It's a Beautiful Day

So, Lee won, which means I won, which means: hooray.

But the important thing to discuss is this: is American Idol having serious trouble attracting modern, popular talent? I doubt it, because they had plenty of popular judges (Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth, Mary J Blige, Neil Patrick Harris) and guests (Justin Beiber, Black Eyed Peas, Miley Cyrus, Usher, Lady Gaga, etc). So why in the blue Hades were last night's guests such malaise-inducing has-beens like the BeeGees, Hall & Oates, and Chicago? Crystal got to sing with Alanis Morrisette (who is becoming a has-been, although she's definitely a has-been-fairly-recently), while Lee was stuck singing with the Rest Home Marching Band (aka Chicago). I think that winning was his compensation for making the elderly people feel good about themselves.

And: Janet Jackson? What the heck happened there? At least we had a few good moments: Joe Cocker was ancient but still awesome, and Christina Aguilera is still amazing despite being a weirdo. And Carrie Underwood made everyone else look bad.

But still, Hall and Oates? Really?

Anyway. I win, 37 to 28. Until next year, Seacrest Out!

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The End of the Greatness

I had planned to post a one-word blog, that word being "Crystal." In fact, the title of the post was "It Can Be Summed Up in a Word." But after reading Rob's prediction of Lee, I realized I might want to explain my choice of Crystal a bit.

Rob is right on the money when he says that AI is primarily watched, and decided, by women. I have a few guy friends who watch it, but they are far outweighed by the female folk in numbers. And while Lee is a cutie-pa-tootie and a hottie-pa-tottie and has grown and is charming and endearing, I think Crystal will win, and this is why.

It's still the female demographic, only taken from a different angle.

Crystal, in many ways, embodies the American woman's dream. She's a mother, and yet she's a star at the same time, and she doesn't have any intention of giving up one for the other. She has retained her sense of who she is throughout the competition, without compromise, and she is a self-made woman. She's had the support of family and friends, but who she is, she became on her own, and that's very admirable. She has shown America that you can have the best of both worlds, stay true to yourself, and be a success in each aspect of your life, and I think that's what women today want to see. Add to that the fact that she's more talented than all get-out, and I think she's our winner.

That said, I like Lee a lot, and I'm really not going to be devastated if he wins. He's worked hard and he deserves the title as well. Rob was right again when he discussed the equal talent of the two final contenders - this week is going to be a close call, I'm willing to bet. Can't wait for the results show.

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Black Velvet, If You Please

The final week is here.

Looking back on past seasons, I can't think of a top two who were as talented or commercially viable as Lee Dewyze and Crystal Bowersox. Certainly not last year with Kris Allen, who won only because slightly more than half of America thought that Adam Lambert was a weirdo. Certainly not Season Six, when we had a beat-boxer lose to a generic blah, or Season Five, when an elderly man beat a model. The closest thing might be Season Four, with Carrie Underwood against Bo Bice, except that Bo Bice never had a lot of commercial potential. He was definitely talented, but not really a star (unless it was 1974 and he was a member of Lynyrd Skynryd).

Maybe Season Seven: Lil Davey Archuleta against David Cook, but I still don't think they compare talent-wise.

Anyway, back to Season Nine. At the start of the Top Twelve, this is where I stood on the finalists:

Crystal: "Crystal was the best of the evening. She started out sounding a lot like the college kids who sat in the commons area and played guitar and didn't go to class, but once she got into it she was really amazing. So, even though the judges gave the crown to Siobhan, I'm giving it to Crystal."

Lee: "Lee was boring. Boring enough that he'll almost certainly be in the bottom three."

Lee continued to not impress me for several weeks. Not until Week Four, in which he brought out a bagpiper to help him with Hey Jude. He won me over as a fan with that, and I've been firmly in his camp ever since (not because of the gimmick, but because he's legitimately good).

Which is not to say Crystal isn't good. She's amazing. In fact, if we were to make predictions based solely on last night's performances then Crystal would win. Based solely on last night Crystal should win, and anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves.

That said, she's not going to win. And here's why:

1. Momentum: Since about Week Four, Lee has been rising, getting better and better every week. Crystal has not ever been lousy, but she hit her peak early and plateaued. I don't want to say that she's coasted, because I don't think that's her mindset, but her steady awesomeness has become expected and no longer wows us.

2. Charm: American Idol is still predominantly watched and voted on by women, and Lee has the charm. As unfortunate and unfair as it may be, I think that--all other things being equal--a cute, single guy will beat a dredlocked, slightly overweight woman with an enormous tattoo on her back. (I'm NOT saying this is a good thing. I'm saying I think it's a reality.)

3. Rationalization: I think that America will quite often vote someone off if they assume that person doesn't want/need the win as much. I think voters will look at Crystal, who is supremely confident and self-assured, who hasn't ever wavered from her personal desires to be who she is, and they'll say "Crystal will be fine if she doesn't win. It's Lee who needs the boost." To some extent, I think this is how Taylor Hicks won. I think it's how Melinda Doolittle (and Syesha Mercado) got voted off in the top three.

So, there it is. Crystal will lose and Lee will win. I'm not sure how I feel about that, because, again, they both are very deserving. I'm not sad about it, but I do think that Crystal is kind of getting the shaft.

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Shocker!!!

Casey went home. Four points for Tristi and me.

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Good

Well, that works out quite pleasantly. Casey will go, and Crystal and Lee will be in the top two.

Umm... I can't really think of anything else to say about this one. It's pretty obvious.

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The Fight for the Final

Well, here we are, one week before the finale. We have Crystal. We have Lee. We have Casey. Who will we still have next week?

First up was Casey. He looks nice in a suit. His first song was one of his typical solid performances, enjoyable and well-done, but without any real WOW!! moment. The song was stupid—not Casey’s fault, but you’d think it wouldn’t be a choice for this stage in the competition.

Then we had Crystal. The harmonica was a mistake, I’m sorry to say. And, if you can believe this, I’m actually about to say that I didn’t care for the performance. (Gasp!) Yes, that’s right – Crystal turned in a less-than-stellar performance. I didn’t think it was possible. But we must keep in mind that a so-so Crystal performance is still better than a lot of other people on their best night.

Third in the line-up was Lee, who smiled. (Gasp!) Yes, he smiled! And he took round one, both in my opinion and Kara’s.

Heading into round two, we had some surprises. Casey did “Daughters,” and he did a really good job with it. If he needs some “sensitive guy” votes, this will do it for him. Simon didn’t get it, but hey, there are times when he doesn’t.

