Idol Headlines for 5/26/08
Fox’ s Finale Not a False ‘Idol’
Historically, TVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s biggest hits declined more sharply than Idol has over the course of their runs.
Comparing the second season to the seventh, Idol has actually done a better job maintaining its numbers than legendary hits including All in the Family, The Cosby Show, Dallas, ER and Friends. Each of those long-running series saw declines in household ratings of greater than 20 percent by season seven. Meanwhile, Idol is actually up by more than 20 percent versus its second season.
Preston Beckman, executive vp, strategic program planning at Fox, said Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s consistently strong performance makes it a target. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Any crack in the armor will cause critics to jump on it,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ he said.
à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We have made many changesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ increasing the number of finalists, going to an equal boy/girl competition, adding guest judges [and] mentors for the competitors, bringing back contestants that were voted off, and starting the Idol Gives Back show,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Beckman said. Next season, Beckman expects à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“some tweaks, but no radical changesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ in the format.
David Cook says ‘thanks’ to hometown fans
Belton, Mo. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ David Cook may be the most famous person ever from Blue Springs, Mo. And now that the guy who had hopes of his high school band making it big is the newest “American Idol,” he’s being followed by paparazzi and doing a media blitz as the 2008 champion.
But he didn’t forget about his hometown fans, the ones he says got him where he is. The Examiner had 10 minutes via phone to ask him about his experiences and how growing up in Blue Springs prepared him for stardom.
‘Idol’ owes apologies
The good news is that David Archuleta said he didn’t let gossip about his father affect his performance on “American Idol.”
But that doesn’t mean we should let the “American Idol” producers off the hook for their part in a highly destructive sequence of events.
It was hard to avoid the gossip alleging that Jeff Archuleta was some sort of monstrous stage father who made his poor son miserable. Unless you were inside the “American Idol” bubble.
Interview New “American Idol” David Cook on RollingStone.com
Want to ask new American Idol David Cook a question? Wondering what his other favorite Collective Soul songs are? Whether heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll pull a Daughtry and name his band Cook? If he ever ran into David Archuletaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s dad backstage? What it was like prancing around in his skivvies for that Guitar Hero commercial? Weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be talking to season sevenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s winner next week and we want queries from you. Send us a YouTube video of yourself asking a question to Cook, and the best of the lot will run in a special video Q&A with the singer-guitarist next week. Put that webcam to good use by Monday, May 26th at 11:59 PM EST. Reminder: questions left in the comments wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be asked à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ you gotta get us a video to get into Ask a Rock Star.
Predicting ‘American Idol’ winner isn’t that hard to do
Several weeks ago, when the “Idol” finalists were whittled to 10, I speculated in this column on the order of finish, predicting David Cook would emerge as the winner. Pretty much got the pecking order right, too. And as that grumpy old editor would tell you, were he not retired, that’s more a reflection of the state of television than any wisdom on my part.
Predicting the one-by-one elimination is mostly a matter of determining what makes “Idol” tick. Consider the talent, of course, but consider the makeup of the audience as well – who is it that’s text-messaging? And don’t forget that “Idol” is in the business of ratings. Viewers may be voting for their favorites, but it’s the producers who steer those votes in the right direction, especially in the later rounds.
Morrow: ‘Idol’ runner-up counts blessings
Bo knows when he’s blessed.
In fact, 2005 “American Idol” runner-up Bo Bice doesn’t see giving up his Memorial Day to help a Caryville, Tenn., family as being a drain on his busy schedule, in which he could be out promoting his new CD or playing a high-paying gig.
“I’m getting something out of it, too,” he says of his trip here. “I get to hang with some normal folks. That’s what I get out of it.”
Bice, who lives near Nashville, is flying into Knoxville today. Tonight, he’ll perform a mini-concert at Mulligan’s restaurant off Linksvue Drive in West Knoxville. The show begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30, with the proceeds going to Special Spaces. To buy tickets, call 865-659-8531.
IDOL’ CHATTER
Alicia Jacobs, entertainment reporter for KVBC-TV, Channel 3, picked up some nuggets at the “American Idol” after-party at Skybar atop the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles.
