Author: The Dishmaster

American Idol Recap: The Show Rocks Out to its Roots

WRITTEN BY DEVIN CARBAUGH, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

20130405-155445.jpgSince its 2002 debut, American Idol has been a household name and a ratings juggernaut. I first learned of the show months before it aired because I was part of the production crew that handled the Dallas, Texas auditions. Back then, we actually had to convince people to try-out. In fact, I was fortunate to have Kelly Clarkson in my audition group. I pre-interviewed her before she sang for the producers, and I immediately knew that she had something special; she was quick-witted and sassy and we hit it off right away. She hilariously asked that I hold her purse and answer her phone if it rang while she auditioned. The rest, as you know, is history.

Eleven years later, another small-town girl from Woodville, Texas is a top seven “American Idol” contender. Her name is Kree Harrison. I was also raised in Woodville, which has a current population of 2,574. A few nights ago I got to see her sing live. The entire experience was amazing. It was Rock’n’ Roll night, so the remaining contestants belted out their favorite rock song from the past several decades, even singing duets and trios. My hometown girl sang a Janis Joplin number – “Piece of My Heart,” and Amber Holcomb gave a chilling performance reminiscent of Whitney Houston.

As I sat in the audience that night, I pinched myself at the thought of the show’s trajectory since I met Kelly Clarkson. And though there are many contestants who deserve to win, I’m certainly hoping for a two-time, Texas victory.

TAKE PART

If any fans would also like to take part in the show, now’s your chance! Submit your ideas for an upcoming musical theme, courtesy of AT&T. Just tweet your ideas using the hashtag #ATTIdolTheme. Click HERE for more information.

Quote of the Day — The Great Roger Ebert Passes Away

“He fought a courageous fight. I’ve lost the love of my life and the world has lost a visionary and a creative and generous spirit who touched so many people all over the world. . . . We had a lovely, lovely life together, more beautiful and epic than a movie. It had its highs and the lows, but was always experienced with good humor, grace and a deep abiding love for each other.” Chaz Ebert, Roger Ebert’s wife, on the loss of her loving husband.

Magic Johnson On His Son’s Sexual Status: “I Support My Son”

Magic Johnson gave a moving interview to TMZ about his son coming out of the closet, and it’s worth watching. Watch the basketball star discuss his support of his son and his frustration with the discrimination against homosexuals in general.

Shia LaBeouf v. Alec Baldwin — Letterman Weighs In

There are times when I question Shia LaBeouf’s mental health. He’s now taken on both Alec Baldwin and Steven Spielberg, two titans worthy of unconditional respect. As a snot-nose kid with a chip on his shoulder, I predict his days in the business are numbered, a sad fact of which he’s clearly naive. My latest rage involved LaBeouf’s front-row seat at the opening night of Orphans, a move I can only assume was made to throw Alec Baldwin, who much to LaBeouf’s dismay, can’t be thrown. Watch him discus the feud on Letterman.

Jay Leno Retires — Fallon Takes Over

It’s the end of an era. And that era has largely been defined as television’s greatest feud in history. It began as Dave v. Jay, then Jay v. Conan, and in round three, Jay finally stopped swinging and stepped down. NBC knew that if Letterman retired, CBS would poach Fallon, which would create too much competition for Jay who would presumably lose his audience around that time. The real tragedy here lies with Conan, who is likely self-loathing about not waiting long enough for the coveted spot. Had he stuck with it, the network would have gifted him the spot without the drama.

James Franco Talks “Hatha-haters” on Howard Stern

I don’t know much about Anne Hathaway, but one thing seems certain — she’s humorless. When the world is criticizing you, the only way to squash that criticism is to self-deprecate and laugh, and she’s done neither. When James Franco addressed his Oscar hosting gig with Hathaway, word leaked that Hathaway was pissed, with what I can only believe are planted sources saying, “Anne would never air her dirty laundry in public and is intensely private. . . . It’s opened up old wounds, is totally unnecessary, and she’s fuming.” First of all, why is Anne Hathaway perfectly fine with laughing at Tina Fey’s Golden Globes’ joke about James Franco’s poor Oscar-hosting job, but she’s not okay with laughing at any jokes directed at her? Furthermore, you’d think the girl who hilariously poked fun at Claire Danes on SNL would also be able to poke fun at herself. My advice for Hathaway’s PR team is to have her host SNL again, get an award every five minutes and give cartoonish acceptance speeches. If Alec Baldwin can survive every dagger thrown in his direction, so can Anne Hathaway.

John Edwards’ Daughter Goes Public

20130327-105241.jpgJohn Edwards’ daughter is poised and impressive. She addressed every one of her family controversies without bad-mouthing anyone, a difficult task to achieve considering the many “poor choices” she’s surrounded with. Speaking of poor choices, must Matt Lauer always go to a negative place? Catch his snarky comment at the end of the interview in which he summarizes Edwards’ daughter as political and insists that despite her positive take, there’s clearly still anger afloat.

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Bill O’Reilly Supports Gay Marriage? — HUH?

The O'Reilly FactorThis clip caused some extensive head-scratching. Does Bill O’Reilly support gay marriage? Or does he just hate the Clinton Administration enough to use this as an opportunity to lambaste their legislative choices? I feel as if I slept for 5000 years and awoke to discover the evolution of Fox News out of its pre-historic bigotry. Luckily, Stephen Colbert took the professorial podium to explain the television tart’s abrupt about-face. Watch below.