Bottom Three:
Phil Stacey
Haley Scarnato
Chris Sligh
Eliminated tonight:
Chris Sligh
Gwen Stefani and Akon sing her single, “Sweet Escape”.
(Bear with me peeps…it’s 5:30 on the East Coast and I’m scrambling to get myself ready to board an airplane at 9 am. The blog won’t be updated as usual this weekend, but I’ll catch up eventually! To follow is an abbreviated recap of last night’s crapfest show…)
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This is where I am supposed to yell at “America” for getting it wrong, but I don’t play it that way. As a long time Idol watcher, I realized long ago that American Idol is first and foremost a reality tee vee show that just-so-happens to feature some singing. Oh yeah, the singing! As much as the judges will wail on about how AI is a singing competition (they typically pull this card when they aren’t getting their way), well, we long time fans know better.
I mean, I could whine that lesser singers like Haley and Sanjaya out lasted Chris–contestants who should not have even made the Top 24 let alone the Top 12 if we were to judge on purely singing ability. But it’s pointless. If AI were actually singing competition, it would run on the weekend, hardly anyone would watch it, and it would be called “Star Search.” And, I’d be off somewhere getting a life. Maybe.
The truth of the matter is that contestants advance based on a whole bunch of criteria–how much the camera loves them, performance skills, personality, how actively the producers and judges pimp them. Singing ability is typically at the end of the list.
What made last year so special, was that the best singers generally lasted ’til the end. The media coverage for the most part stuck to covering the singers and their relative merits as contestants. This year, the show has turned into a sideshow, with Sanjaya’s hair and Antonella’s half-dressed body driving the coverage. Good singing is on the backburner, with talented vocalists like Leslie Hunt, Stephanie Edwards and Chris Sligh leaving the competition much too soon.
So, bye bye Chris Sligh. Y’all can argue with me if you want, but I will say without reservation that Chris had the best vocals of all the males in this competition. I’m disappointed he won’t be performing next week with Tony Bennett. I have no doubt he would have sung the hell out of a standard and would have lived to sing another week.
Unfortunately, Chris had a bad night. An off performance combined with an early performance slot and no love from the judges spelled doom for Chris. At this point, he did not have the fan base to carry him through a hard time. That’s just how it goes on Idol–a bad night can do a performer in, just like that.
Chris was a front-runner after his initial audition, but he was unable to build on that momentum once the competition started. Since he’s not a pin-up boy, he had to rely solely on his personality and vocal ability to capture the audience’s attention. The vocal ability was there in spades. But, unfortunately, his snarkiness didn’t translate well on the show (It never does–snarkiness generally folds under the cheesy earnestness of Idol) and his precocious song choices and vocal arrangements did not connect with the viewing audience.
Here’s what I think: Chris will be a highlight of the big cheeseball poptarts concert this summer. There’s gonna be a whole lotta “I didn’t like him on the show, but man, was he AWESOME on the tour.” He’s gonna do real well in his post-boot interviews–the talk show format will be a much better forum for his personality and humor. I think Chris will go the way of Kellie Pickler–her humor fell flat and felt forced and phony on the show. Once she was booted and “out of the box” she was able to relax and be herself. Now she’s a media darling. Chris’s post-idol career has every chance to go the same way.
Bleah, I must catch a plane and I’m barely packed. I’ll leave you with a couple of things. Chris has re-opened his entertaining and well-written blog. Check it out here. Soon, very soon, I’ll be reviewing the new album by Chris’s band, Half Past Forever. You can download it at the band’s website or buy it from Amazon. It’s an awesome collection of pop delights, and I’ve got it loaded on my Ipod and look forward to listening to it on the plane this morning. If I don’t miss my flight…
Quickly. A few thoughts on tonight’s show. I liked Gwen Stefani a bunch when she was the lead singer of No Doubt. But these days, she’s sampling some wacky yodeling crap from “The Sound of Music” and recording pop-pap like ”The Sweet Escape” that’s on par with something Paula Abdul would have recorded back in the 90’s. Needless to say, I’m not impressed with tonight’s performance.
The Ford commercial features crazy cowboy Chris Richardson and the kids singing ”I Fought The Law and the Law Won.”
