Recap Grand Finale

So the couple hours we were all waiting for, finally arrived - The Grand Finale Results show! What a waste of time. In character with the whole season, the closing show was boring and filled with commercials that probably had as much time as the actual show.

I refuse to give the step by step event progression in the kind of detail as I normally do. I shall simply select the most entertaining bits, and make mention of some of the other items they hoped we would have found interesting.

The show was filled with singing performances by a wide assortment of celebrities. The actual Idol contestants were for the most part relegated to background music.

Opening the show were Jordin and Blake singing I Saw Her Standing There. As I listened, I muttered to myself, "damn it! Blake is ruining everything". Then Jordin started to sing, and I was like, "good grief! Jordin is messing it up too". Gwen Stefani did a number. Not sure why. Really, if she was not sexy, would anyone care about her singing?


So very poor start to the show. Kelly Clarkson sang Never Again, and I hope she never again does it. It was a most unfortunate choice of songs. Seemed to me like she was shouting for a good deal of it.

Finally the show begins to brighten up as Ryan introduced the Golden Idol Awards. Essentially an award is given to some of the strangest contestants who auditioned, for something. There were 3 such awards presented, but I think we'd all agree only two were particularly interesting.

The first award went to Margaret Fowler. This is the one Ryan once referred to as Big Bird's long lost cousin, or something to that effect. The other nominees for this category of Best Presentation, were also serious contenders for the prize. Miss Fowl...err..Fowler stepped up to receive her prize and gave Ryan a huge wet one right on the lips, taking him down to the ground. Oh, her cell phone actually rang while she was collecting her award. LOL! I really wasn't sure if that was scripted or not.


The third award which was for the category of Best Buddies went to Jonathan and Kenneth. However Ryan and Simon came pretty close to taking the title. Another notable nominee was Antonella Barba and her friend. Jonathan is the guy Simon said looked like a bushbaby. He actually thanked Simon for saying that, as it has apparently brought him a lot of fame since.


The top 6 guys did a number with Smoky Robinson. I think it would have been better without him. Not that there is anything wrong with Smoky, but as we have not seen and heard some of these guys for some weeks now, it would have been nice to hear more from them. It was the same problem with the girls. They performed with Gladys Knight, mainly as background singers. At least there was more entertainment to their item. And it was refreshing to see the Lovely Haley once again.


Melinda got to do a little more backup singing with the folks she normally sings with. Ok, to be fair, she did get to showcase her stuff somewhat. Anyway, this was a pretty decent item.

Blake and Jordin were given a car each (mustangs).

Carrie Underwood performed I'll Stand By You, the song she also did on Idol Gives Back show. I liked it then, and I liked it now. I was never a Carrie fan, but I did enjoy this performance. I suspect the song itself has a lot to do with it, but I don't want to take anything away from Carrie, as it really did sound good.

Clive Davis gave a little speech, where he highlighted the fact that Daughtry has out sold Taylor and Kathryn by a lot. He mumbled some other stuff and then voila! Carrie Underwood is presented with an award.

The African Children's choir were back, and performed an item that they sang in their own language. Nice to see them doing well.


I guess as part of the comedy aspect of the show, Sanjaya was back, performing with Joe Perry. The introduction to this segment had Sanjaya at the end of a list of notable folks such as Einstein, JFK and Gandhi. Well Sanj boy was in his element and did not fail to deliver the kind of performance that we've come to expect from him. Even the Crying Girl, who was back in the audience, was brought to tears again.

Taylor Hicks made his season debut performance. He's still doing the weird looking dance moves, and still milking the old harmonica gimmick.

There was a duet with Jordin and Ruben. Yes, long lost Ruben Studdard. Apparently he is still around. Well the duet was actually fairly decent.


Towards the end of the show Kelly Clarkson came back and sang solo. As she finished her bit, she introduced Taylor Hicks. He did a little something, and then introduced Carrie Underwood. During her singing, the top 6 girls of this season appeared in the background. Ruben Studdard got his introduction and then the top 6 guys of this season gave some background support. This led to some singing by the current Idols themselves. What a breath of fresh air to hear the Lovely Haley Scarnato again. Only Idol winner absent, was Fantasia.



Other items that some possibly found interesting were:
Blake beat boxing with Doug E. Fresh (who was much better than Blake at it)
Tony Bennett singing
Bette Midler...(sounded not good)
Ford video

Ok, so that wraps it up for the grand finale, or is that grand flop?

Oh, I forgot to mention one other thing that transpired in the last few minutes of the 2 hour presentation. There were over 74 Million votes (a record btw), and Jordin Sparks won. Well I already declared her the winner from last week, so it's already stale news to you readers.

Folks, I intend to update this site as need be, but I do expect that I'll be scarce between now and next year. However, feel free to post here any American Idol ideas or theories you find interesting.