She spotted Carly Smithson, the talented Irish contestant who first caught the eyes of the “Idol” judges during the audition at the Renaissance Hotel on Paradise Road, “in a big conversation” with Larry Rudolph, longtime manager of Britney Spears.
Smithson told Jacobs that she got married four years ago at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas and plans to renew her vows there with her husband, Todd, when the “Idol” tour stops at Thomas & Mack on July 5.
Why and how Cook won the American Idol
After watching the final performances of the two finalists à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ David Cook and David Archuletaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ last Wednesday night, and after hearing those putdowns on Cook by Simon Cowell and proclaiming it was a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“knock-outà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ for Archuleta against the other David, everyone anticipated an Archuleta victory.
As predicted in this column Monday last, the Americans, at least the majority of those who voted after the showdown, chose rocker David over balladeer David. It was like a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 in the Richter scale when Ryan Seacrest announced the winner, and it wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Archuleta.
While I had the feeling Cook would be it, I was still hoping my instincts were not telling me right, and my heart reached out for the 17-year-old David.
THE 40 FINALISTS
Forty acts will now fight to get through to next Saturday’s grand final and the chance of a  £100,000 prize and Royal Variety Show appearance.
Tonight, the week-long live stages start on ITV with eight acts – Boogie Wonderland, Kate and Gin, Michael Machell, Dean Wilson, Sophie Mei, Tracey Lee Collins, Signature and Phil Blackmore.
Two acts from each semi will go through.
Here MARK JEFFERIES gives us the low-down on all 40 finalists, including his picks for the best of the bunch…
Video: Britain’s Got Talent – learn the secrets of the five wackiest finalists
Exclusive – Mirror’s Beth Neil trys to learn the tricks of the trade from five of the wackiest, weirdest and truly amazing acts ahead of tonight’s semi-final.
AI OD: A farewell to David Archuleta – VIDEOS
Poor Archie, he fell victim to a Clarkson-style assault. In Season One of American Idol, Justin Guarini was picked as the early favorite to run all the way to the finals and win the whole thing. Meanwhile, nobody even noticed the nondescript little waitress from Texas in there midst until Kelly Clarkson just kept growing and growing through the competition and ran away with the whole thing.
Sure, David Cook was good, but virtually nobody saw him as an early favorite to take the title, and the ’50s theme in week one didn’t do anything to light him up. Then Archuleta let loose with “Imagine” the following week and pretty much sealed the deal as the front-runner. He even encored with the number in the finale, knowing that it had been his season’s high point.
AI Aftermath: The Winners – VIDEOS
Welcome to the final installment of “AI Aftermath,” where we explore Idol’s past. Each installment, as one more American Idol hopeful is eliminated from the competition, we take a look back at contestants past who were eliminated at the same point. We’ll examine how they did on the show and what they’ve been up to since their eliminations. In honor of David Cook’s crowning as your American Idol, we will look back at other winners.
This week: The Winners, featuring Kelly Clarkson (Season One), Ruben Studdard (Season Two), Fantasia Barrino (Season Three), Carrie Underwood (Season Four), Taylor Hicks (Season Five) and Jordin Sparks (Season Six).
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Little things annoy me.
Like the fact that there was no 50’s theme night!
I wish reporters/journalists would get their facts straight, little things like that bug me.
O/T- Listening to Radio Disney (somewhat gag), in hopes to hear TOML. This is the only (XM station) I’ve heard anyone say they’ve heart it thus far.
We’re “luckier” in this part of the world. TOML is already getting airplay. In fact, it debuted at #3 in a local countdown today, where the top song is, gah, ABMB. The DJ was reportedly saying before the actual countdown, “The Cookies are definitely out in full force today, I’ll tell you that.” He also admitted he himself is a Cookie. Heh.
I hope it’s alright to post this here (since the recap thread is so far back)…it’s a very interesting and amusing read. It’s a (reluctant) SwayBot’s tale from the mosh pit of the AI finale…
Time Of My Life
She’s 16 and is a cooktard.