Exxon is on board for the big Top 6 week charity event. I plan to put my cynicism on hold that week. I’ll be voting and donating. I hope ya all will be too.
Nice sing-out from Chris. To be honest, when he strolled over to his castmates to give each one a hug, I stopped watching. I really was that bummed.
Sigh. On to the rest of the season. Go Team Plaid.
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I think another point in Sanjaya’s favour is Simon saying he won’t be back if Sanjaya wins. I think some people want to test him out and see what he does if Sanjaya wins.
I am definitely not a Sanjaya fan but I do look forward to seeing what he’ll do from week to week. Entertaining he his that’s for sure. I just hope he knows what he’s doing. It’ll be a shame if he looks back at this in 20 years and thinks “What was I thinking” or “Why did my parents/family/friends let me look like such an idiot?” But I guess if he makes enough money from it what does a little humiliation matter?
I must admit I would like to see a Blake/Jordin showdown for the final two although I really like Chris R as well.
I will admit too I would love BlakeJOrdin finale or a Blake Melinda finale will be awesome too.
In any finale Blake has to be there. Of course he is my favorite and his voice is really awesome. Chris R voice is so nasal I can’t stand him, I could never biy a record from him. Just saying. Also, an only girl finale would be too boring… No, no..
So go BLAKE! You have to be on the finale! TEAM PLAID!
I love Blake! I am fan for life, whether he wins or not!
And this from the Chris Sligh interview:
ticks me off beyond belief. Don’t waste my tv watching time if you don’t want to win. Go get an agent, spam the internet with your music, drop CD’s from an airplane. Anything except waste my time with your “oh, I didn’t want to win cuz it’s not cool” attitude.
Nothing more boring than watching someone who doesn’t want to win.
t2, right on! It was obvious the first time he kissed the judges butts with his I’m sorry I didn’t sing up to your standards comment, that he would stoop to low levels to win. And now he really didn’t want to win.
What utter BS.
I think a lot of reality show contestants hope for the exposure, like on the Apprentice where they often get amazing offers just for having been on the show. I get that it irritates you but did you also read that he stopped saying stuff because he go 200-300 death threats for his comment to Simon????? maybe that’s why he kissed up? I don’t think we know everything that goes on during the show.
I agree t2. Could you imagine what last season would have been like if Taylor, Daughtry & Elliott gave lackluster performances because they didn’t really want to win? I’m glad Sligh’s gone if that’s the way he really feels. Doesn’t he understand that there are a whole lot of people who love this cheesey show even if it isn’t “cool?”
I think the whole group is going to change now that Chris Sly has gone.
I’m trying to crack the Sanjaya code & here’s my take: He’s not a bad singer because he’s part of a well known choir group but he isn’t pushing his singing. He thinks he’ll be voted out if he shows he’s not worthy of VFTW. Sundance was voted off when VFTW dropped him. Is he going to see how far he can push it?
I’d like a Blake/Jordin finale but want Sanjaya, Melinda (Gina after last weeks performance & anyone else who gets more interesting along the way) till the end. It’s not only about the singing….sawrrrrry
t2, you got that right. If Gina were to say, in her exit interview, that she never really cared whether she won or not, I would feel betrayed. All that time I put in voting on her behalf… Why should I care if my favorite doesn’t?
Another thing…if she were to say this, why would I ever want to buy her music? Not smart to say this, I don’t think.
(Fortunately, I think Gina does care. A lot.)
After last year, I’m not sure that any contestant will feel they have to win. I stand by my original statement…it’s good exposure. and maybe saying you didn’t want to win is another way of saying you know you weren’t going to win. After Taylor’s album (and I love me some Taylor) I wouldn’t be surprised if lots of the contestants realize that winning might not be the best thing. We always say it afterwards…that winning was probably not the best thing for such and such contestant. why are we so upset if they realize it from the get-go.
In addition, Sligh didn’t feel like he was appreciated for what he was on the show. Maybe Idol could have shown him more support and he would have wanted to win. But it was clear straight from the start that he wouldn’t be. So it was all confirmed for him.