Congrats Miss Sparks!

Melinda Doolittle's Elimination

Some Melinda fans have surmised that there must have been some fixing of the results, since Melinda was clearly the best. Is there any merit to this theory?

You can see my previous posts concerning Phil and Sanjaya, and the bottom 3s. I have been an advocate for fixing throughout the competition. I also believe that the powers behind the show wanted a boy- girl finish, from very early. However, in the case of the top 3, when Melinda got eliminated, I do believe that was the genuine voting result.

Here's why. In the previous week when Lakisha got eliminated, my sources indicated that Melinda was very close down there with her. Jordin and Blake however were way ahead. Now it is true that a lot of people who voted for Lakisha would now turn over their votes to Melinda. However, Jordin would also have benefited from that to some extent. So it still would have been tough for Melinda to catch up Jordin. It would also have been difficult for her to surpass Blake. Remember Blake being the only guy left, would get votes from those who just wanted a guy to win. Also, his beat boxing set him apart, and when you add to the mix the fact that he appeals to a lot of young silly girls, then it is expected that he would be a true contender for the finale.

Now I do believe the actual result was very close. However, I think Jordin and Blake managed to legitimately just edge Melinda out. Having said all that, it should be emphasised, that leading up to the top 3 show, the producers or the powers that be, orchestrated things so that Blake and Jordin would have had the best chance of reaching the finale. The premature elimination of Phil (and even Sanjaya) allowed Blake to sail through to the finale. Phil would have split some of Blake's vote count, and with his improvement over his last few performances, threatened to outlast Blake. A lot more could be said, but to avoid getting into too complicated analysis, I'll leave it here.

Incidentally, the pairing of Jordin with Blake, if that's what the producers really wanted, indicates that they wanted Jordin to be the American Idol. For there really is no competition between the two. Jordin wins hands down.

Recap Grand Finale Performance

After tons of auditions, and many weeks of contestant cutting, we finally arrived at the grand finale performance show, with just 2 contestants left -the fortuitous Blake Lewis and the vocally apt Jordin Sparks.

At the start of the show we learnt that Paula had broken her nose over the weekend. Actually for anyone paying attention to American Idol news, this was already known. Ryan probed her a bit as to what happened, and she explained that she fell over her dog. On learning that the "bitch" (I'll let you decide who this refers to) was ok, he proceeded to get the show off the ground.

A little recap was played from the time of the original auditions. Apparently both Blake and Jordin did their auditions in the same city (Seattle).

Then came a scene from last week's results show that was not aired then, where the coin toss was made to determine who would perform first in the finale. Well the coin landed on the side that had Blake's image, which meant that he got to choose who would go first. He asked Jordin if she wanted to, and when she answered in the negative, he volunteered to go first.

Round 1

Blake's first song was You Give Love A Bad Name. This is one that he had done before some weeks ago and which he got rave reviews for, mainly for the beat boxing. So again, he repeated his performance, and again, the drummer guy made him look good. It was certainly an entertaining showing, so he gets credit for that at least. Randy said he gives him 10/10 for the beat boxing, but the singing was just alright. Paula retorted that Randy is hearing something that "we" are not hearing. She felt he did even better this time than the first time he did it. Simon commented that he is not the best singer in the competition, but he is the best performer.

In the audience were:

The Lovely Haley (and company)

Up next was Jordin singing Christina Aguillera's Fighter, which she had not done before on the show . I wasn't too impressed with the start, and I was thinking that the problem was with the song. But then things picked up very nicely. I did enjoy it, and have to give Jordin her due. Excellent vocals. Randy said she was stellar, brilliant and sounded amazing. Paula claimed she knew this would be one of the best finale's ever, and Jordin's and Blake's opening proved that. Well whatever one thinks of prior finales, certainly this one would even have been better if it was Melinda vs. Jordin. At least then Jordin would have some competition. Simon was happy to see that she chose a song more fitting for her age, but felt that she was shrieking in the middle. Consequently he awarded round 1 to Blake and thereby lapsed into poor judgment.

Round 2

After a break, Blake is shown recounting how he always wanted some drums when he was growing up, but he never got. Then one day he saw a group performing and one of the guys was beat boxing. He fell in love with it from there and started doing it himself.

For his second performance, Blake did Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved. He had some pretty decent moments, but was really bad in other parts. Also, he was just flat at times. His falsetto needs some work; it was only ok. Randy thought it was a great song, and very nice vocal (a strange comment I do say). Paula said he sounded great. Simon commented that it was good, safe, not as good as his first showing of the night, and didn't think it was so wise to choose that particular song since it probably won't have much of an impact.

As there was with Blake, there was likewise a little recounting of Jordin's growing up, and how she got involved in singing.