Thought you’d all enjoy this from the “Anti-Music” site — it’s a plea to “keep Clive away” from Cookie’s post-Idol recordings (also a rant about other things AI):
http://www.antimusic.com/news/08/may/25Hey_RCA,_Keep_Clive_Away_From_David_Cook_.shtml
Some of you may be interested in reading these Bob Lefsetz blog entries (I understand Cookie has been reading his work?)…
Your One Big Break
…David Cook did an almost credible version of “I Still Havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Found What Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m Looking For”, but it had none of the urgency of U2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s original on “The Joshua Tree”. “Where The Streets Have No Name” opens the album like the sun emerging over the horizon, but in the now broad daylight “I Still Havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Found What Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m Looking For” follows it with a loping gait that pulls you up on the pony and takes you for a glorious ride. Do we credit Edge or Eno for the guitar sound, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦but one thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s for sure, Bonoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a voice nowhere close to either of the Davidsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ in purity. But you have no doubt that he wrote the lyrics, that he believes every word, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s like your best friend showing up at your front door and pouring his heart out…
And The Winner Isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦
As for One Republicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ This is an upbeat show. You just got on the one hit wonder train. You had status, now you look like losers.
Which David Cook was not. He should have won. He had the rock and roll cred. He deserved it.
But I wish heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d come in second and pulled a Daughtry. Showed these fuckers who truly had the talent. But the voting public is smarter than the assholes who put together this ridiculous train-wreck of a show. The public wanted someone of substance, a rocker, a voiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦a person who had something to say. Of the finalists, Cook was the one. He faltered in last nightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s competition, but he was the clear winner if you were watching…
Britney Spears = Larry Rudolph = Carly? I don’t see the connections….but stranger things have happened. Carly is going to be one working somebody….she already said she’s got “offers” after the tour.
Carly better not be going the Britney route. She did it once before (with “Natrual High”), and that was a disaster.
Really? You might want to spare yourselves the gagging. Mediabase is not reporting any spins for TOML on Radio Disney (I’ve posted the QuickCut Info in the Mediabase thread before this one).
Perhaps the listener mistook the TOML for another song featuring “Magic Rainbows”? That could easily happen when listening to Radio Disney. Not only does that station affect your brain, but half the songs are about “Magic Rainbows”.
Here are a list of the radio stations that have started to spin that song (bookmark the pages because MJ doesn’t like daily (let alone hourly) radio updates):
Pop Stations
AC Stations
HAC Stations
Cookie posted a video blog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaUDBi395Is
What a sweetheart. I teared up a little.
Jason posted a blog on myspace, but you have to be a friend to read it (I friended him after Daydream, but I guess there’s a huge backlog that he must approve). Anyway, Castrocopia has it up. Jason, dear, I could help you with pesky details such as spelling and punctuation.
Thanks for that link to David’s video blog. I am grinning like an idiot. Aww, he makes me believe that he really likes magic rainbows and tasting moments and running off the edge of forever. He really is a very fine actor or just a complete cheeseball at heart.
This LA Times blog is hilarious – the blogger thinks that DC doesn’t connect with females and that we all “ache for” Archuleta (No thank you!) He also goes on to talk about how romantic Daughtry is and how women won’t connect to DC in the same way (er, alrighty then).
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/05/after-america-1.html
I much prefer Cook to Daughtry, oh, let me count the ways. Ache for Archie? I ache that this 17 year old, awkward kid, almost walked off with the title.
