Let me see: Kendra Lowe & David Archuleta…. :ponder_tb:

Archk….
Daken…
kendal…

I guess I will have to give the name to this ship some though… Good night everybody…

Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really very self-effacing. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve ever known anyone else who can be so positive and driven and so self-critical at the same time. He should give himself a break.

Yeah. It’s like he sees the best in everyone except himself. Which isn’t all that uncommon, really, but it’s still startling to see it from a young guy who’s in the limelight.

However, reading his description, can i say how pissed off I am that he feels he has to apologize for his breathing?

He’s really very self-effacing. I don’t know that I’ve ever known anyone else who can be so positive and driven and so self-critical at the same time. He should give himself a break.

Mini v-log from DA, at the atlanta airport with Kendra in a gift shop and he point out stuff from recycledà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦. poo! HAHAHA

I love him… this vlog is gold…. this was hillarious :lol_tb:… and Kendra is really prety… anybody knows how old is she? maybe I can ship her with Archie :tongue_wink_ee:

Mini v-log from DA, at the atlanta airport with Kendra in a gift shop and he point out stuff from recycledà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦. poo! HAHAHA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P6yREobCg8

OMG! ahahahaha! Thanks Frog!

However, reading his description, can i say how pissed off I am that he feels he has to apologize for his breathing?

Elliott Yamin

JPL

Brooke White

I love Anodyne also so haunting and beautiful.

Wow, what a great video and song. I love it and have to listen to it over and over. There’s a couple of other versions on You-tube that have the unbelievable lighting effect at the end. It’s a must see. Here’s the one from Wartburg College in Waverly Iowa, that I was privileged to see in person. DC and the band are not just musicians, but are artists as well.

Anodyne at Wartburg with spectacular ending

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P6yREobCg8

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know what purpose bringing Kara in was supposed to serve but I do like her way more than Paula.

I think Kara actually said something useful last night, but I can’t remember what it was. =\

I guess they just thought Kara would make a good story for the media and add some credibility to the panel. Maybe they are finally giving us the Original Song Week so many of us have been begging for? Kara would help with that, at least.

But 36 is too many. Why should we get to know 36 people when 2/3 of them will not be in the finals? It’s a waste of time. There should be 24. They could do three groups of 8 instead of 12, and make the show an hour. Then it wouldn’t drag so much. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

So, instead of the group geling and getting more consistent each week with the weak ones being culled, we reboot the first night three times.

This new format is making the semis nearly as unbearable as the auditions. In the past, I loved the semis. Now, I can’t wait til their over.

If they manage to assemble a decent Top 12, I think there’s still hope for his season.

The behind-the-scenes string-pullers likely let him into the Top 36 just so he could drop a hilarious train wreck on the big stage, then get voted off right away.

OH NO! Say it isn’t so. I was sure it was his singing *eyes roll*

Did the Producers of American Idol Accidentally Buy This Idiot Another Week on Televison?

Maybe! Obviously Nick Mitchell thinks of himself as the second coming of Sacha Baron Cohen or something. But as far as made-up alter egos go, his “Norman Gentle” “character” is pretty lazy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  just an obnoxious, flat-singing idiot in shorts, a headband, and a shiny shirt that we’d assume hasn’t been washed since before his first audition. Even so, Earth’s three most easily impressed people, Randy, Kara, and Paula, seem perfectly willing to encourage his “art” (“Definitely one of the most entertaining performances ever,” Randy raved last night).

The behind-the-scenes string-pullers likely let him into the Top 36 just so he could drop a hilarious train wreck on the big stage, then get voted off right away. But while his version of “And I Am Telling You” was pretty awful, it was, astonishingly, probably among the episode’s top three performances, meaning he might actually survive tonight’s elimination. Only Allison Iraheta’s take on Heart’s “Alone” was passable; former front-runner Adam Lambert’s “Satisfaction” was terrifying, Megan Joy Corkrey’s “Put Your Records On” was okay but boring, and everybody else was hopelessly pitchy and/or completely forgettable. Obviously producers should have had him compete last week, when he would’ve only been the fourth-best singer. Anyway, here he is, we hope for the last time:

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m so put off by the blatant pimping and forced manipulation by TPTB that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m struggling to watch and remain excited for the top 12.

I`ll fully admit that I may be more cynical than some, but I thought last year featured a lot of OTT pimping and manipulation as well. It was about this time last year when I was sourly remarking that if they producers wanted to pimp Archie so much, why don`t they just add his picture to the list of Idol winners in the opening credits.

