American Idol Season 8 – Hollywood Week – Part 1 – VIDEO
Watch This Space for Updates!
- Dennis Brigham – (audition) and Lil Rounds (audition) – VIDEO
- Nathaniel Marshall – 18 – Malone, NY – VIDEO
- Anoop Desai - (audition) Jasmine Murray – (audition) Rose Flack (audition) – VIDEO
- Stephen Fowler -26 – Beachwood, OH – Jorge Nunez – (audition) Von Smith (audition) – VIDEO
- Nick Mitchell – (audition) – VIDEO
- Jackie Tohn – (audition) – VIDEO
- Jamar Rogers (audition) Danny Gokey – (audition) – VIDEO
- Katrina Darrell (Bikini Girl) (audition) – VIDEO
- Michael Sarver (audition) Jesus Valenzuela (audition) – VIDEO
- David Osmond (audition) Erika Wesley – 26 – Portland, OR – Emily Wynne-Hughes (audition) – VIDEO
- Erika Wesley begs to stay – Paula and Simon fight – VIDEO
Let’s all let out a big sigh of relief together: Ahhh! The auditions are over and the Hollywood Rounds have begun.
Tonight, the first of 4 Hollywood episodes, have the contestants running a gauntlet. Over the course of two days, contestants will audition in rapid fire fashion in front of the judges. It’s typically a slash-and-burn affair, with a big chunk of contestants–43 when it’s all done–sent home packing.
Out of the thousands that auditioned, 147 contestants are sent on to the Hollywood Rounds. This year they take place at the big Kodak theater, where nearly every finale has taken place.
Simon tells the contestants, “You’ve got one shot today, it will be the most important day of your life, 100%, and all we’re looking for is a star. Good luck.”
Ah, but this year they’ve added a twist! It’s Idol boot camp, with familiar Idol staffers like music director Michael Orland, vocal coach Debra Byrd and makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy on hand to coach the contestants. And look! It’s Barry Manilow, who’s come by to give the kids a little pep talk. “Preparation meets opportunity” is how Manilow describes the process of becoming a star. The kids scribble furiously in their notebooks.
Then, he adds, hilariously, “These judges want you to win, Believe it or not, they want you to be the next American Idol, as I do.” Yeah, all 147 of you…
On Day One, half the contestants go off sightseeing, while the others perform in front of the judges.  Lil Rounds and Dennis Brigham are part of the first group of 8 contestants to line up to sing for the judges. Lil sings, “I Will Always Love You” and it’s loud and a bit warbly. Not as impressive as her audition, but Kara calls her “bold and brave.” O rly? Dennis’s goaty, scary, bug-eyed performance of “For Once in Your Life” is atrocious, but so was his audition. Simon calls Dennis’s facial expressions “Insane.” Indeed.
The judges split the kids into two lines. One line stays in the competition, the other goes home. Dennis looks ill as he glances at Lil standing in the other line. He knows he’s toast. After he’s eliminated, Dennis, bug-eyed and incomprehensible, sticks around on stage to tell off the judges (“more camera time for meeee…” he’s probably thinking). “Y’all suck as judges,” he says. And to Simon, “You need to get a new wardrobe. For someone so rich, your pants are very very cheap.” I know you are, so what am I!
Nerves are getting the best of the contestants, says Ryan as Simon tells Frankie Jordan, “You way overcooked that one.” In a mini-interview backstage, Paula and Kara aren’t impressed with the singers so far. They name check Lil, but say the rest were pretty dismal.
Another lineup includes Nathanial Marshall. Paula calls his performance “monotone”. After Simon asks Nate why he picked the song “Anchor”, he goes off the deep end a little hinting at a tough childhood. Singing was the only thing that kept him “anchored.” Then he really loses it, going on about “wanting this more than anything” and how his famewhorish ways have caused a bad case of the hives. Or little alien babies to grow inside of him. Or something like that. The judges are probably thinking, “Must advance drama queen!”
Anoop Desai is next. Wow, he’s good. It’s as if TPTB are sending a message to the Indian community, “Sorry about that whole Sanjaya thing, we’re making up for that now.” Jasmine Murray is way too self-possessed for a 16 year old. Kara tells her she’s got “raw natural talent.”