Crystal’s song was also not terribly good. I’m not sure why Ellen chose the song for her, and I wasn’t lovin’ on the screamy aspect of it. I want Crystal to move on to next week, but tonight’s performances just were not showing her to her best advantage. The judges loved it, but the Tristi … not so much.

And then Lee came out and took the night.

Definitely moving to the finale will be Lee, and based on previous weeks, it should be Crystal. Casey should be the one sent home. But I have to say, I liked Casey’s second performance better than Crystal’s, and their first two performances were pretty much equal for me. I’m glad I know what else Crystal can do because I wasn’t all that impressed tonight, whereas she usually impresses me from the moment she opens her mouth.

All I can say now is, the finale is going to be something pretty darned spectacular and I can’t wait to see it.

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One of these things is not like the others

On Tuesday Mike sang "Will You Be There?" And the answer is No, he will not.

They didn't announce a bottom three or two, only the guy getting the boot. So, that means one point for Tristi and four points for me.

And next week Casey will leave and Tristi and I will both get points.

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American Idol: I compare you to a kiss from a rose

I don't have a lot of time to blog today. Some quick thoughts:

• If there could be anything more annoying than listening to Jamie Foxx trying to be sagely and artistic, it will be listening to him perform on the results show. Hooray for DVR!



• Lee and Crystal's individual performances were decent, but not awesome. Their duet was awesomely amazing.



• Mike's solo performance was good, I thought, but the judges disagreed.



• Casey was being Casey, by which I mean he was kinda interesting and very technically proficient.



• Casey and Mike's duet was good, but not amazing. Example of stupid thinking: "Crap! We're in danger of being voted off! I know what will save us--a Brian Adams song!"

So anyway. Mike and Casey are going to be in the bottom two, and Crystal and Lee are going to be the final two. The only question is who will be voted off tonight: Mike or Lee? If we go solely on quality of performance, Casey should go. If we look at last week's results, Mike should go (Mike was bottom two and Casey wasn't).

So... I'm going to be stupid and choose Mike. It'll probably be Casey, but my official guess is Mike.

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I'm All Right, I Really Am

We’re down to the final four, and you know what, with the exception of Siobhan, it’s who I thought it would be. I didn’t think Casey would make it quite this far, but he’s been a much more consistent performer than Siobhan, so I think this final four is a pretty good choice.

Okay, let’s kick it off.

First is Lee with “Kiss from a Rose.” I’ve always thought this was a strange song, and I’m used to hearing it sung by a huge bald guy. I think Lee did a pretty good job with it, considering he’s not huge or bald. I didn’t think it was his best performance ever, though, and that’s what it should have been tonight, considering how close we’re getting to the end.

Next is Michael singing Michael Jackson. I wasn’t sure what I thought about this song choice. It just seemed a little odd to me. But after hearing the performance, I liked it better than the original. Thumbs up from Tristi, Big Mike.

At this point, the judges were grumpy.

Then Lee and Crystal did a duet … they sang it well, I’m sure, but I didn’t care for the song. It was one of those “I don’t get it” moments, although it did a lot for the judges’ grumpiness.

I interrupt myself … why does Kara have silver fingernails?

When Ryan announced that Casey was singing Simon and Garfunkel, my thought was, “What?” And then he had a little plinky baby guitar/banjo thing going on, and I was like, “What?” And then I heard the performance, and I’m still like, “What?” I was bored. My son started talking to me, and I didn’t bother to shush him. That’s pretty bad.

Last for the night was Crystal. She’s just always awesome. Even when she’s less awesome than normal, she’s still more awesome than the others. She’s just her own kind of awesome. The boots were odd, but the performance was great. I didn’t get Simon’s comment about her being back in the game – in my opinion, she never left the game.

But then, Casey and Mike did one of my favorite songs, from Don Juan deMarco. I didn’t know Casey could do a Spanish guitar thing. Mike did pretty well with his, too. I can’t say that I loved the performance, but it was decent. But since it’s one of my favorite songs, I’m apt to be more critical.

Okay, here’s how it breaks down for me. If there’s a bottom three, it’ll be Lee, Mike, and Casey. If there’s a bottom two, it’ll be Mike and Casey. Either way, we’re losing Casey tomorrow night. I’m sorry, because I like him, and I think he’ll have a great career, but it needs to be Lee and Crystal in the final. So we’re losing Casey this week, and Mike next week. Love how I’m predicting next week before I even see it? I’m just good that way.

Of course, we could lose Mike this week and Casey next week. Either way, as long as Crystal and Lee are the two finalists.

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Adios Aaron

When he was seventeen
It was a very good week
It was a very good week for America
And voters with taste
We voted him off the show
And the stage on the screen
When he was seventeen

(Tristi and I both picked the same bottom two--Aaron and Casey--and both picked Casey to go. We both get one point.)

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Let Me Know What Spring Is Like On Jupiter and Mars

Overall, I was quite looking forward to last night's show. I am a fan of both Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick, Jr, and I was not disappointed in that regard. What I was disappointed with (and kinda guessed beforehand) was that Sinatra music doesn't necessarily translate well to modern singers. It can--and some of the contestants did really well--but it was going to be difficult. I mean, if the judges complain that these singers don't make songs from the 1970s current, what are they going to do with Irving Berlin circa 1926? (Answer: suck.)

First up (and first to suck) was Aaron. He started weak and finished not-so-weak, but it wasn't ever good. And I still wanted to punch him the entire time. And during his performance my wife and I were listing all the singers who were more deserving of Top-Five status. (Answer: most of them.)

Next was Casey, who was terrible from the first note and never got better. (My wife had watched the show live, and was watching on DVR with me later, and I turned to her ten seconds into it and asked "Do the judges rip him apart?" and she nodded emphatically. It was very obvious, from the beginning, how awful it was.) Anyway, the biggest tragedy here is that he's legitimately talented, unlike Aaron, and yet Casey is in the most danger.

Then Crystal. I really love Crystal, and I was impressed with her versatility, but the performance was forgettable. (Although I won't forget the enormous tattoo on her back. Yikes!)

Michael (who I refuse to call Big Mike) has an annoying habit of never enunciating the last consanant of a word. It was ticking me off. That said, he's ideally suited for Sinatra, and he did great.

And then Lee was awesome. I admit that at the beginning of the season I could have cared less about Lee, but he grows on me every week. I'm not sure now if I put him or Crystal in the number one spot (but if there's anyone else in there, America is stupid).