I don’t care how many offers Carly gets. I’d never buy anything she puts out. Someone should get smart, and, sign Jason. He’s a cash cow waiting to happen.
i dunno if this is o/t, but woooohooooo!!! i turned on radio disney (xm radio) earlier today (ALOT earlier) and kept listening, and kept listening (and KEPT listening) in hopes of hearing TOML. i had to endure hours of miley cyrus (not that i hate her, but good gawd, they played her like 20 times, not exaggerating!) anyway, finally, i had to go to the bathroom, and as soon as i sat down (tmi, sorry) all of a sudden i heard, coming from the livingroom, “the voice.” ran back to livingroom and turned it up full volume!
just thought i’d share, b/c someone also mentioned in another post that he wasnt getting played on RD, but he is, he is!
thank u, i’m done. =)
My apologies. The Quick Cut Info had 0 for the number of spins on Radio Disney, but I checked some other artists and it’s always 0. I wonder what Mediabase is up to with that. Maybe it’s not being reported because RD isn’t included in the roll-ups to the major charts like Hot 100 (Nielsen numbers are used for the BB charts, but Mediabase might be following the same model). I was really just trying to be helpful by suggesting other stations you might try your luck at if you didn’t care for RD.
In any event, I checked the Radio Disney Mediabase chart and the “Magic Rainbow” song is getting an amazing number of spins on that station, so keep listening to Miley and you may get your reward.
For all you RD fans (and parents of fans), here are the top 10 songs on that station:
1. Rooney “When Did Your Heart” – 3825 spins
2. Taylor Swift “I’m Only Me When I…” – 3825 spins
3. Jordin Sparks “No Air”- 3825 spins
4. Miley Cyrus “7 Things” – 3723 spins
5. Camp Rock “We Rock” – 3723 spins
6. Vanessa Hudbens “Sneakermight” – 3723 spins
7. Natasha Bedingfield “Pocketful of Sunshine” – 3672 spins
8. Carrier Underwood “All-American Girl” – 3570 spins
9. Selena Gomez “Cruella De Vil” – 2865 spins (I was wondering why this one was suddenly on the Top 100 in iTunes)
10. Jonas Brothers “Play My Music” – 2550 spins
2 Idols in the Top 10 is pretty good. Miley/Hannah have 16 songs on the chart. Idols have 13 songs on the RD chart(and “Bad Day” still gets played there!)
>>
Kirsten- yes, pretty sure I heard all of these at least twice, lol. Worth it tho.
They do play ALOT of idol stuff on there, mostly the girls tho (Jordin, Carrie, Kelly), no Daughtry (not that i’m surprised) or Elliott.
Have heard cookie ONCE thus far, but one is better than none. Cant wait for lkl so i can get my fix. boy is like crack i tell ya!
Radio Disney really does like that idol stuff, my young nephews always are listening and I have heard many a idol on the station. They played Jordin, Carrie, Kelly and Elliott quite a bit. Elliott seems to have made some friends at Disney and is on the current disney Mania cd, singing the song from the Lion King. Of course, I had to have a copy for me (and my cute nephews of course). Strange to see my copy of Disney Mania among my cd collection, but it’s got Elliott on the cover, so what the heck (;
If you listen long enough, they will play both of those guys. Daughtry has quite a few songs on the RD chart. But first, you must survive all the Disney kids.
LOL.
“These guys are real heart breakers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ men not afraid to weep when they sing and mean it” Um. Did the blogger not see Cook cry after at least three performances from this season?
“Daughtry gets it. When he croons, he’s admitting to a woman how worthless he is and how desperately he needs her love in order to breathe and to find his way back home.” Uh-huh. And Cook doesn’t.
Well, that was a laugh. The comments on that post are killer.
Here’s an interesting article on the trouble with Idol:
http://www.smmirror.com/MainPages/DisplayArticleDetails.asp?eid=7881
I read that article and one line in there “it is the whitest season on record”?? Castro, Archuletta, Ramielle, Mercado, Hernandez. Unless they are grouping Latinos in as caucasion, I do NOT see the whitest group in AI history at all
sumidol, I think the line refers to a vanilla flavor, not race.
What do y’all think of the “Manila Standard Today” article? I’m sorry, but I literally laughed out loud when I read it.
Elliott is most definitely played on radio disney. Wait for You made their countdown a few times a while back. He actually “took over” radio disney one night not too long ago and was on with the dj for a few hours. And, as Daisy mentioned, he’s on the new disneymania 6 cd. They seem to like him there. As hard as it is to listen to if an artist can get play on there, I see that as a good thing. Yes I know it’s sad that I know these things but I have radio disney listeners in the house!