And last is Rose Flack. Clips of Rose in boot camp show her unfocused and tentative. Byrd asks her, “What does it mean for you to be at American Idol?” Rose explains that she’s doing it for her now deceased parents. Not for yourself, Rose? At the end of rehearsal, she’s lost her confidence. When she does finally perform, she shows flashes of brilliance, but she really is unformed, at this point.
Nevertheless, the entire line advances to the next round.
The next lineup includes Von Smith, Jorge Nunez and Stephen Fowler. We haven’t seen Stephen before. He’s got that whole nu-soul vibe going on. Very nice. Paula says, “You nailed it.” Randy compliments him on navigating the difficult Stevie Wonder song,”Superwoman.” Jorge wows the judges, especially the girls. Von does the exact OTT routine he did in his audition, but this time, Simon calls it “Indulgent nonsense, a horrible song, a horrible performance, really annoying…” No kidding!
But, when it’s time to decide. Von moves on, as does Jorge and Stephen.
Debra Byrd lectures the kids in boot camp about song choice, and of course, picking the wrong song is the thing that sends many of these kids home. See ya! Of course, picking the right song is all about knowing who you are as an artist… So many of these kids have no clue.
Nick Mitchell is next, and oh how I love him. The so called “funny” contestants usually piss me the hell off, but I absolutely adore Nick. Because underneath the ham, I sense a sweet sincerity. And, if he calmed down a little, he’d be a decent singer. Plus, he’s effing hilarious.
I feel sorry for the rest of the peeps in his lineup, as Nick takes the stage and steals the show. Singing “And I am Telling You” he points at the rafters, yells for Seacrest, insists that you and you and YOUUUU are going to love him. Afterward, Simon calls him ridiculous, but Randy thinks he’s got some vocal skills. And Paula wants to hear him sing, “stripped down.” I’m guessing that’s going to happen, and when it does, Nick will be handed his plane ticket home.
Also making it to the next round: Scott MacIntyre and Frankie Jordan.
On Day 2, the the second half–83 contestants–run the gauntlet in front of the judges.
Jackie Tohn, the rocker chick from New York who, literally, blew the windows down (OK, not really) is featured in the next lineup. I have to say it–this chick, so far, really gets on my nerves. Her singing is OK–she’s got the Janis Joplin thing going–but she tries too hard. Not only is she a camera hog, but she pulls all these annoying faces while she sings. Like Von, she really needs to dial it back. But if she did, she wouldn’t be good TV. The judges advance her to the next round.
Best friends Jamar Rogers and Danny Gokey are next. Jamar reflects on the death of Danny’s wife right before they auditioned together in Kansas City. Jamar says Danny puts on a brave face, Danny says he’s happy to have his best friend with him. They audition as part of the same line-up. Jamar reprises his audition song, “California Dreaming”, and although he’s got some potential, he’s loud and lacks finesse. Randy seems to like him, though.
Danny’s raspy soulful voice navigates the tricky “Kiss From a Rose” with ease. He’s a natural. Paula says, “You’re ready to make records now.” While they both advance to the next round, I think this beautiful friendship is going to be busted up soon. More contestants advance, including Arianna Asfar, Matt Breitzke and Leneshe Young.
Katrina Darrell aka Bikini Girl is next, and she gets a segment all to herself. The thing is, she’s really not a bad singer. But, the producers are playing up this “girl vs boy” war between the judges to the hilt. It’s ridiculous that, when Katrina delivers a decent performance of Faith Hill’s “Breath”, Kara still pans her. It’s so obvious the entire segment is scripted, that it undermines anything the judges have to say to anyone else. This isn’t really very amusing. Unfortunately, we’re in for more fakery. Katrina advances to the next round. Katrina, playing along pouts “I told you she didn’t like me.”
Some favorites are cut, including Jessica Furney, Sharon Wilbur and Patricia Roman.
Family guys, Michael Sarver and Jesus Valenzuela take the stage next. Michael has an impossibly smooth, soulful voice that’s in sharp contrast to his macho job as a roughneck on an oil rig.”One of the best I heard today, dude,” says Randy. Jesus is just…well…a’ight. I think we know where this is going. Michael makes it through to the next round, Jesus doesn’t. And Jesus isn’t very pleased.