So, bottom three: Aaron, Casey, Big Mike. In the event that there's only a bottom two (because it varies seasons to season how they do it) then I'll say Aaron and Casey. And to go home? Casey. It turns out that Aaron is this season's Jason Crappy Castro.

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Harry Connick Jr. ... What More Can I Say?

First off, can I just say how much I love Harry Connick, Jr? Love, love, love him. He’s even on the playlist on my blog. Although, I must say, his quote – “As long as they sing these words to these melodies, they’ll be fine” didn’t make a lot of sense. Song choice all night long was really off, and I’m not sure if Harry chose the songs or if the contestants did.

Aaron – “Fly Me to the Moon” Aaron is not Sinatra, and he’s not Connick. The song was just too big for him. The arrangement was great, because Connick did it, but the singing … no, not much. I don’t know if the judges were listening to the same performance.

Casey – “Blue Skies” Casey held his own against the band, volume-wise, which Aaron didn’t. However, it wasn’t his style and I’m concerned for him tonight.

Crystal – “Summer Wind” Crystal showed some great versatility tonight. It wasn’t her best performance, but it was a good performance.

Big Mike – “The Way You Look Tonight” Mike has a natural talent for this type of singing and this was definitely a good night for him.

Lee – “That’s Life” Lee did a really awesome job with this song. I wasn’t a fan of the weird organ thing Harry was doing in the background, but the singing was pretty awesome.

What’s interesting about tonight’s performances is that I felt they went backward in order of how good they were. We started out really shaky and intimidated with Aaron, got a little stronger but still out of his element with Casey, then went into always awesome, and yet very different tonight, Crystal. Mike and Lee were both at the top of their game, with Lee, last, doing the best.

So for me, calling tonight’s shots is easy - mostly. Aaron and Casey, definitely. I hesitate … I really hesitate … to put Crystal in the bottom three. I thought she did an absolutely lovely job, but it was so different from what her fans are used to seeing—will they be disappointed with that, or will they keep her in? On the other hand, Mike was really in his element, but he has been in the bottom three, and Crystal’s just not used to hanging out with the almost-losers.

Hmmm. Hmmmm. You know what, I’m gonna have to say that Big Mike will be in the bottom three. I think Crystal’s fans will rise up and rally, even though she took a chance. I applaud her chance-taking.

So, Aaron, Casey, and Big Mike. And going home … Casey. Aaron’s preteen vote seems to be a little stronger than Casey’s hot guy vote. Let this not distract from the fact, though, that I think Casey did better than Aaron.

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That Don't Impress Me Much

So, Tristi and I have tied: we both chose Mike for the bottom three and we both chose Siobhan to go. Our other bottom three picks, Lee (Tristi) and Aaron (me) miraculously survived.

Five points each.

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Man, I Feel Like a Woman, American Idol

On the list of musical themes that I don't care for, Shania Twain would only be slightly above inspirational music, and that's only because of a combination of her videos and the mute button. I think American Idol is trying to get me to stop watching this show.

The good news last night is that I finally have a DVR and I was able to make liberal use of the fast forward button. My thoughts are these:

Lee was good. I really like Lee.

Michael Lynch is very good and very boringly forgettable.

Just when I thought that Casey was circling the drain, he pulled out a great performance. He's still not going to win, but he'll live to fight another day.

I think the judges (particularly Simon) were a little too harsh on Crystal. Sure, it wasn't her best performance, but she's still lightyears ahead of everyone else.

Aaron Kelly deserves a punch in the eye.

Siobhan was praised by the judges, but they must have been listening to something else, because: HOLY TERRIBLE. The scream was the best part, but by now the scream is so gimmicky that it can't save her.

Bottom three: Siobhan, Aaron, and Michael. And... Siobhan goes home? It's either her or Michael (though it should be Aaron). My official guess is Siobhan.

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I've Been Hit by a Twain ...

Yes, Miss Ellen, I can make bad train jokes, too.

Okay. Wow. Okay.

Tonight is going to be a hard game to call. There were no obvious stinkers ... well, the one I thought was more obvious than an accordion player in a chamber orchestra actually was pretty well liked by the judges, and the audience reactions were also skewed tonight, and rather than trying to determine what America is going to think, I'm just going to have to go with my gut. I know Rob hates it when I do that, but all the wires are crossed and the vibes are wrong and that's the only choice I have in the matter.

1. Lee's song choice was adored by the judges, and not so much by me. This song is actually the one I chose to be "our song," my husband's and mine, although he doesn't think such things are necessary. But the song has special meaning for me, and so to hear it sung in this fashion wasn't my favorite. Lee didn't even hit on any kind of tune there for a few minutes, and it didn't take off until the chorus.

2. Mike got his emotions in the groove, but I didn't love the song, which was almost all on just a couple of notes. But he showed his good ballad side again, which always works for him.

3. Casey had another breakthrough tonight. He did the sensitive thing again, and the producers back-lit those golden curls, and I think Casey will score some major hot-guy votes tonight.

4. Crystal's song choice was a little odd. She sang it well, and her transition from the low notes to the high notes was flawless, but it wasn't her very best. This was the first time the judges have ever not liked her.

5. Aaron actually did a really nice job tonight. He was strong right from the start, which is odd for him - he usually struggles with the verse and gets strong in the chorus.

6. Siobhan was the one I really disliked tonight. She tried to ballad her way through a power song, and then she screamed the end, which didn't work. The song completely overpowered her. And yet, the judges were lovin' all over her, and I thought it was terrible.

So, you see why I'm confused - our consistent Crystal faltered a little, our screaming Siobhan stunk and the judges loved her, and our anemic Aaron showed some guts tonight.

Going way, way, way out on a limb here ... bottom three - Big Mike, Lee, and Siobhan. Going home - Siobhan.

Wincing ... wincing ... I have no idea if I'm right ...

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Idol Gives Back Points to Rob

Neither of us managed to get the loser, but I accurately predicted all of the bottom three while Tristi only predicted two. Verdict: I am awesome.

Three points for me, two points for her. And ten points for America for kicking off Tim.

And, for Idol Gives Back, I'd like to donate all my winnings to the Rob Wells Memorial Ice Cream Fund.

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We Can End Right Now

As far as I'm concerned, American Idol could come to an end right now and there's really no need to continue the competition, except maybe to see who comes in third. Crystal Bowersox is the clear winner, with Lee DeWyze in second place. If America votes in a way that is just and fair, that's how this season will play out.

