The American Idol 2008 Thread

[cam]

It took me a week longer than flipp to be distracted by the forelock-tugging Aldfred E. Neuman head of David Archuleta--serously, he is the spitting image of A.E.N. But that occurs AFTER the performance, and his performance is always excellent.
Maybe Archuleta will find himself knocked off 3rd from the end, as happened last year - it seems to be a jinx, for some reason - but I think he will be one of the final two with Cook.

Cook is my prediction to win it. Here is an interesting personality who does well onstage, and he's got that self-assuredness and a successful look--nice face, too.

Loved your remark about Jason, Wes. Strikes me that way too. But you didn't include the vacant look as if there is no one home in there.

The women all blend together to be one for me. For the life of me , I couldn't match face to name, even.

[barrybrooks8]

I am changing my final two prediction, begrudgingly, to the Davids, with the little one winning still.

[barrybrooks8]

My favorite, embarassingly enough, for the second week in a row was Kristi Lee Cook. David Cook made up for last week's horrendous performance, and Brooke White was my least favorite. However, my predictions are as follows:

BOTTOM THREE: Jason Castro, Syesha Mercado, Kristi Lee Cook.

GOING HOME: Kristi Lee Cook

FINAL TWO: David Archuleta and Brooke White

WINNER: David Archuleta

[Zahveed]

Jason Castro is this year's Justin Guarini. Fucked up hair with little personality and no extremely obvious talent.

Are you kidding? I love that little stoner.

[dws1982]

I mean, Taylor Hicks much? Daughtry and that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" chick (her name completely escapes me at the moment) are far more popular.

Chris Daughtry and Elliott Yamin were the real winners that season, and probably the two most successful contestants who didn't reach the final two. (Jennifer Hudson I'm not counting, since she hasn't released an album.) Katherine McPhee's album was a huge failure, and succeeded only in getting her dropped from her label. She is supposedly working on something else (an album of--God help us--power ballads), but when it's released I doubt anyone will even remember who she is.



Edited By dws1982 on 1208358725

[OscarGuy]

I just don't hear the fan base in an uproar when Smithson's on stage. I think if anyone's going to steal thunder, it may be Brooke. She blends that white-bred attitude of Carrie Underwood with the vulnerability of Carly Simon. I think she has a strong career in the folk music field...if she makes it to the top 3.

Jason Castro is this year's Justin Guarini. Fucked up hair with little personality and no extremely obvious talent.

[flipp525]

Here's my prediction. Archuleta wins the contest, goes down as one of the increasingly-large number of weak contestants (only winners Clarkson and Underwood have managed to succeed) to win the prize while David Cook sells significantly more albums.

I think that's probably a pretty good prediction, OscarGuy, although I think it'll be David Cook and Carly Smithson who go on to steal the "winner's" thunder. That's why it doesn't really matter to me who wins since the winner usually sucks anyway. I mean, Taylor Hicks much? Daughtry and that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" chick (her name completely escapes me at the moment) are far more popular.

David Archuleta bothers me in a very creepy way. On a purely superficial note, he needs to start shaving that downy upper lip area.

And how is Carly Smithson "desperate"? She seems like one of the most genuine people on this show.



Edited By flipp525 on 1208356101

[OscarGuy]

Here's my prediction. Archuleta wins the contest, goes down as one of the increasingly-large number of weak contestants (only winners Clarkson and Underwood have managed to succeed) to win the prize while David Cook sells significantly more albums.

[anonymous1980]

My rankings for this week:

01. David Cook ("Always Be My Baby") - After the disaster that was last week, Cookie returns with a vengeance turning a fluffy pop song into a booming rock anthem. Not quite "Billie Jean" but close.

02. David Archuleta ("When You Believe") - Predictable choice for sure, but he sang the hell out of it. I loved his version of this song.

03. Jason Castro ("I Don't Wanna Cry") - If he could do it, I don't think Brooke has an excuse to suck (see review below). It's not his best but I liked it a lot. Quintessential Jason Castro.

04. Syesha Mercado ("Vanishing") - Technically speaking, yes, it was very good. But still, I don't find myself blown away by it. It's an obscure song so, yes, she's in danger. A hell of a lot better than last week though.

05. Kristy Lee Cook ("Forever") - I actually know this song (It was a hit here in the Philippines, it got a lot of radio play) and I thought Kristy Lee actually did a solid job on it. It wasn't great, of course but decent.

06. Carly Smithson ("Without You") - It's a very uneven performance. I felt that there are as many good notes as there were bad. She STILL comes off as pretty desperate to me.

07. Brooke White ("Hero") - It really hurts me to do this since I'm a fan but I felt she was weakest by far of the night and it's her worst performance to date. The first part was fine but when she started hitting those big notes, it fell flat and the end was just big ass mess. Sorry.

Bottom Three: Syesha Mercado, Brooke White, Carly Smithson.

Who should go home? Brooke White.

Who will go home? Syesha Mercado.

I think any combination of the women left could be Bottom 3 and any one of them can go home. I'm picking Syesha because she sang an obscure song, went early in the show and has the weakest fan base.

[danfrank]

Did they really make them all sing that Jesus song at the top of the show? Watching this show is usually just a guilty pleasure, but tonight I feel totally creeped out. Get me to rehab fast!

[cam]

Michael John was the wrong person to send home tonight. But: He has had great exposure, and he will be an actor at some time, I should think, but he has more charisma than nearly every other competitior to date.

[criddic3]

Archuleta wasn't bad, but he has still yet to show anything of a personality. Plus the squint-breathing's a bit irritating.

I'm also getting annoyed with the "aww, gee, shucks, really? Ya liked it?" shtick he does every week. It seems disingenuous and fake. He just comes across as this pre-packaged product to me (most likely by his over-zealous and white trash Danny Bonaducci-lookalike father).

Actually I think it's genuine. If you look at his past performances from TV and home movies, available at YouTube, you see that he has that reaction. He gets so involved in the singing, which he obviously loves, that he's excited that people like what they hear. It's kind of endearing.

[OscarGuy]

I can't believe they got rid of the person I most liked of the final group fucking AGAIN! And boy do the producers look like Dicks. Oh. Last year, we didn't send anyone home, but screw that...we'll send him home anyway.

Really sad.

[anonymous1980]

Archuleta wasn't bad, but he has still yet to show anything of a personality. Plus the squint-breathing's a bit irritating.

I'm also getting annoyed with the "aww, gee, shucks, really? Ya liked it?" shtick he does every week. It seems disingenuous and fake. He just comes across as this pre-packaged product to me (most likely by his over-zealous and white trash Danny Bonaducci-lookalike father).

First off, I really don't think it's fake. I know people who know people who know them. The kid really IS like that. I've read reports and testimony from people who have attended Idol events who have said that his "aww shucks" personality is really the way he is. Besides, I've noticed his efforts to dial it down a bit (his breathing and lip licking has become less and less obvious as well). He's just a bit sheltered (and religious) but otherwise, normal, sweet and charming in interviews.

As for his dad, I'm no fan. He rubs me the wrong way too but I think his "stage father"-ness is just a slight exaggeration.

[flipp525]

Archuleta wasn't bad, but he has still yet to show anything of a personality. Plus the squint-breathing's a bit irritating.

I'm also getting annoyed with the "aww, gee, shucks, really? Ya liked it?" shtick he does every week. It seems disingenuous and fake. He just comes across as this pre-packaged product to me (most likely by his over-zealous and white trash Danny Bonaducci-lookalike father).