The next line up features David Osmond and his pleasant-enough tenor. Erika Wesley is pretty good, but she doesn’t have the look. The last is Emily Wynne-Hughes, the heavily-tattooed contestant Paula predicted would make Top 5. She rehearses one song, “I Put a Spell on You” and then switches to a lame No Doubt song at the last minute. The judges are underwhelmed. Nevertheless, she, David Osmond and Alex Wagner-Trugman advance to the next round. I’m thinking Emily’s story arc is going to be, “front runner falls apart.”
Eliminated, is Erika Wesley, who pleads with the judges to give her another chance. She says she would have regretted not trying, and exits politely when the judges are unmoved by the fact that it’s her husband’s birthday. (as if!) Attempting to argue is worth the risk, at the very least, a contestant may get a little more screen time…
But this polite little tiff is really all about Paula and Simon who begin arguing. Paula insists she said yes. Simon calls her out, pointing to a piece of paper where she had clearly written “no.” Paula mumbles something about writing yes first, and then overreacts, “I’ll fight you tooth and nail on this.” Zzz.
Also advancing: Alexis Grace, Brent Keith, Ann Marie Boscovich and Adam Lambert.
104 contestants advance to the next round. Tomorrow: Group rounds!
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195 Responses to “American Idol Season 8 – Hollywood Week – Part 1 – VIDEO”
LOL! The thought crossed my mind…but I gave Rose the benefit of a doubt and blamed the cut of her dress. Those things can make anyone look pregnant.
I agree that Danny’s voice sounded a bit weaker last night and at one point, I thought it might go out on him, but he still did his thing. I seriously doubt they put him through on his back story. I am sure that they heard his voice and liked what they heard.
Hmmmm…I did see a tiny hint of belly, but I was totally distracted, wondering what the stylists were going to do with her hair.
Hm, Hollywood week episode 1 was kinda boring. Where are the instruments? Last year was the first year I watched Hollywood week, and I liked that format way more. We’ll see– maybe the group sings will be fun. I’m guessing the instruments won’t come until after the group sings.
I like Anoop and Stephen Fowler. Von looks like he’s gonna bust a blood vessel and it’s really hard to watch him for even a brief clip– can’t imagine watching him for 1:30 songs. Bummed they didn’t even show Jessica Furney singing before the rejection. I really felt for Rose. She’s got a unique voice and reminds me of Brooke, but unfortunately with less talent and experience. Jasmine was way better than in auditions, but I’m still meh. Jackie seems like a watered down Amanda to me– next. Lil and Danny were good but way over praised, and they need to please stop referencing Danny’s dead wife. That home video clip of his proposal makes me really uncomfortable. I wanted to see more of Adam Lambert, Ann Marie Boskovich, and the blind guy.
If the contestants sing a song that AI doesn’t get a clearance for….well we’ll never hear their early stuff. Happened to Castro, and Archuleta when they sang in the Hollywood round. Wonder if Idol sends the contestants a list of pre-cleared songs? If they do, then we know why there are so many repeats year after year!
I’m surprised Jesus took it so badly. I scraped by auditions due to his kids– did he expect to continue? Why so pissed–he got a free trip to Hollywood, right? One he begged for?
Waving my Nick/Norman banner right NOW! This guy is SO hilarious. He would just make this season for me if he would do that shtick week to week.
Anoop. A hottie. And he can sing. A twofer. Have a smaller banner for him.
I think Jorge is drop dead adorable and I would not mind just looking at him every week for awhile.
Everyone else is a bit of a blur to me, other than the screamfest that is Von Smith.
Steven Fowler’s voice is soothing, sweet bliss. Another one I would love to hear every week.
I think the Osmond kid is a talent, but, unfortunately, you get him, you get the entire Osmond family crawling all over everything Idol and Idol-related, so I think not.
NOTE: I have not referenced the rumored top 36 list. Just taking it one show at a time.
Bingo! That’s it. I too was uncomfortable at his audition when they showed his breakdown on camera…it was too much to handle. I think the discomfort a lot of people have with the someone else’s grief is the root cause of a lot of what appears to be almost insensitivity by those who can’t stand hearing about it.
I’ll admit it – Nick/Norman cracks me up. I find him wildly entertaining. Plus, I think under all of the lunacy, he has a better voice than half the lame-os they keep putting through.
Oddly, I actually like Jackie. I think she has an interesting voice and a great sense of humor.
Last night was the first time I saw Stephen Fowler and I found him to be amazing. For me, he’s the best guy I’ve seen yet. I love Anoop too – he’s got major talent.