Here are my thoughts on the evening:

Casey delivered a solid, entertaining performance. The judges were a little harsh on him, but they did make a good point in that he needs to break his mold of solid, entertaining performances and do some things that really have a Wow! moment in them. I still like him a lot - don't get me wrong - but he's fading into white noise because we know he'll always be good. He needs to knock our socks off rather than being good.

Lee was really impressive tonight. His performance was emotional and he connected with the audience in a way we haven't seen before.

Tim was struggling with a very important concept - your verses have to be as strong as your chorus. The verse is where the story is told, and his verses were all over the place as far as pitch and tone. It wasn't his finest night.

Aaron - what is up with this little kid choosing such huge songs? He overshot his song choice, as usual, and he also picked a song that's been overused to death. He ended well, but he didn't start out so good.

Siobhan had an interesting night. She's such a puzzle. She has this voice that is just blow-your-mind good, but she doesn't seem to know what to do with it. She was a little pitchy, which surprised me, and she didn't have an emotional connection with the audience. But wow, those notes she was hitting - it was impressive.

Mike's performance was just not my favorite. I'm a Big Mike fan - I have been since Hollywood Week - but I'm worried about him pigeon-holing himself. He does best on slow, emotional ballads. Anything else, and he flounders.

Crystal - well, what can I say that hasn't already been said? She is in a completely different league than everyone else. This competition is now about choosing her runner-up.

My call for bottom three: Big Mike, Tim, and Aaron. I went back and forth in my mind between choosing Aaron and choosing Siobhan. I could be going the wrong way on this. But Siobhan's fans seem to be saving her when she has an off night, so I'm guessing they'll do it again tonight. And to go home ... this is a tough call. I'm going to have to say Big Mike. He was nearly kicked off, the judges saved him, and so that tells me he doesn't have quite the fan base to save himself. I know I'll feel sad when he goes, but I also know there are other contestants with more staying power.

(Now watch it be Siobhan, just because I debated it so much with myself ...)

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Don't Stop, American Idol

So, I once again missed the show and have had to scramble to watch the performances online this morning. I have really good reasons for this, and I'll ask you to stop judging me, jerkface. (Note: I'm not referring to you, but to the other people who are reading this.)

A few quick thoughts, because I don't have much to say:

1. Crystal = awesome. If you can find it online, watch her performance. The judges keep telling her to open up and show more of herself, and even though this might have been too open--she didn't even finish the song because she was crying--you can't deny that we know more about her this week than we did last week. And, of course, she's eighteen times better than everyone else on that stage, whether we know her or not.

2. Lee was good. Not much to say here. (Except that "The Boxer" counts as inspirational? Also: Inspirational is my least favorite American Idol theme, and they seem to use it every stupid year. Please notice: the best song choice of the night was this "The Boxer", and it's not really inspirational.)

3. Siobhan was also good, which is saying something because she's been lousy for a couple weeks.

4. Man, I hate all of these stupid songs.

5. Casey was about as boring as boring could be. I've said before that he's good but never great (except for the "Jealous Guy" week) and now he's back to blah blah boring. He may very well be in the bottom three.

6. Speaking of boring: Michael... did he sing? I don't remember.

7. Tim. Tim Tim Tim.

8. And Aaron. How I loathe him.

So, my predictions are: the bottom four will be Tim, Michael, Aaron and Casey. So... which one am I going to save from my bottom three? Either Michael or Casey. Casey's been good and has the dreamy dreamboat vote, whereas Michael may still have some lingering "Oh crap!" votes. I'm going to go out on a limb and give Michael a pass. So, the official bottom three: Tim, Aaron, and Casey.

Now, for the loser. Tristi seems to be doing well by picking the people she dislikes, rather than trying to guess voters' thoughts. So, I'll go that route today. Aaron: you're gone.

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Katie, We Hardly Knew Ye

Well, we didn't find out who the bottom three was, but the losers were Andrew and Katie. Tristi and I both said Andrew, and neither said Katie, so we both got four points.

Tim and Aaron survive! America? What's wrong with you?

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Why can't you see what you're doing to me, American Idol?

So, I wasn't able to watch all of last night's episode, and I've tried to catch up a little bit this morning, but the internet is dramatically disappointing me. So, my predictions are based on the little I saw last night and the little I've been able to catch this morning.

First, I want to say that Tim turned on the charm, and that he's safe. This makes me sad, but it's true. Last night's performance was the Tim equivalent of Katherine McPhee playing the cleavage card in season five.

Second, Crystal continues to be awesome. However! I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Lee. This surprises me.

Third, Siobhan seems to be crashing and burning. She started strong and has dropped into the consistently mediocre category.

Fourth, I don't know about Michael. But I'd bet he gets the "Oh crap! I'd better vote for him!" votes.

Fifth, a whole lot of blah. I think Casey has a good career ahead of him, but he's not going to win. I think Katie is really good, but she doesn't have the elusive star appeal (this could be because she's seventeen). (In related news, remember a few weeks ago when she sang "Chain of Fools"? The first line is "For five long years, I thought you were my man." So, she thought someone was her man since she was twelve.

Anyway, predictions: Aaron and Andrew are going to leave. And... I'm thinking that Siobhan will round out the bottom three.

Here's an interesting note: in the event that I am correct, the two people who leave will be the two people who chose uninteresting, bubblegum-rock Elvis songs ("Hound Dog" and "Blue Suede Shoes"). I would like to think that there's a correlation there. (Possible evidence against that theory: last week Tim sang "All My Loving" and he was still safe. So, who knows?)

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Tristi Weighs In ...

First off, I'm a bit surprised that I blogged before my esteemed colleague. That's just not how it's supposed to be - he's supposed to beat me here. Well, that's all right. We can still have fun.

Tonight was just odd. I thought consuming a couple handfuls of tangerine Jelly Belly jellybeans would help me feel less confused, but I'm still confused. The Bellys have failed me.

First off, last week's show was just mind-blowing. I get that Big Mike didn't have the best night in the world, but he can out-sing a number of the folks on that stage, and to see him have to sing for his life was just silly. I'm glad the judges saved him, although he never should have been in that position.

Now, on to tonight ...

I was concerned when they announced that it was Elvis night. Elvis had a very unique style and only a few people can do it justice. And for that matter, what's up with the judges always telling the contestants to stay away from trying to sing the really big stars, and now they assign them to do just that?

Crystal - was awesome. Poor girl is probably getting a lot less press than anyone else because there's never anything bad to say.

