‘American Idol’: On the scene for Top 9 results night and Big Mike’s Big Save
Well, Kara. Don’t ever say Simon never did nothin’ fer ya.
The climax of tonight’s American Idol results show was the judges’ “unanimous” decision to save Big Mike from the jaws of irrelevance for another week, and the scene in the Idoldome as he sang for his survival was like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Verukara Salt wanted a golden goose, she wanted a golden goose now, and she was not going to stop until Daddy gave her one. Kara begged. She pleaded. She cajoled. She clenched her fists and stomped her feet and refused to take no for an answer. It was beautiful to witness, all that emotion coming out of one tiny, overstyled body, trying to rescue a relative stranger from a fate that’s likely to befall him at some point in the next three weeks anyway.
‘Idol’ results show minute-by-minute: Big Mike learns a little humility
There’s no doubt this season of “American Idol” has been unpredictable, but Michael Lynche’s near-ouster truly came out of left field, at least for the studio audience on results night. We casually strolled into the “Idol”-dome on Wednesday, firm in our conviction that someone whose name starts with “A” was going home that night. Any other scenario was simply unimaginable at that point, which is why season 9’s first real shocker did indeed leave us winded. Here’s our minute-by-minute breakdown of how the night went down…
UPDATE: Idol in 60 Seconds after the jump…
More recaps after the jump…keep checking back for more…
‘American Idol’: What You Didn’t See On TV — Save For Big Mike
The American Idol audience was rocking on Wednesday night as the show’s most lovable singer, Michael Lynche, also known as Big Mike, got the big save from the judges.
Last night, the judges gave Mike mixed reviews for his reworking of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” And he got the least number of votes this week. But under Idol rules this season, the judges are allowed to save one competitor who had been voted off by viewers. And, in a dramatic moment, Simon Cowell announced that they had unanimously decided to give Mike another shot.
Tween Girls Hijack Idol
The shocker of Wednesday night—that “Big Mike” had the lowest vote total—can be blamed on the text-messaging wrath of 11-year-old girls voting for cute white boys, says Richard Rushfield.
It will be generations before scientists fully understand the impact text messaging has had on our society. Accelerated communications, the condensing of complex thought into compact, emoticon-enriched half-phrases; these effects can merely be speculated upon now. But the fallout from one edge of the texting revolution is already stunningly clear and already having far-reaching effects on American culture; text messaging, it can now be definitively said, has transformed the electorate of American Idol from a diverse microcosm of the nation’s broad middle, to a playground for willful 11-year-olds seeking to reshape the world in their image.
Idol in 60 Seconds
American Idol Recap: Everybody Say Cheese!
Au contraire, that honor is really a tossup among a wide range of incidents that occurred during the hour-long program. We had Randy Jackson eschewing his typically idiotic chorus of boos during Simon Cowell’s introduction — for the second time this season. We had Ryan praising Simon’s constructive criticism of one of the contestants. We had new (and better) glasses from Andrew Garcia, new(ish) attitude from Ellen DeGeneres, and a new single from Rihanna that required an assist from a female dancer taking a side grinder to her own metal-plated corset. (Today’s water-cooler discussion topic: Would Lacey Brown have made the Idol summer tour if she’d pulled a similar stunt during ”Ruby Tuesday”?) We had the judges exercising the ”save” option on someone other than Crystal Bowersox. And we had Katie Stevens managing not to uncork a stunning stream of expletives when they did it.
‘American Idol’ 2010 puts judges in the hot seat
“Prepare yourself for a surprise or two, ” host Ryan Seacrest says at the top of this week’s “American Idol” 2010 results show. “Shocking results” are in store, Seabiscuit continues. This can only mean that some Idolette besides Katie Stevens, Tim Urban, or Andrew Garcia got the fewest viewer votes this week, right?
But first, let’s find out what the judges are donating for an auction to raise money for “Idol Gives Back.” Simon Cowell thinks he’s donating some clothes, and the opportunity for someone to actually make a record. If I had any money I’d buy that for Idolette Tim Urban just to see the look on Simon’s face.
Saved! ‘Idol’ judges prevent shocking cut
Ryan Seacrest promised a surprise at the beginning of Wednesday’s “American Idol” results show. Sometimes that’s a relative term and means, “We’re going to actually end the show on time this week, ” or “We spent the extra couple of dollars to make sure all of the microphones work.”
But give him credit — this time he meant what he said.
‘American Idol’ Dusts Off The Save
At the outset of tonight’s ‘American Idol, ’ Ryan Seacrest promised surprises. And shocks. Unfortunately, those plot twists did not include “shortening the show to 30 minutes as a surprise to people who are sick of lip-synced filler and Kara DioGuardi mugging for the camera, ” but what can you do? At least the bottom three was filled with an entirely new cast of characters.
As it turned out, Michael Lynche’s overly chirpy take on “Eleanor Rigby” did not result in him getting much love from the voting public; he was at the bottom of the heap after last night’s post-show phone balloting, with Andrew Garcia receiving the runner-up prize of not having to sing for his life. Big Mike broke out his admittedly stunning version of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” as his plea for the save, and while the emotion caused him to waver pitch-wise a few times, the judges were unanimous: He would live to see another week.
Idol Watch: He Gets By With a Little Help from His Friends
When Michael Lynche became season 9’s recipient of the American Idol judges’ save, Mrs. Tuned In’s first reaction was, “He’s this year’s What-His-Name!”
She meant Matt Giraud, and to be fair it took me a minute to come up with the name too. But that just about says it all, doesn’t it? I liked Matt Giraud fine at the time. But now, a year after receiving the first judges’ save, he comes to mind and it’s… what’s his name? (Matt was on the show earlier this year and has a recording career going, so he’s hardly a cautionary tale, but still.) Is that the fate that Michael Lynche, however much we like him now and in the moment, is being saved for? To be next year’s What’s-His-Name?
Judging the Judges’ Save on American Idol: Did Justice Prevail?
Hooray! Not so much? This week, American Idol’s voters grew a pair and almost eliminated a dude. But before that pig could fly, the judges whipped out a pocket veto and fired it square at the showstopping vest of Michael “Big Mike” Lynche, who sang a decent “Eleanor Rigby” this week and still scored the lowest number of votes. The new father Lynche, whose wife enjoyed a very famous cervix during Hollywood Week, lives to meet mentor Adam Lambert. Are we happy for Big Mike’s triumph?
