My Name is Kris and I Blah-g

Now that the auditions are over, I guess is time to start talking Idol. I don’t know about the rest of you but for the past couple of seasons I have been underwhelmed. There really hasn’t been that one person (to me) that has stuck out – at least not like Carrie Underwood did way back when and David Archuleta two years ago. Last year my favorite was Danny Gokey and we all know that he went home placing 3rd – not too shabby and his new song is currently one of my favorites. Well done, Danny.This year brings another “the most talented group of kids we’ve ever seen” or so the judges tell us. Um, really? I’m not so sure. I agree for the most part with who they put in despite the limited view we had of most of them. It is true that they seem to give more airtime to certain performers. It’s pretty annoying. There are at least 2 that are in the Top 24 that I have absolutely NO recollection having heard sing. However, I’ll run down them individually. Please keep in mind that these opinions are based on the limited viewing of these guys – some I don’t recall AT ALL so I can’t really forge too much of an opinion. But for now, here they are… Aaron Kelly – Reportedly this kid won at Walt Disney World’s American Idol Experience. I got to see this (not his particular performance but I attended this attraction) and it was really fun. It does a good job of making you feel like you are part of a live AI crowd. So good for him for trying it out and succeeding. I wasn’t sure if someone would actually win there and actually make it to the front of the line to not only audition for the judges and get very far. He did. So cool. However, I’m not that impressed. Yeah. He’s young. Inexperienced (I think..who really knows these days) and he could probably be the next big Disney “thing” but any more than that? Not feeling it. Alex Lambert – I don’t remember him. Well, I sorta do. But what I remember is that things were all messed up for him on Group Day and he got yelled at by that obnoxious chick. I *think* he’s gotten more air time than that but I honestly don’t remember him. He doesn’t stick out. Andrew Garcia – This guy is cool. He has genuine talent with singing and making songs his own. I love his rendition of Paula Abdul’s Straight Up. It was way beyond words better than hers ever could be. It was really good and he will be in the top 10. Ashley Rodriguez – Everyone I have read is singing her praises. Really? Not memorable. Is she good? Did we hear her sing? I dunno. Casey James – He’s CUTE. Seriously. He would have the Ace vote this year just because he makes looking at the TV something very easy to do. The difference between him and Ace though is that he can SING!! And he can play guitar. So, that is enough right there. His voice and style of singing is not what I expected. I honestly expected country music out of him. He probably could sing it. But he’s blues all the way. Top 10 material if anything to get him on the tour so all the girls out there can totally freak out when they see him. Crystal Bowersox – This girl is very talented. It’s raw and uncensored. So are her teeth. Just kidding….she’s going to move forward enough that “her people” will fix that one flaw…She is quite good. Top 10. Didi Benami – She will probably make Top 10 but honestly, the only thing I can remember about her is her crying. Haeley Vaughn – Haeley is cute. I like her. I love the idea of a female black country singer. We need more of those. I am not sure how well she’ll stand up to the pressure of certain genres though. Her speech impediment kinda brings her down. Usually you don’t hear an impediment like that when someone sings. Even the tourettes guy could get through a song and you’d never know. She really needs to work on her annunciation. She won’t win but she could possible make Top 10 because she’s likeable. Janell Wheeler – I honestly don’t know why she’s in the top 24. Cute maybe? We heard many other better singers in my opinion. What we heard from her from Hollywood Week fell flat in my opinion. She wasn’t that good. Jermaine Sellers - I don’t remember him. So I don’t know!