Andrew - I did not love so much. The song was performed about half as fast as it should have been, and Adam Lambert tried to get him to make it more exciting, but it didn't work. I don't know why Andrew left the stage and went up onto that little stage out in the middle - was he trying to add some excitement to his number? Didn't work.

Tim - ... ... ... oh, I'm sorry. What was that? I just dozed off there for a minute. I thought Tim was boring, pitchy, and not entertaining at all. But then the judges went and loved all over him. I think the judges were drinking something unusual in their Coke cups tonight. They were definitely watching a different show than I was.

Lee - did really well. I liked his arrangement a lot in how he took the verses up a little in pitch.

Aaron - from the moment Aaron announced his song, I was in agony. Why would you do that to yourself? And I never realized how stupid that song was until now. And yet, the judges loved it. Except for Simon. Simon was my man on this one.

Siobhan - for the first time since the show began, I thought she looked pretty. She is a pretty girl, but when you're hiding under all the costumes, no one can see you. Tonight she looked classy. The singing ... the singing confused me. She started out trying to sing a rock song as a lyrical ballad, and that didn't work. So then she sang it like a rock song, and it sort of worked. But then she threw in a bluesy/gospel thing at the end, and that totally didn't work. I was perplexed. Maybe if I'd had some pina colada jellybeans, I'd feel better, but I didn't, and so I don't.

Mike - did a very heart-touching version of "In the Ghetto." It was the perfect emotional piece to keep him in this week.

Katie - showed some guts and displayed her pipes nicely this week. I can't say it was exactly the right song for her, but she's not Elvis.

Casey - did his usual consistently good job. It wasn't unusual or terribly unique, but it was really good. I think he should have changed it up just a bit more, but it was solid.

With the judges' opinions being so completely opposite my own, and the whole warped fan thing going on in the studio, it's hard to make any kind of call this week. I think I'm going to need to just state who I wish would go. In that case, I choose Aaron, Andrew, and Tim for the bottom three, with Andrew and Tim going home. Siobhan was confusing enough that maybe she'll be in the bottom three, but I think she's got a strong enough fan base to keep her from it.

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So, I Lit a Fire, American Idol

Frankly, I'm getting a little sick of losing. I didn't get a single lousy point. Tristi got two. It's not that I'm sad that I'm wrong: I'm sad that she's right. Perhaps I'm getting too emotional about this.

I'm going to blame America. Isn't one of the signs of the times that America will choose Tristi over me?

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Tristi is Bewildered

I don't know ... I'm confused ... I'm so tempted to read Guru Rob's blog before posting just so I know what to say.

Tonight's performances were all ... wow. Okay. Try to pull it together, Tristi.

Each performance had something good in it, some more awesome than others, and there were some odd moments throughout as well.

Breaking it down ...

Aaron seems determined to sing songs best suited for thirty-year-old men. He doesn't do well on the low notes and only hits his groove on the high notes. My advice ... sing younger songs with higher notes.

Katie was vocally spot on tonight.

Andrew did pretty well, not as great as he really needed to, and he seemed to struggle going from the verses to the chorus. But an improvement over two weeks ago.

Mike chose an odd song, in my opinion. His voice is always good - I've never heard a not-good vocal performance from him, but the song just seemed like a mismatch.

Crystal always delivers. I'm never disappointed. And here we had the appearance of one unusual musical instrument ... we saw a didgeridoo, which has never before graced the American Idol stage. Yes, I did have to look up how to spell it. I'm not sure what it added to the performance. I think we could have gotten along quite well without it. But it was sorta cool to see one. I can tell my children and grandchildren about it.

Tim's announcement of his song of choice ... from that moment, I knew I was going to be bored. And I was right. I was very, very bored. But the judges all loved it and told him how awesome he was, and I have to feel a little glad for the kid that no one made him want to throw up, but I was bored. What can I say. I needed something a little more. Maybe something like a didgeridoo.

Casey's outfit rocked. That's the first comment to make. I am in the Casey is a Hottie Club. I didn't love, love the song, but I did love seeing him do something a little different. I haven't read Rob's blog yet, but I suspect he might make a comment about being glad to see Casey try something a little different this week. (Coming back to edit after reading Rob's blog ... Rob did indeed make a comment along these lines.)

Siobhan's outfit made me want to cry. Moving on from that, her voice is so pure. Every note (well, with the exception of a few) was like water being dropped into a still pool. It was a beautiful performance. Although, why we sang a song that includes a line written in Sanskrit to praise one's meditation teacher, I don't know. (That's the joy of watching American Idol online. You can Google while you listen.)

Lee did well tonight. He took one of the most well-known songs and delivered a solid performance. I'm not sure why we brought in a bagpiper with a green backlight, coming down a flight of stairs, like an alien arriving from the mothership of Scottish instrument-playing creatures from some Scottish-inspired planet. Oh, well.

Okay, here's the tough part, the part that's been giving me grief. Last week was so easy. Yes, I shall rub it in ... last week was the week I guessed right. This week is just hard. Grrr.

Taking a deep breath - bottom three are: Aaron, Andrew, and Tim. Going home - Aaron.

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American Idol got monkey finger. American Idol shoot Coca-Cola.

Tonight's American Idol contained my favorite moment in Idol history. But I'll get to that in a moment.

The theme tonight was Lennon/McCartney songs, which turned out to be disastrous two years ago. Back then, we discovered that semi-decent singers should not be trying to tackle the masters--they all sucked. Was that level of crappiness going to be repeated?

According to Aaron, and his lousy attempt at The Long and Winding Road, the answer is yes. It was boring and uneven and unpleasant. However, he's a dreamy dreamboat, and he'll probably be just fine.

Katie sang Let It Be, and she was really really awesome. But will it get her out of her two week bottom-three slump? I'm guessing no. It should, but I think her two weeks in the bottom three indicate that she doesn't have a strong fan base, and without any major disasters among the other singers, I think she's not going to rise. It makes me sad.

Andrew did Can't Buy Me Love, and it was good. The verses were awesome, the chorus not so much. That's a complaint with the arrangement more than the singing, but still.

Michael's Eleanor Rigby was liked by the judges more than it was liked by me, but it was still good.

Crystal is so much better than everyone else in the Top 9 that I wish they'd just give her a deal already and get it over with. She sang an awesome song, and she sang it amazingly. I'm continually impressed by how effortless her singing seems.