This year, there are 36 contestants and I think we`ve at least heard most of them (except for Ricky (boo!) and Jeanine (thank goodness! One night was enough)), whereas we hadn`t heard a peep from many of the contestants last year (e.g. Luke, Jason Castro, Jason Y and Garett) and there were only 24 contestants.

This year, they have to spread the pimpage around a bit to get the top 12 they want. Each week features a new set of 2 or 3 pimpees. Last year, they only had 2 or 3 pimpees at a time because only the really low hanging fruit got picked off each week.

This year, they actually get to sing what they want. Last year, they manipulated things by only having fifty songs per week. The producer`s pets were assured of having songs they could sing on that list, but the others were not. Now, it seems that everybody has free reign to pick a song and they are sadly proving Nigel right (he said he had to restrict song choices because the contestants were bad at picking).

So, I see this year may actually have had a bit of an improvement on the pimping-manipulation front. In any event, it`s been happening since Season 1. Still, I don`t like this semi-final format. I like to watch the Idols grow. I don`t like the `Big Bang` style of chosing the finalists.

I agree that the judges seemed better last night except for some of Paula’s nonsense. I don’t know what purpose bringing Kara in was supposed to serve but I do like her way more than Paula.

I see this sentiment a lot, but I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s too early to say that.”

No, I assure you I will feel that way no matter how this season plays out. I hope they whittle it down to the calibur of talent that S7 provided, but whether they do or not, I’m so put off by the blatant pimping and forced manipulation by TPTB that I’m struggling to watch and remain excited for the top 12.

So, instead of the group geling and getting more consistent each week with the weak ones being culled, we reboot the first night three times.

That is for me the big problem with this new format. It seems to drag out Hollywood Week to the breaking point; I don’t feel the “real” show has started yet because we are still going thru all of these semi-finalists, many of whom just don’t have the chops for one reason or another, so it’s painful, and yet we’re in the live show setting. I have a hard time keeping my interest up right now but I’m sure all that will kick in once we have our final group.

Adding Kara was a mistake. I wonder if theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll get rid of her when top12 begins.

I actually like Kara more than “Yo Dog” Randy and “Who knows wtf is she drinking” Paula… certanly she is more current in the industry than Paula having work with a lot of artist, even Cook and Archie… BTW I agree with Kirsten yesterday program was so much better… I like the fact that there wasn ´t an orden in the judges opinion… the part with Paula just telling a contestant that she had great legs and then passing the ball to Simon was awesome…so if they continue like yesterday I don ´t have a problem…

Seeing that video of DC makes me yearn for the talent of S7.

I see this sentiment a lot, but I think it’s too early to say that. No doubt, there was a lot of talent last year, but I remember being really disappointed after the first night of semi-finals last year. This year, sadly, we get 3 first nights of semi-finals and the stress on the contestants is much higher (instead of just not being one of the two suckiest of the night, you have to be one of the best two of the night of your sex). To add into the mix, there are 50% more contestants (and that likely means more cannon fodder). So, instead of the group geling and getting more consistent each week with the weak ones being culled, we reboot the first night three times.

Now, onto tonight. I think that the producers greatly improved the show this week over last week (I cannot thank them enough for getting rid of the parent interviews and for hiring somebody with more experience in the control room), so I am hopeful that tonight’s eliminations will also be handled better.

Here are some of my suggestions:
1) Longer group number allowing more contestants to be featured. Please let Nick do his stuff because we won’t be seeing him again until the finale (I wonder if they will ban him from going on the talk shows).

2) Tell us Adam is safe first. There is no drama in waiting until the end and pairing him with Nick. I know they can’t pimp their favourites enough and the viewership is higher at the end of the show, but let’s not repeat the Danny show from last week. Give the viewers who watch the entire show a gift and leave the “unknown” winner until the end.

3) Tell us that Allison is safe next. I don’t think that’s much of a mystery.

4) Have the next highest guy/girl declared last. This week, I think that this slot is very much up in the air so it will be exciting to see who makes it through. Last week, after Alexis was declared safe, all the girls knew they were going home. After Michael was declared safe, the top row knew all but Danny was going home. Let’s not telegraph the ending. Plus, the “third” slot winner could use with a bit of pimping. And, if it’s Matt G, make him sing Georgia instead of VLV. Or, if he makes it through and must sing that song, at least have Paula play the bell part. It was sadly missing last night (of all the things wrong with that performance, that’s the only thing they can fix on short notice)

I’m sure she’s under contract for the full season.

Seeing that video of DC makes me yearn for the talent of S7.