SomethingPitchy Broadcast: 10 Things we Hate About ‘Idol’
In this week’s episode, the SomethingPitchy panel dishes on Didi Benami’s elimination, whether ‘Idol’ hates women and what songs the contestants should sing for next week’s Lennon-McCarthy theme.
Joining host Andy Scott were Brooke Tarnoff (PopEater’s Girls on Pop), Rae Votta (AOL Music), MJ Santilli (MJ’sBigBlog) and, in a first since February, the hilarious Jim Cantiello of MTV News.
Has ‘Dancing With the Stars’ dethroned ‘American Idol’ as America’s No. 1 show?
Well, certainly Season 10 of “DWTS” has gotten off to a potent start, which may be what happens when Pamela Anderson, Shannen Doherty and Kate Gosselin show up to dance their feet sore. ABC says that it has emerged as the nation’s No. 1 show because the “DWTS” average audience the last two weeks (23.6 million) has outdrawn — albeit barely — the Tuesday total for “Idol” (23 million) that same fortnight period. This week, the Monday edition of “DWTS” (23 million) beat out both the Tuesday (21.8 million) and Wednesday (20.5 million) editions of “Idol” for the first time ever. And overall, “DWTS” is up 30% this season in total viewers.
However, there are a few asterisks to those great “DWTS” highlights. First, ABC’s dance show has only been back a couple of weeks, and there’s no telling whether viewer fascination with its tabloid-worthy cast will fade over the next few airings. And that big audience for “DWTS” still skews old — much older than for “Idol, ” which routinely trounces the dancing show among young adults. A whopping 60% of the “DWTS” audience is over 50 years old, compared with just 37% for “Idol.” In fact, this Tuesday, when “Idol” faced “DWTS” in head-to-head competition, Fox’s singing show scored a 7.2 rating among adults aged 18 to 49. ABC notched a 3.0. The Tuesday “Idol” also clobbered “DWTS” even among all viewers (21.8 million versus 14.3 million).
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
‘American Idol’ Exit Q&A: Didi Benami on her ‘uncomfortable’ moment with Ryan on stage
Didi Benami used her distinct voice and singer-songwriter style to crack the top 10 on American Idol. But in the end, Benami was the third girl in so many weeks to get voted off the show. In a phone interview with EW.com, 23-year-old Benami talks about what went wrong, her awkward moment with Ryan Seacrest during Tuesday night’s show, and her plans to record the music penned by her friend Rebecca Joy Lear, a fellow singer-songwriter who died in a car accident in 2005.
‘American Idol’ Says Bye-Bye To Didi Benami, Our Panel Saw The Exit Sign
Even though the judges predicted that a female would win this season, women are quickly becoming an endangered species on “American Idol.” Last night’s ouster of a teary-eyed Didi Benami leaves the ladies with just three representatives: Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus and Katie Stevens (who’s slummed it in the bottom-three for two straight weeks and is in serious danger during next week’s Lennon/McCartney-themed show).
The week’s final Idol Meter results
Ken Barnes has updated Idol Meter to reflect Didi Benami’s ouster. “Aesthetically, it was a most satisfying bottom two, ” Ken writes. “The viewer couldn’t lose. Didi dug her own grave by straying from her strengths, dubious as they were, in an attempt to demonstrate her versatility.” And Tim? He survives “better than any dozen Gloria Gaynor impersonators.”
Why Tim Urban needs to stick around
I’ve decided I’m ready for Tim Urban to hang around a couple more weeks. Not because I enjoy listening to him sing. (I don’t.) Not because I think he’s more talented than some of the other contestants on the show. (He’s not, nor is he as good as many who have preceded him.) Not even because when he appears on the screen, my 8-year-old daughter whispers to my wife, “I love him” (which she does, and I know that she will cry the night he finally goes home).
This week, he proves he’s the new mastermind of Idol.
Forget Simon Cowell. Forget Simon Fuller. You know what? Forget Simon and Garfunkel, Simon Bólivar, and Simon de Montfort, too (look him up! And then …forget him)—because Ryan Seacrest is the new mastermind of Idol. Between his continued breaching of Cowell’s desk-area restraining order and his superpersonal questions for the singers, Ryan seems to be taking advantage of this season’s chaos to openly manipulate the contestants, the judges, and especially America. This week, he stoutly defended Teflon Tim’s perpetual good cheer, tried to motivate votes by badgering Didi into crying about her dead friend, told us in no uncertain terms that Mike Lynche equals Ruben Studdard, and pulled the “Vote for My Awesome Mom” card on behalf of Andrew Garcia.