Tim didn't suck! But, he wasn't good. I thought the judges were too nice to him, but I think (here's my conspiracy theory) that Simon praised Tim because Simon wants him to go. My thinking is this: when the judges declare that a contestant is certain to go, then all of the fans will go crazy voting for them. So, if all the judges say that the contestant is decent, then will the fans be complacent? I hope so, because Tim needs to go.

I've been saying for the past couple weeks that Casey is good, but he hasn't had any amazing performances. Well, here was one. Nicely done. (Also: he's really good on the guitar.)

Siobhan? I don't know what to think about Siobhan. She didn't scream, which is a plus, but she was boring. But, at least she was boring with a great song.

And my favorite moment in American Idol history? The bagpiper performing with Lee. That was awesomely awesome. Even better was his explanation as to why he invited a bagpiper: "Why not?" Lee has a new fan.

So, my bottom three is: Tim (obviously), Katie (because she doesn't have fans, even though she should), and...I'm going to go on a limb and say Siobhan. I think Michael and Andrew could take this spot, but Siobhan has had two bad weeks in a row. (Well, this week wasn't bad but it wasn't good.) Aaron ought to be in the bottom three, but he won't be because America is stupid.

And, I'm going to say it again, even though I was wrong last week: Tim is gone. If he isn't, I'm going to cry.

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Curses!

What becomes of the broken hearted? They get kicked off of American Idol, that's what.

Tristi wins and Rob loses. (But I like to think I won a moral victory, and moral victories are worth one million points.)

We both picked Tim. I picked Katie, and Tristi picked Didi. And then Didi got the boot. So, two points for me and five points for Tristi.

Dang it.

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And Tristi Thinks ...

Once again, blogging before I read Rob's comments ...

This was a tough, tough night.

To start with, the outfits confused me a little. Was that a dog or an elephant on Randy's sweater? And Siobhan ... my dear girl ... we must talk.

Okay, on to performances.

We got started with Siobhan, and for the first time since she very first stepped onto the Idol stage, she was pitchy. I was shocked. This girl sings every note absolutely true, but tonight ... she did not. I didn't like the song for her, she seemed really out of sync, and I don't know what I think, to be honest. Safe on the merit of her previous performances? I sure hope so, but if we were judging her just for tonight, not so much. The thing with her is, she's never been ripped by the judges before. It hit her hard tonight because she didn't know how to take it. I think tonight will be good for her in terms of learning to accept criticism.

Casey was awesome. He was pretty much in his groove tonight, and I have no doubt he's safe.

Mike - solid, sensitive, and safe.

I've made it no secret that I have a beef with Didi. I'm sure she's a very nice girl, I'm sorry that her best friend died, and I know she's got a lot of emotion tied up in that. But from week to week, we're supposed to be seeing the contestants grow, and Didi is not growing. I think she's doing the show to try to move past what happened, but every week, she's wallowing in it, singing songs that remind her of all her emotions and not letting go of the past and looking toward her future. Tonight she was pitchy, the little key changes throughout the song did her no good at all, and it was just plain terrible. I believe she's in the bottom three tonight. If she's not, she should be.

Tim. Tim, Tim, Tim. First of all, where are your eyebrows? Why can't we ever see them? Are you ashamed of them? Do you have girl eyebrows? Second, why that song? That song is best done by a true artist. There are unusual notes throughout that must be mastered. You can't just take that song and sing it - you've got to get from your low notes to your high notes and back again without effort. Tim, my dear boy with shameful eyebrows, you didn't do it. Bottom three.

I am sort of going back and forth on Andrew. He did a lot better than he has for a while. But I was pretty much aching for the song to end. I didn't like the song. At all. And not only that, but it's a sensual song about taking a girl to ecstasy, and he just wasn't selling it. He doesn't have the look for a song like that. Maybe if he were a little taller. I don't know. So while the judges liked it, I can only say he improved.

Katie is an interesting person. Her performance was solid, but her clothes were strange. She needs to listen to herself a little more. Katie is not a rock 'n roll chick. She likes to dress a little more classically, not quite preppy, but maybe 2010's version of preppy. This thing with the hair and the too many necklaces and the dress-thing that looked like tin foil - was not her. I don't know who dressed her, but it's adding to the confusion of who she is and what kind of artist she wants to be.

Lee did a very good job tonight, mostly in his confidence. He's totally safe this week.

Crystal is a star. She can sing any song, play any instrument, wear anything - rug or no rug - she's awesome.

Aaron was a pitchy boy tonight and he didn't pull off his power notes like he usually does. That middle section, where Usher was telling him to pour on the emotion ... was emotionless. Darn it. It was just a lukewarm performance. Simon says he's safe, but I don't know.

As far as my prediction goes, it's a hard call. It was easy for me to pull Didi and Tim out of the mix. I'm a little worried for Siobhan. I don't think she'd get voted off, but I wonder if she's in the three. Then I don't know if Aaron pulled it off. Hmmm. Hmmm. Okay, drumroll ... I choose Didi, Tim, and Aaron. And I predict that Didi will go home. I think she needs to get to a better place in her life, really heal from her past, and then concentrate on moving forward. She's not growing here.

Now to go read Rob's blog and see what he thinks. And if I disagree, to make snarky comments in his comment trail ...

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Week Three: Rob is stumped

Tonight was the first night this season where I didn't Tivo the episode, so I had to watch the whole stupid thing. I don't know if that will affect my predictions, but I do know that I enjoyed it less.

I also am having a much harder time making predictions overall. Fortunately, the guy who will get the boot (Tim) was obvious, but I'm stymied otherwise.

Siobhan went first and sucked. She also screamed again, which is more disappointing. She's been good the last two weeks, and you'd think that one poor performance wouldn't kill her. But the scream... Now she's just "that girl that screams". This does not bode well.

And then Casey sang. I was not initially a big fan of his, but I think he's proving himself to be better every week. He's still not top teir, but he's good.

I keep expecting Michael to fall into the bottom three, but then he keeps stepping up his performance. Very good again today, and not even boring. HOWEVER, he was one of the early singers in a very long show, and even though I liked him when he sang, he's not proving very memorable. So, I don't know, dawg.

Didi. Didi, Didi, Didi. Here's the problem: she's still decent and she still has the Hot Girl vote, and she's still genuinely talented. But, she performed very poorly. So, will her past fans help her through? Or are they fickle enough to toss her after one bad performance? My guess: the fact that Ryan so horribly and stupidly embarrassed her will earn her some pity votes. So, she's safe.

Tim! Hooray for one I don't have to think about! He's lousy and he's leaving.

