When the judges saved Casey Abrams tonight on American Idol, the real importance is not that he gets to stay in the competition, it’s that he gets to go on tour. Usually only the top ten Idol contestants tour the country, but because the judges saved Casey Abrams, all 11 of the current contestants are included in the tour. So why is this such a big deal? Because Casey Abrams just got guaranteed some serious cash. Idol contestants make a six-figure salary up front, plus an additional percentage of the ticket sales. That’s a lot of money, and judging from Casey Abrams reaction tonight, he’s certainly appreciative. At one point I thought he might pass out, leaving Ryan Seacrest to hold him up — or topple over. Watch the video below to see his reaction.
Tag: American Idol
Thia Megia Sings ‘Heatwave’ — This Song Must Die
When Thia Megia sang Heatwave on tonight’s American Idol, I got the strange feeling that I’d heard it before. After doing my research, I realized the cause of my deja vu. I have heard it before! I’ve heard it sung by three other contestants, and it was once even performed as a group medley. I understand that these songs get repeated, but this isn’t a Karaoke bar with a one page song list. Do the producers limit the contestants’ choices? You would think with all that money they could get more songs cleared. Watch Thia’s performance below, along with the slew of other contestants who sang the same song.
Thia Megia
Lil Rounds
Kimberly Locke
Vonzell Solomon
Casey Abrams Butchers Nirvana Song on ‘Idol’ — Kurt Cobain is Crying
Because I’ve stopped watching American Idol this season, it only makes sense that I’d come across Casey Abrams’ performance of Smells Like Teen Spirit via the brilliant Joel McHale, who tore it apart on The Soup. I’ve been told by a close friend that my blog has become “too negative” and all I can say is that someone has to point this out, and I’m the fortunate volunteer. To be fair, most of the performances on that night were pretty terrible, because the theme was “the year you were born,” which has always proven to be a disaster for the Idol contestants. When I first saw the video below, I had to see what the judges said, and it’s official — they are completely crazy. They actually liked the performance. Bring back Simon Cowell.
Jennifer Lopez Misses The Paley Center’s American Idol Panel — Back to her Diva Ways?
Whenever a notable part of a show neglects to show up for an important appearance, I can’t help but question their mysterious absence. At last night’s Paley Center panel for American Idol, Jennifer Lopez was a no show. This was particularly strange because the other two judges were in attendance, and one of those judges includes the legendary Steven Tyler. So is the question-and-answer session good enough for Steven Tyler and not Jennifer Lopez? My guess is that Jennifer Lopez thinks the appearance is beneath her and therefore decided not to show. This is a dangerous assumption, but I feel it’s a relatively safe guess. Why? Because not one person mentioned the elephant in the room. If she had some sort of important personal commitment, I’m confident that the moderator would have explained it, so as to make her look better. Things only go unexplained when there’s guilt afoot.
Simon Cowell on Elton John — “Take Your Money and Help Upcoming Musicians”
Simon Cowell doesn’t only pick on the little guy — he takes on giants too. In response to Elton John’s comments about X-Factor “hurting the music industry,” Cowell said, “This is somebody who charges what, a million dollars a private gig? Two million dollars, you know? . . . I tell you what, you just made a million dollars off your last private gig. Go and give it to a bunch of young musicians you care about, put them in the studio. Go and nurture them. Go and spend some time looking after them. Then I’ll buy your argument.” Good point, Simon. I’m sick and tired of music titans insulting the current state of the industry and doing nothing about it. Did I mention that I had a recent dream that I made out with Simon Cowell? He was a very good kisser.
American Idol Performances Not Live — Are the Producers Incompetent?
Fox announced that this week’s American Idol will be pre-taped because there is a “new director and new judges, and it has nothing to do with manipulation.” Though I agree that this has nothing to do with manipulation, I’m certain it has everything to do with incompetence. It takes a lot of skill to produce a live show, and pre-taping it is a cop-out way of saying they can’t execute the task. Furthermore, the essence of American Idol’s brand is that it’s a live show, so this is preposterous. I’d like to also add that I feel terrible for the audience this week, because if you ever gone to a non-live show taping, then you know it’s absolute torture to sit through five hours of taping for a one hour show. To put things in perspective, they often don’t even let you leave to pee. Yeah — you heard me.
Jessica Simpson on Simon Cowell’s X-Factor? I Vote Yes!
There’s something very sad about this season’s American Idol — and I’m not referring to the loss of Simon Cowell (though that pains me as well). It’s the loss of Paula Abdul. There needs to be a beautiful, somewhat ditzy woman on the panel, who makes you tune in to see what crazy things she’ll say. Since re-casting Paula Abdul would likely damage the new brand that X-Factor is trying to present, it only makes sense to cast someone similar. Jessica Simpson is perfect! Like Paula, Jessica Simpson has had a huge career, most notably with her fashion empire. And also like Paula, Jessica has trouble expressing her point, and often comes off ridiculous in interviews. She’s certainly more together than the often slurring Abdul, but I predict that Simpson’s interplay with Simon Cowell would be television magic. Plus, I have a special attraction to woman with gigantic boobs and I’d like to see her outfits every week. After all, I’m a Kinsey 2.
American Idol Recap — The Judges Are Crazy
I admit that this season’s American Idol is like a train wreck I can’t turn away from. Every time someone performs, I yearn for Simon Cowell, especially when the judges are elated with a wretched performance. Where is Simon to call these performers “indulgent” and “boring.” As an example, I’m posting a video of Haley Reinhart, whose performance was so cheesy, I thought that she might have practiced it in front of a mirror imagining she was in a strip club. I hate to be so rude, but watch below and judge for yourself. Too mean?
Jennifer Lopez Cries on American Idol — Has a Heart After All
For years Jennifer Lopez has fought her difficult-diva-reputation in Hollywood. It’s impossible to decipher whether she’s actually a demanding celebrity, or whether she’s surrounded by a team of people with ridiculous demands on her behalf. Sometimes actors are completely unaware that their teams make them look bad, and by the time they figure it out, the damage has been done in the press. When Lopez decided to take the judge job on American Idol, I was initially against it. I thought her star-power was too big for the show, and it would ruin her brand. After watching the clip below, I’ve changed my mind. Lopez had to reject a contestant with a heart-breaking back-story, and she didn’t take it well. After the rejection, she cried (you know — the ugly cry where you’re embarrassed for people to look at you) and told Randy Jackson and Stephen Tyler that she felt “she didn’t say it the right way” and she just “didn’t want to say no.” It’s fair to say that I officially like Jennifer Lopez, and I think it was a good choice to judge American Idol. It chisels away her ice-queen reputation (pun intended), and it makes her likable.
American Idol Is Officially Done — Sucks Without Simon Cowell
Well, it’s official. Start saying your goodbyes to American Idol. I watched the show tonight and hoped for the best. But it just doesn’t work without Simon Cowell. The ship needs a captain, and the captain can now be seen on X Factor, which will soon trounce American Idol in the ratings. I know this not only because I’m a genius, but also because that’s exactly what happened in England. Simon Cowell started in England on a show called Pop Idol, which exploded in the ratings. When he left Pop Idol for X Factor, Pop Idol tanked, and X Factor became an immediate hit. Why? Because Cowell is a necessity, and without him, it’s just another talent show. So Simon — if you’re reading this — I missed you tonight, and I found myself waiting for you to appear at the table. I’ll see you soon.