Smallscreen News
'American Idol' Recap: Eight women blush and judges act up
By M&C Smallscreen Mar 6, 2008, 16:56 GMT
02/09/2008 - Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson - © Chris Hatcher / PR Photos
What a weird show. After watching this for the last seven years, it seems the civility bloom is off the rose for Simon and Seacrest, and the increasingly inarticulate Abdul and everyone around her.
Randy needs to freshen his vernacular; the "dog" and "dude" stuff is stale.
American Idol had the eight remaining women compete for the final 12 show. The flow of this show was stilted, awkward and downright contentious between the judges and Ryan Seacrest.
The women, like the men, share embarrassing stories and sing songs of the eighties.
Ryan Seacrest asks Simon Cowell who needs to turn up the volume on their stage performances; Simon immediately says, "Everyone. No one's safe."
Simon is the beacon of clarity and clear thinking on this show, but he seems to be wearing out on the experience.
Asia'h Epperson is up first. Lavender high-waisted stretchy pants are not a good omen. Epperson says her most embarrassing moment was being an extra on a movie about roller skating and falling in front of everyone.
Asia'h sings a Whitney song, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
Randy digs it, as he should know because he recorded the original with Whitney. It's hot, Randy says. Paula's likes it, and Simon calls it "second-rate Whitney."
Next, the Rich Little of the Idols, Kady Malloy's most embarrassing moment was destroying the song "Beautiful" at the ninth-grade talent show, followed by tripping over the microphone cord causing lots of feedback.
Kady sings a Queen song, "Who Wants to Live Forever." Awful, Must go.
Randy in a round about way says bad song choice for Kady, in so many words. Paula says the tenderness in Kady's voice is "where the magic is." Simon is not fond of her and says, "I'm still having issues with your massive lack of personality." - you can tell when he tires of someone and cages his comments so they will be gone (hopefully) next week.
Looking much better was rocker Amanda Overmyer belting out the Joan Jett ditty, "I Hate Myself for Loving You."
Her shame came from some mishap after an obvious post party-bender when she caused a raging house fire that managed to melt a pool too. This girl will never qualify for homeowner's insurance now.
She did a good job. Randy says it's the bluesy, rocker chick Amanda they fell in love with. Paula notes the great hair and makeup job on Amanda's beautiful face, and she likes her hair. Simon loved it, said "I thought it was fantastic. I thought you absolutely nailed that song. In a way it was one of my favorite girl performances of this part of the competition." and then dares her to smile. Her shyness is endearing, she's obviously a girl with talent that never was "the pretty one" and has to compensate in other ways.
Irish lass Carly Smithson, like a good pub mistress, got her leg stuck in a railing at a bar and the patrons greased her up with soap and oil to wrench her leg free. I hate that damned unsightly tattoo on her arm, they are a cursed blight on all women; sue me.
Smithson sings "I Drove All Night." A song I never heard in the eighties.
Randy loves her big voice and goes "boom, boom, boom" regarding the hit notes. Paula says there are not enough adjectives to describe how fab she is. Simon finishes with, "You are million times better than that song. I'm trying to be constructive." Paula smacks him and says she could sing the phone book.
*Note: Carly's Irish mum is lovely-what a good omen for Carly to have such a pretty mother who looks like she could be her sister. St. Paddy's day is near - Erin go Bragh!
Lean and lanky tomboy Kristy Lee Cook, at the age of reason (seven) was a pretend dog, with her pet rats (!!) on her back, and she had her own dog bowl to drink water. Isn't this child abuse? At age seven I was reading Ring Lardner and Ian Fleming novels; who raised this kid?
Cook belts out Journey's "Faithfully" in a country tinged vocal; nice. When they clean this gal up and shellac her face and do her hair up she is quite pretty, and has a great athletic yet busty frame for clothes. The (straight) guys like her.
Randy gets another opportunity to remind us he produced Journey. He was sort of digging it. Paula at this point in the show is off her rocker and tells Kristy she looks great. Simon likes her, but is torn; he digs the country in her and I am sure the producer in him sees big fat dollar signs with this one, but he calls her on her "forgettable "problem.
Miramar cutie and boob grabber (see A.I. scandal sheet from yesterday on M&C) Ramiele Malubay claims her embarrassing moment was riding her bike to her crushs house when she was a little kid and leaving her picture at his house, and then watching as he and his mom laughed at it.
Malubay sings Phil Collins, "Take a Look at Me Now."
Randy was so-so, said the softer notes gave her trouble. Paula likes her beautiful face and her pure voice - and here is where the show goes strange. She seems to be distracted by the audience, conducting a back-and-forth that takes away from the entire show and the task at hand. Simon is on planet Earth and tells "cute little package" Ramiele her song choice is old-fashioned and he's not jumping out of his seat. Paula is in Simon's lap at this point.
The shining star of the night for me was quirky Brooke White, who after a grueling session in church came outside and flung her arms around her daddy telling him she was tired of being in church, only it was some strange man. (Church does that to me too; I am always disoriented afterwards and much happier when I leave).
Brooke does a brave thing. She takes a powerful Pat Benatar song, "Love Is a Battlefield," and like "Idol" contestant David Cook the night before, she changes up the arrangement and makes it an acoustic masterpiece with a quiet, fierce vocal.
Randy's producer wheels were turning; at first he was so-so, but he appreciated what she did. Paula mentions a music video she choreographed but this confuses herself and blurts out she doesn't understand what's going on and is still chatting with the audience.
Simon loved the bravery she showed in making an old song new and different, and true to her vocal style. Paula says it would have been nice to have incorporated the band more and built it up. Simon disagrees and says that it worked because it was pure and simple and didn't involve the band. He says she did the right thing for the second week in a row. Paula showed her lack of cognitive prowess on this one.
At this point Simon and Seacrest have their contentious moment after Cowell tells Ryan (who asked him to reiterate his just-made comments) "I've made my point, understand it Ryan," shutting down the nattering host who parrots everyone's comments. Good show Simon.
The last singer was Syesha Mercado shares the story about giving a note to a boy with some strawberry gum in the second grade, which the boy chewed and then finked out and told the teacher on her. She beautifully sings a Whitney song, "Saving All My Love for You.
At this point someone must have chewed out the judges to zip it with the distracting side conversations. Stoically they all sat ramrod and had terse comments to offer:
Randy: "good." Paula says, "sophisticated, lovely." Simon says, "predictable but good."
See you after the bloodletting.