Andrew! Again, another who was mediocre in the past but who did great. Crap. He and Michael are making this a very hard week to predict.

Katie was good and decent, but not awesome, and she was in the bottom three last week. So, the question is this: did her presence in the bottom three last week spur people to vote for her--did they say "Holy crap! Katie doesn't deserve to go!"--or does her presence in the bottom three mean she didn't have that many fans to begin with?

Lee has been boring for the past two weeks, and I've always wondered why he has staunch fans. But, he justified his survival tonight.

And Crystal was awesome, as usual. She left the busking-pothead look and instead chose a busking-pothead-playing-the-piano look. And she was awesome.

And then Aaron slaughtered one of my very favorite songs, and I hate him. Simon said that he's safe, and I agree (because Tim will leave), but Aaron may very well be in the bottom three.

So, if we went solely on tonight's performances the bottom three would be Tim, Siobhan and Aaron. But, I don't think that's the case. Siobhan probably still has fans. Maybe Aaron does, too.

Dang it. This one's hard.

Okay. Tim is in the bottom three, and he'll get the boot. And... I'm going to say Katie is back in the bottom three. And, for the last spot... crap... I'm going to say Aaron. That's more of a personal preference, though. It could very easily be Michael. Or Didi. But, the official is: Tim, Katie, Aaron, with Tim leaving.

I'm totally going to lose this week. (Well, I'll do poorly. Tristi will still lose.)

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The envelope please:

The important thing to note here is that I'm right and Tristi is wrong.

We both predicted Paige and Andrew, and we were both right about Paige and wrong about Andrew. However, we differed on the third choice: Tristi said Didi (and was horribly, embarrassingly wrong), while I said Tim (and was horribly, embarrassingly right).

And then we were both right that Paige got the boot. So, the score:

Tristi: Four points
Rob: Five points

But: Katie? What the heck, America? Did you hit your head as a child?

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Tristi's Thoughts ...

It's so tempting to read Rob's blog before posting my own ... but I won't. In the immortal words of Audrey Hepburn in her role of Eliza Doolittle, "I'm a good girl, I am."

The first thing I would like to critique tonight ... Miley Cyrus's outfit. I'm one of those who believes that if your shirt is longer than your shorts, get longer shorts. It's a little strange to see a girl running around in what appears to be just a shirt and boots. Oh, wait, what was that? I do believe I caught a glimpse of shorts there somewhere.

Moving on ...

Lee His performance showed more personality this week, but the song choice ... I don't know. It wasn't really him. I think he's safe, but I think it's more on the merit of his other performances and his already established fan base.

Paige She's my first choice for bottom three. Her voice has a nice tone to it, when she manages to use it correctly. But I haven't seen her use it correctly for a long time. Tonight she was pitchy and nervous.

Tim I really don't know what to say here. I think it was better than his other performances, which doesn't necessarily mean that it was good, but he's got a solid fan base. Pre-teen girls are all over this guy.

Aaron I wasn't blown away by Aaron, but I have to say, tonight was the first night I started to understand why he's in the competition. He really does have some talent in there. He's also got the pre-teen demographic, so he should be safe.

Crystal This girl is amazing. It really doesn't matter if you like her kind of music or not - she's so good at it, that even if you don't care for the song, you have to admire the artistry. Lily had the same kind of thing going, but Lily always sounded the same. Crystal brings variety to her sound, even though it's definitely her each and every time. In my notes on the performances, I wrote merely, "She just is." She's rock solid.

Mike Unlike Rob, I did watch American Idol all the way from auditions, and I fell in love with Mike from the start. Watching him coax his wife through labor via phone during Hollywood Week ... how could you not have a soft spot for the guy? He's got awesome vocals, a great personality ... tonight might not have been his best, but it was pretty dang good. He's safe.

Andrew I think Simon was right when he said they overrated Andrew's performance of "Straight Up." Andrew has not hit that level since then, and he hit a new low tonight. He's another choice for the bottom three.

Katie She did listen to the judges, but I have to say this ... I think the judges are steering her wrong. She has an older sound to her voice. She has moments where she sounds like a young female Buble, and they're trying to make her into a young, bubbly pop star. She is an old soul, and her voice shines when she sings the older songs. Would she make a million dollars? Probably not. But she'd be showcasing herself to the best of her ability. I think they need to leave her alone. Verdict: I think she's safe, but I don't think she did as well as the judges say she did.

Casey Rob compared Casey to Bucky Covington, but I have to say, oh, that's so not the case. Bucky was a hillbilly from the hilliest part of all hillbilly-dom, but Casey is hot. Casey is to the older woman what Tim and Aaron are to the younger girls. Casey is not going anywhere for a while. Despite what the judges said, I thought tonight he had a perfect song choice. He does have a little bit of that Huey Lewis sound - I didn't notice that until tonight, and I'm a huge Huey fan. Anyway, Casey is safe.

Didi Didi is my third choice for the bottom three. I just don't feel this girl's vibe. She has a nice sound, for one song. If I were to listen to a whole album of her, I'd go nuts. I sort of felt the same way about Lacy. I could handle one song, and then I'd want something else.

Siobhan I do understand that this girl has her own style, but I can't go any further without first saying ... the hair? Hello, girl, what are you doing? Okay, moving on ... I didn't really like the song choice, but she sang it well. She has an awesome voice and I think she could sing anything. She's definitely safe.

So, for my three bottom, I have Paige, Andrew, and Didi. To leave us tomorrow night ... Paige.

And there you have it - a critique on American Idol without having to watch Simon and Kara flirt shamelessly with each other in front of ten million people even though she's married and he's engaged. What's up with that?

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Chalk and Cheese

So, this week the bottom three seems so obvious that I feel bad not picking an upset. I want to choose a surprise loser just to show that I can pick up on hidden insights, but... no. I'll choose the obvious ones tonight.

Anyway, the details are this:

Lee sang and he did well and no one cared and he was boring. I'm currently predicting him to last until the final four or five, and then his boring quality will no longer carry him.

Paige was absolutely terrible. As was Tim. Man, I hate Tim.

Aaron was David Archuleta, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Crystal was awesome. She still is very much the homeless pot smoker busking by the subway, but she's the best dang busking homeless pot smoker I've ever heard.

I thought that Michael was much better than the judges gave him credit for. Still, he's safe.

Andrew was bad, but not as bad as the judges made him out to be. Still, he suffers from both mediocrity and boringness, and that's the kiss of death. That's what killed Lacey last week.