John Park – I only remember his initial audition and it was good. And he sounded different than I pictured him sounding but it was a good different. I would like to see him make Top 10 if only because it would give diversity to the group. Katelyn Epperly – Not to rain on her lil’ sob story parade but who cares? I dunno. That’s really mean. I am sure that it’s not her fault that AI thought that focusing in on her little story about her parents getting divorced would make the rest of us believe that she has a voice that kills. I don’t see it. Her voice is mediocre at best and not anything new. Her review so far? Meh. Katie Stevens – No doubt about it. She can sing. Her voice is very mature. I wish I could sing like her. It’s really good. She’ll make Top 10 even if all the Alzheimers Homes in America vote for her and then forget about it. I know…I stink… Lacey Brown - Good ol’ Lacey.. She so deserves to be in the Top 24 if only because she was totally screwed over last year when AI chose that warbling what’s her name over her. Lacey shows poise and maturity and above all else a great voice. I hope she sticks around a while. Lee Dewyze - I have no idea why he’s in the Top 24 other than to give it some versatility. He’s a’ight.. I suppose but unless he can show some David Cook cajones then I don’t see him getting far much less the Top 10. Lilly Scott – Our female Taylor Hicks, ladies and gentlemen…with out the weird tick, of course. She is ok. I dunno. She doesn’t scream star to me…another MEH. Michael Lynche – Good ol’ Michael…HUGE ol’ Michael. Who cares. He’s got himself a good voice. I read that he almost got himself disqualified because his dad blabbed about him being in the top 24 before it was officially known. That would have sucked. He deserves to be there and despite his papa’s big mouth, the public would have found out anyway…that’s just how it is now.. Michelle Delamor – Who? Yeah…nuff said. She’ll have lots to overcome to make top 10…such as making sure she sings her butt off and stays in front of the camera..nobody will know who she is, remember her or care. Paige Miles - See Michelle’s comment. I have absolutely NO idea about this person. I can’t even remember the sight of her. How fair is that? Siobhan Magnus – She annoys me… I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the nose ring. I don’t know. Maybe it’s how she spells her name (yeah, I know it’s Irish). Randy says a girl will win this year. I am not so sure about that, dawg. Tim Urban - Another, WHO? I feel sorry for some of these guys. I really don’t know how they could even dream of making the Top 10 unless they get equal air time. Todrick Hall - Here’s the difference between Todrick and Tim Urban..I know absolutely NOTHING about Tim Urban  but I know that Todrick is a dancer who thought he’d giving singing a try and was in The Color Purple with Fantasia. How do I know this? They show him on TV all the time!! Is he good enough to win? NO! But he’ll get his face out there for sure. He’ll maybe get a lead on Broadway and not a bit player role. Maybe we should just cut to the chase and go with the top 3 – Andrew, Katie and Crystal…yeah…I’m saying it right here. Now.Tyler Grady – Can we say ew? He weirds me out. Jim Morrison weirded me out too and that’s who they compare him to…him and Mick Jagger…another winner in the creepy rock singer category. He’ll probably make Top 10 just despite me and I’ll probably have to vote him as my bathroom break guy when they go on tour.

American Idol…I don’t watch that much reality TV. I usually just limit it to American Idol. It has been my guilty pleasure pretty much since the beginning of the show and one that I enjoyed as a family with Mike when he was living. After he died, Michaela and I continued the tradition by watching it weekly with my sister and Mom. We have a lot of fun doing that. But that all may change after this season when Simon Cowell leaves and is possibly replaced by this disgusting person pig creature thing – aka Howard Stern. Word is that Fox is courting him to replace Cowell and reportedly Stern confirmed the talks on his radio show. Let’s just say it now… YUCK. What business Stern have judging musical talent? I have just as much knowledge as he does and quite frankly as a member of the listening public, I think I have just as much of a right to Cowell’s job as he does. It would serve Fox better if they would just open it up to us arm chair judges. Why not make it a yearly competition on who will sit in the judges seat? Fans could record themselves giving critiques. Other fans could vote on it? I dunno. But it’s bound to be better than this yahoo. He couldn’t be a bigger scum bucket and if it’s Fox’s intention to drive away more fans, then they are succeeding with this one.The Bachelor…I don’t watch this show or the Bachelorette too often. Usually I end up on an episode or two each season because there is usually nothing else on TV and I am not quite ready to go to bed yet. I have watched a couple episodes of this show this season. Last night there were 4 girls left – the baby talking insecure Gia, the whiny Ali, the much hated Vienna and the been stabbed in the heart because she’s divorced Tenly. I groan just thinking of these girls and how it could even be possible for Jake to be in love in one way or another with each and every one. Seriously?? I mean, he hasn’t figured out by now which one he’s favoring? All that tells me is that he’s using something other than his heart and mind to make his decision. And it’s obvious because he’s majorly making out with each and every one of them. That makes for good TV? There is just something so yucky about the whole thing. I watched the hometown visits and how the families got to meet Jake and the questions they asked and I imagined if that were my family. I could honestly say that I don’t think my family would participate in such fake crap. Jake deserves what he gets if he thinks these little girls are in any way representative of real women. This show sucks. That was 2 hours I’ll never get back… Curse you, ABC!!except for Grey’s Anatomy and General Hospital because those are awesome…