As for Danny, he’s got a good voice, but I find him terminally boring. And, it may not be right, but I find a guy who’s willing to audtion for a reality tv show 30 days after his wife death just a wee bit creepy. Plus – they keep putting through his lame friend who is one step above mediocre. Annoying.
Adam looked like a cartoon character with his new bad-ass black hair. You’ve got a good voice Adam, but you can’t fool me into thinking you’re anything but Mr. Caberet-Musical-Theatre. I could totally change my mind once the real competition gets started, but for now it’s an uphill climb.
At this point, all I can hope for is that America hates Von as much as Simon and I do.
I found it a bit odd as well, but everyone deals with healing from grief in their own way. This must be his. He wants to honor her memory from what he said at his audition. Asia’H Epperson auditioned last year the same WEEK that her dad died in a car accident.
MJ…I’ve started a discussion on who I think Nick “Western” is on my blog….
http://www.joesplaceblog.com/2009/02/04/nick-western-is-top-36but-who-exactly-is-nick-western/
Norman Gentle, Perhaps?
Still love Anoop. Wish I could have seen more Adam and Ann Marie.
Still really like Danny but hoping they bury the backstory for the time being. It’s cruel to him, and to us, because nobody cares at this point. We don’t even know the guy. And if his friend Jamar only knows one song, then he should go to hell home.
Flove Norman/Nick. I usually hate shtick on this show, but this guy is hilarious. He reminds me a bit of Stephen Colbert (in that he’s primarily a comedian who can also sing, but is gifted with the quick comeback). I predict we see more of him in the future. Maybe he can fill in for Ryan while he’s recovering from the trauma of being assaulted by Bikini Girl?
Stephen! Where have you been hiding? Very interested to see/hear more from you!
Am I the only person who was appalled that Erika, THE FBI AGENT, was so whiny and pathetic? This is who is protecting me from The Terrorists? I really am scared now.
My son hated Lil, but I gave her props for having the guts to take on a Whitney song, even though I don’t care for her singing and didn’t last week either. At least she has the pipes to sing Whitney, unlike 99 percent of the people who attempt her stuff. Paula gave her the kiss of death, though, when she declared her a frontrunner.
I don’t hate Von because I suspect he really can sing. If only he would dial it back like 400 percent. I guess we’ll find out how teachable he is as the weeks go on. I just can’t hate the kid … yet.
That thought has definitely crossed my mind, Mila.
.
Uh, you need to recheck the list….
The bottom line is that Bikini Girl can sing. Does she sing well enough to advance as far as she has thus far or even farther? That’s up for debate. But, she’s getting a lot of undue hate for the fact that she auditioned in her bikini when really all it was was a gimmick to get her noticed, just as countless other contestants have used gimmicks to get themselves noticed (such as their “tear-jerking” backstories)….
I really hope its Norman Gentle…his audition was amazing..i think anyway…it could not have gone any better for him…he makes everyone laugh…then starts singing amazing grace in a very real way…like it was his heart singing…and then went all crazy again which made everyone laugh again…brilliant….everyone should rewatch that audition to see what im talking about….that amazing grace was Nick Michell singing ..all characters stripped away
My son and I actually wondered if Rose was pregnant last week, but I think I read that she’d dropped a lot of weight, so maybe she’s just hiding a pear-shaped figure under her top? She really is beautiful and tragic, and I thought she sounded much better last night than in her audition, but she seems too fragile and green at this point.
I would be appalled if it’s Norman Gentle. Whatever the judges said, he can’t sing. If anyone want to complain about Von Smith “And I Am Telling You”, have another listen to Norman Gentle, once you remove the jokes, the singing was really quite awful. And he is just a joke, just as Simon said.
Actually most of those stories arise from the Producer interviews before they are allowed to advance. They pretty much have to spill their guts about their life. And if tragedy is part of that, then I would guess that would come up. I guess you could call it a “gimmick” but when I hear that word, usually humor is involved and someone’s tragedy isn’t humorous to most.
So far, majority of the men contestant were better than the women. But Hollywood round was waaay to early to had any fav. cause anything can change when the singing and voting begin.
I still remember season 6, before top 24, only few of us noticing Jordin Sparks. That can be said also for David Cook too. But they amaze lots of the audiences when the singing started.