‘American Idol’ Castoff Paige Miles Loves Coloring, Owns ‘From Justin To Kelly’ On DVD
We recently caught up with Paige Miles at the tail end of her six day “I Just Got Cut From ‘American Idol’ Now What Do I Do?” press tour (which included a positively stellar performance on “The Late Show With David Letterman”). Instead of posing the same five questions she had been asked a hundred times, I thought it’d be fun to kick back and bust out the crayons. One of the few things we learned about the schoolteacher was that she liked to relax by taking out a Crayola box and a coloring book. (I created a bunch of “Idol”-themed photos for her to color. Why fun in a hippo when you could scribble on Ryan Seacrest?)
Daughtry finds rock groove in second album
The biggest-selling rock act in recent memory is about to hit town, and it’s not even Nickelback, Kings of Leon or Green Day.
Daughtry, fronted by “American Idol” Season 5 competitor Chris Daughtry, holds that distinction thanks to its self-titled 2006 CD, which includes the hits “It’s Not Over” and “Home.” It was the top rock release two years in a row and the fastest-selling rock debut since Soundscan began tracking sales.
“That was never a thought in my mind, ” Daughtry says of his album’s success. “I just wanted to put out the best thing I could.”
Quite the feat for someone who placed after Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin on “Idol.”
Jennifer Hudson’s Design Shines on New ‘7-Eleven Coffee Cup With A Cause’
CHICAGO and DALLAS, April 1 /PRNewswire/ — Oscar and Grammy award-winner Jennifer Hudson chose a candle to light up the side of the second celebrity-designed “7-Eleven® Coffee Cup With A Cause.” Hudson’s cup goes on sale today at participating 7-Eleven stores across the U.S. and will be available through May 31 or while supplies last. Proceeds from the cup featuring Hudson’s personal design will benefit her designated charity, Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Hudson made a surprise appearance at a Chicago-area Boys & Girls Clubs of America location March 31 to formally announce her partnership with 7-Eleven and officially launch the cup’s sales. Featuring a brightly burning candle as the focal point, the cup is inscribed with the words “Light of Peace” in Hudson’s handwriting.
AMERICAN IDOL’s Melissa Doolittle Stars in Miracle Theatre’s JOSEPH Thru April 9
American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle is starring in the Miracle Theater’s Broadway-style production of Tim Rice’s and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” thru April 9.
Nashville is where she got her start in music attending Belmont University and later working as a background singer for stars such as Michael McDonald, Aaron Neville, CeCe Winans and gospel group Anointed before auditioning with three other friends for American Idol for Season 6.
Her father was a drummer, and she grew up listening to his record collection of R&B artists and music took root in her soul. Her debut album “Coming Back to You” was hailed by critics.
SNEAK PEEK: ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Glee’ Stars ‘Shine’ in New Op Campaign
How did Gossip Girl’s Vanessa Abrams find herself in a cuddle puddle with Glee clubbers Finn Hudson and Quinn Fabray? The trio–Jessica Szohr, Cory Monteith and Dianna Agron–are starring in this spring’s upcoming ad campaign for juniors clothing brand Op, along with R&B singer Cassie, 90210’s Trevor Donovan, and Alex Meraz of The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Eclipse. The “Rock Your Shine” campaign, shot by photographer Larry Bartholomew, is set at an imagined summer block party, and features the young stars lounging in a hammock, barbecuing, and getting ready to head out surfing, all while wearing sexy and sweet beach-ready pieces.
Spotted: ‘Dancing with the Stars” Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Erin Andrews
“Dancing with the Stars”‘ most flirty pair Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy were spotted leaving the dance studio along with their fellow dancers!
While Maks kept mum, Erin got playful by turning the cameras on the the photogs and shouting out the questions they usually ask her, like, “are you dating?” But when the paps turned it around and asked her the question, she didn’t give an answer.
Meanwhile, “The Insider”‘s Niecy Nash said she was sad about Shannen Doherty getting the boot — while Buzz Aldrin said he’d “be back week after week.”
Check out the new video for more from your favorite “Dancing” stars!
‘Dancing With the Stars’: Derek Hough and Nicole Scherzinger hot on and off dance floor?
“Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Derek Hough has a history of dating his co-“stars” (ahem, Shannon Elizabeth), so why should we believe him when he denies a relationship with partner Nicole Scherzinger — after a spotted public smooch two weeks ago?
“I think it’s always best to keep things professional and keep it all separate, ” the 24-year-old pro told Hollywood Life at the LA premiere of “The Clash of the Titans” March 31. When questioned about any romantic connection between him and his Pussycat Doll partner, he said, “No, [we’re not dating], not at all.”
The problem with that claim is that Hollywood Life caught the dancing duo making out on the dance floor at Hollywood hotspot Drai’s on March 17.