Katie was better than she's been, although she was pitchy, dawg. Pitchy to the max.

Casey was very good--very good--but the song sounded almost exactly like Huey Lewis, with no variation. Yo, he didn't make it his own, dawg.

While I agree with the judges that Didi seemed a little too much "in character", she also was much better this week than last week. I can see her surviving for several more weeks.

And then there was Siobhan, whose only real problem was that she screamed again (albeit very well) and it would be a shame if she became "that girl who screams". She's better than that.

Anyway, the predictions are thus and obvious: Paige, Tim and Andrew will be in the bottom three. The loser will almost assuredly be Paige. If there's a party crasher in any of this, it will be Michael.

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And the Loser Is ...

Honestly, I was not trying to hold up the party. I've been trying quite anxiously for two days to watch American Idol. But there's a little back story here ...

I am the mother of four children, three of whom are rambunctious little boys who become even more so (rambunctious - not little boys. I'm not sure how you would become more of a little boy) when they see television. We have a Netflix subscription (love it) and they see shows we already know don't make them act like monkeys on cocaine, but we've found that for us, the best way to control the situation is to do without television.

Hence, I watch my shows online, and the website I watch American Idol on has been down.

I promise, it's not my intention to be derelict in my duties as American Idol blogger. Nay, I take it most seriously. If I am unable to watch the show again this next week, I shall surrender unconditionally to Rob.

Hmmmm ... I wonder if Rob was sneaking around my Comcast box in the middle of the night with a pair of pliers ...

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And the winner is:

Well, the winner is me, because Tristi decided the best way to begin was to not begin at all. (Perhaps she was giving me headstart?)

I got two of the bottom three correct (Tim and Lacey), and I correctly guessed the winner. This gives me a total of five points, as well as the title: King of Awesomeness.

Tristi gets the title: Queen of Not Making Any Predictions, and she has a total of zero points.

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American Idol Goes Smackdown

My esteemed colleague did get us off to a good start. Good start, esteemed colleague. I did want to make one clarification to his introductory post - we were simultaneously blogging about American Idol, but Rob had taken it to a whole new level. He has meters and graphs and studies the astrological charts of all the contestants and feeds it all into this amazing machine called the Rob-o-Predictor and is all scientific about it. Me? I'm more of a, "I like that." Or, "I didn't like that." But then two years ago (or was it longer ... it's all a blur) Rob challenged me to a duel, a mighty bloggers' duel (not too unlike a wizards' duel, with the same rule about the pink dragons) and asked me to start predicting. Thus it all began.

We are now at the beginning of a new era. No longer do we blog separately and all alone, but now, we blog side by side, nose to nose, toe to toe ... do you know how hard it is to type when nose to nose with someone? It's hard.

Join us every week as we bring you our thoughts - some scientific, some not - about America's favorite reality show. And who knows - we might be right once in a while.

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I Could Not Foresee This Thing Happening To You, American Idol

Hooray for American Idol! I haven't paid it any attention all season, so all of these singers are new to me. Below are my thoughts about each, in the order of their performances:

I kinda think it would be fun to do the math for each contestant and show how much older the songs are. But, too much trouble. Suffice it to say that the Rolling Stones are much much older than these contestants. For example, Aaron is a mere sixteen years old, which means he was born in 1994, which is 32 years after the Rolling Stones were formed. Kids these days...

Michael was the first of the night, and he did fairly well. He sang "Miss You", which, for whatever reason, always reminds me of "Mr. Big Stuff", which in turn always reminds me of an old commercial for Double Stuf Oreos. So, that's what I was thinking about during his performance. Sorry.





Then we had Didi, and I don't like her at all. Her banter with Ryan Seacrest is annoying, the montage of her family was annoying, and her interaction with the judges was annoying. However, she's a decent singer and is a fairly cute blond, which generally means she'll survive for a few more rounds.





Then we had Casey, and I have to admit that this show didn't seem like your standard Final 12 show: they were all doing too well for that. Even this guy, who is a slightly less inbred version of Bucky Covington.






Oh wait. Here's where the standard Final 12 crappiness shows up. Lacey was off pitch through and through, and boring to boot. But... the judges said that "there's nothing wrong with your vocals." Really? Were we watching the same show?






And then they called Andrew "pitchy"? Were the judges even listening to Lacey?









Katie has a good voice and she chose one of the best Stones songs, but overall it was kinda blah.









Tim sucked, and I was glad to see that the judges agreed with me. It wasn't even one of the best Rolling Stones songs--not one that I really care about--but his interpretation was offensively terrible and I wanted to slap him for it. If all American Idol viewers were at least semi-cultured and intelligent then Tim would be in the bottom three. However, Jason Castro made it to the top four in Season Seven, and we have to assume that those viewers are still watching this year. (Unless they were arrested for smoking weed.)



Siobhan was awesome, and I loved the scream. I disagree with the judges that she was best of the night, but she was very very good. And, she was singing my all-time favorite Stones song (Paint It Black), which only helped.






Lee was boring. Boring enough that he'll almost certainly be in the bottom three.









Paige blew my nose and then she blew my mind, as it were. (Well, not really.) She was good. I was going to say that she was weak and lousy when she started, but she got better as she went. But, when it was revealed that she had laryngitis, I suppose I can forgive her.






Aaron was surprisingly good for being a sixteen-year-old David Archuleta lookalike. I think the song choice was good, and he's going to be the heartthrob for the teenage girl viewers. He's mucho safe.







I think that Crystal was the best of the evening. She started out sounding a lot like the college kids who sat in the commons area and played guitar and didn't go to class, but once she got into it she was really amazing. So, even though the judges gave the crown to Siobhan, I'm giving it to Crystal.






Predictions:

Bottom Three: Lee, Lacey and Tim. There's an off chance of Paige or Andrew, but Lee, Lacey and Tim are my official guesses.
Gone: Lacey. Tim should go, because he was really terrible, but I think that Lacey is going to be the most forgettable (and lousy).

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A bit about this blog

This is our blog for Season Nine of American Idol.

I've been blogging about AI since Season Three. Several years ago I discovered that Tristi was also blogging about it, and I made it my goal in life to out-guess her. (Guessing the results is the main reason that I watch the show.) While I don't have stats to back me up, I tend to think that my guesses are better than hers.

Also, if you're wondering why we're just now getting around to blogging after the season is half-over: despite the fact that I'm a rabid fan who blogs about it, I never watch the show until it gets down to the final twelve. I'm interested in the competition and the voting, not the music or the auditions.

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