve just seen Fantasia Barrino perform “I Believe.” It’s not the greatest song ever written, but it was a great performance. My admiration for Fantasia…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 28, 2004 12:35 AM

It’s “Fan-tas-ia”
As Simon and the other Brits pronounce it. From a career standpoint it didn’t much matter who won Idol last night – Clay has fared much better by NOT winning last year, he was permanently cast in the underdog role,…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 27, 2004 08:58 AM

American Idol – The Winner
Ladies & gentlemen, presenting your 2004 American Idol…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 26, 2004 10:08 PM

American Idol – The Final Two Perform
Tonight, Diana DeGarmo and Fantasia Barrino took the AI3 stage one last time. At stake: fame, fortune, and a major label recording contract. While both women are unquestionably talented singers, only one can be the next American Idol. Each of…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 25, 2004 09:46 PM

American Idol – The Final Three Results
AI3 viewers were treated to a solid hour of entertainment tonight, capped off by the most satisfying expulsion of the season. The high point of the night was an appearance by Tamyra Gray, who performed two self-penned songs off her…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 19, 2004 11:56 PM

More than an Idol
If Fantasia Barrino doesn’t win Idol, America has proven itself once and for all that it can’t judge talent. It’s something I long suspected, but now we’re down to proof time. Fantasia isn’t just an American Idol. That title falls…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 19, 2004 01:03 AM

American Idol – The Final Three Perform
Three young women sang their hearts out tonight, but only two will go on to the AI3 finals next week. In what’s become the most contentious and unpredictable season of Fox’s singing competition yet, the American public has been treated…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 19, 2004 01:00 AM

American Idol – The Final Three Preview
Because it is the network with no shame, Fox added an extra hour of AI3 programming to its schedule last night with a “special” entitled “The Final Three.” Unfortunately, it was an hour wasted. The first half of the show…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 18, 2004 07:40 AM

American Idol Needs Fixing
If Fox isn’t careful, it’s going to destroy the American Idol franchise. Attitudes like this will get Fox nowhere: Fox said both it and the show’s producers have “gone to great lengths” to ensure the integrity of the voting process….
Posted in Blogcritics on May 18, 2004 02:09 AM

Post-Idol Success Hardly Shocking
It strikes me as odd that the writer of this AP story about the show biz success of American Idol contestants seems somewhat surprised by the show biz success of American Idol contestants: As the third season of Fox’s hugely…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 11, 2004 11:06 AM

To George, From Lily – Another Idol Leaves Us
“George, you are my favorite and I am going to miss you. I love you, and you are the best singer. When you come to my house I will give you a hug.” I agree, George you will be…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 5, 2004 09:21 PM

American Idol – Big Band Results
Ouch. I said last night that this is getting harder to call, and indeed it was. Realistically, all five remaining finalists were vulnerable tonight. All of them have been in the bottom three at least once, and though the official…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 5, 2004 09:19 PM

American Idol – Big Band
In a marked departure from previous weeks, AI3 took on the music of the big bands last night. While singing the songs of Gloria Estefan last week proved most challenging for the remaining finalists, this theme was even more difficult….
Posted in Blogcritics on May 5, 2004 02:05 PM

Big Red Speaks
American Idol finalist John Stevens is interviewed by Paula Abdul on Entertainment Tonight tonight: with his boy-next-door charm, John turned out to be quite the crowd pleaser, making it to the final six before being voted off the talent…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 3, 2004 11:53 AM

More On American Idol’s Latest Fallen Luminary
The Detroit Free Press has a classic piece that should be required reading for aspiring critics — and lovers of good music of any kind anywhere. “Tell “American Idol” fans that this season’s worst singer is coming to Detroit and…
Posted in Blogcritics on May 1, 2004 02:41 AM

Elton bleats about American Idol
CMU reports: Elton John has hit out after three promising black singers were voted off the American Idol show. Replicating the thinking that followed the time that British viewers voted favourite Javine off the Popstars show, the US media has…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 29, 2004 09:13 AM

American Idol Devours Another Victim (Chapter 13)
American Idol Devours Another Victim Chapter 13: Little Red Riding Opie By: The Raging Critic Once upon a time, there lived a little wannabe crooner with red hair. His name was Jon Stevens, but the locals in the Village of…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 29, 2004 08:42 AM

American Idol Tries To Turn The Beat Around (Chapter 12)
American Idol Tries To Turn The Beat Around Chapter 12: The Magical Afro-Cuban Samba By: The Raging Critic I swear!!!!!! The American Idol demons must have been released with John Peter Poltergeist’s dismissal. First we have the Jennifer Hudson Catastrophe…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 29, 2004 08:39 AM