Well, I wasn’t sure if I was going to post anything about this today. But since a lot of searches are using the terms “Adam Lambert is Disgusting” and lots of people are finding themselves here, I may as well address the spectacle that was Adam Lambert at last night’s American Music Awards show. If you don’t know what I am talking about, you can view the video here:

Before I give my opinion on this, here is what Lambert had to say post performance:

You know honestly, if I offended some people… it’s apples and oranges. I’m not an artist that does things for every single person,” Adam told Access‘ Shaun backstage following his racy performance of “For Your Entertainment,” where he kissed male keyboardist Tommy Ratliff, who is straight.

“I believe in artistic freedom and expression, I believe in honoring the lyrics of a song, and those lyrics aren’t really for everybody either,” he continued.

So… first of all, while I agree that some female performers have been getting away with questionable crap for too long, it doesn’t make it right that Lambert should try and do it too. For a guy who has for so long claimed that he didn’t want the focus to be on his sexuality but on his work as an artist, he sure did look like he had something to prove on that stage last night. Having recently been criticized by a publication for homosexuals for being NOT gay enough, he sure was over the top and down right gross. It’s this kind of junk that people like me find so disgusting and why people like him get mad at people like me. I don’t care if he was doing what he was doing with a woman and well, I guess he was in some parts…it doesn’t matter if he’s straight or gay, you just don’t pull that kind of stunt on television during family viewing hours. There are reasons why there are rules and just because he’s gay doesn’t make it discrimination to alter his performance. What makes him so special?? Why should he get away with it when others can’t? ABC is responsible for what it shows on the air. They face stiff penalties if they break those rules. They had every right to keep what was shown live on the East Coast from being shown on the west.

But back to Lambert….I never really saw the attraction during AI…I was amused by his theatrics at best. He did make the competition interesting because we never really knew what he would do next. But we never really had to worry about him simulating oral sex or kissing another guy or feeling up a woman’s crotch. And this is what he did last night. It was gross. It was deplorable. Seeing him behave in such a way just makes him another angry gay person who has seen their time come and gone. And he just barely arrived. Will his career survive? I dunno. Not if he keeps pulling crap like this. His ego has outpaced his 15 minutes ten fold.

With a dramatic tweet about her love for all mankind, puppies and pussy willows, Paula Abdul announced last night that she was leaving American Idol. This comes after weeks of speculation about will she or won’t she? Her public rants about her contract were nauseating. In this day of economic hardship, she had the nerve to cry about her measly millions not being enough to sustain her. Although she had a legitimate gripe about the obscene amounts of cash being thrown at Simon Cowell and the even less deserving Ryan Seacrest, Paula seems to have forgotten that it was the Idol show that pulled out of obscurity – much like the people who go on to win the show. And much like those former winners of the show, Abdul will eventually blend back into the background. Because just what does she have to offer the world? I am not saying this to be mean…but seriously? Will her singing rule the day? Hardly. She attempted a comeback album not that long ago and it seemed to go nowhere. It was almost laughable, to be honest. She hocks her goddy jewelry on QVC and maybe that can help for a while….but it seems to me that she’s looking a gift horse in the mouth. I am curious about what Idol offered her. At the rate she’s going, any raise would have been a good one and she’ll probably be kicking herself later.As for the show itself, I see it on the decline as it has been heading that way for the past couple of seasons. Sometimes producers just don’t know how to not mess with a good thing. The format changes, the new judge – all mistakes. And now with Paula gone, Kara will be back and even more annoying because she won’t be competing for face time with Paula and I’m guessing that she’ll want to use Paula’s talk time as her own – as if she doesn’t talk too much as it is anyway. At least with Paula, we had the unknown to look forward to. We never knew if she’d be loopy, crying, thoughtful or what. That in and of itself is worthy of a raise. Frankly, if they could have ditched Kara and used the money they spent on her and gave it to Paula, maybe the show could have stood a chance of being good again. I think Idol may survive another season or two but if Simon decides to follow suit, say bye bye to Idol. Because only then will the show not be worth watching anymore.

Last week Michaela and I ventured down to the E-Center to see if we could get a gander at some of the Idols when they arrived for their concert. We saw them arrive and a few of them came out to say “hey”. Here are some of the pix: