Quick "American Idol" results - and other assorted developments from the first elimination show of the season - coming right up... So, bottom three: Tim Urban, Paige Miles and Lacey Brown. Tim, unsurprisingly, sent back to safety first (we're stuck with his floppy hair for at least a month, I'm guessing), and then Lacey has the lowest vote...
... but first we have to sit through the farce that is the return of The Judges Save, one of the dumbest format changes the show has yet instituted, and one I had hoped we would never hear from again after it was such a bust last year.
Alas, we're stuck with it, until either one of the four favorites is a shocking boot at, like, Top 8, or until we get so deep into the season that the producers and judges feel they have to use on someone of Matt Giraud quality. And in the meantime, everyone has to pretend like they might use it this early, on somebody like Lacey.
One slight improvement to the Save: instead of having to sing the song that got them the least votes the night before, the contestants are apparently allowed to pick any song they've done so far this season (I'm sure they tell the band in advance which one they'll do if it's their turn). The whole thing's still totally bogus, but this at least makes the lie seem more plausible.
Lacey wasn't the worst last night, but she was unmemorable, and that's the worst thing that can happen to you on "Idol." Question is: does the elimination of Lilly and Lacey in back-to-back weeks mean Didi has smooth sailing for a while now that she's alone in her niche, or that the viewers are gunning for the women who sing this way, and she's next?
Wow, you banged that one out in seven minutes flat Alan, impressive. Not sure if you're aware of the website Vote For the Worst (they were mostly responsible for the whole Sanjaya debacle dragging on as long as it did), but Tim Urban is their pick for Worst this year, so he is getting the support of all the people who don't like American Idol and only vote for the least talented or most hated by the judges contestant. So don't be shocked if we see Tim longer than necessary. Also, Ke$ha? I didn't think there could be a cheap, crappier version of Lady Gaga, but there you go.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that bugs about the save - the judges never listen to that last performance. Not that I really expect them to change their minds during it, but they could at least throw in a commercial to give the judges time to "deliberate" AFTER the performance instead of during it.
ReplyDeleteFienberg and I talked for a while about VFTW on the podcast this week. Long story short: I think they're a convenient bogeyman anytime a bad singer advances (even one like Tim with obvious appeal to tween girl power-voters), but their actual influence has proven to be incredibly limited in the past.
ReplyDeleteI liked the results of the votes, but kill me with the two guest female singers. I muted them. I love Lady Gaga. And the Ke$ha chick was like Adam Lambert trying to be a respectful Freddie Mercury. Epic Fail.
ReplyDeleteI hate the save too, but happy I didn't have to hear Ruby Tuesday again. Who wants to hear the song no one voted for again? Not I!
As for Vote for the Worst, I can't agree more Alan. It is an entertainment site, and normally doesn't pull too many voters. They claim success with Tim, but his charm and boyish looks do help him there. I also think the way Simon annihilated him for the first week brought sympathy votes. Telling him he didn't' deserve to be there.
Vegas are you listening? since '05 i've ive only guessed wrong on 5 eliminations. and two of them were kris allen
ReplyDeleteThere are years when teenage girls who jam in voters for bad singers with puppy dog eyes make me want to pop somebody around the ears until it stops. This is one of those years.
ReplyDelete(Irony noted of that awful Pretend Gaga Singer..she's from a suburb of my town, of all things. "Blah Blah" with so many pretty bland, bland singers...not fun, though.)
I wish it had been the very bad Urban gone tomight but I wasn't unhappy to see Lacey go.
My one true wish - that they had included Jagger and Richards for critiques as they have with other songwriters. Or just Richards. No one would ever, ever forget that kind of television.
they could at least throw in a commercial to give the judges time to "deliberate" AFTER the performance instead of during it.
ReplyDeleteOR each judge could have a button a la America's got talent (I THINK- I get my talent shows mixed up) and when all 4 buzz in the mic cuts off thereby saving us from the misery of hearing the swan song.
I don't like the save at all. They introduced it citing good singers (4?) from previous seasons who some thought were sent home too early.
ReplyDeleteThe problem was that 2 of them (one was Tamyra Gray) were eliminated within the top 5, so the save would not have been available. They would have been able to save Jennifer Hudson, but as I understand it (I didn't see that season), the judges didn't like her, and wouldn't have saved her.
There was really only one person they named who they might have saved on the merits - the others would have been the Matt Girauds of their respective seasons.
What everyone, even smart people like Alan, seems to always forget with this show..12-year-old girls are voting. Just say that over and over to yourself and it all makes a lot more sense.
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