By the way, he’s quite good friends with Gina and even said that after she gets voted off, she and her fiance might stay with he and his wife.
I’ll give you that he might not be the best at PR, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy.
Thanks hopeful. I was feeling bad, just thinking that maybe all this time I invest is worthless.
I think he was just on Leno. Heard that but didn’t get over there.
He does seem like a good guy and talking about the show right after getting booted off is never easy.
Good night!!
I reread this and also givein’s comments about, “He’s not a bad singer because he’s part of a well known choir group but he isn’t pushing his singing.” Is it possible that the way Sanjaya has performed is part of the script? That in reality, he has a very nice voice and all of a sudden he will “find” his voice? Ms. Wright was on the Larry King Show. She believes in him.
Does anyone take Simon seriously about quitting the show if Sanjaya wins? It is sad that so much attention has been given to Sanjaya and Antonella, thus ignoring the other contestants.
I actually thought Chris R. was in more danger than Chris S. I think his band will do a nice job in sales. Just my 2 cents worth.
i am sorry, mj, that you are so bummed about the departure of chris s. but as he noted in his exit interview, it’s probably for the best as his indie vibe did not fit the show. and for what it’s worth, he was so off the beat on that police song that it was a crying shame. to me, he never seemed quite relaxed in the limelight anyway. on a positive note, you must be having a blast tonight and i can’t wait to hear all about it!!!!!
ON A HAPPIER NOTE: Congratulations, Elliott fans!!! He’s tearing the Indie chart sales.
Sure, Chris Slug didn’t want to win.. that’s why he said he has a “strategy” on HOW TO WIN…
Slug thinks people have a real short memory. He sounds bitter as hell, too.
Sundance was voted off WHILE VFTW was still supporting him.
As for Sanjaya, there is a nice, sweet voice there but it needs time to mature and mellow. The stress and nerves are choking him when he sings. Seriously, I wish he had a waited a couple years to try out because I think it would have been a very different story.
I’m puzzled about Sligh’s comments. I really like the guy’s voice and some of his original music, but he claims to have studied the show so he has to know what’s involved, what kind of music he’d be able to sing and what “America” tended to like. It seems odd to me that he would try so hard to be on the show all these years and on the PopTarts sponsored tour if he is worried about his Indie cred.
I think singing with a choir, even as a soloist, is a lot different than singing solo, backed by a big band. It’s almost as if Sanjaya can’t find the pitch (and sometimes the beat) amidst all those instruments. He may get the hang of it, but I can’t say I’m enjoying watching him struggle. He might do better with an acoustic or even a cappello number — if they let him. And would his seemingly growing fanbase be bored by this when they expect razzle-dazzle every week? But then, each week is a gamble, isn’t it?
Man, he really couldn’t win either way. Do you remember Taylor saying the same thing about not caring about the competition anymore after he decided to do it his own way and performed ‘Play that funky music’ after Simon blasted him the week before? (it turned out to be working for him ) I’m sure the ‘more seasoned’ musicians who competed in AI will bound to feel that way due to frustration because of judges’ inconsistencies.
In Chris’s blog he also mentioned that he did NOT purposely tank his performance - he even stressed that he could have gone to the much easier song, yet he chose ‘every little thing she does’ because he wanted to do well. He was also frustrated because the judges were slamming blake, phil, and Chris R for their arraignments on that Diana Ross week.
As far as the whole ‘I have a strategy’ vibe, how many of you haven’t realized thats what the producers want to impress upon us?
Well if you ask me I think that this year there is no one with even a slight bit of talent, and the proof is that Sanjaya is still in the competition. Season 5 was the best and there will not be another season even to compare to it. I agree with sweatband man, Sanjaya sucks….Chris was much better than Sanjaya and I can’t believe that Chris was voted off. What is wrong with America..
MJ wrote, If AI were actually singing competition, it would run on the weekend, hardly anyone would watch it, and it would be called “Star Search.” And, I’d be off somewhere getting a life.
Word is that you, indeed, have a life, M.J.! I hear you traveled to hear the best live performer in recent times. In another life, I’d be here with you , after (of course) going here. Very jealous for me and very happy for you!