Idol Headlines for 2/11/09

Many are called, few will be chosen to survive ‘Idol’s’ Hollywood Week

Tonight, Hollywood Week concludes with a full show with no singing, no performance, just the raw spectacle of each singer (or, in some cases, two at a time) standing before the judges and learning whether they have made it to the next show. In a season that has seen a great many tweaks in its format and production elements, viewers can expect surprises tonight as well.

“This year we’re doing that a bit differently,” Frot-Coutaz said. “It’s going to take place in a mansion and then some of the kids have to sing for their life. If the judges have doubts, we have one kid sing against another. It’s a little sing-off.”

And as for what viewers can expect as the field is pared to the final 36, Frot-Coutaz talked about a surprising new demographic that emerges among the contestants. “What we have had happen over the years is, you know, we had Blake Lewis and the following year there were a lot of bad beat-boxers that came through,” Frot-Coutaz said. “With Bo [Bice] and Constantine [Maroulis], we had a lot of rockers come through. This year it’s a lot of girls, a lot of Amy Winehouse- type girls. Everyone was an Amy Winehouse fan.”

LA Times

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ continues breaking hearts in Hollywood

All good things must come to an end, and Tuesday’s “American Idol” episode saw the remaining 72 contestants settle the minibar bills and come downstairs to hear their fates. As is tradition on the show, the contestants were separated into four rooms, in order for them to mentally judge whether being in the room with the guy who forgot the lyrics twice on the same song was a good thing or a bad thing. And as occasionally happens on “Idol,” sometimes the answer wasn’t what was expected.

MSNBC

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

Phil Stacey blog: The best season ever?

he final performance of “American Idol’s” Hollywood Week can be incredibly tough. Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been there for several days and havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t slept much. Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve seen OK singers stay, while incredible singers are sent packing. And this is the last performance where the judges will have the final say whether you make it.

On a side note, every season, the producers and judges always hype it up by saying ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the best talent ever. I havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t heard that once this season. Maybe Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m just not paying attention, but I would like to say for the record that this season has more potential stars than any I have observed.

LA Times

‘American Idol’ Recap: Thinning the Herd

The problem is, though, I can’t shake the suspicion that the show’s producers are spiking the Idol punch with a drop or two of musical arsenic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  in the form of Tatiana Del Toro and that recurring ”joke” with the headband à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and that’s making me reluctant to pick up the aforementioned glass, to emotionally invest in season 8 with the kind of unhealthy enthusiasm that’ll have me shedding tears over performances (and ousters) no later than early March. And it isn’t helping that Fox is doing everything short of hurling its pre-determined house specials in my face: ”Order the Adam Lambert-tini! Here, drink the Danny Gokey Kool-Aid! And how about another round(s) of Lil?” Note to Idol’s production team: I’m still perusing the cocktail menu; please put away the drink funnel and stop trying to force your personal favorites down my gullet!

Entertainment Weekly

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  expert Jim Cantiello brings you a minute-by-minute recap of every episode right here! Keep checking for updates throughout the show, and donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t miss out on his previous live blogs and other à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  news.

Before we get to tonightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s live-blog of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢sà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  second batch of Hollywood Week episodes, it seems like you, too, were disappointed by last weekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  offerings. The comments on my live-blog all echoed the same sentiments I ranted about – poor pacing, confusing editing – so hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hoping this weekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s round of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  episodes wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t leave us bewildered and angry. At the very least, the lackluster à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  has prompted you guys to write especially awesome commentary of your own. Take, for example, MTV.COM user Y2Kyle, who delivered my favorite comment of the night. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The other networks call this show the Death Star, does anyone else remember the part of the movie where the Death Star blows up? Could this be it?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Snap! Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not much of a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Star Warsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  guy, so I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really understand the reference, but it sounds clever as all heck. Great job, Y2Kyle!

MTV

Supporters cheer for Chapel Hill resident on ‘American Idol’

Chapel Hill, N.C. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Chapel Hill resident Anoop Desai hopes to make it big on “American Idol.” He has made it to Hollywood after impressing the judges in Kansas City, Mo. Friends, family and fans gathered Tuesday night at the Siena Hotel, 1505 E Franklin St., in Chapel Hill, to watch his first televised performance before the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  judges.

“He has the potential to be a superstar,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  friend Pablo Vega said.

WRAL

For Sharon Wilbur, ‘Idol’ shot has taken on a life of its own

Sharon Wilbur isn’t sure how they found out about her. But there she was, her name and face scattered all over the Internet. Some places, she’s described as sexy, others call her a religious nut.

You could probably find her described as a sexy religious nut if you looked hard enough.

It’s not like Wilbur, 26, was exactly trying to hide. She has her own Web site and a MySpace page with samples of her music. But it was “American Idol” that really did it.

She auditioned last August in Jacksonville and made it through several rounds.

Jacksonville.com

American Idol Season 8 Contestants With Ties to Christian Music

I hate to admit it, but I spent hours this weekend surfing the net to do a little research on some of the American Idol contestants that made it through last week’s Hollywood auditions to see which had ties to Christian music.

It’s not that I care so much that there are Christians on the show, or that I’m going to vote or root for Christian contestants. What I’m fascinated by is the fact that there are more and more Christians participating on American Idol and doing well. (Go Jordin Sparks!) I love the blurring of the Christian/mainstream dividing line, and that the rest of American (and the world) can see that not all Christians are oddballs and that Christian music isn’t as foreign as people think it is.

Beliefnet.com

What do “American Idol” and Bravo’s “Top Chef” have in common?