Jordin chose to do A Broken Wing for her second performance. This is one she did earlier in the season. I felt the singing was great, but the song itself could do with slightly more work. Randy thinks she might be the most talented 17 yr old he has ever encountered. He said it was brilliant, flawless and better than the original. Paula started with the "you look adorable bit", but she did have more positive comments to add. She expressed that Jordin was "in great great vocal voice tonight". Simon's only feedback was, "Now that, was great".

Round 3

This is the round that features the song that was selected from the song writing competition. The winning song is called This Is My Now.

I think Blake actually did decently on this one. It was one of his better performances I would have to say. Randy acknowledged that this is not the kind of song that would suit Blake, but conceded that he did well nevertheless, and told him that he didn't have to feel too bad about it. LOL. Paula had nothing but praises. (Is anyone surprised?) Simon thought it was odd and made reference to the jumping around in the middle. He took that as a sign of frustration. Simon understood this is not really the type of song Blake would normally sing, and so concluded that he needs to be judged based on his prior two performances. He also mentioned that his feeling that Seattle had talent was now proven right.

Then it was Jordin's turn to give her rendition of the same song. Jordin is more of the ballad type, so one would expect her to do well with it. She did not disappoint. However she did have an unnerving look on her face near the start, as if she had forgotten the words. Thankfully that was not the case. Then again, not many would know if she actually did. She did have a little trouble finishing the song, as her emotions apparently overloaded and brought her on the verge of tears (in the good sense). She must have realised how well she was doing. Randy emphasised that it is a singing competition and so Jordin wins for the night. Paula...nevermind. Simon reflected that he didn't think she was good enough to make it to the finals up till last week. Then he apologised, and remarked that she wiped the floor with Blake on that song. Indeed!

Ryan asks the judges for their final comments. Randy did not hold back on his feeling that Jordin won. Paula couldn't come to a decisive conclusion, as usual. Simon awarded Blake the best single of the night, but gave the overall prize to Jordin.

Closing the show, was a little something from Chris Daughtry, live on stage.


As I declared from last week, Jordin is the American Idol. I will not relent on this. She will beat Blake by a significant margin. A pity we were deprived of a more exciting finale with Jordin facing Melinda. Now that would have been a tough one to call.

Recap Top 3 Results Show

Well the show to tell us who will be in the finale finally arrived. I must say that the result is somewhat depressing, and so it is with some struggle that I prepare this recap.

Commencing the show was a little clip of Homer Simpson announcing or trying to anyway, the results show.

From this early we are made aware of the fact that Brandon was in the audience. Remember Brandon? (see his pic further down)

We all know the top 3 contestants got to return home during the week prior to their performance. The results show was essentially a recap of their trip back home. Each contestant were met by mayors/governor, and a great many fans. In addition, it seems they each got a day dedicated to them in their respective states.

Jordin Back At Home

Blake Back At Home

For some reason Blake seemed to have had almost all female fans. That proves to me that he hasn't really made it so far based on his singing.


At Blake's home town, the following guy was spotted.


Recognise him? I can't say for certain, but he seems to be the guy who appeared challenged in some way, who auditioned earlier and became friends with the guy Simon said looked like some creature in the jungle with the big eyes.

Melinda Back At Home

After the clip of Jordin's trip back home, Ryan started to give the run down of the judges' comments of her performances the previous night, as if he was about to start giving the results. But he stops just short of that, and tells her she will get the news later on.

Other notable persons in the audience were Lakisha (with Brandon), and the Lovely Haley.


I should probably mention that Blake did the national anthem while he was home, and it didn't sound good. In fairness to him, it wasn't clear whether it was his voice, or just the accoustics of the setting.

Ryan basically did the same thing for Blake as he did for Jordin, in acting as if he was delivering the results.

Certainly one of the great highlights of the show, was the return of Elliott Yamin, the great. This guy made it to the top 3 in season 5, but America didn't think the best vocalist of that season should have had a place in the finale. Well Elliott did a live performance, and it was excellent. Good song and superb singing! Ryan solicited the judges' comments on his performance. Randy said it was hot. Paula replied that she was speechless and so proud of him. Simon said it was not great, but quickly added that he was kidding and it was great.

Throughout the show Simon seemed down. Ryan even called him out on that, and asked why he was sulking. He claimed he wasn't, and mumbled some excuse about it being cold. In hindsight, it seems Simon knew the result, and knew things were not right.

After Elliott's fine showing, Ryan started to introduce the break. In doing so, he said Melinda would be going home after. I was like, "What the?? Did he just blunder and give away the result early?" Then I figured out he was referring to her return trip. Or was I right in my first thought?

The routine Ford video managed to find its place in the show. Song for the video was Everybody Wants You.

After the recap of Melinda's trip home, there was another live performance, this time from the band Maroon 5. A waste of time if you ask me.

