This week’s Entertainment Weekly features a story on American Idol Season 6, which they call the “weirdest season ever.” That’s an apt description. The article (it’s online too) features interviews with assorted producers judges and a paragraph or two on each of the Top 8 contestants. Here, as always, are a few highlights:
- Simon attributes this year’s ratings dip to a less-than-stellar cast, ”We’re doing as well as we are doing with not a great cast at the moment, to be honest with you…They’re not the best bunch of kids we’ve ever had.”
- Simon pegs the contest as a five-way race between Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Jordin Sparks, LaKisha Jones, and Melinda Doolittle. me: I’ll bet ya a cookie that Sanjaya Malakar bumps one off–Lakisha probably–to make it to the Top 5…
- Regarding contestants thinking they don’t have to win the contest, Simon says, ”I think that we suffer from Jennifer Hudson- and Chris Daughtry-itis, which is people who didn’t win getting great careers and now a lot of the contestants believing it absolutely doesn’t matter…Sometime there’s part of me thinking, You genuinely couldn’t care less what we’ve got to say; everything’s going to go your own way now.”
- In fact, Chris Richardson said, “‘You don’t have to win it…to me I’ve already won, being in the top 10 and going on tour [this summer].”
Carrie Underwood graces the cover of this month’s Cosmopolitan magazine me–maybe the dumbest magazine ever.
Nothing much to say here–the article on the inside is the typical fashion-and love-chick-mag type story. Although, Carrie did NOT talk about s-e-x in case y’all were wondering.
However, I could not resist posting a scan of the cover. The headlines all around Carrie’s tasteful cover photo are just…hilarious.
Now for something Completely Different
From the silly to the serious, Clay Aiken just returned from a trip to Afghanastan as the goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.
While in the capital city of Kabul, Aiken, ”visited schools that have implemented programs meant to ensure all children regardless of gender receive an education. While in Bamyan, Aiken visited a health clinic and women’s literacy center where many women learn how to read and write and experience formal education for the first time. The literacy program is one of UNICEF’s priority projects for the empowerment of women in Afghanistan…Aiken also visited water and sanitation programs as well as a program that reintegrates former child soldiers into mainstream society.”
While in the country, Clay went native, growing a beard and wearing traditional clothing. You can read a Q&A with Clay here.
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What a fascinating layout on the ET cover. LOL!
Top 3: Melinda, Blake, Jordin
Middle 2: Lakisha, Sanjaya
Bottom 3: Chris R, Haley & Phil.
Feeling knollish *donning tinfoil hat*
Their order of elimination:
Phil, Haley, Chris, Sanjaya, Lakisha (shocking! 4th place boot), Jordin, Blake and Melinda finale.
Haley went before Phil but I can see Phil going next and the rest of the order looks good to me. I think it’s possible Sanjaya or
Lakisha will go before Chris, but they’ll go in the middle. This is the top 3 this season: Melinda, Blake, Jordin.
Do you think it’s a coincidence that Blake is wearing a “crown” in the picture - LOL!
Oooh… The new site is MUCH faster! Excellent MJ.
Five way between that particular five? Let me tell you - Vegas has odds saying Sanjaya stays around for at least another three weeks, which would make him top four. Also, I can’t see Chris Richardson getting there as well. I’ll certainly agree that it looks like Blake and Melinda and I can’t say, now, who would win that contest. At a very very early point, I see this:
7. Phil Stacey
6. Lakisha Jones
5. Chris Richardson
4. Sanjaya Malakar
3. Jordin Sparks
2. Melinda or Blake
1. Blake or Melinda
:-D I also think the Lakisha/Chris positioning is squishy - they could flip. But that’s what I’m thinking.
Oh and…
HELLO to Simon’s comments regarding the “not best cast”. Exqueeze me? Baking powder? SIMON et al set up the cast. Perhaps they should have gone for less x-factor and more talent. I’m still reeling at a few of the contestants left OUT of the 24 in deference to those who made it in.
Yes, pardon my French, but Jesus Christ, last year, Simon told the audience that Katherine McPhee singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” made her a star. A star!
It was one of the biggest lies ever told in the history of American television and after telling a whopper like that, how could anyone ever again think that the discussion around this show has anything to do with real talent?
When you lie your ass off and say that Katherine singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” beats Chris Daughtry and Elliott Yamin…well, the whole exercise turns into a lie and anyone can now run away with it.
As far as I’m concerned, “Besame Mucho” makes Sanjaya just as much a star as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” made Katherine McPhee one, and I dare Simon and 19 to pass on Sanjaya, who will make an album with his sister and outsell every American Idol-related album, plus the Carpenters and Donny and Marie, times five.
Simon always loves to make dramatic statements, Bambambam. Just this season he told everyone to get a ticket home after Lakisha sang “And I Am Telling You, I’m Not Going”. I’ve watched the last couple of AI Rewind shows and he told Tamyra that she’d be a big star. She certainly had the talent but went home in 4th place and so far isn’t a star. I do think that Kat singing SOTR was incredible and one if the best if not the best performance of last season imo.
I like the pic from the cover of EW magazine, especially Blake in the center on top.
I got my EW in the mail, and the UPC symbol was almost completely covering Phil’s face! I laughed and laughed…
Oh, shit! LaCliche couldn’t even crack a smile and act like having fun for the cover photo.
Why!? Does she hate this world and everyone? 
Hrumph.
I love it that they complain about the contestants THEY chose, while knocking off some who probably shoulda been there….Hey you guys, take a little responsibility!
Nice cover! Man Simon loves to complain about the fact he cannot do his job!! How self asorbed he is!! The cast this year is a direct result of his dip shit taste in music and talent!
Re: The “And now for something Completely Different”, without reading what was writting and just looking at the picture, I totally thought it was a scene from a Monty Python skit. Right down to the funny expressions! Hee!
I agree with RenaRF’s elimination order and think that Sanjaya will make it to the top 4. Country night should be veddy interesting….
Oh dear. It’s everyone BUT Simon’s fault when the ratings are down, when people complain that this year isn’t as “good”. Nevermind that Simon had a BIG hand in selection of the dull and dreary this year. It’s so easy for him to push the blame on the fact that they just aren’t the best of the bunch. Well, dummy, you selected them. But, no, never Simon’s fault.
He did speak some truth about Sanjaya outlasting Lakisha. I totally expect that to happen unless Lakisha all of a sudden starts breathing some life into her performance and isn’t the ringleader of this dull and dreary bunch. I would be entirely okay with Sanjaya outlasting Lakisha as well because at least Sanjaya entertains me, while Lakisha doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word “fun”. If nothing else, if she leaves now she’ll make tour and probably will be alright at providing a “good life for her daughter”.
The cover art cracks me up. :)
I think LaKisha may not like her teeth. She doesn’t have nice teeth….maybe she’s self conscious about it.
i like how they posed melinda to make it appear she has a neck.
I’m sure they had a whole photo session w/ all of them in all sorts of poses & expressions & the photographer picked the photos. LaKisha is not the prettiest girl, but she looks pretty in that photo. They probably rejected the more fun photos of her. Not that I’m a fan of any of these kids, just saying it’s not her fault that’s the photo they went with.
I loved the EW cover. I need to go out and get a copy before they are all gone. I agree with those who think Sanjaya will outlast Lakisha and probably Chris R. In fact, I think that Phil also will outlast Lakisha and that this week may very well be her last week. I would love to have a Blake/Jordin or Jordin/Blake final two. Melinda has a lovely voice but, to me, she just isn’t marketable, which is really what AI is all about. I also agree that Sanjaya is going to make at least one hit CD and probably more. I think the brother and sister act would really go over big as a TV show, a la Donny & Marie. One reason for Idol’s popularity is the fact that there just are not any variety shows left on TV. And people are hungry for this type of entertainment.
I enjoyed the article about Clay. I just hope he didn’t bring the facial hair home with him. Very unflattering! Tell me, have I been living in a cave for the past 6 weeks and the only one who didn’t know that on March 2 this John Paulus (or whatever his name is)retracted all the smear on Clay that he related to National Enquirer and was picked up by so many news services? He said he didn’t even know Clay and that an anti-Clay group induced him to do this. What a shame to ruin Clay’s credibility with lies, lies, and more lies. And it seems the target was more Clay’s fans than Clay himself. The thing that bothers me about the whole business is that the media was eager to print the allegations but have just ignored the retraction. I reckon smear news is more saleable than restoring a person’s good name.
Lakisha looks like Mandisa in that photo.. which is a very good thing.
I think it is horrible that when news came out about the alleged Clay Aiken internet meeting with some guy who thankfully I can not recall his name, it was ALL OVER THE PLACE. Dragging his name, character and reputation through the mud. However, now that the jerk admitted he was lying and put up to it, VERY LITTLE has been mentioned. Gay, straight, whatever, no one deserves the treatment this kid has been given.