Carrie Underwood’s All Star Holiday Special – VIDEO

Carrie’s funny!!! That ‘recap’ of how she won S4 was hilarious!

The recap was funny

Like Carrie, but she’s not in the best voice. Carrie, in case you’re mixed up, the way to beat Taylor is not to sing like her!

David!!!! mj, I respectfully beg, request, need this one, please. My gosh, he’s remarkable.

COOK ACOUSTIC!!! LIE LIE LIE

*swoonage*

Was that Mark from SYTYCD in the opening number? He was the guy in the gray shirt that danced with the first group of guys.

Dammit, I am not taping this.

DAMN
DAMN
DAMN

:(

Holy wow–this is why David Cook is my favorite Idol ever. Why is this song not on the radio?! *sigh*

As for Carrie, that was my first time hearing ‘Cowboy Casanova,’ and I liked it. But she sounded pretty rough on ‘Before He Cheats.’

Cook is MY American Idol. (Besides Adam, that is ;))

I am watching this because of my love for Carrie and Christmas music, but I really liked that David Cook song!

MJ I think you should definitely put up the clip explaining how Carrie won season 4, it was pretty funny.

WHIMPER

Oh my heck! That was amazing!

Cook sounded good. I haven’t heard his album at all – only what’s been on the radio. I might download that song, though.

Was that Mark from SYTYCD in the opening number? He was the guy in the gray shirt that danced with the first group of guys.

Yup, he did great too!

How to play a four and a half minute ballad into under two minutes flat….

How to play a four and a half minute ballad in under two minutes flat….

Gah, that Cook performance! Just…GAH!

But yes, noctem, ended too soon…did we REALLY need the Carson Kressly bit? Really?

God, I am hating this special. Now that I’ve seen Cook, I am done with.

Love her dog

Can’t believe I’m watching this (besides watching Santa clause is Coming to Town and mj’s blogs) but this show is kinda funny. Love it that she has a cute dog…he’s “narrating now”.

I have no life!

Awesome Lie performance but yeah way too short!

David Cook, I love you. That was beautiful and that wasn’t even one of my favorite songs. His live performances definitely take his songs up a level. MJ, if you could put that video up, that would be great.

Carrie better not be thinking about setting up her sister with David Cook.

The dog = win.
Mom? Uh…sorry. That was a f-ing waste.

Ha. The skit was kinda cute but I actually really enjoyed the less obvious humor during the bit with her sister. They kept teasing DC before and after as the obvious choice for a set up but Carrie couldn’t see it. It was cute. Oh and DC sounded awesome and looked adorbs so that didn’t hurt ;)

I thought she sounded fine on BHC. the Ace skit and mom skit were cute

Oh MY! My fav boys, Mark Kanemura and Cookie, they rocked it. Also, I love the green dress Carrie was wearing there. That said, nobody puts the Anthemic in a corner! WTF? LOL

Also, Cook super zoomed close up on a 56 in high def TV FTMFW! (Hey, when Carrie walked back out, David was holding a different guitar, wasn’t he? Blooper?)

David Cook sounded amazing on Lie

Glad to see Carrie and I have the same taste. Lie was also my favorite song form the cd. I loved the unplugged version. He looks great too. MJ please always more David.

You should definitely put the dog skit up. :) That was adorable.

Also, that was Lauren Gottlieb from SYTYCD season 3 dancing during “Mama’s Song.”

And I think Napoleon & Tabitha D’Umo choreographed a lot of this show.

I saw it too and that was simply amazing!!! DC!!! Awww, it brought back some memories from AI7, you know the thuds!!!

Question, does anyone know if the copyright issue was settled so that the Carrie/David duet will air tonight?

I love Temporary Home, and I love how much it means to Carrie!

That said, nobody puts the Anthemic in a corner! WTF? LOL

Amen sunchick! Poor Neal, he was looking forward to us seeing him tonight too!

conchcast, I was just going to ask the same thing re the duet.

Question, does anyone know if the copyright issue was settled so that the Carrie/David duet will air tonight?

I think we saw where it was cut already. They went to a commercial instead of airing it.

Temporary Home is beautiful. This is a special during the holidays – it’s really a commercial for Play On. Carrie sounds like a real live singer – no lip-syncing, auto tuning, backing vocals. I don’t mind the imperfections.

These ditzy blonde bits with her sister are hilarious!

Just want to say … whoever was responsible for that Van Halen F**k Up is a major A-hole.

MJ, you can skip putting up the medley with Kristen Chenewith (I know I misspelled that) and Christina Applegate.

Ooh, you really shouldn’t pair two powerhouse voices with one…um, NOT. I’m sure Christina Applegate sounds fine on her own, but put her with Chenie and Carrie and OH LORD NO.

Carrie did say at the beginning that it’s a variety special. The Christmas music is coming.

This thing with Christina Applegate & Kristen Chenowith is cute. Christina is clearly outclassed, but I think that’s the point.. I love all of those 3 ladies. I also love seeing Kristen and Christina on tv again since both of their BRILLIANT shows got cancelled by ABC. Another major FAIL by ABC. Heh.

Okay that was really cute!

Sassycatz, IDK…those AP pictures in an earlier thread showed David in a T and that rose necklace and Carrie in a different dress. Unless they posted rehearsal shots.

Yeah where the heck was Kyle?!

DC was wearing a different guitar probably because that was after the duet when they filmed it. Still mourning the loss of Cookwood. Now that DC’s done, not sure I will watch the rest as I got studying and MJ will post the best parts anyway…

Cookbunny those were rehearsal pics cuz i heard the outfit he wore in the actual taping of the duet was the same one he wore for Lie

Ok trying to remember were the 3 of them singing The Sherells?

Kristen is funny, can’t wait to see her on Glee again

Christina Applegate is so adorable she held her own, imo. Hee! Well, almost. I wouldn’t mind watching that again. :D

Well, I need to turn this off now. No more David … I’m outta here. I like Carrie but not two hours worth.

and Carrie in a different dress.

During their duet Carrie was wearing the dress she wore when she came out to greet him after Lie. That’s when I think it was cut. Why would she put that dress back on again?

Eddie VanHalen — I officially blame YOU!!! You suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuckK!!! *mourns Cookwood*

Glad Valerie dumped his ass.

Now watching the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC.

Eddie VanHalen ‘” I officially blame YOU!!! You suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuckK!!! *mourns Cookwood*

Nah for all we know its David Lee Roth or Sammy Haggars fault! That would be an even bigger fail!

My assumption was that they’d “spread it out,” but since they’re doing the Brad bit back-to-back (and it’s good, but just seems like a waste to do a duet via satellite) guess you’re right. It WAS an awkward place to cut it. Okay, I’m done…off to Twitter to keep track of Kris’ show. At least maybe we can hope some Carrie fans dashed off to iTunes to buy “Lie” if not David’s whole album.

Oh, and DAMN YOU VAN HALEN!!! *shakes fist in air*

Ok trying to remember were the 3 of them singing The Sherells?

Don’t know who originally sang all the songs but “Be My Baby” was by the Ronettes.

I don’t blam Van Halen, the producers almost had a month to get that song cleared. If it was the important to them the should of done a better job

Carrie is beautiful and has a nice voice, but the program overall is boring.

Okay didn’t like that duet with Paisley but maybe becuase I don’t like country. And also i was looking forward to another duet, heh. But that song Brad did on his own was nice. Though I can’t help being a little jealous that his band got mucho face time and it didn’t sound like he had to speed up or shorten his song, humph!

A little disapointed no X-mas songs have been sung… I mean it is a Holiday Special

Yet another Carrie song now.

Not nearly enough variety in this variety show.

Need…

MORE COOK!

ETA: Cook’s performance of Lie was stunning.

Nah for all we know its David Lee Roth or Sammy Haggars fault! That would be an even bigger fail!

Yeah, isn’t Why Can’t This Be Love from the Van Haggar era? If so, then I choose to blame Haggar, who clearly is threatened by charismatic front men named Dave. Yeah, that’s the ticket. DAMN YOU HAGGAR! *joins fist shaking*

Lie was beautiful. It salves the pain of no Cookwood.

Can we find out the breakdown of the ratings for this show over the course of the two hours?

Now this is a beautiful duet – Carrie and the Sons of Sylvia (aka The Clarke Brothers).

Pretty song but the Sons of Sylvia singer’s voice is weak and pitchy. Yikes. Carrie sounds good though. Flipping back to Gossip Girls now haha.

Exactly what is so holiday about this special? Cook was the highlight of this thing. What a snoozer.

What Can I Say – awesome. I love this song.

What Can I Say sounds amazing live, mj you should definitely post the video!

Ah, I missed the song with the Clark brothers. MJ I would love if you could post that one!

I think the sketches have been the highlight, the first one was really funny

Carrie Temporary Home, the Sons of Sylvia number and David Cook’s number so far are the best moments of the show. IMHO

I find it weird that someone would watch Carrie Underwood’s Christmas Special and complain about too much Carrie Underwood, but whatever floats your boat lol.

What Can I Say was stunning. Love that song so much.

Just want to say ‘ ¦ whoever was responsible for that Van Halen F**k Up is a major A-hole.

With all of his years producing Idol and SYTYCD, you’d think Nigel would know by now that you get a song cleared before you put it in your show.

Uggh this is the worst holiday special ever. I cant believe I have sat through this crap…..going to slit my wrists now.

Sorry Shankman and Uncle Nigel, but so far I’m finding this show a bit uneven, even for a variety special. I like the cheese, but it’s feeling a little choppy. Loved Cook on Lie – it’s absolutely one of my favorite songs and he sang it beautifully. I really liked the duet with Sons of Sylvia, and even the one via satellite with Brad. Carrie looks great and even her groan-worthy humor is groan-worthy in a good way. But for some reason the pacing feels really odd to me – it’s kind of dragging. I’m hoping the last bit with Dolly and Carrie is just a lot of singing.

Now I know why Carrie is wearing the high pumps. Its a Dolly thing. Queen of high heels and teased to Jesus hair. I love Dolly.

I have a feeling Carrie’s Mom was right, there might not be a next one

Dolly! Aww this reminds me of my favorite and woefully underrated Carly Smithson song on S7.

Want. More. Dave.

Lie was beautiful. It was a little surreal to hear a clear version on my TV though, instead of a scratchy Youtube version.;)

I’m enjoying the rest of it while decorating my Christmas tree. That way I can tune out the less interesting parts. Loved Temporary Home and the Brad Paisley songs. And, of course, Dolly! I remember hearing Here You Come Again on the radio with Dolly singing it way back when it was new!

I think the show is pretty lame. The highlight for me by far is seeing David Cook singing Lie. Short but beautiful. Also love the chance to see Mark Kanemura from SYTYCD dance again. So it’s all Dave and Mark for me. Carrie’s voice just doesn’t do much for me, and it does seem awfully strained, as are the silly sketches.

Ok, that bit with Dolly then Kristen was precious. Dang, Carrie’s funny!

OK I adore Dolly Parton so much. That whole bit just redeemed everything for me. Funny lady. Can’t wait to see them duet on IWALY.

Now this is a beautiful duet ‘“ Carrie and the Sons of Sylvia (aka The Clarke Brothers).

Oh, I missed this! I hope there’s vid on this.

Cannot.stand.Cowboy.Cassanova!

Blech!

For the number nerds – current overall iTunes:

28. Cowboy Casanova – Carrie Underwood
185. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing – Carrie Underwood
260. Lie – David Cook

Albums:

30. Play On – Carrie Underwood
175. David Cook – David Cook

God, I forgot how good of a song writter Dolly is

So, watching this special on my widescreen, I have come to a realization: David Cook and Carrie Underwood have to be the two most telegenic people in the history of AI. Maybe the duet was canned because it’s scientifically unwise to allow that much pretty onscreen at the same time. Mass TV implosion might have occurred or something. Also, Dolly is awesome. Annnnd…that’s all I got for tonight. Later y’all.

Kristen Chenoweth playing Dolly! Yessss!

Seems like David Cook, the Record took a major leap after that performance. Just give him some major time on prime time TV and he will sell.

If they did not have the Cook-Carrie song cleared for sure, why didn’t they tape a back-up song that WAS cleared? It just seems like common sense and aren’t professionals running these things? I don’t get it.

This show is beyond lame. The only bright spot was David Cook … beautiful job on Lie. Carrie is a pretty girl with a good voice, but she does not have the personality to pull off a show like this.

I got part of David’s performance of Lie on video, but my memory card ran out after about a minute & a half. So I apologize for no getting all of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHH9Pky-MbY

Yes, Dolly was a good songwriter, but unfortunately, age can be cruel on the old vocal chords. Ouch. Fortunately, I think the girls and the big hair plus the memories of what used to be, helps folks more easily skate by on the current sound. Except that didn’t really work for me.

Wow, Lie wasn’t even in the top 1000 songs yesterday, was it? And the album has jumped up several hundred spots as well.

MJ, we definitely need Dolly and Carrie’s duet on IWALY put up. It was sooo beautiful.

MJ, we definitely need Dolly and Carrie’s duet on IWALY put up. It was sooo beautiful

ITA!! They both looked and sound soooo beautiful!

Well can’t wait for the David song, sads that there wasn’t a duet and will be happy missing the rest of the show, from what I’ve read here. Definitely not my cuppa.

Can we find out the breakdown of the ratings for this show over the course of the two hours?

I’d predict a decline. So glad that Cookie was the first guest to perform.

Okay, I think I’ve said my two favorite Christmas songs are “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (done by David…YAY!) and “The Christmas Song” (reportedly done by Kris in Worcester tonight…DOUBLE YAY!).

My number three, and favorite “sacred,” Christmas song, Carrie just killed. KILLED DEAD I tell you. That was a beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night.”

That last song Carrie sang “Oh Holy Night” was amazing. That was her best vocal of the night and now I want the song on my Itunes. NOW

DCTR jumped over 800 spots on iTunes and is now #21 in Pop. Wow, the power of an amazing David Cook performance on live television. He does it every time!

How is “Jesus take the Wheel” specifically a Christmas song? Just because it’s about Jesus doesn’t make it a Christmas song; you could sing that song at Easter and it would still make sense.

The Christmas tree stage is the same as another American Idol Holiday special…I just remember Kelly Clarkson singing “Grown-up Christmas Wish” with trees set up in the same way on the stage. I need to youtube Kelly to clear my head of Carrie’s voice.

I really didn’t like “O Holy Night.” Breaths between each syllable at the end and a glory note with no purpose other than to hit a high note. I’d rather see her singing a simpler song and sing it well than try to diva out “O Holy Night.”

I agree that Carrie doesn’t have enough of a personality to pull off a 2 hour show like this. I do think it could have been a much better show, if it was really Carrie and friends, with the ‘friends’ having a much greater voice in the proceedings.

Since when is Jesus Take the Wheel a Christmas song? This is a very uneven vocal performance. I think Carrie’s compensating for less than stellar vocals with umpteen costume changes and stage directions and lighting cueing the audience to be impressed. It’s not working with me. (Disclaimer: I never was much impressed with Carrie on AI either).

Wow, Lie wasn’t even in the top 1000 songs yesterday, was it? And the album has jumped up several hundred spots as well.

No, Lie wasn’t even in the Top 1000 in Pop before the show, let alone overall. It’s now at #215 overall. Dave’s album was at #982 before the special aired. It’s up more than 800 spots to #151 overall in less than 2 hours.

Carrie’s moving fast too – Play On is about to break back into the Top 20 overall on iTunes (currently #21). What Can I Say (feat. Sons of Sylvia) is on the chart now at #274.

Ahh…the power of TV promo.

You know, the major leap DCTR took as a result of this performance just proves the point that Lie would’ve been a great single. Major fail, RCA!

movin2thabeet…we agree!

This was filmed over two nights, right? Carrie’s vocals were obviously MUCH better on the second night.

I think I got my fill of Carrie for awhile, but the show wasnt bad, just fluff.

Wait, I started flipping after a while, did she do ANY Christmas songs? I remember O Holy Night was in the commercials, and it’s my favorite Xmas song… did she do it? I caught part of the Jesus Take the Wheel performance with the winter wonderland set, and Dolly’s performance, but didn’t actually catch any Xmas songs by Carrie…?

ETA: Nevermind, read back the comments and I guess I missed O Holy Night. MJ can you post? Thanks!

I liked it. I would have liked more Christmas music, but I am never going to complain about hearing Carrie sing. The skits were a bit goofy, but oh well what are you going to do. I do think it is pathetic people are complaining on twitter that Cook didn’t get to do more and bitching like it is carrie’s fault. She didn’t even need to have him on her silly little special.

I’d predict a decline. So glad that Cookie was the first guest to perform.

Does anyone actually think ratings are going to suffer towards the end because he went first? Seriously? Maybe I should turn in my Cooktard card because I’m honestly shocked at the thought. This was CARRIE’S special and she’s a huge star who has sold over 10 million albums. I’m pretty sure a majority of people tuned in for her.

loved it.I was lol-ing “is your momma a drag queen?” lol

I think the rating may go down because the show just got cheesier and more boring as it went along, certainly not because David Cook’s fans left. It just wasn’t that entertaining, but did have some really good performances.

DCTR jumped from below 500 to 21 on pop Itunes apparently.

“So, Lie to me and tell you weren’t wrong about the singles
So, Lie to me and tell me you didn’t release the wrong song…”

I do think it is pathetic people are complaining on twitter that Cook didn’t get to do more and bitching like it is carrie’s fault. She didn’t even need to have him on her silly little special.

Wait, people are bitching about this about this on Twitter? f’real? Well that’s interesting, but why? I agree that Carrie didn’t need to have Cook on her special, given how popular she is.

I’d predict a decline. So glad that Cookie was the first guest to perform.

Well I don’t think Cook will effect the ratings that much, but given how cheesy it sounds a fan I’d be happy he was on early, so I could miss the rest of it.

Trina, I agree with Aileen. I think the DC fans weren’t so delusional to think that ratings on the special would decline after him due to some mass exodus, but rather that a show like this may just lose viewers as time goes on. Hence the whole, “glad Cookie went early” comment. Folks are predicting a ratings decline, and therefore are happy DC went early, rather than predicting a ratings decline because DC went early. Anyway, I lost interest because it was just too much of the same after a while, and not enough variety, but then again, like you say, it’s a Carrie special and I’m sure the majority of the viewers are Carrie fans who loved it so maybe there won’t be a decline.

Wait, people are bitching about this about this on Twitter? f’real? Well that’s interesting, but why? I agree that Carrie didn’t need to have Cook on her special, given how popular she is.

Haha truthiness, you know there is that special subset of fans in every AI fan group that has to complain about EVERYTHING lol. I’m sure most Cook fans were just pleased he turned in a great performance. Convinced me to download the song.

I do wish there had been more Holiday songs – the “medley” Carrie did at the end was really lovely. I know they filmed a good bit more than they showed, so I guess I’m not surprised Carrie’s voice showed some strain, but overall I think she looked and sounded pretty great.

I’m certainly interested in seeing the ratings, because I think it would be awesome for Carrie if she became even more of a go-to personality than she is now (she’s doing more and more hosting gigs on awards shows and such). But any decline over the course of the show is certainly not because folks bailed after Cook – 2 hours is just a long time to sit, and IMO the show was a bit uneven in parts.

I really don’t think Cook fans were suggesting that anyway – what I’ve seen on Twitter is people worried that the audience may have tuned out mid-show, and therefore some relief (selfish though it may be) that Cook appeared early. I’m a big Cook fan but I really love Carrie too, and this show appealed to the part of me that just loves seeing Idols supporting each other. It was good clean fun, and really did have some great musical moments. I hope it did well for Carrie and Fox.

I agree with Aileen & Sma11ie. I think ratings may have gone down due to the cheesyness of the show, not that lack of Cook. Fans are happy that Cook got a spot when ratings were probably highest.

I kept it on in the end…just didn’t sit right in front of it like a six-year-old watching cartoons (well, okay I did for Cook’s part). I did like most of the music performances, esp. Brad Paisley and Sons of Sylvia, but with the exception of the dog sketch and the banter with Dolly, I didn’t think most of the comedy bits were all that good. And I also agree that the ratings will go down towards the end just because that’s the pattern with these specials most of the time.

As long as we’re tracking numbers…I know they aren’t Idols but I’m curious about Brad’s, Dolly’s, and SOS’s numbers!

A lot more folks on Twitter are twittering about enjoying Carrie, Cook, Sons of Sylvia. Some disappointed what sounded like an awesome duet didn’t air. Only a few that upset about it, and they weren’t mad at Carrie, but at whatever mysterious forces prevent the song from clearing: producer fail or whatever.

So glad to hear people checking out Lie. That was an amazing performance & my favorite song from the album.

Hope somehow, somewhere another Cookwood duet happens. Love their voices together.

Also, I think fans were bitchin’ about not enough Cook, because they are bullsh*t that the duet didn’t get cleared. That performance would have shown viewers another side of not only Cook, but of Carrie as well. It was a very unfortunate loss.

Wait, people are bitching about this about this on Twitter? f’real? Well that’s interesting, but why? I agree that Carrie didn’t need to have Cook on her special, given how popular she is.

People were not complaining about Carrie. They were understandably unhappy with the show’s producers for not getting clearance ahead of time or having them do a song they had clearance for. I think Carrie would’ve really loved to have this duet shown because it would’ve shown a part of her she appears to value.

Does anyone actually think ratings are going to suffer towards the end because he went first?

I said “I’d predict a decline. So glad that Cookie was the first guest to perform.” This is because I thought the show lacked variety and dragged on too long, possibly losing viewers over time. Nothing to do with Cookie. It’s Carrie’s special.

I was thinking of viewers who might not (yet) be fans of Cook who might become fans of Cook after seeing that stunning performance of Lie. If they got bored with the show and tuned out the second hour or 90 minutes in, and Cook happened to be on late in the show, they would have missed him.

I’m happy for Carrie fans. It was a great night for them. Also very grateful that Carrie included Cookie on her show and speaks so highly of him.

Not a Carrie hater — I appreciate her talent and like some of her work Nor am I a Cook snob. My comment was misinterpreted by some and I thank those who understood and explained.

Loved Carrie and the Sons of Sylvia, too.

Temporary Home one of my faves from the new album!

I admit, the comedy was uh, strained.

Got my tree decorated to it!

People were not complaining about Carrie. They were understandably unhappy with the show’s producers for not getting clearance ahead of time or having them do a song they had clearance for. I think Carrie would’ve really loved to have this duet shown because it would’ve shown a part of her she appears to value.

I understand the people disappointed about the duet being canceled, I was too, but there definitely were some nasty tweets about how next year Carrie should let Cook do the special, how Carrie should have talked less and had more Cook, and thanks Carrie for not letting David say a word. Of course they are just the sore losers who complain about everything, but they were definitely out there.

I’m a bit late in watching—although the plus is I’m seeing it on a huge projection screen with a good sound system. As a number of folks know, I love Lie, and I’m so very happy that it got this time in the spotlight. What a lovely, lovely performance. I had been concerned that one of the DC songs would get cut because of time and had been afraid that Lie would be cut—I figured they’d be more likely to cut one of his songs than Brad’s or Dolly’s. [Never imagined that licensing would cause us to lose the duet.]

Cowboy Casanova and Before He Cheats were a little uneven to me, but I enjoyed Mama’s Song. I have a feeling that Quitter, my favorite song from Play On won’t be on here, but it sounds like some of the other songs that I like are.

Comedy-wise, I liked the AI bit, and the Ace thing was golden.

That’s all I’ve got for now, other than some inarticulate noises and a big smile for Lie. Now, I’ve just got to get my boyfriend to teach me how to turn the computer file that his DVR made from high-def TV into an MP3 and MP4….

Do a Twitter search for David’s @replies. There’s a few comments on that are trashing the show and slamming Carrie. Even just a few is insulting and makes the fandom look bad.

The complaining isn’t about Carrie at all. The complaining is about the producers not clearing a Van Halen song BEFORE Carrie and David recorded it. If they’d know beforehand that it wouldn’t clear, they could have done a different duet. Carrie had been touting the duet and I think the disservice was to her as well as David. People who were at the taping said the duet was amazing.

I don’t know whether the failure to pre-clear was an oversight or a misunderstanding. And I don’t know whether the fact that they couldn’t clear it afterwards was because the producers wouldn’t cough up enough money, or because Van Halen was pissy because they hadn’t pre-cleared.

So glad that people are checking out DCTR after seeing Lie. It was a terrific performance, he really nailed it.

Oh, I can tell you most Cook fans love Carrie. Many many that didn’t like her before are now supportive of her because of all the nice things she has said about David and for inviting him.
There is always someone who will bitch or something (even if I haven’t seen it), but teh main feeling is one of “love” that they’re great friends and that he could be there.

Anyway, the show was kinda lame. lol but it wasn’t boring actually. It had some really great musical moments and some comedy ones too.

I loved David’s Lie. I think it was amazing. Gorgeous, beautiful, so well sang. I want to watch it over and over again.
That medley was better tahn I expected. I enjoyed it.
My favorite by Carrie was probably the last one, Change. It was a great one to end it.

I have a feeling that Quitter, my favorite song from Play On won’t be on here, but it sounds like some of the other songs that I like are.

I was disappointed there was no Quitter and also no Someday When I Stop Loving You, but she was great on I Will Always Love You, and made me love Change even though it isn’t a favorite of mine on the album.

I loved David’s solo. Too bad the duet didn’t get a chance to be aired. They could have found another song for them to perform that was cleared since apparently the filming occured over more than one day. It’s possible David’s schedule didn’t allow for a subsequent taping. Hoping some day in the future, they’ll perform a duet again. I, for one, only tuned in because David was appearing. Other than that, I wouldn’t have watched it. Sorry Carrie – just not mycuppa.

As long as we’re tracking numbers’ ¦I know they aren’t Idols but I’m curious about Brad’s, Dolly’s, and SOS’s numbers!

Here are select songs performed on the show or appearing on the overall iTunes charts – I didn’t include all of Carrie’s or Cook’s charting songs because there are quite a few. (Also, I can’t remember if that’s the X-mas song Dolly did, but its the only one she has in the Top 1000 currently):

28. Cowboy Casanova – Carrie Underwood
184. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing – Carrie Underwood
202. Lie – David Cook
237. What Can I Say (feat. Sons of Sylvia) – Carrie Underwood
265. Then – Brad Paisley
324. Temporary Home – Carrie Underwood
860. Hard Candy Christmas – Dolly Parton

Albums:

18. Play On – Carrie Underwood
140. David Cook – David Cook
221. American Saturday Night (Bonus Track Version) – Brad Paisley
229. Brad Paisley Christmas – Brad Paisley
429. Carnival Ride – Carrie Underwood
565. Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood
860. Dolly Parton: 16 Biggest Hits – Dolly Parton

Sons of Sylvia aren’t on the Top 1000 overall albums at iTunes.

There’s a few comments on that are trashing the show and slamming Carrie. Even just a few is insulting and makes the fandom look bad.

Ugh. People need to grow up seriously! Yes, it makes us all look bad with this kind of immature behavior. It makes me feel sorry for Carrie since it certainly wasn’t her fault.

I loved Carrie’s duet with Dolly, the trio (heh) and O Holy Night. That was just beautiful. :) The AI bit was hilarious!

Do a Twitter search for David’s @replies. There’s a few comments on that are trashing the show and slamming Carrie. Even just a few is insulting and makes the fandom look bad.

There’s a difference in the bitching and I reserve the right to be pissed. I am certainly not pissed at Carrie or Cook, but somebody was really incompetent here and failed the two of them. I am not going to let people that you reference shame me out of being pissed at people that deserve it.

This was filmed over two nights, right? Carrie’s vocals were obviously MUCH better on the second night.

I think I agree with this. Songs Like This wasn’t that great vocally and she’s done Mama’s Song better – both of those were 1st night tapings. So was the 60s medley but I thought she sounded really good on that.

Carrie’s voice was best on What Can I Say, Change, Temporary Home, O Holy Night/the Jesus Is My Designated Driver song, and the duet with Brad IMO. All of those were 2nd night tapings. Weakest were Cowboy Casanova and Songs Like This but I think it’s more a testament to how she should drop this choreography/dancer business and just stick to singing.

I LOVED Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man. As a country fan it did my heart so much good seeing two of country music’s biggest contemporary stars honoring a country classic. Brad and Carrie sounded great together and IMO that duet makes me want Carrie to sing even more traditional country. They even made it work without being in the same place at the same time.

What Can I Say sounded epic at least on Carrie’s side. Ashley obviously struggled to keep his vocals up but overall I loved the song. Carrie sounded stunningly beautiful.

I love the passion in Carrie’s voice on Change, O Holy Night, and JTTW. And the emotions got to her when she was singing Temporary Home. Listening to Carrie step back and do harmonies as Dolly’s duet partner was so great – I became a Carrie fan because she can SANG but I’m still a Carrie fan because of the sweet sounds when she powers down.

The skits: the AI, Ace, and Dolly skits were hilarious, so was the mockumentary. Carrie’s mama had a few great lines and I loved watching her have fun with it. Carrie did good. I thought the sister thing dragged a little but it was OK. The ditzy blonde Carrie thing wasn’t my favorite though.

Brad sounded way better than usual on Then – it’s not my favorite song by him but I liked it tonight. Dolly was a pro as always – she makes me like listening to her because it feels like she’s at the same table chatting with me. David sounded very good but I had trouble understanding what he was saying and being honest I think that an angsty post-grunge song wasn’t a good fit for this show.

I really enjoyed the show mostly because as a Carrie fan I love hearing her sing and she had a bunch of incredible performances tonight. IMO the 2nd hour was stronger than the 1st hour.

Ken Tucker of EW gave the show a very good review :)

http://watching-tv.ew.com/2009/12/07/carrie-underwood-all-star-holiday-special/

First para:

Carrie Underwood has beaten the odds: at a time of the year when TV is clogged with Christmas specials, she managed to put one together that stood out. It had something for everyone ‘” singing, sentiment, silliness, and sex. And she made its charms last for a full two hours.

Just got to the Brad Paisley part of the evening. Loving this duet! Brad is one of my favorite country artists, and this song really worked well for them both. I wish that they’d been able to be in the same studio—I think that the by-play during the performance would have been great.

Just read back a bunch of pages on Twitter of comments about the special–overwhelmingly positive. I’m thinking Carrie’s producers and 19E will be able to balance out praise and gripes and not faint if they get a few of the latter :-) They ARE the Idol dudes. Plus, they’re gonna sell a lot more music from tonight.

Anyone got a sense where Play On is sales wise? Seems to be killing it and headed for Carrie’s 3rd platinum.

DCTR is now #138 and Lie is #202 on iTunes.

just finished watching, very disapointed, lame show, David the only breath of fresh air, gorgeous performance of a beautiful song. And wtf with all the old gay jokes? Double lame, could not even enjoy the music.

People are seriously upset by a few negative tweets from a few fans? Is there anything that doesn’t get negative tweets? I thought that half of the purpose for twitter was for people to complain….

Play On’s numbers through 11/29:

9 UNDERWOOD*CARRIE PLAY ON 123,870 44 86,218 656,342

It was estimated that last week she would bring in around 60K to 65K, and the HDD numbers thus far already have her over 700K. I’ve got to think that this show, plus the CMT Invitation Only show, will give her a nice boost this week.

David Cook Lie on the Holiday Special:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJkJqT-FF5E

Beautiful performance!

Big David Cook fan here and I love Carrie she sounded wonderful tonight and I am sad that the duet did not air. I think they were both disappointed. I am glad Carrie thought of David for her show.

Ahh’ ¦the power of TV promo.

…of a good song well performed. As recent events have shown, all the TV promo in the world doesn’t translate to sales if those factors aren’t there.

mj, my requests for vids if possible:

David Cook
Carrie, Kristen and Christina (skit and song medley)
Sylvia Sons(Clarke Brothers) and Carrie’s duet
Brad Paisley’s-”Then”
Dolly and Carrie’s duet.

Thanks!! :D

I LOVED Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man. As a country fan it did my heart so much good seeing two of country music’s biggest contemporary stars honoring a country classic.

Who sang this originally?

I LOVED Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man. As a country fan it did my heart so much good seeing two of country music’s biggest contemporary stars honoring a country classic.

Who sang this originally?

Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty.

It was Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, I believe, cookcricket.

Just now got to the Dolly/Carrie duet. Lovely. I have long had issues with that song ever since Whitney got her hands on it.

Just now got to the Dolly/Carrie duet. Lovely. I have long had issues with that song ever since Whitney got her hands on it.

Heh, I am not a fan of the Whitney version at all, but the Dolly/Carrie duet was really lovely. Also, I totally thought of you during Lie, Folk Fan, in between the guuuh and the gaaah and the oh MY, those are some big boots! ;)

Lie is now at 195! It’s visable at the top song page now.

my request for videos:
David Cook

and if possible the Carrie / David duet that did not air. Was it somehow “leaked” to youtube?

As for the special itself, it was all kinds of lame. The skits were painful. The whole finding a date for her sister wasn’t funny and got boring. Good to see Carson again, but he was wasted in his skit. FABULOUS to see my favorite So You Think You Can Dancer – Mark – as one of her dancers. I’m not a country music fan at all, I will easily admit, but I watched the dance performances just for glimpses of Mark. Did like Carrie’s dressing like Dolly Parton. The skit with Dolly was fun and didn’t feel forced.

Oh David Cook – after a horrible day to hear your beautiful voice on this beautiful song is such a comfort. Oh and seeing your lovely face doesn’t hurt either. (would have like to see the band a bit) Thank the heavens for youtube.

“Lie” is up to #59 on the iTunes pop chart!

I don’t see him on the overall singles chart…where’s that url for the RSS feed again?

2 hours 2 long

I don’t see him on the overall singles chart’ ¦where’s that url for the RSS feed again?

Lie is now #184 overall

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wpa/MRSS/topsongs/sf=6603441/limit=0000/rss.xml

Did anyone else notice how much different Carrie’s mom and sisters look than when they were on Idol? They’ve obviously all had significant “work.” Compare Mom tonight with this Mom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh-8zj5owas

Love the duet with Sons Of Sylvia! Great job!

I’m not trying to be snarky. But some Kris fans have said he hasn’t had a lot of promotion, so I’m just wondering why Kris couldn’t have been a guest tonight. Also Danny for that matter. They both would have been great guests.

Did anyone else notice how much different Carrie’s mom and sisters look than when they were on Idol? They’ve obviously all had significant ‘work.’  Compare Mom tonight with this Mom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh-8zj5owas

That’s funny. I never saw Carrie’s mom and sisters before tonight. I guess that’s Hollywood, or Nashville or what have you!

Don’t have time to go through all comments, but I liked most of the show. Didn’t care for the whole thing with her sister, trying to get her a date. Wish I could have heard more with Sons of Sylvia, and too bad that they could not show David and Carrie together. I told my son that Kristin Chenoweth would make a good Dolly, then hear Dolly saying how she’s hoping that Kristin would do it if she did amovie about her life, :-D. One little gripe I have is that there were not more holiday songs.It is called a holiday special, so I really did hope to hear more holiday songs. Glad to hear those she sang, though.:-).

Carrie handpicked the guests herself.

The live version of Lie was superb as it always is, as anyone who has heard it live can attest. The hair on the guy singing it, on the other hand, needed some serious help….

iluvai – I believe Carrie when she said she chose who she wanted on the show. She’s the megabucks seller, after all. and from AI, she wanted her friend Cookie. end of story.

and after a crummy day I have energy to say again how lovely & powerful David’s performance was, but I do Not have the time or energy for a hair discussion

Itune feed has Lie at #173 and WWFM at #178. A testimony to the power of putting out great music, people just ned to hear it.

edit: knock off the fanwarring, or you end up in moderation.

I’m not trying to be snarky. But some Kris fans have said he hasn’t had a lot of promotion, so I’m just wondering why Kris couldn’t have been a guest tonight. Also Danny for that matter. They both would have been great guests.

I think she said she wanted her idols and friends there, and that’s why David was invited.

The hair on the guy singing it, on the other hand, needed some serious help’ ¦.

Bahaha… I wasn’t gonna bring it up this time… but since you are, I’ll have to concur. Serious case of flat-head there. Sorry DC. You looked and sounded great otherwise… but the hair will always be a thorn on your side, I guess.

Carrie’s called DC one of her best friends, and said several times that they sound great together, and that it feels great to sing with DC. (She probably didn’t originally expect their duet to get cut…)And she seems a genuine fan of the record, listing it on her iTunes playlist recommendations, namechecking it in interviews every so often. I think that’s why she chose DC. It wasn’t a case of, let’s fill the Idol slot with whoever needs promotion. I bet there would’ve even be an “Idol slot” if Carrie didn’t want DC there.

I think she said she wanted her idols and friends there, and that’s why David was invited.

I think that’s cool. I am a total David Cook fan. (I was in my grandma’s hospice room watching and screaming when David Cook won that year.)

I guess Carrie is past the AI pressure cooker and she can do what she wants now. Kris just seems sweet and he has a lot of fans. I would have rather seen him than Kristen and Christina or just some of the stupid skits.

I’m baaaaack.

I’m baaaaack.

I just refreshed my page and that’s the first thing I saw. Yikes!!!

Glad you are back. I think you have a lot of reading to do.

Aw, the hair keeps him human. We wouldn’t want anyone mistaking him for a Jonas Brother or something.

I cannot beleive how every freaking time Dave gets a television appearance, his sales spike – even a year after the record release. He really has a gift for performing. So great that he finally got an opportunity to showcase Lie. And I’m impressed he kept the acapella section in, that was pretty bold.

Aw, the hair keeps him human. We wouldn’t want anyone mistaking him for a Jonas Brother or something.

I love the guys with life experience! :)

The live version of Lie was superb as it always is, as anyone who has heard it live can attest. The hair on the guy singing it, on the other hand, needed some serious help’ ¦.

. . . as anyone who has seen his pre-makeover hair during his AI run can attest. Tragic really.

I loved David Cook’s performance of Lie – thought Carrie looked beautiful – and in the opening black pants and boots – hot!

I took one last look at iTunes before I go to bed – Lie is now at #171 – that’s sweet – with the new releases coming through I don’t expect it to last – but I’m loving it tonight.

Wow not impressed with Carrie at all. Wth with all the gay jokes at gays expense. It was not funny and just a cheesy show. Brad Paisley being the only highlight. I was not impressed with David Cook Lie was boring. Carrie sings the same way all the time high pitch and shouty with little emotion. No more Carrie Underwood specials please.

I guess Carrie is past the AI pressure cooker and she can do what she wants now. Kris just seems sweet and he has a lot of fans. I would have rather seen him than Kristen and Christina or just some of the stupid skits.

I wouldn’t have traded Kristin and Christina but in the end it’s not like Carrie was able to include all of her friends or even all of her closest friends. For instance she’s tight with Thousand Foot Krutch and has gushed majorly about that band, but I’d guess she was told there was only room for 1 non-mainstream act so they went with Sons Of Sylvia. I’d guess that the producers definitely didn’t want more than 1 AI guest and David was the most obvious and available choice (I mention available only because Kelly would’ve been an obvious choice too).

I’m baaaaack.

LOL, I just got online and that made me giggle. MJ, you’re awesome.

*Sigh* – my favorite song, my favorite singer… all on my nice big TV. Hair schmair, he looked great and sounded fantastic. I don’t seem to make it past the lips (at best I get to eyes) so I just don’t even look at the hair these days :)

Well, they didn’t put Neal in the shadows… they just put the whole band 300 miles away, lol. Where was Kyle!? Back with Ricky?

I actually enjoyed a lot of the show – it was a bit too long, but I adore Brad Paisley and think he’s such an amazing songwriter and musician… and my 4 year old thought the dog skit was hilarious (I got some giggles out of it, too). Waaaah for no Cook/Carrie duet! I thought O Holy Night was gorgeous (my favorite Christmas song) and holy smokes is Carrie gorgeous. And Dolly cracks me up. Love her.

I flipped back and forth to football for the 2nd hour of it but it really was a pretty cute show, I thought. But I cannot tell a lie, once I realized that the duet was indeed kaput… I wasn’t quite as interested. And as for people on Twitter bitching about Carrie, some people are just stupid, hee! Like Carrie had anything to do with losing the duet – she talked about it a lot before they realized there were issues with it. Carrie’s a superstar, she didn’t have to have her buddy Cookie on there (so cute) but I’m so very glad that she did. And hooray for single/album sales spikes. Will not get bitter that Lie isn’t on my radio… will not get bitter that Lie isn’t on my radio…

Aw, the hair keeps him human.

Hee, too true. Also, it’s kind of like a fuzzy little cojoined twin rather than you know hair at this point with all the separate attention it gets. Anyway, here I was thinking David’s hair was having a decent day, relatively. Y’all are harsh. You know this is David’s hair we’re talking about, right? Ya gotta grade on a scale. Still think that color was too dark, but it’s already gotten a little lighter again since then so yay. More importantly, I still can’t get over how disgusting awesome his ginormous head, er, face looked during all of those crazy super close ups. Ridic. Bb needs to be on TV more often.

But some Kris fans have said he hasn’t had a lot of promotion, so I’m just wondering why Kris couldn’t have been a guest tonight.

Because unlike Cook and Carrie, Kris doesn’t fit into Fuller’s evil plans for breeding a race of super Idols that will eventually take over the world?

I wouldn’t have traded Kristin and Christina but in the end it’s not like Carrie was able to include all of her friends or even all of her closest friends.

I’m sure you’re right. It’s just that Kris was the AI winner so he should be showcased, and Danny is doing country. Plus, there are a lot of fans that would have loved to see them!

I don’t know Sons of Sylvia, but I guess that doesn’t mean they aren’t popular. The Kris/Chris girls… I just don’t get it. oh well…

but I adore Brad Paisley

I adore Kimberly Williams Paisley! :)

You know this is David’s hair we’re talking about, right? Ya gotta grade on a scale.

Haha, I know, I thought he had a pretty good hair day ;)

So pretty, that face. So pretty.

I adore Kimberly Williams Paisley!

They are a disgustingly cute pair, aren’t they? Adorable :)

They are a disgustingly cute pair, aren’t they? Adorable :)

Yes. Adorable. :)

I was just happy to see Mark Kanemura again (SYTYCD alum). He’s one of the best dancers ever to grace that show – not to mention a fabulous choreographer. I’m surprised to not have seen more of him, actually – especially his unique choreography. Nice to him now, though. That really made the show for me. About Carrie….I was a bit surprised she wasn’t easier around the camera, actually. Lord knows she should be used to them by now. She seemed unusually tense – and it affected her performance somewhat. Maybe she’s just not all that comfortable speaking scripted lines on camera. It will be interesting to see how Jennifer Hudson handles her holiday special. It’s not as easy as you might think, you know. People freeze up. I remember doing a live radio interview promoting a play I was directing. It was just me and the lead actor. He and I had discussed in great detail what to expect (possible questions, promotional strategies). He seemed relaxed and ready….until the headphones went on and the interviewer asked the first question. Poor guy just sat there and stared at the microphone like it was a cobra. Nary a word left his lips. I had to carry the entire interview all on my own. You just never know.

The hair wasn’t that bad. Although it sorta reminded me of a comb-over and it usually doesn’t. Maybe it’s because it’s so flat. #rogaineisntthatexpensive

I don’t seem to make it past the lips (at best I get to eyes) so I just don’t even look at the hair these days

I know, right? We’ve got to have something to distract from the pretty so we can pay attention to the music. Which we’re all about, of course. Speaking of the music, DCTR now at 134 on iTunes. Looks like Dave made some nice inroads with Carrie fans tonight.

ETA: now at 127.

OK, one last check at iTunes just as the West Coast feed is wrapping:

28. Cowboy Casanova – Carrie Underwood
150. Then (Single Edit) – Brad Paisley
152. What Can I Say (feat. Sons of Sylvia) – Carrie Underwood
164. Lie – David Cook
178. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing – Carrie Underwood
206. Then – Brad Paisley
238. Temporary Home – Carrie Underwood

14. Play On – Carrie Underwood
124. David Cook – David Cook
208. American Saturday Night (Bonus Track Version) – Brad Paisley

Speaking of the music, DCTR now at 134 on iTunes. Looks like Dave made some nice inroads with Carrie fans tonight.

Wish he could perform on TV more often, lol. He gets some nice bumps on iTunes whenever he does! Haha, I had called my mom tonight about… hmm, 7:30, and missed her so she called me back right after David was on and said, “I saw you called – did you just call me to tell me David Cook was on TV?” Hee. NO, I didn’t. Jeez.

Interesting. Checked out the versions of Lie I have on my iTunes. The album version is 3:49, the Walmart Soundcheck from album release was 4:18, the GMA version from January was 4:17, as was the David Wright Gala from November 08. Various tour versions clocking in over 4:30, upwards of 4:52 for the Mitchell concert. I haven’t listened to the album version in a long while– no wonder I found this version of Lie a bit rushed and short compared to the tour versions, because it was, by a lot!

Still great though ;). And yay for an album and single bump on iTunes! Thanks for the updates ladymadonna. I gotta say, the rankings make sense. Based on the special alone, I would have come away wanting to download Brad Paisley’s single Then, DC’s Lie, What Can I Say (Sons of Sylvia’s nerves, and let’s be honest, poor vocals notwithstanding, it was a beautiful song, as recorded), and Temporary Home. The Dolly duet was a stand out moment as well, but alas, not available for download.

mj – I’d love it if you posted these..

David Cook – Lie
Sons of Sylvia & Carrie duet “What Can I Say”
Christina, Kristen and Carrie – medley

Thanks !

Hee. Cook fans are such number nerds. Do other fandoms do this?

ETA: I mean the tracking and cataloguing of all sorts of numbery goodness on their favorite.

Keel
12/08/2009 at 1:06 am
Hee. Cook fans are such number nerds. Do other fandoms do this?

I doubt it, y’know we’re all kinds of crazy.

ETA: And to think DCTR was #982 just yesterday.

Hee. Cook fans are such number nerds. Do other fandoms do this?

We’re *special.*

Sometimes good special, sometimes just special special. Ha!

David Cook, thank you for a beautiful rendition of a beautiful song… oh, so pretty.

Hee. Cook fans are such number nerds.

I have NO IDEA what you’re talking about *shuts down multi-page spreadsheet*

Not being a country music fan, I really didn’t know much about Carrie’s music until she and Dave did the Go Your Own Way duet at Disneyworld, but have since listened to quite a few of her songs and enjoy several. They seem like they have a genuine friendship, and performing together is a nice way for their fans to get to know the other’s music as well. Thanks again to Carrie for inviting him on the show.

Carrie, I love when they call her the singing head…that girl can sing! She looked beautiful. I was a fan of hers, the only idol, before Cook. Cook sounded incredible. I was actually distracted more by the voice than the pretty…or maybe it was a combination of the two…or maybe it was the open shirt…the tight pantz…

I have NO IDEA what you’re talking about *shuts down multi-page spreadsheet*

Ohhh, you *totally* have one of those spreadsheets with the formulas linked through separate worksheets and stuff. You do, I know you do!

I need to go watch a video of Lie again. You know, to get me in sleepy mode. For like, pleasant dreams and stuff. Of my husband, of COURSE.

I missed the first 20 min. or so. There was an AI skit? Anybody mind summarizing the jest of it briefly? Was it funny? Luckily I tuned in just in time to hear David Cook.

or maybe it was the open shirt’ ¦the tight pantz’ ¦

Heh, now we’re talking…jes saying, A++ to the wardrobe department. As for the number nerds, I love em, but my Cook inspired nerd-dom veers more towards the ten page thesis on the divergent uses of circle imagery in popular Cookian lyrics variety. :P

It was so good to see David again! I loved the lighting and his voice was in good form. Wish we could have seen them do a duet. I still don’t understand why they didn’t choose another song. There was plenty of time to get the clearance. They should have had a back-up song ready for the viewers.

Like Carrie, but she’s not in the best voice. Carrie, in case you’re mixed up, the way to beat Taylor is not to sing like her!

There definitely was a need to edit or redo a song or two.

How Carrie won Season 4 was hilarious. Loved the Bo Bice interaction! In the beginning of the season, Constantine was a threat to Carrie and Bo. The dog skit was so cute! The ‘Girl Groups’ number was a favorite of mine.

Carrie looked so pretty and she had the most beautiful dresses (and lighting during certain numbers). It was a good evening overall.

Heh, now we’re talking’ ¦jes saying, A++ to the wardrobe department.

I was preparing for *pleasant* dreams, not… pantz dreams! You lead me astray, I tell you.

Hee. Cook fans are such number nerds. Do other fandoms do this?

ETA: I mean the tracking and cataloguing of all sorts of numbery goodness on their favorite.

EEp! Sorry. It’s a compulsion.

I do track the other Idols though. Maybe just not quite as closely as Mr. Cook…

I missed the first 20 min. or so. There was an AI skit? Anybody mind summarizing the jest of it briefly?

I thought the AI skit was pretty funny actually, though any remaining fans of Connie would probably not agree. It basically showed how Carrie “really” won S4. They intercut actual footage from the season with memories of her stuffing money into envelopes to bribe the judges (followed by Simon saying she would sell more records than any other Idol), sticking pins in a Constantine voodoo doll (followed by his “shock-boot” over Anthony), kidnapping Seacrest’s dog, and talking trash to Bo (before showing her confetti moment). Fun for Idol fans, but I’m sure it went over the head of a lot of the audience.

Oh, my family did get a kick out of the skit about how Carrie won AI. That one had my husband laughing :) . I think he was distracted enough by Carrie’s beauty to not raise eyebrow or eye roll at my glowing Cookie adoration. Yay for distracted hubbies!

Because unlike Cook and Carrie, Kris doesn’t fit into Fuller’s evil plans for breeding a race of super Idols that will eventually take over the world?

My favorite quote of the day!

MP3 of Lie:

http://www.mediafire.com/?z2mnh2tttmm

MP4 of Lie:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ztomymzmvju

Watching Lie shoot up iTunes makes me sad that it’ll never get a chance as a single, unless he puts it on a live album and releases it then.

EEp! Sorry. It’s a compulsion.

I do track the other Idols though. Just not quite as closely as Mr. Cook’ ¦

Oh, LadyMadonna, don’t apologize! We lesser number nerds are very grateful for the number goddesses, like you, and Kirsten, and FolkFan, and everyone else who shares!

But some Kris fans have said he hasn’t had a lot of promotion, so I’m just wondering why Kris couldn’t have been a guest tonight.

Kris had and HAS plenty of promo. He didn’t need this special and it wasn’t up to Carrie to do him a favor because he’s the current winner. Doesn’t matter if Sons of Sylvia are popular or not. This special was about Carrie and who she wanted whether it be because the guests were her personal Idols or a good friend. As it’s been said, not only has she called David one of her best friends, but Carrie has always loved his album and has supported it since it came out.

Watching Lie shoot up iTunes makes me sad that it’ll never get a chance as a single, unless he puts it on a live album and releases it then.

I wouldn’t mind if this is how things pan out if ever. I have to say live Lie is waaay better than record Lie. Either way, it is a beautiful song and I am happy that it is getting a little bit of attention that it so richly deserves.

Ladymadonna – thankyou for the recap of the AI skit. I wish I would have seen it. I love satire of “that cheesy show” almost as much as I love watching it. Maybe MJ will put up a video of it. Although all the performances may be a higher priority. If not, I’d love to see it MJ.

oh, I so agree with everyone in wishing for Lie to be a single….

My favorite song on the album as well.

David Cook is Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! I was blown away when he sang the part of Lie Accapella in concert!

I think Carrie and David would make a cute couple haha

At 11 pm on the west coast…”Lie” is #53 in Itunes Pop singles (THREE places above AL’s Whadaya want from me) and the album is #128 (two places below Kris Allen’s album, remembering David’s was released one YEAR ago, to the day).

And that’s with one TV performance.

I only caught bits and pieces of the show, but David was fantastic, the bit with Dolly was cute and the duet with Dolly as lovely. Dolly might not have the voice she once did, but she will never lose that quality that makes it impossible to take your eyes off her. (And no, I’m not just referring to the obvious. Obviouses.)

As for “Lie,” it wasn’t “2 minutes” worth, it was the whole song and according to the video came in at 3.53. The recorded version is 3.49. Most of us are so used to the super slow version he’s been doing in concert (complete with 10 second pause for the audience to shut the ef up for the a capella portion) that it does sound fast, but I wonder if he did it that way to match the tempo of the recorded version as much as possible for some reason.

In fact, I can think of several reasons for that but I am not getting my hopes up. I’ve learned that lesson *way* too well. But to end on a positive note, DC looked terrific, the hair was not bad, and I even liked those silly rain boots or whatever the heck they were (and now know where they came from). *L*

At 11 pm on the west coast’ ¦’ Lie’  is #53 in Itunes Pop singles (THREE places above AL’s Whadaya want from me) and the album is #128 (two places below Kris Allen’s album, remembering David’s was released one YEAR ago, to the day).

And that’s with one TV performance.

Actually Cook’s album has leapfrogged Kris for the time being (DCTR is at #119 now while Kris is holding steady at #128), and Carrie’s close to breaking back into the top 10 at iTunes (she’s at #12 overall). Kris’s single is of course slaying Lie – LLWD is sitting pretty at #30 overall. But the bounce has pushed Lie (at #158) 22 slots past Adam’s WWFM for the moment.

I keep waiting for the new releases to flood through, but so far Carrie’s special is driving some nice short-term spikes. These positions probably won’t hold through the morning, which means they’ll have minimal impact on the sales charts (except for Carrie, who is moving serious units as it is). Lie of course will drop fast with no airplay support. But it’s kind of fun to track tonight.

I watched Carrie’s special and couldn’t stand it. There’s a reason I never liked her and I was reminded of this tonight. I wanted to see David Cook perform, so I endured the cheesy skits and the beauty pageantry and multiple costume changes.

I contemplated sitting through the Chenoweth-Applegate performance, but when they stopped in the middle of the song to ask Carrie about her boyfriend’s ring, I couldn’t take it anymore.

Sometimes good special, sometimes just special special. Ha!

Yup, that’s us Cookies to a tee. Hahaha Anyway, numbers:

DCTR 122
Lie 158

ETA: And about the “edited” Lie, I think they made concessions for the duet. Since both of them would be singing, they used the full song and probably to come under time, they asked David and the band to edit Lie (wasn’t there an extended intrumental before the a capella?). And because somebody fucked up, we could only watch one half of Cookie’s stint on the show.

Well, hell, if I’m up at 2:30 am – I might as well watch that purty Lie video that MJ just posted… :)

Then maybe I can sleep. And dream. Hee.

I know the overall charts are more important, but this is fun to see on the pop charts:

11 – Allison Iraheta
14 – Adam Lambert
17 – David Cook
18 – Kris Allen
19 – Adam Lambert deluxe

Though I maintain that DC isn’t pop, and in an ideal world, Allison shouldn’t be either, it’s nice to see these guys together on the charts. Go Idols! I also know this DC bump won’t last, but like ladymadonna says, it’s just fun to see for the moment ;). DC fans love their numbers and it’s been a while since we had anything to track. Too bad the $5 Amazon MP3 sale didn’t coincide with this– I wonder if that combination could’ve given DCTR a big enough bump to show up on BB200…? Anyway, who knows. I’m just happy to see that if the song is right, DC can still sell his songs and his record with a single TV performance. Gives me hope that record #2 has a shot at doing okay so long as RCA helps him put together some good songs, and 19 launches the album drop well by booking him those typical TV promo gigs, etc…

Too bad the $5 Amazon MP3 sale didn’t coincide with this’“ I wonder if that combination could’ve given DCTR a big enough bump to show up on BB200′ ¦?

It possibly could have. UKMix had DCTR selling just under 3000 copies last week. The two combined could have pushed it back onto the album chart.

I can’t seem to sleep so I went back and rewatched some of my favorite moments. I really liked Carrie’s performance of Change at the very end – it wasn’t originally one of my favorite tracks on Play On but now I’m really liking it. And I wish they would release the IWALY duet with Dolly to iTunes – I would buy that in a heartbeat despite my general antipathy towards Whitney’s version and the annual abuse of it on Idol.

If you’re still awake (ugh, I am for a while but I should be STUDYING!), what’s UMix?

CathyMK you are the best — thank you so much for the dls!

And now that I can listen without any visual distraction *cough* I realize just what a stellar vocal that was. Man can he siiiiiiiiiiing.

Oops, bleary-eyed typo – I fixed my post above. It should be UKMix. It’s basically the U.K. version of Pulse. Crazy-ass chart-watchers forum, Brit edition. They do cover the U.S. charts too though so it’s a nice supplement:

http://www.ukmix.org/

Just watched it in on my TV. Lie was absolutely beautiful. That is all.

I wouldn’t wanna disturb the Cookie talk and the viewing of his video :) but the one of the girls on the special got serious spikes on iTunes.

Carrie’s iTunes rankings. The (+#) is the increase in position compared to yesterday.

Top 200 Albums
All genres:
#12- Play On (+30)

Country:
#1- Play On (+1)
#21- Carnival Ride (+5)

Pop:
#70- Some Hearts (+26)

Top 200 Songs
All genres:
#28- Cowboy Casanova (a) (+2)
#143- What Can I Say *RE-ENTRY*
#176- Hark! the Herals Angels Sing *DEBUT*

Country:
#2- Cowboy Casanova (a)
#20- What Can I Say *RE-ENTRY*
#28- Temporary Home (a) (+46)
#51- Cowboy Casanova (s)
#53- Mama’s Song *RE-ENTRY*
#61- Change *RE-ENTRY*
#64- All-American Girl (+3)
#84- Last Name (+7)
#85- Undo It (a) (+10)
#92- Just a Dream
#94- Songs Like This *RE-ENTRY*
#120- I Told You So (+4)
#132- I Told You So (feat. Randy Travis) (+21)
#141- Someday When I Stop Loving You *RE-ENTRY*
#150- Temporary Home (s) *RE-ENTRY*
#164- So Small (+32)
#185- Play On *RE-ENTRY*

Pop:
#83- Before He Cheats (+24)
#115- Jesus, Take the Wheel (+57)

Christian & Gospel:
#43- How Great Thou Art (+28)

Holiday:
#25- Hark! the Herald Angels Sing (+8)

Top 100 Videos
All genres:
#27- Cowboy Casanova (+1)

Country:
#3- Cowboy Casanova
#17- Just a Dream (+2)
#20- All-American Girl (+7)
#21- Before He Cheats (+12)
#38- Jesus, Take the Wheel (+15)
#44- Last Name (+11)
#63- Wasted (+15)
#70- So Small
#92- Don’t Forget to Remember Me *RE-ENTRY*

Wow, I’m not even a fan of “Lie” but dangit if he can’t make me fall in love with anything he sings live! Simply beautiful….

Not gonna lie, I have re-watched my DVR of Cookie singing “Lie” a disturbing numer of times already tonight. I honestly have no words for how gorgeous that/he was. I hate you Van Halen!

I also love me some Carrie Underwood, and I think that she did a fantastic job tonight, particularly on the ballads that she sang. Like others I would have preferred a few more Christmas songs, etc, but overall it was cute (some awkward editing notwithstanding).

Thrilled to see her chart and sales numbers increasing so dramatically as a result of all her hard work and talent.

ETA: And anybody who worships Dolly Parton as much as Carrie so obviously does, deserves huge props in my opinion. Dolly is a songwriting genius, and like someone else already said, a magnetic performer (ravages of age be damned). Dolly is beautiful both inside and out.

Haha, Leila, Carrie is a powerhouse, indeed. Forgive us, we DC fans are just desperate for crumbs to talk about, since this album is in its twilight hours, and the tour is over. He performed for 4 minutes and we can’t shut up about it, LOL!

But man, I would’ve loved to see Carrie duet with DC. I honestly feel like the Sons of Sylvia guy sounded horrible on a great Carrie song, whereas DC and Carrie’s voices mesh and harmonize so well. I haven’t really heard other males duet with Carrie, and while I think she and Brad did well, and Brad sounded great as always, it’s hard for me to judge on that song cuz I don’t really like old country, or classic country, or whatever that song was… and I really really think when DC and Carrie sing, in the words of Uncle Nigel, they create “magic”. DC can keep up with her vocally, but they both also know when to hold back, and can each harmonize well, so neither is screaming over/one-upping the other, and the timbres of their voices are different but just blend well. Man, I so wanted to hear this. Ugh, HUGE opportunity lost.

C’mon, TPTB’s, make this happen again- IGB, DC’s album #2… I’ll take either or, if not both… please ;)?

Some of Carrie’s own fans are taking her to task for the content of the special — it seems for not being Christmas-sy (read Christian) enough.

http://www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com/us/forum/carries-christmas-special

Hopefully, they represent a small minority of her fans. Also, it seems lots of people just didn’t stick around long enough for the Christmas content.

Keel
12/08/2009 at 3:22 am
Some of Carrie’s own fans are taking her to task for the content of the special ‘” it seems for not being Christmas-sy (read Christian) enough.

http://www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com/us/forum/carries-christmas-special

Hopefully, they represent a small minority of her fans. Also, it seems lots of people just didn’t stick around long enough for the Christmas content.

Ouch! Some of those comments by so-called Carrie fans are pretty harsh. Ironically some of the only posters on there defending Carrie are Cook fans. Idol fandoms are so odd.

I contemplated sitting through the Chenoweth-Applegate performance, but when they stopped in the middle of the song to ask Carrie about her boyfriend’s ring, I couldn’t take it anymore.

LEADER OF THE PACK
The Shangri-Las
- #1 hit in 1964

[spoken part]
Is she really going out with him?
Well, there she is. Let’s ask her.
Betty, is that Jimmy’s ring you’re wearing? Mm-hmm
Gee, it must be great riding with him
Is he picking you up after school today?
Uh-uh
By the way, where’d you meet him?

Yes, it is part of the lyrics, Starr.

I understand the people disappointed about the duet being canceled, I was too,…

I would like to know what was put IN the show to take up that allotted time slot?

I would like to know what was put IN the show to take up that allotted time slot?

They usually tape more content than they have time to show for specials like this. I actually think some other content was cut as well. I think Sons of Sylvia had a solo performance that was as well. I think it was wise to cut that, personally…

I think if the DC/Carrie duet was kept in, maybe one of the other Carrie solos would’ve been cut, or maybe one of the skits.

Carrie is beautiful and she is a wonderful singer mostly. That said I was very disapointed in the show overall. I tuned in for ~30 minutes and I found it somewhat laborious. It was quite awkward or it was edited poorly.
The High point….David Cooks live version of Lie….Just stellar!!
The Lowest points…finding a date for her sister with the gay ref to dancers.
disrepectful to dancers and gays! Having my friend who had been watching patiently with me said “Do You Really like this?”, “Could We Change The
Channel Please.”And we did!!!

It’s really a shame the David/Carrie duet didn’t make the show…. I was there in the studio during recording and I have to tell you, it was phenomenal.

What was even cooler…? They did it twice. Don’t know why they did it twice cause they killed it the first time through. I never thought a rocker and a country singer would sound THAT good together but they DID. Cook did Lie twice too…. killed it both times. He sounds so good live, there just aren’t words to describe.

What’s interesting is that folks are saying that Carrie sounded a bit off on some songs…. in the studio she sounded perfect on everything, and afterwards my sister and I were new Carrie fans. I had no idea how good she is. Unfortunately I didn’t see the special tonite (forgot to set the DVR… crap) but it will be on again later in the month. I’ll record it then and compare Carrie’s TV performances with what I remember.

Of course, Cook will be perfection but it will be nice to see him on the big HD screen… yay!

Do you think the rebroadcast will give Cook a spike on itunes again?

I would not read into those negative posts on Carrie’s site. It’s a small handful of fans posting adamantly several times, and not indicative of her wider fanbase, I don’t think. Isn’t her paid/locked fansite the one that’s really active?

I just realized something really sad. I realize this isn’t a “David Cook thread” per se, but it’s tagged DC, so I’ll just go ahead…. besides the special’s rerun on 12/22, I pretty much have nothing to look forward to in DC-land besides the occasional tweet until the New Years Eve show reports and recaps. After that, we have the Extreme Makeover Home Edition episode in January, and then a HUGE long drought! Potentially nada from January until IGB in March or April, assuming DC makes an appearance, and then fingers crossed, the new single debuts near the end of AI9…

I’m really hoping he’ll be working with the band from January through the Summer, cuz it’s more likely we’ll get goofy updates and shennanigans and I’m hoping, even some new Pork Beans episodes with Andy/Neal/Monty/Kyle.

I absolutely LOVE that performance of “Lie.” That song was one of my immediate favorites when I got Cook’s album. I really loved the a capella part of this performance. Absolutely gorgeous. :D

I love Carrie. BUT, was not impressed with her special. Thought it was kinda boring. Her guest were interesting but seeing Carrie sing alot on one show-realized alot of her songs sound much the same and not as interesting when heard as an alone performance on another tv special,award show, etc…Again, think Carrie is GREAT- just not so much when she sings one song after another for an extended period….just bored me????????

Carrie is a gorgeous girl and a fabulous singer and a huge success, but she is not an actress or a comedienne and last night’s special was one of the worst of its kind I have ever seen. Good to see Cook — great as always, but wow, the special was painful…..had to change the channel about 70% of the way thru bc just couldn’t watch any more.

I agree, mmb. I started watching it because I wanted to see the Clark Brothers, but I changed the channel during the bit about how she won AI. It was cringe-inducing. I kept switching back to it, but it never got any better. Wow. It was truly terrible.

Well, I recorded it, primarily for Cook, I admit. Lie was beautiful, as I knew it would be. But, what a terrible show. I am not really a Carrie fan, and not a country fan, and I knew it would be cheesy. But, man, David thankfully got the best spot on the show. My mom, who loves Carrie, didn’t even watch the second half.

Carrie is a gorgeous girl and a fabulous singer and a huge success, but she is not an actress or a comedienne and last night’s special was one of the worst of its kind I have ever seen. Good to see Cook ‘” great as always, but wow, the special was painful’ ¦..had to change the channel about 70% of the way thru bc just couldn’t watch any more.

I have to concur, although I loved seeing Bo too. (I thought he was awesome!) But as a Cook fan, I do thank Carrie from the bottom of my heart for including him because he was fantastic. And as a person who frequently criticizes his hair, I just gotta say, I was too busy looking at the rest of him, LOL. Bummer about the duet but maybe Eddie Van Halen pre-screened the show and just couldn’t bear to have his song associated with such epic, epic cheese.

Next time (???), please sing more holiday music! I’m as big a Grinch as the next person, but I love holiday music to get me in the spirit so I can drag myself out of the house to go shopping. ;-)

Thanks for the numbers leilamaurizia – I didn’t take a full benchmark of where Carrie was before the show (just noted Play On and her current singles), so it’s great to get the full picture.

I’m surprised by some of those comments at Carrie’s site simply because it never really occurred to me that the show would be more “holiday” – between the detailed recaps of folks who went the the taping, the promos Fox has been running, and the previews we read in the press, I thought we had a pretty good sense of what the mix would be. My one surprise I guess was that the set design wasn’t more festive. But I agree that it seems the griping is coming from a vocal few, as is often the case in Idol fandoms. The response I have seen on Twitter and elsewhere (including Ken Tucker’s positive review) has been mostly good for both Carrie, her guests, and the overall show.

Sons of Sylvia aren’t on the Top 1000 overall albums at iTunes.

Is their album even out yet?

I’ve been watching for it, but I thought it hadn’t been released …. If it’s out there, can somebody tell me where to find it?

A better, even clearer clip of DC’s Lie! If you’re looking for one to save, this might be it… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P40XyZze-NI

I wouldn’t mind if this is how things pan out if ever. I have to say live Lie is waaay better than record Lie.

Well, I have to say that I feel this way about all of David’s stuff….. For the next album, I’m hoping for more of the passion and freedom and *voice* that he gets into his songs live rather than in-studio, and that I don’t hear nearly as much as I want to on the first album.

He seems to be a natural for putting out a live album or a concert dvd or something. I would love to have live David bottled in some way like that, in a high-quality format and not off of youtube or whatever. Wish they would do this.

The Carrie special was a record-it-and-fast-forward for me, I must say. Loved seeing David, Bo, the Sons of Sylvia, Dolly. Could have lived very well without the gay jokes. And while I’m impressed with Carrie’s singing talent, I find that, for me, I can tell within about the first eight bars of one of her performances whether I’m going to like it or not. From time to time she really knocks a song out of the park for me, but a lot of the time I just don’t find enough flexibility in her voice and expression to interest me much.

The dog skit was cute, cuz NPH can do no wrong. A few of the other skits got a tad tedious. I blame Adam Shankman’s team of writers, cuz Carrie, her sister and mom were all good sports. I’m now slightly worried about Adam Shankman’s guys producing the Oscars… not that the Oscars are ever that funny… but I’m hoping with old pros like Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting, they will be able to save any bad writing– like NPH seemed to.

Is their album even out yet?

I’ve been watching for it, but I thought it hadn’t been released ‘ ¦. If it’s out there, can somebody tell me where to find it?

Oh ha – lucy, I honestly don’t know. I assumed they at least had an older record released after they won their reality show, but I didn’t see it under either Sons of Sylvia or Clark Brothers when I looked the first time. I also did not check the genre charts – was only looking at overall rankings. Maybe they don’t have a new one out – I don’t follow them closely but I’m sure someone knows.

Oh ha ‘“ lucy, I honestly don’t know. I assumed they had an older record released after they won their reality show,

No. They still haven’t released that post-show album! … Supposedly they’re working on it ….

When you mentioned it, I wondered whether they’d miraculously managed to get it out just before this show aired — which would have been a smart marketing move! But … guess not.

I love them and I sure hope that they get to make some recorded music somewhere. They’re niche-y niche niche players, obviously, but they’re also great, so I don’t see why they haven’t put out something for those of us who love their niche-y niche!

I love them and I sure hope that they get to make some recorded music somewhere. They’re niche-y niche niche players, obviously, but they’re also great, so I don’t see why they haven’t put out something for those of us who love their niche-y niche!

Yeah, the couple of their performances I’ve seen have been uneven, but they’re just the kind of “niche-y niche” musicians I love.

Carrie really is incredibly loyal to her friends. I really admire that about her.

Are we going to get any other video… I mean it was Carrie’s Holiday special

Carrie really is incredibly loyal to her friends. I really admire that about her.

Yeah, it’s true. She does really seem like a nice person.

Are we going to get any other video’ ¦ I mean it was Carrie’s Holiday special

I know mj was out late at Kris’s Jingle Ball and probably hasn’t had time to even watch the specail let alone edit down video for us. I’m sure it’s coming. In the meantime YouTube has some decent quality clips:

Jesus Take the Wheel

Temporary Home

I Will Always Love You

Songs Like This

Pink Ladies

Before He Cheats

I would not read into those negative posts on Carrie’s site. It’s a small handful of fans posting adamantly several times, and not indicative of her wider fanbase, I don’t think. Isn’t her paid/locked fansite the one that’s really active?

Her Fan Club site and CarrieFans.com are the ones that are really active. The one that Keel linked is where extremists in the farming/hunting community go to attack Carrie for being vegetarian and donating to HSUS. I’m not kidding. I wouldn’t read anything into the comments there at all and they’re certainly not representative of the comments I’m seeing on the active Carrie fan sites.

That being said I DO think it’s a valid criticism that for a show that was advertised as being a holiday special there wasn’t enough holiday music until the end. Carrie’s interviews made it clear it was a variety show and there was all kinds of music but it could/should have been balanced out better.

Here are some of my favorite performances from last night’s show:

Dolly & Carrie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRPVcWKrqy0

What Can I Say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ6zF4wLmfY

Change
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur9OMr0p3h8

O Holy Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXAzt4pUr3Y

The same capper got Temporary Home but the 1st few seconds are cut off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGwf7U6krX0

I can’t find Carrie and Brad’s duet! MJ if you can cap and post that I’d be very appreciative!

I watched the whole show and thought it was entertaining. The gay jokes were uncalled for, in this day and age. I don’t know why they were there and surprised Carrie went for that. But, other than that, it was a fun show.
Although, David sounded a little horse, on Lie. It was a beautiful performance. My favorite album song.

ETA: Fun to see Bo!

Had to get up this morning and watch Lie again. Ha!

… on my list of things I loved to see last night I forgot one — Mark Kanemura! Love to see him dance, so glad he’s booking great jobs, love how *engaged* he always is with whatever performance is going on — I don’t always see that in dancers and I suspect that it relates to some people wanting to book him. Loved that, in the first number, they had him dressed in white when all the other guys were in black!

There were gay jokes? But isn’t Adam Shankman the director? Hmm, that’s troublesome.

I didn’t find the “gay” jokes objectionable in the least. They were more in the “dumb blonde” category, if anything. Maybe there are a lot of people offended for blondes right now too.

Carrie is beautiful and as American as apple pie, but she is boring as hell.

There were gay jokes? But isn’t Adam Shankman the director? Hmm, that’s troublesome.

The “gay jokes” were really “Carrie is a ditzy blonde with no gaydar” jokes. They weren’t particularly funny but IMO they were in no way offensive. I wasn’t crazy about them going the ditzy blonde joke route since Carrie herself has said she felt like she’s had to compensate for the dumb farmgirl stereotype that took hold during AI.

Honestly, I’m surprised the Carson Pressley jokes are being considered “gay jokes”. They were more “Carrie’s gullible jokes” (or less PC, dumb blonde jokes) — i.e. Carrie being literal and not realizing that “queer eye” means Carson is gay, not just his eye, and Carrie mistaking Hollywood impersonators as Jack Nicholson, Johnny Depp, etc. I dunno… was that so offensive?

I thought Carrie looked and sounded great but two hours was a little too long for me. DC’s performance of Lie was absolutely breathtaking.

I thought Carrie looked and sounded great but two hours was a little too long for me.

Yeah, I think that’s where I am, too – I lost interest by the end, even though I flipped back to see “O Holy Night” which I thought was beautiful (my favorite Christmas song).

Carrie is a singer not an entertainer. Beautiful voice, beautiful girl, boring..boring..boring. She just needs to make records and be thankful she can do that…if she keeps trying to become a celebrity and move out of her very very very narrow comfort zone she will be laughed right out of the biz.

She may have done OK in the stand up and sing country genre’ but she will never be accepted into the glitzy world of the “true” star. Carrie, get married, have babies, make records and be happy. Hearing you is always better than seeing you.

So this morning, DC’s CD is #4 on Movers & Shakers and Lie is #3 on Movers & Shakers on Amazon (15,516%). The Sons of Sylvia duet is #4 (Probably small numbers, but still nice.) Oh darn, just went to check DCTR’s % increase (84%), and it’s since moved to #5. But still nice. The iTunes increase will probably not last much longer. The record peaked at #122 and Lie at #157 last night.

It’s hard to do a two-hour variety show, I thought this one was pretty good. Loved the AI spoofs, some of the skits were funny. At first the “gay jokes” were amusing, the whole trying-to-get-a-date-for-her-sister but “all the good ones are taken or gay” and the guy pretending to be Johnny Dep, then it started getting old, and the last gay joke with the guy Phil pretending to be straight was bordering on offensive. I actually was thinking that her sister was going to wind up going on a date with David Cook, but alas, it was not to be. :)

I’m not a big Lie fan either, but it was awesome! David is such an incredible singer. Simply beautiful. I was laughing about the band being way in the background, almost unrecognizable. Neil tweeted earlier that he was going to be on tv last night and looking real good, I think he was poking fun at how he would be in the background.

So disappointed about the Cookwood duet being lost, will we ever get to see it? Doubtful. Wonder who screwed up there. Well anyway, some of the show was too country for me, but I really enjoyed Dolly, and some of Carrie’s performances were really pretty. I also got a kick out of the three women singing oldies, those were the songs of my teenage years and brought back memories lol.

I didn’t even notice a lack of Christmas songs, I guess I wasn’t expecting an emphasis on the holiday. Enjoyed the skit with the mother. I think most Carrie fans would like it since it was two hours of Carrie and her friends and family. What’s not to like? Myself I did lose interest at the end when I realized that DC wasn’t coming back. But it wasn’t a terrible way to waste two hours while I was reading my Kindle at the same time.

“I didn’t find the ‘gay’  jokes objectionable in the least. They were more in the ‘dumb blonde’  category, if anything. Maybe there are a lot of people offended for blondes right now too.”

I’m blonde and not offended at all. I use it as an excuse all the time. People are just way too easily offended these days!

Someone on DCO saw DCTR at #119 at its peak last night, and Lie went up further to #154 this morning at iTunes.

But still nice. The iTunes increase will probably not last much longer. The record peaked at #122 and Lie at #157 last night.

It was fun watching the song and album moving up the I-Tunes chart. I checked right now, Smallie, and I have Lie at #155. Woo-hoo! However, LadyMadonna posted elsewhere that it got up to #152. Double Woo-hoo!!

if she keeps trying to become a celebrity and move out of her very very very narrow comfort zone she will be laughed right out of the biz.

I don’t think this is about trying to be a celebrity, rather it is about trying to expand her horizons. There are better (or worse?) examples of Idols trying to be celebrities than Carrie Underwood.

Carrie, get married, have babies, make records and be happy.

And this is a little too patronizing, IMO.

I’m not easily offended but it didn’t even occur to me that people would find the gaydar jokes offensive. Only marginally funny, perhaps, but hardly homophobic. Wow. I tend to think Shankman, NPH, and Carson Kressley are all OK joking about gaydar on the fritz.

Morning iTunes update because I’m goofy like that. Cook’s Lie is actually still climbing, and all the albums continue to bounce around as new releases wash in. From the Top 300 overall feed:

28. Cowboy Casanova – Carrie Underwood
130. What Can I Say (feat. Sons of Sylvia) – Carrie Underwood
134. Then (Single Edit) – Brad Paisley
152. Lie – David Cook
188. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing – Carrie Underwood
204. Then – Brad Paisley
216. Temporary Home – Carrie Underwood

18. Play On – Carrie Underwood
137. David Cook – David Cook
189. American Saturday Night (Bonus Track Version) – Brad Paisley

I’m not easily offended but it didn’t even occur to me that people would find the gaydar jokes offensive. Only marginally funny, perhaps, but hardly homophobic. Wow. I tend to think Shankman, NPH, and Carson Kressley are all OK joking about gaydar on the fritz.

It’s called the Amos and Andy syndrome. … And if they want to do that, bless them.

But with all the stuff there is in the world that you could joke about, I don’t get why you *have* to have “gaydar” jokes….

Frankly, I don’t see why you need “dumb blonde” jokes, either… What is the point, exactly? Aren’t both of those kind of overdone, cliched ’50s stereotypes? Just seems like lazy planning and writing to me, especially since there wasn’t anything very funny about it.

They couldn’t be creative and come up with more jokes about reality tv, about singing contests, about country singing, about holidays, about families, about the Grand Ole Opry, about Tony Romo, about hockey players, about why you might be attracted to *jerky* men rather than misled by gay men?….Etc….. There’s a whole world of funny stuff out there. So to fall back on “gaydar” and “dumb blondes” seems just dumb to me.

And, mj, thanks for the clips! Those are great ones.

I think most Carrie fans would like it since it was two hours of Carrie and her friends and family.

*points to self*

*NODS ENTHUSIASTICALLY!!!*

I consider it a 2-hour gift to Carrie’s fans. Coz it’s really her show. Her being silly, her introducing and/or singing with her friends, her involving her family and beloved dog, her singing about her passions, her presenting songs from the new album… all for her fans. As one of those fans, I certainly feel special. And I’ve still got this big smile on my face and that giddy feeling. There’s that intention, of course, to convert new fans but… can’t win ‘em all!

So this morning, DC’s CD is #4 on Movers & Shakers and Lie is #3 on Movers & Shakers on Amazon (15,516%). The Sons of Sylvia duet is #4 (Probably small numbers, but still nice.) Oh darn, just went to check DCTR’s % increase (84%), and it’s since moved to #5. But still nice.

I saw this snappy of the movers and shakers list floating around twitterverse, and I had to laugh. For anyone who had read the Claude Kelly/Cook collab thread, look what’s sitting at number one on that list. Neal should start brushing up on that Celtic flute, is all I’m saying.

Well the early media report on ratings for Carrie is good. She held up pretty well in the 9 PM hour against original episodes of Two And A Half Men & Big Bang Theory on CBS.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/community/programming-insider/newsletters/e3ic79966a20ccff392197eaac2b9a8f8f7

Prime-Time Metered Market Monday Ratings:

CBS Wins; Respectable Holiday Themed Carrie Underwood on Fox

Monday 12/07/09

HH
Rtg/Shr
CBS 7.2/11
Fox 5.5/ 8
ABC 4.2/ 7
NBC 3.9/ 6
CW 1.4/ 2

———-

-Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Monday, Dec. 8, 2008):

Fox: +49, CBS: + 7, NBC: – 2, CW: -22, ABC: -24

———-

-Yesterday’s Winners:

Two and a Half Men (CBS), The Big Bang Theory (CBS), CSI: Miami (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:

Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special (Fox), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), Accidentally on Purpose (CBS), Castle (ABC)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):

One Tree Hill (CW), Find My Family (ABC), Gossip Girl (CW), The Jay Leno Show (NBC)

———-

Note: The fast affiliate results for Monday will be posted at PIFeedback by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Monday, December 7, 2009.

———-

-Ratings Breakdown:

CBS won this first Monday in December in the overnights, with a 1.7 rating point advantage over second-place Fox, which housed two-hour Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special. Third overall was ABC, followed by NBC and The CW.

Aforementioned Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special on Fox was notably consistent, with a 5.5/ 8 in the overnights from 8-10 p.m. and the half-hour breakdown as follows:

Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special (Fox)
8:00 p.m.: 5.8/ 9 (#1)
8:30 p.m.: 5.6/ 8 (#1)
9:00 p.m.: 5.3/ 8 (#2)
9:30 p.m.: 5.2/ 8 (#2)

The true tale, of course, will be told once the demos are released. But based on the overnights on this highly competitive evening, consider Carrie Underwood worthy of ‘honorable mention.’ 

Cue big sigh of relief from me. I thought Carrie’s special would get clobbered 9 PM-10 PM because it was going up against CBS’s biggest comedies. It held up great!

mj, could you possible put up a video of the AI skit? I loved seeing Bo, loved the Constantine voodoo doll. Even Ryan was cute. There are lots of performance videos posted around, but I can’t find this anywhere.

Thanks!

This is my first time of hearing David cook Lie. so his fans wanted this to be his 2nd single instead of come back to me?. interesting..

so his fans wanted this to be his 2nd single instead of come back to me?

This one did anyway, lol. Well, really there were quite a few songs I would’ve picked over CBTM which is one of my least favorite songs on the album (the other is I Did It For You). I just wanted Lie to be a single at some point.

windmills, do you post at Pulse? If yes, can you post the ratings there? If no, may I copy your post there? :)

Also, I wonder if these ratings are good enough for another go-around next year. I know Adam Shankman mentioned that possibility (specifically that if this did well, it would be a regular thing).

Oh, very good news indeed on the ratings front. I was worried about CBS too but it held up really well against those comedies. Also nice to see Fox up so much compared to the same night last year – I wonder what they ran then. I thought at first maybe a re-run of House, but that was still on Tuesdays last year I believe. Great news for Carrie and everyone involved. The demo breakdown should be really interesting once those are released. Country has pretty broad appeal, and I would guess Carrie specifically does as well, but the variety format probably skews older.

Carrie, get married, have babies, make records and be happy. Hearing you is always better than seeing you.

Do people still do that? If they don’t like something a woman does, tell her to get married and have babies? Because of course she’ll “stop trying” to do whatever it is they don’t like? I just have this feeling that if she chooses to get married and have children, she’ll go right on combining it with whatever else is important to her. Just like most women.

she will never be accepted into the glitzy world of the ‘true’  star.

Gosh. Where could that world be? Someplace far beyond her multiple Grammys. And of course, beyond the mere bagatelle of platinum records. Someplace . . . glitzy.

On another note: I wonder how they will play the return of the Idols on the new Season 9. It looks like Kelly’s record, with Already Gone, will still be spinning well as the new season rolls–amazing considering I was snow shovelling to it last year. And Daughtry’s got the next single moving up, and Carrie’s Play On. Plus, a hint at new music from Cook. And of course, multiple Season 8 records managed by 19E. That seems unprecedented.

How will they choreograph it all?

How will they choreograph it all?

Maybe they could skip the repeat appearance by Flo Rida.

leilamaurizia: I only lurk there so go for it :) There should be more detailed numbers coming soon with some info about the all important “demos”.

Like I posted in the other thread Beyonce’s special on Thanksgiving Day got 5.1 million viewers and she’s a much MUCH bigger star than Carrie. Better performer too though Carrie’s music is more to my taste. Carrie’s numbers are going to be looking quite respectable IMO.

Country has pretty broad appeal, and I would guess Carrie specifically does as well, but the variety format probably skews older.

Country actually also skews older unless you’re talking Taylor Swift, although Carrie’s counteracted that some. Anyway you called it because the demos say the special did skew older:

http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/380103162

Aforementioned Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special on Fox averaged a respectable 8.54 million viewers from 8-10 p.m., but skewed older with only a 2.3/ 6 among adults 18-49. Take a look at the half-hour breakdown:

Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special (Fox)
8:00 p.m. ‘“ Viewers: 9.00 million (#2), A18-49: 2.4/ 7 (#3)
8:30 p.m. ‘“ Viewers: 8.71 million (#1), A18-49: 2.4/ 6 (#3)
9:00 p.m. ‘“ Viewers: 8.24 million (#2), A18-49: 2.4/ 6 (#2)
9:30 p.m. ‘“ Viewers: 8.51 million (#2), A18-49: 2.2/ 5 (#2)

windmills: Someone already did, so I’ll just poach your Beyonce info instead :)

This is my first time of hearing David cook Lie. so his fans wanted this to be his 2nd single instead of come back to me?

As I recall, it was thought that Declaration would be the second single because it was the second song played when they were on Saturday Night Live (as is often the case with second singles) and overall had been played the most by David live, behind Light On. I think lots of fans were happy with that because the song had that distinct David Cook sound that fans had discovered in his pre-Idol work. Lie was also a clear fan favorite and people though that would be a good a second single also. Come Back To Me coming out of the blue as the second single was a bit of a shock to fans.

so his fans wanted this to be his 2nd single instead of come back to me?

I distinctly remember that MJ found some rate the music poll for DC’s next single naming Declaration, Lie, and CBTM as possibilities, so she put up a post asking all of us to vote for our choice, and CBTM came in dead last. Lots of advocates of Lie because people loved that song, and lots of people voting for Declaration, so as not to have DC follow up a power ballad (LO) with a love ballad, especially when Magic Rainbows was still getting spun a lot. A lot of fans expected a 3rd mainstream single release after the followup to LO, so a lot of people rationalized releasing Declaration first as a Spring/Summer/Early Fall single, and then Lie after that as a winter single or something. Little did we know, CBTM would be the last single… but, bygones. Looking onward!

David Cook’s performance of LIE was just stunning. Absolutely stunning. He sounded fabulous.

Loved Carrie’s Oh Holy Night and Temporary Home. Dolly is just amazing.

The skits got progressively worse. Wow.

The one and only high point was Lie IMO. I barely survived though the rest without commiting suicide. The one reason I watched was the possibility of the duet. And yes I am biased. Have at it.

so a lot of people rationalized releasing Declaration first as a Spring/Summer/Early Fall single, and then Lie after that as a winter single or something.

~raises hand~ I was on that bandwagon. I think people also threw around Declaration followed by a dual release of Lie/BBS. In retrospect, maybe stuff just happens for a reason. The band hasn’t really tinkered a whole lot with LO or CBTM, which leads me to wonder if there was an effort to keep those songs fairly close to the single versions when he played them live for familiarity’s sake. Maybe if Lie had been released as an official single, Dave wouldn’t have kept changing it up on tour and America would never have gotten to see the product of that evolution, the amazing (and improved, IMO) arrangement of the song that he debuted on Carrie’s show. So, as the man says, onward and upward, I guess. THough it might not be a bad idea if RCA had Cook and band put together an acoustic mini-EP of songs from DCTR, slap it up as an iTunes exclusive for the holiday season or even the after Christmas gift card iTunes rush, and release the stripped down version of Lie to HAC or something after the holidays as a single. Jes sayin…

Glad to hear Carrie’s special pulled in decent ratings. Bodes well for IGB this season, methinks.

28. Cowboy Casanova ‘“ Carrie Underwood
130. What Can I Say (feat. Sons of Sylvia) ‘“ Carrie Underwood
134. Then (Single Edit) ‘“ Brad Paisley
152. Lie ‘“ David Cook
188. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing ‘“ Carrie Underwood
204. Then ‘“ Brad Paisley
216. Temporary Home ‘“ Carrie Underwood

18. Play On ‘“ Carrie Underwood
137. David Cook ‘“ David Cook
189. American Saturday Night (Bonus Track Version) ‘“ Brad Paisley

Looks like a lot of people got nice boosts from Carrie’s special, including the lady herself. Congrats to her!

I am not a country fan but Ms. Underwood has always seemed like such a nice, well grounded person and she can ssaannng. I like the idea of her stretching her wings trying new things.

MJ, do you have the sketch about how she won idol from last night? I never saw that.

Loved that performance by DC – with all the Adam special effects I’d almost forgotten what an amazing performer he is. He just reaches way down deep and connects in a way few artist can.

Thanks for posting!

Has any mainstream media outlet reviewed this show yet?

Lie still moving upwards at iTunes … up to 137 overall.

137. Lie – David Cook
Tuesday, December 08, 2009 12:47 PM
Lie by David Cook from the album David Cook

Has any mainstream media outlet reviewed this show yet?

The only complete mainstream media outlet review that I’ve found is EW.

Also Brian Mansfield posted his highlights and disappointments at Idol Chatter which to be honest is most notable for the fact that he initially included the Shangri Las in his list of African American girl groups (since edited after his mistake was pointed out to him). I think his complaint about the girl group medley is a big WTH? and like I’ve already said Carrie’s duet with Brad was 1 big highlight for me.

Apparently Carrie’s special did very very well in the DFW area.

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2009/dec/08/carrie-christmas-wins-dallas-fort-worth-ratings-fo/

What a cute show that was last night, I liked Temporary Home the most, made me cry – was looking forward to David but not that pleased with the song though it was great seeing him again, its been too long. Carrie is just adorable and sweet and I like her a lot! My sister though loved Davids song and is going to buy his cd finally!

What Can I Say is now at 17 on iTunes on the Country Chart and is at 116 Overall! I love this song and hope it helps Sons Of Sylvia get their CD released soon!

I grew up with the variety show format, didnt much like it then with a few notable exceptions. I think Carrie did a pretty good job last night but the writers mostly stunk. I agree the skits grew worse and were too many of them. An hour of great singing wouldve been better, imo. I did like Davids performance, Dolly and Carrie together, but loved Carrie and Brads duet. Her body language said it all, she was having fun with that one. I must say that her mother looks years younger now then when Carrie won Idol, lol. Carrie is beautiful, great singer, good role model and is loosening up some I think. For the lady posting Carrie should marry and stay home, I think she will while continuing to make great records. I heard a tv reporter say she had won 14 notable awards so far, grammys etc., and has now outsold Kelly Clarkson in the USA. Shes referred to as a superstar and Im proud of her even more so because she hasnt gone HOllywood.

AAAND right as I login to add my 2-cents worth, LIE comes on my stereo here at work! WOOHOO!

Cook & The Anthemic were just wonderful. He sounded great. He looked good too. I like that he changed up the song and didn’t do it exactly like the recorded version on DCTR. I DID want to see The Anthemic at least a LITTLE bit, please! I think I caught a glimpse of Andy.

I DO like Carrie and I listen to a lot of country. I love Brad Paisley too. (Not as much as Cook, though, sorry Brad.) I have Carrie’s first CD, but that’s it. I thought she sounded good most of the show, although I agree with the other poster who thought her O Holy Night didn’t need that last glory note.

TOO TOO BAD that we lost the Cookwood duet! ARGH. I kept the show on after David sang Lie just to see if it MIGHT be shown. I got bored pretty quickly. I did think that Ace the Doggie was funny though! I don’t even know who Kristin Chenowith is! I did not really like her singing though. Ugh. Not for me. Dolly is…DOLLY! She’s great. I really admire her. I’ve even got 1 or 2 Dolly CDs. (Just can’t take too much of her voice at a time though.)

Guh. David. David Cook. He is something else. SOOO happy to see Lie and DCTR climbing the sales ladders. YAY! He’s been on lots of talk shows and such, but he’s mostly done Light On and Declaration on those “public performances.” It was great to have Lie on such a widely viewed TV show! YAY again. Can’t radio stations play whatever they want off this record now? How does that work? Does a song have to be released as an OFFICIAL single to get played on the radio nowadays? I dunno. So, innnnnniway, love to Cook & The Anthemic. And to Ms. Underwood for having him on her TV special.

I DID want to see The Anthemic at least a LITTLE bit, please! I think I caught a glimpse of Andy.

Ha, I know, I woulda been fine with them being, you know, within five feet of David. Andy was like the disembodied voice singing harmony…

loved Carrie and Brads duet. Her body language said it all, she was having fun with that one.

Couldn’t agree more. Carrie seemed so in her element on that one, like she has been singing it since she was a kid. She probably has.

The cap of the Brad and Carrie duet is finally on YT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYr534k-Eo

I see a number of people are talking about David’s Lie to Me performance during concert. How he performs acapella. It is quite stunning and worth the search on youtube. For the St. Louis show at least, he went “off mic” for the acapella portion. He stepped to the side of the mic and his voice just soared through the audience. It was stunning. Wish we would have heard some of that during Idol, though the Idol stage / audience is probably too big for that.

My favorite part about the Carrie special. Her outfits. Those opening number boots were killer. Only outfit I didn’t like was the green dress she wore to introduce David. I don’t like that color on her. But otherwise, the fashions were fantastic.

I absolutely LOVED Carrie Underwood’s Xmas Special! She was very entertaining, funny, great singing, even dancing! The skits were cute even if a bit dorky at times. lol I loved the Idol skit with Bo and the cash she bribed the judges. lol

But Neil Patrick Harris stole the show as Carrie’s dog Ace! He was fantastic! lol

David Cook was AMAZING! So bummed they cut out the planned duet with Carrie to VanHalen’s song. Damn that Van Halen! lol

I wish there were a few more Xmas songs, but all in all, it was a very entertaining evening.

I am not used to Variety shows as I never saw one before….so I guess it is normal to show a bunch of different songs and not just Xmas songs… I just didn’t know what to expect. But all in all, it was great!

David Cook’s performance was impeccable. Let’s hope that ‘someone’ can make up for the faux pas with the duet and give David more face time on national television. He’s grown past the “Idol” persona into a force to be reckoned with. How lucky we have been to see the birth of a mega star!

p.s. RCA? Release “Lie” You have a grammy winning song and the public is being shortchanged by the lack of airplay that song has received.

My favorite David Cook song gets a chance to be seen on national television? This is a win! :)

David was amazing, better even that I expected (and I expect a lot). I know that there aren’t supposed to be any more singles released from David Cook’s album, but I hope somebody in RCA pays attention to this song’s potential and releases it as a single anyway.

Oh wow, this was a miss! And I’m a Carrie fan. I hadn’t realized how boring “Cowboy Cassanova” was until she opened the song with it, and I wondered when it was going to end!

Even greater Low: Watching Christina Applegate was horrendous…they made us feel awkward by hearing her talk about her anxiety about performing…which was obvious when they did sing. That was such a random song too.

High: Dolly. She is untouchable. The Christmas melody at the end would have sufficed.

David Cook – LIE, just spectacular and it was quiet during the accapella, yeah! Always takes my breath away! Someone menetioned an acustic deluxe album exclusive….great idea!!! Lie has to be released as a single-just the way he sang on Carries’ show/ Live Concerts ofcourse I’d still like to see another video too.
The thing is it’s like they just abandoned him after idol ended this year. There are so many more great songs on the album that no one knows but his fans. “I did it for you”, “Avalanche”, “Kiss on the neck” (Great rock song), “Mr. Sensitive”, “Life on the Moon” he has made each one even better than the original and they were great as is. While we are talking about it the release of “BARBASOL” was lame, it’s is such a fun GREAT, GREAT ROCK song, but still not played on any shows…Saturday Night Live should have him back to host and do “LIE” and “BARBASOL”.
I know I’m rambeling…but when I heard “Declaration” I imediately thought it was better than Light On and made me wonder about what they think people like/want…those marketing folk…think they know, LOL

TO Anne Themmick (love the name) …I completely agree with you. How lucky we have been to experiance David Cook now-the talent, charm and personality just ooze from him. That is probably a big part of the reason his fans have been to multiple concerts and driven for hours just to see David and the Anthemic perform. We know a secret and it’s just a matter of time before the rest of the world figures out how really great he is and how much harder it will be to get a ticket as the venues keep getting bigger.

Nice review of Carrie’s special from CMT:

So much to love about Carrie Underwood TV special

Cowboy Casanova is a GREAT Song! It is not boring! Wow.

I thought the opening number was fantastic because it was Vampire themed…to fit some of the lyrics that have a vampire undertone.

I think the song is one of her best yet!

To Mrs.P: For you to say that Carrie should get married and have babies and leave the glitzy world or the “true star”…..you must be off your rocker. wow.

First, Carrie IS a true STAR. She is, in fact, a SUPERSTAR! Hello! Do you honestly think Fox would give a 2 hour special to some B-list singer? Carrie is A-list all the way!

She has 4 Grammys and a room full of so many awards she can’t even fit them all there…yet she is not a “true star?” to you? unbelievable.

What does it take to be a glitzy “true star” by your terms then? Rehab, showing your private parts to get attention, overdosing, wearing trashy clothes, kissing up to Perez Hilton like Taylor Swift does? Get real. That girl cannot sing her way out of a paper bag.

Carrie danced really good I thought, she looked great, she sounded great, she did great.

She was Funny, charming, classy, professional, a.
and was flawless vocally. She has more CLASS and STAR power then whomever you were referring to that is your definition of a “true star.”

Finally, what century is this when you dare to tell a women to go home get married and have babies? Talk about demeaning!

Carrie graduated from college magna cum laude and is very intelligent…so for you to tell her that she should go home and have babies is extremely offensive.

Thank u MJ for these videos, i can relive the great music again and again!! i thought Carrie did very well for hosting her first big gig all by herself. The CMAs are different, the focus is not on the hosts; here she was part of EVERYthing. If it flopped -it’s pretty much on her.

I found most of it entertaining. The skits with her sister dragged on a little but I did love that she spotlighted her family, at least. :)
My faves: AI Sketch, NPH as Ace her dog, Carrie’s solo performances, and David Cook. The Dolly bit was great too!!

Grammie Kari
12/08/2009 at 3:43 am

I contemplated sitting through the Chenoweth-Applegate performance, but when they stopped in the middle of the song to ask Carrie about her boyfriend’s ring, I couldn’t take it anymore.

LEADER OF THE PACK
The Shangri-Las
- #1 hit in 1964

[spoken part]
Is she really going out with him?
Well, there she is. Let’s ask her.
Betty, is that Jimmy’s ring you’re wearing? Mm-hmm
Gee, it must be great riding with him
Is he picking you up after school today?
Uh-uh
By the way, where’d you meet him?

Yes, it is part of the lyrics, Starr.

Forgive my ignorance, but it still doesn’t make me regret that I didn’t stick around for the next half hour of cheese. She also did that skit with her dog or whatever where she was pretending to talk on the phone with her boyfriend? Yeah, I didn’t think it was funny, but maybe the rest of America did, so I don’t think it’s a crime that I didn’t enjoy this special. My point is: I can deal with Idols trying to act, but I am not a fan of cutesy, and this was what the special was. The whole thing with her mom trying to sing on the show and then Carrie trying to find her sister a boyfriend….I seriously don’t even know who writes this stuff, but I was facepalming the whole time.

Oh my, that was a lovely, spot-on performance of one of my favorite songs from DCTR. “They” (whoever “they” are) really, really should have released this as a single.

It’s funny, with Cook, whom I adore, I often feel like he’s off pitch when he sings live…but when he’s on, he is ON and there’s no one to touch him. He’s got da gift.