Ok, so we finally get to the last few minutes of the show, when the focus is on some incidental details, the actual results. So the 3 contestants are now centre stage. Ryan calls Jordin to step forward. After almost 60 million votes, Jordin is declared a grand finalist. Well this wasn't altogether surprising. We all know Jordin is quite talented and has been a candidate for the finale for some time now. But the question now raised is, what about Melinda? The producers' behaviour throughout the season, seemed to have indicated that they wanted a boy-girl finale. But surely they wouldn't allow Melinda to fall by the wayside. Would they?

Ryan calls Melinda forward and gives the sad sad news, that the road ends here for her. Blake managed to squeeze through. Or should I say, the producers paved his path to get there. Well, it doesn't seem that Simon got his way this time. His girl got cut. I was also wrong in my guess that Melinda was a sure thing for the finals, based on Simon's comment he wanted her there. It seems the producers are not all equal, and they do not all agree.

We all know this result is highly suspicious. Theories and ideas will be forthcoming.

Simon, we feel your pain .....................Jordin can't believe she outlasted Mel

One thing is for sure: Jordin will be the next American Idol. It is by no means too close to call, and so I call it.

Recap Top 3

We have reached the penultimate round of the performance shows. It won't be long now before a new American Idol is crowned. But the final two must be determined, and that's what this round will do.

With just 3 contestants left, each gets to do 3 songs. The judges were the ones to decide the song that they'd first sing. The next song was determined by the producers, and the final one the contestants got to choose a personal favourite.

The Idols were given the opportunity to return home during the week. While they were there, the mayors (or governor) of the respective towns delivered the news to them of which songs the judges selected.

Round 1

First up for the night was Jordin Sparks. Simon was the one who selected her song, and he chose Wishing On A Star. Well this is not one I am familiar with, or at least, I don't think so. While listening to Jordin, I couldn't decide if it was the song itself, or the particular arrangement, but whichever it was, it didn't really appeal to me. However, her singing was great one would expect. Randy said it was a very good vocal and likened it somewhat to Beyonce. Paula thought Simon picked a good song, and said it was a great way to start the show. Simon acknowledged that she sang it brilliantly, but did not like the jazzy arrangement. He prefers the pure version, and so did not think this was one of her better performances.

Paula got to choose Blake's first song. Her pick was Roxanne, by The Police. I wasn't greatly impressed. I thought he did ok. Randy called it a great great performance, and gave it an A overall. Paula said he did her proud. Well we know Paula is biased towards Blake, so it wouldn't be surprising for her to give praises even if Blake came out on the stage and croaked like a frog. Simon did not think it was earth-shattering, and said he could not say it was fantasic; just good.

Randy's song selection for Melinda was Whitney Houston's I Believe in You and Me. Melinda did great as usual. Listening to her, it is very difficult to tell that she is not an already estasblished star. Randy explained that the reason he chose this song, was to throw her a challenge, seeing that the song is difficult to sing, and thereby see just how good she is. Well he thought it was hot and so passed his test with flying colours. Paula said it was fantastic, and one of her best performances. Simon acknowledged that the song is difficult to sing, which just goes to show how impressed he was, as he remarked that it was her best performance in the last 4 weeks. Round 1 he awarded to Melinda.

At this point Ryan and Randy had a little dialogue, where at one point, Ryan sounded somewhat unintelligible, and maybe a little giddy. Well this prompted Simon to ask Ryan if he were drunk! Ryan looked dumbfounded, and had to ask Simon if he was really asking him that. Most know that Paula is normally the one people suspect of being drunk, so that's probably why Ryan was surprised that the question was directed at him.

Round 2

Now it is the producers who get the power to assign each contestants' song.

Jordin was given Donna Summer's She Works Hard For The Money. I would say it was a fair showing. But the producers could have done a better job in song selection. Anyway, Randy felt it was very nicely done, and commented that it didn't really matter what she sings, as she always works it out. Paula judged it fantastic. When it was Simon's turn to comment, He started laughing at something Paula said, and so had a little difficulty getting out what he wanted to say. It seems he agreed it was a very good performance, but added that the arrangement was a little old fashioned.

Ryan then commented that tonight it is Simon who is not making sense. Again, we all know that Paula is usually the one not making sense.

The producers gave Blake, This Love, by Maroon 5. I listened to him twice. The first time, I watched as I listened, and the second, I just listened. The second time round, I thought it was somewhat reminiscent of Sanjaya's performances, discounting the beat boxing of course. Take that however you will. Randy advised him that when he is going to do a record or album, he should do this type of song. Paula felt that Blake was having a good night. Simon said it was better than the first, did not sound like a copy performance, and was good. Ryan highlighted how difficult it was for Simon to get that out.

Melinda got stuck with the producers' choice of Nutbush City Limits, by Tina Turner. But it turned out to be an interesting performance. Quite lively, and well sung (of course). Randy commented that it was another great song, and encouraged her to make this sort of stuff part of her repertoire. Paula recited, "we love you, we love you, and we love you". Simon was quick to point out that that is why they hired Paula for this show. LOL! Simon loved that side of Melinda, and again, thought it was another brilliant performance.

Ryan asked the judges who won this round. Randy called Melinda. Simon after some hesitation declared it a tie, and Paula followed up with "yeah".

Round 3

Jordin chose to do I Who Have Nothing, the song she did some rounds before that boosted her ratings tremendously. Well, it was a good choice for her, for it was great. Just excellent. And moving! Randy said it was her best of the night. Paula told her she sounded really great. Simon did not dispute the fact that she sang it really well. However, he didn't like that as a 17 year old she was singing a "60 year old" song.

Blake chose Robin Thicke's When I Get You Alone. I guess the first mistake was choosing that guy's song. It sounded bad from the start, and the beat boxing couldn't salvage it. He is full of moves though. Alas, I was not impressed. Randy wasn't too enthusiastic either, and said it was just alright (pronounced the Randy way of course). Paula felt he gave 3 great performances. Simon actually claimed to really like it.

Like Jordin, Melinda chose to do a song that she had done some rounds before, I'm a Woman. Needless to say, Melinda did well. Randy praised her demonstration throughout the night of her vocal range and ability. He said she could sing anything, even the phone book. Simon loved the little "strip tease" at the start. He also lauded her consistency week after week.

After the performance recaps, Ryan asked the judges who they think will be in the finale. Randy said he wanted 2 girls if it is based on singing. Paula wasn't able to say, as she thought it was too close. Well, quite a surprising response from Paula, wouldn't you say? Who would have expected that from Paula? Simon only expressed that he wants to see his girl Melinda there.

Ok, that's it for the top 3 recap. Clearly the top 2 of the night were Melinda and Jordin. But will the producers allow Blake to go through? I have no doubt Melinda will be there. Even if the voters did foolishness and failed to vote enough for her, the producers would see that she is in the finale. Simon has spoken, after all. So it's just a question of whether Melinda will face Jordin or Blake.

Recap Top 4 Results Show

With the top 4 results show, we were once again treated to a 57 minute waste of time, practically speaking. At least the previous results show had two eliminations to spread across the hour.

Anyhow...The show started with a variance in the judges' seating arrangement, where Simon and Paula were interchanged. I didn't quite get the reason for that. It didn't last though, as later in the show all was made right. Actually if they wanted to do a switcheroo thing, they should consider doing it on a performance night show, with Paula and Randy interchanged (see Interchanging Paula and Randy).

With Paula in Simon's seat, at her introduction, she drew attention to her chest area, supposedly as some sort of parody of Simon basking in the attention. Ryan commented that Simon actually has more to work with in that area. Depending on one's perspective, that is either an insult to Paula or to Simon. Simon tried to get the better of it and told Ryan to apologise to Paula. Well, we all must admit that Simon has big breasts, but Paula certainly has enough of her own (see pic on right, taken from the Idol Gives Back week).

As is customary, the recaps of the previous night's show were shown. Then Ryan was back out in the Farmer's Market. Nothing much there, except that one person highlighted the fact that Blake was off in his performances.

A live performance by Pink was next. Quite frankly, it did nothing for me. Whatever the big deal is with Pink, it wasn't evident from that showing.

Then we had the Ford video. The song for it was You Really Got Me. I seem to recall Sanjaya doing that several weeks ago. That is now a Sanjaya song to me since it brings back memories of his rendition.

Up next was the group performance with a tribute to Barry Gibb, as they did a smorgasbord of pieces of his songs.

Ryan had a little chat with the idols. Nothing much to see here, so moving right along, we get to share in part of the sneak preview of the new Fantastic Four movie coming out, which the Idols were treated to. The stars of the movie were actually in the results show audience.

To fill some time, we were given a little insight into the personal lives of the Idols. Each of them except for Jordin is an only child.

After a break, the show resumed with the 4 Idols huddled together in the centre of the stage, bracing themselves for the results. Ryan begins the call out, with the rundown of what each person did, starting with Lakisha. Melinda next, then Blake. As he completed his piece for Jordin, he declared her safe!

We can't get to the rest of the results yet. We have breaks and announcements lined up first. One item that might be of interest to some, is that American Idol is now looking for bands. Now you don't have to go make a fool of yourself alone. You can do it with a group.

Barry Gibb gave a live performance of To Love somebody. Strange song choice, since Jordin just did an excellent job of it the previous night. Why set up yourself to be compared to her? Anyway, he went for it, and sucked big time if you ask me. He started out somewhat like a chicken clucking, and then did an overall poor performance. He should observe the following young man in action, and take lessons on how this song ought to be sung!


If you can't see the video above, click here

Results time again. Melinda, safe!

So with just Blake and Lakisha standing, Ryan asks Randy who he thinks is going home. Of course Randy refuses to guess. Simon on the other hand gladly volunteered his guess that Lakisha would be the one.

Over 45 Million votes.

"Blake", said Ryan, "You are safe". At last Lakisha goes home. The producers saved her long enough, and decided that now is the time. I'm tempted to say All's well that ends well, but alas, Blake is still in the show.

Recap Top 4

With just 4 contestants left in the competition, there was enough time for each to do 2 songs this round. The theme for this week was the Bee Gees. Barry Gibb, the mentor.

First up was Melinda. Barry thought it strange she picked this song, as it is supposed to be a falsetto song. I guess he had doubts about her abilities in this area, but he claimed she pulled it off. I wasn't really feeling it tonight. Vocals are still good, but there wasn't any excitement incited, or any magic to it. Randy said it was a solid performance, but not jumping up and down. Paula praised her vocals but was looking for the wow factor at this stage. Simon, as he generally does, attempted to translate what Paula said, which is that she wasn't really impressed. Simon also wasn't.

Little boy Blake was next in line. Barry thought he picked a suitable song since it could accomodate some beat boxing. My impression is that the background music saved him. It really wasn't anything worthy of praise. Too much beat boxing if you ask me. Also there was still that constipated look to his face that he usually has when performing, though it wasn't so bad tonight. Randy expressed that the beat boxing gimmick (he didn't use that word) didn't work for him. Paula said he started a little shaky, but that he showed that he is unique and why he is on that stage. Yeah, right! Simon said it was unique alright, but terrible.

Lakisha -- Barry said it was a tricky song to sing. Lakisha has a tendency to wear clothes that distracts one from her singing, which usually is not a good thing. I don't know if anyone thought she resembled a watermelon on the stage, but I suppose that was not out of the realm of possibility. Don't get me wrong here, I like Lakisha's vocals, mostly, and I like her personality. I'm just saying her stylist can do better. She was just ok for me overall. Strangely enough, Barry gave her some advice that seemed good, but she never bothered to take it. This is not the first she has totally disregarded advice from one of the mentors. Randy said it was weird for him, and just wasn't working. Simon told her there'll be no kiss for her this time. He felt she was back to shouting, and it was verging on scary in some parts.

Jordin -- Barry complimented her highly, saying he hadn't heard a greater version than hers. She did do well. Clearly the best for the first round of the night. That was an odd outfit though. Randy exclaimed that it was probably the best for the night. Paula said it was, and Simon echoed their sentiments.

That concluded round 1 of the night. On to round 2...

Melinda -- In her practice session with Barry, he wondered why she altered the lyrics. She explained that she didn't think it was a good idea to sing anything to the effect of being a loser on American Idol. So she decided to avoid the line. With that Barry couldn't fault her, and in fact thought it was wise decision. Ok, so this time Melinda did great. At least compared to her first choice. I believe I've heard better from her though. Randy said it was great. Paula babbled something nonsensical about throwing away her technique. I guess Paula wants to hear mediocrity from Melinda. Simon thought that the second half of that song has put her through to the semi-finals.

Blake -- As I listened to Blake and watched him perform, I was saying to myself, "what the heck is Blake doing on the stage? He doesn't belong there". Randy thought it was better than his first, but still nothing to jump up and down about. He also complained that the beat boxing thing is getting tired, no need to do it every song. Paula came to Blake's defense, and claimed it was fine for him to do it because he could. Simon didn't think Blake had a good night, and commented that it was a really weird and bizarre song choice.

Lakisha -- What can I say? Boooring! Randy judged it better than the first one, even though she got a little hoarse at the end. Simon agreed it was better than her first, but felt that she and Blake were vulnerable tonight.

Closing the show, Jordin. Once again Barry had high praises for her, predicting that she will be "one of our greatest female recording artists". Much better outfit this time. I thought the first part sounded almost out of tune, but ended really well. Randy didn't think it was her best, and added that it was pitchy in parts. Paula started with the dreaded "you look beautiful" line, which generally means she can't find anything good to say about the singing. She was clearly struggling for words, and just decided she couldn't bring herself to say how bad she really thought it was. Simon said it was pageanty and old fashioned overall including the dress.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly,

The Lovely Haley

So without question, the contestants with the worst showing of the top 4 performances were Blake and Lakisha. I suspect Lakisha will get the boot, although Blake surely deserves it more than she does.

By the way, the judges finally did well with the judging. Apart from some Blake-biased comments from Paula, the critque they gave was pretty much on target.

Were Sanjaya And Phil Axed By The Producers?

In the top 7 week, did Sanjaya really get the lowest number of votes? And was Phil really in the bottom two the week he got eliminated?

I do not think so. Various indicators give a different result.

I have a running thread on the Bottom 2 or 3 that they show. (see Bottom 2/3 theory page)
There I offered some comments on what really happened the week Sanjaya got eliminated. But with the demise of Phil, things are becoming a little clearer. The producers went too far this time.

Let's get this straight. Sanjaya did not have the lowest number of votes when he got eliminated. And in the double elimination week, Phil was in the top 2, not bottom 2 when he got eliminated.

So what's really going on? The real ranking for Phil was second, with Blake above him. In that round, Lakisha and Chris were the true bottom 2. I'm of course going on the trusty source I've mentioned all along who has been providing the real results. Also, the dialidol scores indicated Chris and Lakisha were in the bottom 2, with Phil ranking number 3. In the Sanjaya week, there were other sources apart from my trusty one, which indicated that Lakisha was really the lowest vote getter.

With the elimination of Phil, I can now see what they are doing, though I'm still unclear as to what they are ultimately up to. In my bottom 2/3 theory page, I explained how the bottom 3 or 2 that they show are a mix of the lowest guys and the lowest girls. So the 3 that they show are not necessarily the 3 lowest. However, up until the round with Lovely Haley, they were eliminating the true lowest. That seemed to have stopped with Sanjaya.

The ones who have been eliminated since the Lovely Haley, are the lowest of the guys, not the lowest overall. So Sanjaya was the lowest ranked guy, but still higher than Lakisha. Phil and Chris were the lowest guys when they got eliminated. But Phil was not in the bottom 3 muchless the bottom 2.

It seems that at a certain point the producers decided to take their little game a step further, and not just mess with the results by mixing the lowest guys with the lowest girls in the bottom 3, but by actually eliminating the lowest guy even when he wasn't the lowest overall!

Why are the boys messing with the show like this? In the case of Sanjaya, is it that they wanted Sanjaya off, or that they wanted Lakisha to stay? In the case of Phil, is it that they wanted Phil off, or they wanted Lakisha to stay? Are there other factors to consider? Maybe they just want to demoralise VoteForTheWorst?

Let's explore this a little. If they had let Lakisha go instead of Sanjaya, then it means there would have been 4 boys left and 2 girls. Also, it would mean Sanjaya would get to stay on an extra week since no one was taken out in charity week. Perhaps the producers thought it too much of a risk to have Sanjaya stick around so much longer. He would have been a real threat to make it into the top 4. Or maybe his presence on the show up until the top 7 was already making the show too much about him, making the show a joke. Remember that week Simon's comments to Sanjaya was something to the effect that the joke had gone on too long? Another factor not to be ignored is that the anti-American Idol site, VoteForTheWorst was getting a great deal of publicity. The founder of the site was even on the David Letterman show the night before Sanjaya got eliminated.

But why eliminate Phil? What did he ever do wrong? Well it is simple. Phil could have been a threat to Blake. It is obvious the producers want Blake to go far, probably even into the finale (though that is just stupid). Not only could they end up having another Taylor Hicks on their hands, with Phil surpassing Blake, but it would give more publicity to the VoteForTheWorst crowd, as Phil was their new pick.

Well I'll just list out possible factors to explain this outrageous behaviour of the producers:

1. They probably are trying to arrange a finale with Blake
2. They shudder at the thought of having to promote Phil or Sanjaya
3. They really wanted to discredit VoteForTheWorst
4. They have been trying to protect Lakisha for whatever reason
5. They want to thwart dialidol's predictions as well as those those who have been leaking insider info regarding the voting results. In other words, they want to keep their show as unpredictable as possible

Can you think of anymore? What do you think?

Recap Top 6, Round 2 Results Show

So another results show came to pass, but this time it was a double feature, in that two were sent home. Charity week saved someone last time, and so to restore order in the world, an extra one had to go this week.

Ryan and Simon started out on the wrong footing. Ryan made a comment (nevermind what the context was) to the effect that Paula is not Simon's puppet, and that he has seen his puppet which is not as pretty as Paula. That baffled Simon, and the perceptive mind could see that he took that as an insult to his girlfriend/fiancee. That itself is an indictment on Simon, as it seems he has no problem considering a person his puppet. Anyway, Ryan meant no such thing. Quite frankly, I'm not sure exactly what Ryan meant, though I suspect there is something rude/naughty to it. One wonders how Ryan got to meet this "puppet".

So as Ryan tried to ask Simon a question regarding the prior night's performances, Simon was on the verge of making a scene when he demanded Ryan apologise for insulting his girlfriend. LOL! Well the air was eventually cleared, and Ryan got his question out. In essence Ryan wanted Simon's comments on his thoughts for the performance show. Simon characteristically was very parsimonious with his praise, but with some struggle, managed to admit that if he had to give anyone top marks it would have to be Blake, partly because he took a risk.