American Idol – Gloria Estefan Results
So now we can put the cries of racism and conspiracy theories behind us and get on with the show. While last week’s results night will likely go down as one of the most notorious in AI history, tonight’s can…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 28, 2004 09:15 PM

American Idol – Gloria Estefan
With Miami Sound Machine sitting in as house band tonight, the final six contestants tried their best to turn the beat around with the Latin rhythms of Gloria Estefan. Sitting in as guest “judge,” Ms. Estefan was at least honest…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 28, 2004 01:00 AM

American Idol voting problems?
Let me start off by saying I don’t watch American Idol. It rewards style over substance and is all that is bad about karaoke writ large. But I have sat through this season once or twice, so I feel I…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 23, 2004 02:37 PM

Should The Raging Critic Quit American Idol?
Good evening. This week’s episode has prompted many of you to e-mail me, especially after the response I gave on this website. After reading each and every one of your thoughts, I am able to categorize the vast majority of…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 22, 2004 11:14 PM

American Idol – The Final Six
Hard to believe it was just over a month ago that I first made predictions for the AI3 finals. Now, here we are: six down, six to go. It is an ideal time to look back at my picks to…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 22, 2004 05:34 AM

American Idol – Barry Manilow Results
So it’s come to this. Last night, the triple diva threat of Fantasia, LaToya, and Jennifer delivered a 1-2-3 punch of classic Manilow tunes. And no one voted for them. The show kicked off to its usual slow start, with…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 21, 2004 10:02 PM

American Idol: The 7 Candidates
This time it was Barry Manilow night. Not that I’m much into his music, but okay. I thought all in all the show was fine, nothing seriously disturbing. My take on the seven candidates goes like this in the order…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 21, 2004 05:41 PM

American Idol Meets Bathhouse Barry
American Idol Meets Bathhouse Barry Chapter 11: Transsexxual Swan By: The Raging Critic Hi everyone, I’m baaaaaaack. I am so sorry for abandoning you all last week. However, I am going to be on a new reality television show and…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 21, 2004 09:34 AM

American Idol – Barry Manilow
He writes the songs, but tonight the remaining seven AI3 finalists sang the songs as millions of teenage and twenty-something Americans cringed. Manilow’s music might not be for everyone, but in my old age (almost 30 now), I’ve come to…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 20, 2004 11:36 PM

American Idol – Movies Results
Twenty-four million votes were cast for the remaining eight finalists last night, but one singer still came up short in tonight’s show. As we near the mid-point of the competition, it’s becoming more and more difficult to determine who will…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 15, 2004 10:42 PM

Bizarro American Idol
What if the good singers were sent home and the bad ones got to stay?
Posted in Blogcritics on April 15, 2004 07:19 PM

American Idol – Movies
A day late and a dollar short, AI3 went to the movies tonight. Even an appearance by the always manic Quentin Tarantino couldn’t save the show from a flood of uninspiring, mediocre performances. As usual, it was up to Fantasia…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 14, 2004 11:19 PM

For One Idol Hopeful, There’s No Place BUT Home
For One Idol Hopeful, There’s No Place BUT Home Chapter 8: The Wizard of Odd By: The Raging Critic “For nearly three years this story has given faithful service to the Young in Heart; and Time has been powerless to…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 8, 2004 10:23 AM

American Idol – Elton John Results
America finally got it right tonight in an hour-long results show that almost made up for last night’s largely uninspired performances. Unfortunately, Sir Elton John–whose songs were featured this week–again deigned not to make an appearance, though a performance by…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 7, 2004 11:35 PM

American Idol Does The Crocodile Rock
American Idol Does The Crocodile Rock Chapter 7: Three Ring Circus By: The Raging Critic Laaadiiees and Gentlemen and children of all ages, Sir Elton John has tried to steal the thunder from Sir William Hung! I had recently been…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 7, 2004 12:01 PM

Mini-listen #18
Here & There – Elton JohnOk, so I walked into the kitchen last night right in the middle of American Idol…and was informed that John Stevens had attempted “Crocodile Rock”. Glad I missed it. I like the guy’s voice but…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 7, 2004 09:38 AM

American Idol – Elton John
Another off week for our intrepid finalists, largely because Elton doesn’t write the type of music most of these kids excel at. There were a few diamonds in the rough, of course, but for the most part, another disappointing night,…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 6, 2004 11:12 PM

American Idol Torches A Spark
American Idol Torches A Spark Chapter 6: Poltergeist By: The Raging Critic Last night was a crazy night I tell ya! Before I laid me down to sleep, my television turned on all by itself. I sat up and shrieked…
Posted in Blogcritics on April 1, 2004 09:29 AM

American Idol – Motown Results
America gets it WRONG.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 31, 2004 10:05 PM

American Idol’s Passion Is Motown Funky
American Idol’s Passion Is Motown Funky Chapter 5: Spoofing My Religion By: The Raging Critic Just two short weeks ago we were treated to the gospel roots of soul music. Tonight, we are taking on its descendent genre now known…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 31, 2004 09:23 AM

American Idol – Motown
The overall lackluster quality of tonight’s performances was overshadowed by the sheer brilliance of the legendary Funk Brothers as the back-up band. While the 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown highlighted the largely overlooked careers of these music…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 30, 2004 09:53 PM

American Idol, round whatever
Tonight, I watched American Idol for what I think had to be the first time ever. And what a time to decide to watch. The Funk Brothers — the Funk Brothers!! — performed as the backup band. I want to…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 30, 2004 09:04 PM

Conservative Idol?
Do American Idol’s clean-cut winners represent middle America’s rejection of an increasingly bawdy and lurid music industry?
Posted in Blogcritics on March 29, 2004 12:03 PM

My take on American Idol – The 11 contestants
American Idol, my weekly dose of entertainment and my take on the candidates and the reactions on the results.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 25, 2004 03:47 PM

American Idol Dumps The Bear
American Idol Dumps The Bear Chapter 4: Eighth World Wonder By: The Raging Critic Whew! I just got home from riding halfway across the world. I have been searching for the Eighth Wonder of the World. My butt cheeks are…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 25, 2004 09:23 AM

American Idol Has A Springtime Ho-Down
American Idol Has A Springtime Ho-Down Chapter 3: Get Me To Group Therapy, I Am Seeing Ookits By: The Raging Critic Alas! We have come to that fateful day! A day where I can come home from a hard day’s…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 24, 2004 11:22 AM

American Idol – “Hey, I know that house”
I’ve been meaning to write this since Wednesday night, but life has a way of interfering with the best plans and intentions. Okay, so we’re watching American Idol Wednesday night, the absurd s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g of, as Ryan Seacrest himself put it,…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 21, 2004 05:02 PM

American Idol Pinches Off A Lucky Charm
American Idol Pinches Off A Lucky Charm Episode II: Lucky Charms By: The Raging Critic Pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, green clovers, blue diamonds, and purples horseshoes….. Those were the Lucky Charms we used to feed ourselves as children….
Posted in Blogcritics on March 18, 2004 01:31 AM

American Idol – Soul Results
America got it right tonight and booted pretentious, preening drama queen Leah LaBelle from the otherwise stellar Top 12. While there are a few other rotten eggs among this bunch, Leah has been the worst offender by far, and her…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 17, 2004 11:04 PM

American Idol site reflects racism of society
The message the site hopes to convey, one of respect for talent I hope, is marred by the bigotry of the posters.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 17, 2004 09:49 PM

American Idol: The Final 12
The women are the stars of American Idol this season. We’ve got a couple strong voices in the group. It was also kind of nice (I can’t believe I’m saying this) to see the extended bios. It just gave…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 17, 2004 08:32 PM

Welcome To The American Idol Soul Asylum
Welcome To The American Idol Soul Asylum Episode I: Crazy By: The Raging Critic Before tonight’s episode, I had wandered aimlessly around my palace and conferred with all of the other bestowed Raging Critic’s about tonight’s show. Then suddenly, I…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 17, 2004 01:33 PM

American Idol – Soul
And the game is on. AI3 kicked off its twelve weeks of finals Tuesday night with a “soul” theme, and there was plenty to go around. I’ll break down the winners, the losers, and my predictions for tomorrow’s results show….
Posted in Blogcritics on March 17, 2004 12:58 AM

American Idol – Finals Preview
The 12 little duckies are all lined up in a row, but which ones will be shot down first? And, more importantly, who will be the last one standing when the smoke clears?
Posted in Blogcritics on March 15, 2004 09:33 PM

American Idol Gets The Sunshine Jinx
American Idol Gets The Sunshine Jinx On The Day Of The Florida Primaries, The Show Produces Some Bizarre Results By: The Raging Critic From the moment I turned my television on I had an eeeeeeeeeerie feeling. That creepy announcer started…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 11, 2004 09:32 AM

American Idol – Wild Card Results
Anyone who thought tonight’s special hour-long episode would be stuffed with more content than filler was sorely disappointed. By the end of the first half hour, we’d seen clips from last night’s show, heard reigning American Idol Ruben Studdard shill…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 10, 2004 10:03 PM

American Idol – Raging Critic Review
Seatriscuit Tosses A Joker Into The Deck American Idol Wild Cards Make Us Play 52-Pick-Up By: The Raging Critic I was all prepared for a night of 12 wild card performances. I got out my deck of American Idol tarot…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 10, 2004 01:35 AM

American Idol – Wild Card Show
Tonight, twelve semi-finalists got a second chance at fame and fortune on the American Idol wild card show. Or rather, eight of the twelve got a chance. Before anyone got to sing in Tuesday night’s 90-minute extravaganza, four of the…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 9, 2004 11:06 PM

American Idol – Wild Card Show Preview
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…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 8, 2004 09:37 PM

Raging Critic: American Idol Group 4 Results
Opie and The Wahine Lead Us To Wild Finish American Idol Sends Two More To The Finals As The Wild Cards Prepare For A Rematch By: The Raging Critic I was sitting in my room waiting for the horrifying results…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 3, 2004 10:57 PM

American Idol – Group 4 Results Show
The big news tonight was not the next two AI3 finalists, but the announcement of the wild card contestants who’ll compete next week.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 3, 2004 09:47 PM

American Idol Gives Me the Fiji-Jeebies
American Idol Gives Me the Fiji-Jeebies Despite Being Overly Whitney-fied, Tonight’s Shining Star Is Barely Sparkling By: The Raging Critic Beer, Beads, and Breasts. That was the theme of the week last week. It was Mardi Gras and I had…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 3, 2004 07:58 AM

American Idol – Group 4
The final group of finalists was a mixed bag, with some ear-splicing performances and at least one potential star-making turn.
Posted in Blogcritics on March 2, 2004 09:44 PM

American Idol – Group 4 Preview
While Fox is milking the cash cow just a little more with a special rejects edition tonight, AI3 fans are eagerly awaiting tomorrow’s show, when the last group of finalists will compete for the two remaining slots in the Top…
Posted in Blogcritics on March 1, 2004 08:36 PM

American Idol – Group 3 Results Show
There was at least one pleasant surprise in tonight’s results show, and it wasn’t the full-on Simon-Paula groping.
Posted in Blogcritics on February 25, 2004 10:03 PM

American Idol – Group 3
The third of the four semi-finalist groups performed tonight, and it was definitely a mixed bag. Overall, this episode fell somewhere between the fierce competition of Group 1 and the sheer awfulness of Group 2. There was a least one…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 24, 2004 08:49 PM

Well, Hung
I am not a fan of the reject episodes of American Idol, being that they trade on cruelty, delusion, excrementitious talent, confrontation, and more cruelty. I think the reaction William Hung has received is due to his enthusiastic guilelessness…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 24, 2004 09:29 AM

American Idol – Group 3 Preview
After the Group 2 disaster last week, the eight hopefuls performing next Tuesday are lined up and ready to go. We’ve seen all eight in earlier audition episodes, some albeit briefly. Because prior performance is no indication of how any…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 21, 2004 09:14 PM

American Idol Review: American Idol is For The Hearing Impaired (Group 2 Results)
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 American Idol Is For The Hearing Impaired Group Two Sends Two Wannabe Singers To The Mix By: The Raging Critic Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I screamed myself awake this morning!!!!!!! WAS IT ALL A NIGHTMARE????? I ran to my…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 19, 2004 07:57 AM

American Idol Review: Second Batch Of Idols Need To Be Tossed
Second Batch of Idols Should Be ‘Pitched’ Group Two Of American Idol Semifinals Makes An Abysmal Showing By: The Raging Critic It was 6:30 p.m. and I was pacing through my house while waiting for American Idol to start. As…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 19, 2004 12:18 AM

American Idol Review: Fantasia Gives Us Something To Talk About
Fantasia Gives Us Something To Talk About Sweet Sixteen joins Fantasia in the Top 12 By: The Raging Critic The tension has been knotting up in my stomach all day long. Only two of these 7.5 fantastic performers will be…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 12, 2004 12:03 AM

American Idol Review: Cry Me A Hudson River
Cry Me A Hudson River Group One of AI3 Semifinals Is Loaded With Talent By: The Raging Critic Ahoy me maties! I have returned from my week afloat in the Caribbean and I am ready to party! Season three is…
Posted in Blogcritics on February 11, 2004 12:31 AM

American Idol: Reject Edition
The first show of American Idol where they make fun of all the losers who are awful singers, is by far my favorite. I really don’t like the show at all, but last season while traveling for business I caught…
Posted in Blogcritics on January 20, 2004 08:48 AM

American Idol: Emphasis On Horrifying Crap This Week
I guess we know what’s in store for this week. American Idol runs three times this week – tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday – for a total of five hours of audition footage, two hours more than last season: The fun,…
Posted in Blogcritics on January 19, 2004 10:17 AM

American Idol Contracts Resurface
Absorbing and well-researched story by Anthony Breznican for AP on Simon Fuller and the economics of the American Idol and Pop Idol franchises: As creator of the “American Idol” franchise, Fuller manages every aspect of the careers of Clay Aiken,…
Posted in Blogcritics on January 16, 2004 11:18 AM