I cannot wait when the top 36 begin. And hoping that the judges will pick deserving wild cards. Not just because too filled the top 12 quota. (Like try to balance men-women finalists)
Of course they’re gimmicks! Contestants employ anything that will make them stand out, both so the producers think they will make for good television and put them through in the first place and also so they will attract sympathy and support if they make it far enough for people to start voting for them.
Now I’m not saying that tragic events in the contestant’s aren’t real to them. But, they’re have been contestants in the past who chose to keep their tragedies private, even though it would have been to their advantage to make them public.
Yes I know David Cook kept his brother’s cancer to himself as long as he could and I admire him for that. But with Danny Gokey for example, the death of a spouse very recently kind of encompasses your whole life for a time and Danny even said his motivation for auditioning was so people could see who his wife was through him. And David Cook hadn’t even originally planned to audition in the first place and therefore his brother’s illness wasn’t even relevant to him auditioning. Different circumstances is all I’m sayiing here.
The posting on the blog doesn’t work, so I’m copying my post here instead:
That thought exactly crossed my mind last night after the show, so I checked the list to see if he was on it, but then figured there was some lead pointing at Nick Hendrix as the missing link…
I hope it’s “Norman” – he’s actually entertaining but possibly has a good voice under all the gimmicks too. Could be a real surprise.
ETA: For me, the thing with Danny was the disconnect between him telling the camera how hard it was for him to talk about his wife, while they showed a video that could’ve only come from him. He didn’t have to provide it, Idol couldn’t have known about it unless he volunteered it. The producers obviously have no qualms, but it was his choice to capitalize on his sob story.
Maybe that’s why his choice of “Kiss From a Rose” felt manipulative to me.
Norman is an ok singer…but his entertainment value is really unmatched …he really has no shot at winning…but i do hope he makes the top 36 just to lighten the mood from time to time. If america got to decide his fate im sure he would last for a little bit which would be nice.
Von Smith has a nice tone hidden in his explosive singing style…he obviously has the pipes…after the lashing he took last night he must have changed his game if he made it to the top 36…if he manages to control himself i think he could be the next american idol
Nathaniel’s vocals wowed me. i thought his tone/control was the best of any guy tonight. unfortunately, everything else about him is too much for me. but on voice alone, im rooting for the kid- plus he REALLY wants this.
Von. dear Lord, over the top.
Ive realized all the people whos voices i like, just dont have anything else other than great vocals to offer…interesting to see what happens.
Nick Western’s middle initial is M.
More “food for thought”
Good point. Again, his motivation for trying out though was to honor her memory, so I am still not using it as something to hold against him or compare and contrast him to previous contestants who did not mention their stories.
Okay…I really didn’t analyze his song choice THAT closely – LOL! I still don’t see him as manipulative, but alrighty then.
That song’s a tried and true audition/Hollywood-rounds song. I doubt he’s the only one who sang it or will sing it in the coming days and/or weeks.
I do think the argument’s unwinnable, though. We see bits and pieces and fit them together accordingly. He’ll just have to work harder to make it work.
I hope it is him. In the midst of all that clowning, I saw shades of a real voice. I would love if he was totally competitive.
Wasn’t it in Dave White’s column last week that Season 1’s Jim Verraros revealed that he was called back to sing for the judges only after he’d revealed that both of his parents were deaf?
Agreed. He’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. And even if he had no sob story to speak of or didn’t mention it to begin with at all, people would still find reasons to dislike him. The sob story gives the ammunition to use against him though. He certainly has talent to stand on his own without the story, but I won’t fault him for making it known either.
We’re sharing a brain. Thanks, SpencerJ, for articulating my thoughts- on these particular contestants- so I don’t have to
Which is fine, don’t you think?
Maybe they don’t like his singing? No reasons need to be found.
You’re making a broad generalization here. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to not care for how Danny’s backstory is employed. Somebody who voices that concern is not merely looking for an excuse to pile on him.
I just can’t judge anyone for their behavior after the untimely death of a spouse. Maybe Danny shared that video because he misses his wife and wants the world to see who she was. Maybe he tried out for AI a month after her death because she’d always wanted him to, and he was pushing the age limit. Or maybe he’s a manipulative genius. I have no idea, but I’m going to give the man the benefit of the doubt.