Ok, to avoid making this recap too long, let me cut to the chase. After street interviews and a few other things, Ryan asked Lakisha what she thought of the kiss. She replied that she would do it again. But Ryan ensured there be no such repeat of that, since, as he said, we heard earlier that he has a girlfriend, and "it is VERY serious". Simon cracked up at that. I'm not quite sure why it was so funny to him.

After a pre-recorded message from Ruben Studdard, and a recap of Idol Gives back week, Robin Thicke was introduced, and gave a live performance. What the hell was that? It's unnerving to hear that female voice coming from what seems to be clearly a man.

The Ford video was up sometime after Fantasia's message was played. Before I realised what it was, I saw this freaky looking guy that I thought looked like Blake. Then I realised it was Blake. He should not have any trouble getting a job at a circus.

Without further Adieu, Ryan tells the front row of the contestants to stand. Melinda, Phil, Lakisha. Melinda is announced as safe from early, leaving just Lakisha and Phil. He calls Lakisha's name, and with an extremely long pause, declared her safe! Therefore, Phil must depart. But this is a preposterous result. All my sources said Lakisha was to go based on the real vote count. If there was any doubt before when they axed Sanjaya, there can be none now. The Idol boys are playing games, and making the voting a farce. VoteForTheWorst has been delivered another blow. What will they do now? If I was one given to conspiracy theories, I would surely think there is some connection between this result and the fact that VoteForTheWorst was backing Phil. Anyhow, more on this matter later.


Tears were seen coming from Melinda as the news of the loss of Phil sunk in. Phil did his thing one more time.

Back row now! Jordin, Blake, Chris. Ryan promptly relieves Jordin saying he won't mess with her again this time, after what he did last week. So we know either Blake or Chris must go home now. But seriously, did anyone really have any doubt who would be the one? The look on Chris' face showed that even he knew. Nevertheless, Ryan can't just give the results yet. Still too early for that.

So after a break, Bon Jovi comes to entertain the crowd. Now, all you Jovi fans, don't pounce on me for what I'm about to say. I'm sorry, but it just did not work for me. Started horribly and didn't get much better throughout. The song lasted way too long. What a flop!

Taylor hicks aired.

Once again, Blake and Chris. The two are seen doing some silly handshake, and then they declare themselves (no, not gay) best friends. I got the impression that Blake felt he was safe, but I could be wrong. Perhaps he got assurance by observing that the drummer guy was not on stage to make a replay of his prior night's performance possible. By the way, vote total was over 135 million. Chris --OUT! Blake can take a seat; his gimmicks paid off. No surprise there. Pity. Would have been a whole lot more interesting to see Blake standing there stunned.

Chris does his number one more time.


This means just one guy left in the competition. Will the producers put Blake into the finale? Let's see.

Recap Top 6, Round 2

As we all should know by now, this week still featured the top 6, as in the spirit of charity week, all contestants were safe.

The theme for this round was Rock music with Bon Jovi as the guest mentor.

So first up for the night was VoteForTheWorst pick Phil Stacey. In the clip of the mentor session, Jovi said Phil knocked it out of the ball park, and that he nailed every note of the song. Actually in that piece I didn't think Phil sounded too hot. However my impression of his actual performance is markedly different. I would say Phil did well. Randy agreed and said that outside of Country week, this was his best
showing. Paula said it was the best opening for the season. Simon thought it was OK which earned a long string of "boos" from the audience. When he finally got to speak again, he said he didn't see any authenticity and in the middle was like a bad actor playing a role, and if this was the audition for a Rock singer, he wouldn't pass the audition. Simon also expressed his feelings that Phil will not make it to the next round.

After the break, Gina Glocksen was shown sitting in the audience. Recall that the image Gina tried to portray was that of a Rocker girl. So it must have been tough for her to be sitting there seeing what she missed with the Bon Jovi sessions, and not getting to show off her Rocker self. Ryan rubbed it in a bit with his comment about how difficult it must be for her.

Second contestant up was Jordin Sparks. Jordin had some trouble in the mentoring session, but Jovi gave her some good tips. When she started singing though, I could tell it wasn't really going to work for her. It really doesn't seem that this song is suited for a female voice especially one like Jordin's. Randy said her big notes were good, but the low ones were off. Jordin acknowledged that. Paula gave her credit for
going for such a difficult song. Simon commented on her looks first, which he likened to something from the Adam's Family. Regarding her singing, he thought it was out of control and sounded like shrieking in places. I think that description pretty much sums up typical Rock music, so I don't see why this should be held against her. Jordin however openly admitted that this was a difficult genre for her.

Lakisha Jones -- In response to the question Ryan fielded to her just before her performance, about the kind of training she had before Idol, Lakisha revealed that she had none. In the feature with Jovi, he was pleased with how she did, and said that if he were a betting man, he would bet she is not going home for singing that song. He could be right, but she could go home for other reasons. During her performance, I thought her outfit was distracting. It broug