American Idol: Results Show 3/6/08

I am really hoping for a Safety Dance/Straight Up/Wang Chung medley group sing. Anyone else?

First, though, it's Blake Lewis!

I loved Blake last season. Loved him. His song was pretty neat, the beat boxing was cool as ever. His sound would have fit right in during the 80's, so he is appropriate as a guest this week. And neat that Chris Sligh was in the band. Overall, the song was catchy, but nothing spectacular. It never seemed to get a real hook. I've heard some other songs from his album and liked them more. But, I guess this must be his latest single! I kind of want his album... I'll have to look into that.

But wait, does this mean no group sing? He does seem to be filling that time slot. *sigh* I guess I'll just have to sing Safety Dance in my head. Yeah, that's nice.

Upon seeing the recap of the men, I realize just how much I want Luke gone. Please, oh please, oh please.

Not at all surprised to see David Cook and his comb over (though it's morphing into a comb forward. Maybe he can just call it bangs), David Archuleta, and Jason Castro as the first three in the top 12. They certainly belong there in my book.

Brooke totally deserved to be the first woman in the top 12. Syesha I could leave or take, but she is not dreadful.

Justice is served with Kady going home first. They totally stole the kick off song from So You Think You Can Dance from a couple seasons ago (KT Tunstall's Suddenly I See). I guess Ruben's masterpiece wasn't ready to be revealed just yet. We are forced to listen to her butcher the Highlander theme again. If possible, she was even less capable of hitting even one good note tonight. She was dreadful and I will not miss her. Plus, she looked like she was wearing a child's art project. My ears thank America for getting this vote off right.

The revelation that they are going to open up the phone lines for discussion of the Results show next week is certainly interesting. We'll see how that goes.

David Hernandez is the next to take a place in the Top 12, and deservedly so. Ditto Michael Johns. So far, I am pleased.

And then Luke was sent packing, and I did a little happy dance. The Safety Dance, to be precise. I put my computer down, paused my beloved dvr, and danced around the living room. Cause your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine. Good bye Luke. And good riddance. His shirt was mighty girly, don't you think? He just (jitter)bugged me.

Paula' jaunty little hat is distracting me. What the heck was Ryan's comment about a catheter?
Sometimes the in-jokes are a bit much.

I was honestly a bit surprised when Ramiele made the top 12. though not upset. She had an off night last night but has a good voice and she's cute as a button. Carly also absolutely deserved her spot, though whoever told her that shirt was a good idea should be shot. The color = good. The shape = near tragic. Next, Amanda, made it through, and I'm sure there is going to be uproar about that one. She was really quite good last night, but does that make her top 12 material? I don't know. Hopefully she improves dramatically, and doesn't Sanjaya her way past better contestants. (She might actually be able to rock the faux hawk)

Asia'h and Kristy have to wait in their satiny maternity shirts to see their fate. It's a split decision with the judges between the two of them, with Paula balancing precariously in the middle, blathering on and saying nothing of importance. I am actually happy with Asia'h going home. Now I can retire my apostrophe except for its relegated use in the English language. My grammar sensors are relieved. I might miss her endless supply of over-sized earrings. Time will tell.

I am looking forward to seeing what Kristy can do. I like the style of her voice more than Asia'h's. Oops, there went that apostrophe again.

I am a little sad to see Danny going home and Cheesy Chikezie Ezie Listening make it through... but then again, maybe I will have a chance of finally seeing him sing Sexual Healing. A girl can hope. That will be lounge-lizard cringe worthy. Possibly even TMTH.

Paula's jaunty little hat gave her dance fever. Or maybe she's just trying to Dance Like There's No Tomorrow.

So, the Top 12 - I am very happy, overall. Hopefully Amanda and Chikezie Ezie Listening are among the first to depart that illustrious group. I heard that next week is Beatles Week. I'll have to do some thinking on a wish list for that. Who's going to sing Sweet Beatles, and who's going to sing Tripped Out Beatles? Time will tell.

Project Runway: Finale 08!

Who will be the winner? Tonight will decide.

I thought that Jillian's sweatery top was ridiculous. We'll see how that turns out. Rami's lace top was genius. Christian doing his supermodel walk was hilarious.

Seeing the clothes on the models is always so neat. When the model was complaining about one of Christian's dresses being a little tight, you could tell he just wanted to say "Suck it up, beotch." Same with the shoes.

Jillian's model woes were (to quote Rami) a bit annoying. I know that model selection is part of the whole process, but I want to see the other parts of it. Her sweater top looks like a latch hook rug puked up the sleeves. Icky.

Poor Christian and his late models!! How unprofessional of the models! I'm glad that they showed in time.

Cool to have Victora Beckham as a guest judge!

The Collections:

Jillian - I think I liked the 3rd (riding style) outfit best. The weird chenille looped sleeves didn't work on the runway for me either. Some of the hats were a little bike-helmety. The blue dress was beautiful, and the dress with the red was also nice.

Rami - His first model was terrible and looked odd. The second was much nicer. The fourth model looked bored. The fifth dress looked like a sack. It was all a bit odd for me. I liked the green/olive drapet thing, and the woven top on the next one was great. Of course the draped grecian style fress was genius, and the lace dress was fantastic. I thought that the long black dress looked really hard to walk in. I wonder if Rami instructed half of his models to look bored and unhappy? If so, not the best choice. Eh.

Christian - The juxtaposition between the ruffled and fitted on so many of the pieces was cool. I think he went a little over the ti on the ruffles half the time, and the neck piece looked like it was really uncomfortable, like it was hard for the model to breath. The red/maroon jacket outfit looked like a scarecrow. I loved the two tone brown dress with all the ruffles, and the feather thing was - dare I say it - fierce. Nothing better than molting models.

I can't decide. I think Christian's seemed like the most cohesive collection, but some of it was hideous. I also liked the others a lot.

The Judges Say:

It's always intruiging to hear Victoria Beckham speak (and emote a little), since I am mostly used to seeing her in pictures. I can't believe that the judges seemed to like Jillian's Loop Rug idiocy.

I do wish that Christian had used some more color, it would have been nice.

I'm glad that they brought up Rami's weaving, it was really cool. I am also glad that they brought up the 80's style colors that he used! They made me surprised he didn't design some legwarmers to go with.

And the winner is:

I was happy to see Jillian out first, he collection just didn't seem cohesive. And Yay, I am actually really pleased to see Christian win! I would never have expected to end up liking him this much, I really couldn't stand him in the beginning. I still think he is an obnoxious little man a good portion of the time, but I think he is just oozing talent.

And the icing on the cake? Victoria Beckham wants to wear his designs! I bet he just about peed when she said that.

The Fierce One Worked It Out.

American Idol: The Top 8 Women - 80's Night!

Is this going to be a night of fabulous song choices, or horrendous errors? Let's get to it, shall we? (Wouldn't you just love to see someone sing a Paula Abdul song??)

Asia'h Epperson (I Want to Dance With Somebody: Whitney Houston) - She is definitely rocking the ugly high-waisted pants. This song is actually pretty good for her voice. I like it a whole lot better than last week. She has an odd head bob going on, though, and she is always very throaty sounding. I really thought that she gave it her all this week, she was on key, she had energy, and she worked the stage pretty convincingly. I wish she would change, though. Her outfit is really distracting. Asia'h is all heart. Didn't she prove it with her earrings? And her necklace? All heart, I'm telling you.

Kady Malloy (Who Wants to Live Forever : Queen) - I had hope in the beginning, the first notes were quite nice, but then I thought she hit some really bum notes. Almost painfully bad notes. Definitely painful notes when she went onto the notes that were supposed to be the power notes. Suddenly, I miss Alaina. Kady has a good tone, but she just can't hit the right notes most of the time. The end was kind of nice, but that's the best I can really say. It was an interesting arrangement, and I didn't like it at all. Am I deaf? Randy thought that she hit the big notes well, and I thought that she was really awful on them. Paula basically said that the softer notes were better, and I agree. Definitely better than last week, but still, she should go home. There can be only one, Kady, and it isn't you.

Amanda Overmeyer (I Hate Myself for Loving You: Joan Jett) - I got the artist right, at least. She was definitely better this week, and the hair and makeup seemed toned down a little, too. I could actually like this version, but she is still very limited in her range, and her sound is always exactly the same. That said, a HUGE improvement from last week. I don't know if she needs to be in the competition for much longer, but I don't think she's bought her ticket home with this one. She really has a nice personality, she makes me wish I liked her more. At least I don't hate her this week. That's a bonus, right?

Carly Smithson (I Drove all Night: Celine Dion) - Very nice. Her hair was also really pretty. She is a little weak on the lower notes, but to me she makes up for it with the high notes. I really like her. She is very charismatic, and I think she has the chance to make it far. I think that she could have chosen a better song, to showcase herself better. I actually agree with Simon. There are so many songs she could have chosen. I do like her, though. Very appealing. Carly's mom is really pretty, too.

Kristy Lee Cook (Faithfully: Journey) - Randy's going to drop some names with this one! I really love Kristy's shirt. Her voice was in really good form tonight. She was a little shaky on a few notes, but overall, I think it was one of her best weeks. She really countrified it, and it did work. Her dog story was cute, too. Did I mention I like her shirt?

Ramiele Malubay (Against All Odds: Phil Collins) - Her interview segment was really cute. I think her singing was ok, but it was forgettable. I think I forgot what she sang before she was done singing. Not her best. Randy called her Ramaly, too. I wonder if her confidence is boosted when her hair is parted on the other side? She was so much better last week with her hair parted on the other side. Paula got so distracted by her own dog pound analogy, I think she probably forgot what Ramiele sang, too, just remembered that she decided that she liked her. Yeah, this was a weak song for her, in my opinion.

Brooke White (Love is a Battlefield: Pat Benatar) - So I thought that Carly was going to sing this song, and Brooke sang it instead. What a nice, pared down version of this song! I kind of think I loved it. It was definitely not karaoke. Her voice has a great tone to it, and I loved it on this song. She made it her own. Dawg. Best of the night, I think. Then Randy said that she brought nothing new to it? Ummm. No. Thank you, Simon, for absolutely backing up my opinion. I think if she had done a full length song, adding more instrumentals in would have been good, but I prefer it the way it is.

Syesha Mercado (Saving All My Love For You: Whitney Houston) - I do not understand why people persist on singing Whitney Houston songs when the theme is so wide open. Syesha sounded like she was shouting half of the song. I didn't like it much. She hit some nice notes, but I can't help but think of host of other songs that she could have sung. I like her, but I don't love her. They must have been running out of time, with the two word critiques from the judges. I would have rathered something peppier.

Daresay, I'm voting for Amanda tonight. Mostly Brooke, but also Amanda, Kristy, and Carly. I wouldn't have thought I would be voting for Amanda after last week's atrocity.

I hope that Kady goes home. Other than that, not sure. Maybe Syesha? She's just kind of boring to me.

What did everyone else think?

Random TV Thoughts: Fierce Off

I would love to see a Fierce Off between Danny Noriega and Project Runway's Christian.

I bet that Christian would wipe the floor with Danny. Without mussing his hair.

New Show Alert: New Amsterdam

An immortal (not vampire, not Highlander) cop show, directed by Lasse Hallström. Not going to say much about the show, but I hope it sticks around. One nice thing about the writer's strike is that this show was put back on the schedule. It was up for a fall premiere and got pulled.

It's different, I like it.

Anyone else?

American Idol: The Top 8 Men - 80's Night!

In light of recent revelations, I wonder if David Hernandez should sing Private Dancer.Don't think it will happen, but it would be amusing.. (I think that this news goes a long way to explain his creepy eyebrow thing. That could go over well in the gay strip club scene. Just saying.)

On to the night's performances!

Luke Menard: Wake Me Up Before You Go Go (Wham) -He seems off in the beginning. His voice is just so thin. George Michael's voice has much more oomph behind it. His tempo seemed off. I don't know... his voice is so superficial. I guess he was putting his own spin on the song, but I wish that he would just Go Go and not bother waking me up. I will not do the jitterbug to you, Luke, not even a little. Soooo cheesy. Go go. I think that Paula likes him because he's pretty. Simon and Randy were right on with their judging, Paula has a crush on Luke.

David Archuleta: Another Day in Paradise (Phil Collins) - Before the break, Ryan claimed that David Archuleta would take on Phil Collins. Now, wouldn't that be an interesting Celebrity Death Match? I bet young David is scrappier than you'd expect. . . I'm glad to see him playing the keyboard in the beginning. I love this song. He did a really understated, moving version of it. He licks his lips in strange moments while he's singing, which is a little off putting, but not enough to make me not like him. It's no Carrie Underwood Strut, that's for sure. I thought it was a FANTASTIC job. I could see that being a hit on the radio today. He is so good. I think, dear Randy, that it is not necessary to have a song hit all the possible notes a singer can sing to show they are good. Sometimes that's just over the top showcasing. I agree with Simon, I think it would have been better to see him stay at the piano, there was a bit of a disconnect when he stood up. David A. is a cutie, he's not going anywhere.

What's with Ryan and the fighting words tonight? Next, he has Danny and David H. battling it out. Geez, the violence...

Danny Noriega: Tainted Love (Soft Cell)- He's really looking like Jessica Alba tonight. I think this is the best he's sounded. The arrangement was kicky and modern, and he sounded great. Very girly looking, though. Very. He must have been really chilly to wear that scarf, though. I do agree with Randy, that the beginning was somewhat tentative. I'm glad that Paula called him on the purple streaks. Simon just really dislikes Danny. At least Danny didn't talk back to him. He was thinking it, but he didn't say it.

David Hernandez: It's All Coming Back to Me Now (Meatloaf, apparently, though Celine Dion also did it, in a more famous version) - So, a booger in your nose is more embarrassing than being a male stripper at a gay club? Interesting. Ballsy to sing a Celine song. His eyebrow was in full swing, but his vocals were really on! A couple pitch troubles, but nothing awful. His enunciation bothered me some in parts. (Did anyone hear Simon saying something about the stripper thing when the song ended? I caught something but couldn't hear it really) I thought that he did a decent job, it really showed his range and his power, but I enjoyed his performance more last week on a more upbeat number. I hate when Simon guarantees that people have locked their spot in the next week. It's called voting, Simon, sorry.

Michael Johns: Don't You Forget About Me (Simple Minds) - MUCH better than last week. I like the arrangement, it's new and fun. Michael has awesome stage presence. I think this is my favorite of the night so far. Again, I think that would make it on the radio today. I do love some Simple Minds. It was funny when Michael said he'd been the victim of an older sister and therefore seen The Breakfast Club. I love that movie. Totally iconic. I thought that Michael did the song proud.

David Cook: Hello (Lionel Richie) - The beginning was way a little off key. Interesting to hear Lionel Richie set to a rock beat and an electric guitar. I liked it. If only David C. didn't have that embarrassing comb over, I would like him a lot more. (Talk about most embarrassing moments - "I went on a hugely popular reality tv show, and refused to acknowledge my hair loss and had a crazy hair do to try to hide it.) The men are so totally bringing it tonight. This song was just this side of genius, I thought. Loved it.

Jason Castro: Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) - Ewwwwww. . . of course his most embarrassing moment has to do with his dreads. One fell off???? I was unaware that such a thing could happen. I am totally skeeved out about that right now. Hope his performance helps me get over it. Is it wrong that I only know this song from Shrek? It was beautiful. He was very emotive and at home with his voice. It was a perfect choice for his style. The end was a little weak, when he got quieter, and he looked like he knew it, but it was lovely. I thought it was an excellent decision to let the guy in the band play the guitar this time. Just so wonderful. I agree with Simon that it was Jason's best performance to date.

Chikezie Ezie Listening: All the (Wo)man I Need (Whitney Houston) - Whitney Houston? Really? He did not disappoint me tonight, he picked another lounge lizard style song. I really wanted him to sing Sexual Healing, so that's a bit disappointing. I guess he's just so predictable. He's got a good voice, he hits all the notes, but I cannot stand his style. He even included the superfluous falsetto. Ick. He can go.

I cannot decide who I like best this week! The bar's been set pretty high. Luke did the limbo under that bar. Cheesy Chikezie Ezie Listening is just so . . . eh. Everyone else rocked it tonight. It's possible that Danny could be in trouble, and perhaps America will be upset by the stripper thing, and David H. could be gone. I don't think he deserves to go based on his vocals, though.

I will be voting most for David A, David Cook, and Jason Castro, with some thrown in for Michael Johns, and David Hernandez.

New Show Alert: Secret Life of a Soccer Mom

I caught the premiere last night on TLC, and it certainly has an interesting premise.

It takes stay-at-home moms who left their careers/"gave up on their dreams" and gives them a taste of the working world. This is done without their family knowing what is going on (hence the secret part). After presumably a week, they let their family know all about it.

Disclaimer: I am a working mom and have a ton of respect for the stay-at-home mom's in the world, sometimes my lovely kids drive me batty when I am home with them. I have nothing but love for my kids, but I love to work. We now return to our regularly scheduled review.

Last night, they took a mom (Adrian) who studied fashion in college and even worked for Chanel before leaving the workplace 10 years ago to stay at home with her adopted daughter and eventual two other kids.

Dramatically, a big giant Knight Rider style truck pulled up in front of Adrian's minivan after she dropped the kids off at school (and I am assuming some sort of daycare for the younger ones? They are really little). The host of the show (Tracey Gold!)ushered Adrian in and told her what was going to be happening. She was going to get her shot at working with a high-end fashion designer for the week.

The first day, Adrian went in to her "secret life" and met everyone at the design studio, while "agents" cleaned her house, cooked dinner etc. Her mission (should she choose to accept it)
was to create three dresses/looks for a fashion show at the end of the week. (Project Runway fans, did this seem familiar? With less restrictions?) Her "boss" showed her the fabric and told her to pick out stuff that she liked, and was vague about keeping it "affordable" (if you call affordable $400-$800 for an outfit). Adrian seemed so nervous I thought she was going to pee herself.

By the end of the day, she had some draping done, and I assume some sketching and such. They didn't show much of the actual creation. All in time to be home for dinner, where she showed herself to be just about the world's worst liar, going on and on about how she did something different with the sauce for dinner, and that's why it tasted different than normal. Upon receiving a phone call from Tracey, she was stymied to come up with a quick answer when her husband asked who it was on the phone, and it was all kind of awkward. The whole family thought she was off for a few day's pampering at a spa, with laid back Doctor Daddy on duty at home. You just know that is going to go well, because he's all reticent about rules and has to be reminded that the kids should not have candy before 10 AM, and Adrian nervously leaves him with about 4 pages of instructions on how to care for the kids. Yipes.

Back on the job, Adrian continues to be kind of a nervous wreck, but while she is shaken by the breakneck pace the fashion world demands, she manages to create some pretty neat looking dresses. Of course, her co-workers throw her some challenges, including cutting out her own patterns, which gets her even more nervous. She makes it work. The co-workers are impressed. At least for the cameras.

Meanwhile, at home, Laid Back Doctor Daddy is having some issues, including the two younger kids snacking on diaper rash cream, and bashing each other in the head, and spilling coffee mate all over the floor after drinking it straight from the container, then mopping the spill up with what looked to be tissues... you know, the normal hi jinx. The oldest daughter really steps in and picks up some of the slack, impressing me quite a bit. Laid Back Doctor Daddy even has a nice picnic on the yard with the kids. Good times.

Adrian's' Secret Life culminates with an in-house fashion show, with some of the boss's designs going down the runway next to Adrian's designs, for a couple buyers and a stylist to the stars (including the likes of Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Hudson) The first two dresses of Adrian's to be shown are not very well received, and Adrian is (predictably) nervous. The final dress is her triumph, and the stylist proclaims that she would love Jennifer Hudson to wear the design (yes, it's the one in the picture). I wonder if she was coerced to pick one to love. You just never know with reality tv. I'm sure Jennifer Hudson, having gotten her big break on American Idol, was ok with wearing a design created by another reality show contestant. I wonder if she was hoping for something from Project Runway...

Her week of living a Secret Life completed, Adrian is brought back home to tell her family the truth. When told he was being lied to all week, Laid Back Doctor Daddy looked quite concerned, and was relieved to know that Adrian had been working and not off gallivanting with another man or something. He thought that she just looked complete when living her Secret Life, and that made him happy for her. Her kids (mostly her oldest daughter) were also super proud.

Predictably, her boss came in and surprised her by offering her a job. But the fun didn't stop there! She had to make her decision pretty much on the spot, I think by the end of the day. Predictably, she takes the job.

While I enjoyed the show and will watch it again, I had a few issues with it.

• No mention of pay was brought up. I mean, I'm sure that she talked about it with her new boss, and I don't think we needed to hear any nitty gritty about what she is going to pull in with her new job, some closed door negotiations might have been nice..
• She started her new job pretty much immediately. Did the show help her locate childcare?
• The.. predictability.. but that remains to be seen if it is as bad on forthcoming episodes
• I wanted Super Hero costumes.
• I wanted Tim Gunn to critique her work. Or maybe Nina Garcia.

Overall, enjoyable. I don't know how the future of the show will shape up... upcoming episodes include Secret Lives as a chef, and an event planner, a police academy recruit. No word as to whether Steve Gutenberg will be able to take some time off from his training for Dancing with the Stars to make an appearance on that one. We can only hope.

So - did anyone else catch this show? What did you think?