I’m sure their ordeal and her death is a huge, HUGE part of who he is as a person right now. I think it would be unfair to expect him to keep it under wraps. And I’m sure that if he’d never mentioned his late wife and the word got out, he’d be criticized as cold for not revealing that particular detail of his life.
I liked his audition, but was a little less impressed last night, so the jury is still out for me on Danny. I will get annoyed if his backstory continues to get air time – but at this point it’s been mentioned twice so I’m not ready to get mad about it.
The last time a contestant turned into a joke (Sanjaya!) was the time when people started talking about the show having jumped the shark. If they purposely chose a joke contestant over someone who can actually sing, now that is really the beginning of the end.
You said it better than I.
I would hope that if they let him through to the Top 36, it is because he has shown real singing chops and not because of the joke factor. He has gotten as far as he had up to now because of his humor, true, but we have yet to see him take an audition seriously, maybe there’s something there after all.
I definitely don’t see him as a real contender yet, but he sparked enough interest that at the very least it would be interesting to see where it leads.
I just found Nick hendrix MySpace. He still has music up…
Nick Hendrix
Age: 17
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Audition City: Jacksonville
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/3knick
MySpace Music: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=372006362
Nick Mitchell a.k.a. Normund Gentle
Hometown: Stratton, VT
Audition City: NY
Nick Mitchells MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/normundgentle
Normund Gentles MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/normundgentle
Photo: http://media.americanidol.com/photos/536/38695.jpg
Hollywood Interview: http://youtube.com/watch?v=3_ZGxk5XkA8
AI Audition Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4il4-ZYk79c
Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=U9AmkXe7Oc0
Photo: http://media.americanidol.com/photos/541/39760.jpg
OOPS…Nicks MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/nicholasjmitchell
This is starting to look good….
I think if Nick is in the Top 36, I almost like that we didn’t know it with the rest of them. It’s a nice surprise to get, IMHO.
Guess what College Nick went to….WESTERN CT.
NickMWestern could be Nick M from Western
i would love if nick/norman got through. first, the best voices are not always the people who get through or win….so lets not even pretend that has EVER been the case.
second…there is room int he world for musical comedy…and maybe he does not win….but umm….there is potential for money making….ever heard of
Weird Al Yankovic?
milajoy…i think it is definately him. they need ratings…people like him…laughing out loud…not AT him…but because he is making people laugh…whereas, normally people end up laughing at some poor sad person who idol exploits…this guy makes it ok for people to laugh.
Yeah, but Norman’s a joke on purpose, which makes him awesome. And I liked the small bit of real singing I heard from Norman better than all of Von’s Sam Harris imitation so far.
That’s probably the difference I guess. I don’t really find him all that sincere. I mean he did say that she died quite suddenly, so it wasn’t like she had the chance to tell him – “honey, if I unexpectantly die today, I want you to go on American Idol right quick”. So, presuming that this is what she wanted, and doing it in her honor, is kind of bullshitty to me.
Of course, my thinking this does not preclude me from enjoying his singing. So, a few weeks from now, I could be going on and on about how great he was last night. It’s not all or nothing with me. Just because I think he’s a crappy widower, doesn’t mean I might not find him to be a good contestant. Time will tell. I’ll still give him a chance.
Anytime Jocelyn
It will be interesting to see if he can tone it down. There is no doubt that when someone sees potential, they are harder on the person.
I think that is just what Simon did. I believe they see potential in him. If he is humble and can learn from the people there, he might suprise us.
And the joke is in the singing, that’s his schtick, which makes him a joke contestant. His voice is ordinary, dull I’d say, completely lacking in any interesting character, or tone, or anything that makes a singer worth listening to. He is not a singer, he is a comedian who sings, rather poorly.
Perhaps the producers are just so desparate for ratings that they’ll deliberately manufacture a Sanjaya mark II just for a bit of controversy in the news. Just wait till the VFTW crowd gets behind him and send to the top 12 and god know how far further, and the whole contest will be turned into one big joke.
You know who Nick/Norman reminds me of? A young Jerry Lewis. Just sayin’.
I think he’s a hoot, and I don’t think he’s a bad singer. It was obvious from the outset that he was a comedian/entertainer. I’m curious to see how this all pans out. If nothing else he’s getting some exposure and he’s being talked about. Could he hope for more?
Now, this isn’t to say he’s my favorite. I don’t have one yet…Anoop is good, but he’s not my favorite, either, and I don’t think he’s going to be when all is sung and done.