One lean, mean, British judging machine.

“Top Chef’s” recently eliminated contestant chef Jamie Lauren aligns “Idol’s” Simon Cowell to the cooking competition’s new judge, Toby Young — much the way Young aligned one chef’s bland soup to weapons of mass destruction on his debut episode.

New York Post

American Idol Experience at Disney mimics the real deal

ORLANDO à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  What would Uncle Walt think of this?! Long the maker of dreams, Disney World is about to become the breaker of dreams, too. Tears, tantrums, total esteem kersplat! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¢ When WDW opens the American Idol Experience at Hollywood Studios on Saturday, the flashy new attraction will mark a first for the Mouse House: They’re going to actively anger guests. Gutsy. I like it. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¢ Two years in the making (and hopefully not two years too late), the American Idol Experience takes the essence of the Fox phenom à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  our love of gawking, our thirst for fame à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and distills it into a dazzling, potentially soul-crushing, two-way thrill.

Tampa Bay.com

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ star returns for benefit

Hometown star Syesha Mercado is learning that to succeed in Hollywood she has to work on one goal each day.

Her goal for Feb. 19, though, will be for the youth of Manatee County.

Last yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s popular à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  contestant has been preparing for the Manatee Education Foundationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s benefit concert, dubbed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Follow Your Dreams.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  She will headline the 7 p.m. show at the Manatee County Convention Center.

Bradenton.com

Nickelodeon’s ‘Crush Night’ Featuring David Archuleta is Weekend’s Biggest Kid, Tween Event; New iCarly Tops Broadcast

10 Feb 2009 , New York : Nickelodeon’s Saturday night premieres of iCarly and True Jackson, VP (Feb. 7, 8-9 p.m. [all times ET/PT]) — part of Nickelodeon’s “Crush Night” TEENick programming block — scored as the weekend’s biggest event for kids and tweens. The iCarly premiere telecast (8-8:30 p.m.) placed atop all of television with kids and cable with tweens for the week of Feb. 2, cementing the show’s position as TV’s number-one program with kids 6-11 for six consecutive weeks.

Saturday night’s iCarly and True Jackson, VP episodes (8-9 p.m.) averaged a 9.0/1.9 million K6-11 and a 7.6/1.6 million T9-14. Year-to-date, the two shows are Saturday night’s number-one and number-two programs on all of television with these demos.

The “Crush Night” programming block (Feb. 7, 8-9:30 p.m.) — which also featured a new episode of The Naked Brothers Band — posted double-digit gains overall, and averaged a 7.6/1.6 million K6-11 (+46); a 6.1/1.3 million T9-14 (+39%); and a 6.5/2.3 million K2-11 (+55%).

PR Domain

‘American Idol’ and Grammys soar as Fox and CBS battle in ratings

Pop music prevailed in the TV ratings last week as Fox’s “American Idol” and CBS’ Grammy telecast earned top spots in audience rankings.

“Idol’s” Tuesday telecast was the most-watched program, with an average of 26.6 million total viewers, although the Wednesday edition was not far behind (26.4 million), according to figures published Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

Sunday’s 3 1/2-hour Grammys delivered 19 million total viewers for CBS, a 10% increase over the previous year. With the award show pulling a 7.4 rating/18 share in adults aged 18 to 49, CBS also achieved a rare Sunday win in that ad-friendly demographic.

LA Times

Even Reese Witherspoon Can Be an Embarrassing Mom

She might be an Oscar-winning actress but to her two kids, Reese Witherspoon is sometimes, well, just embarrassing, she says in a new interview.

To illustrate her point, the actress tells the story to Parents magazine of taking her 9-year-old daughter Ava to see country star Carrie Underwood.

“She said, ‘Mom I really appreciate you taking me to the concert, but will you please not embarrass me in front of Carrie Underwood by singing because she’s a real singer and you’re just, like a movie singer,” says Witherspoon, who won a Best Actress Oscar for playing singer June Carter Cash in 2005′s Walk the Line.

People

Carrie Underwood: Flying Solo On Valentineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Day

With Valentineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Day coming up this weekend, many celebrities are making big plans with their sweethearts. But Carrie Underwood isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t one of them.

The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Jesus Take The Wheelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  songstress recently told press that sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be flying solo on the romance holiday of the year. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m going to be on a plane on Valentineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Day.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Celebrity-gossip.net

Simon Cowell: Party Animal

Simon Cowell, the judge, jury and executioner of American Idol, was photographed enjoying himselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ like, really enjoying himselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ at the Dorchester Hotel in London the other night.

Accompanied by an unidentified female companion (and, presumably, several drinks), the snarky creator/producer, 49, was obviously able to let his hair down. Come to think of it, he kinda looks like fellow Idol judge Paula Abdul does on a daily basis.

Celebuzz.com

Kid Rock lets rip at Leona Lewis and Jennifer Hudson at pre-Grammy Awards bash

X Factor winner Leona Lewis and American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson didn’t need a phone vote to tell them who was playing super brat at the MusiCares charity event.

After following Jennifer’s set, foulmouthed Kid Rock, 38, asked: “Who’s Jennifer Hudson? The fat girl?” Not very kind given that this was the first appearance by the award-winning Dreamgirl since the deaths of her mum, brother and nephew. He even dared to bad mouth our own Coldplay. The rotter!

Mirror.co.uk

Craig Morgan Announces Hometown Benefit Ride

Craig Morgan will host a charity motorcycle ride on March 31 near Dickson, Tenn., with proceeds benefiting youth charities. Morgan tells The Tennessean his special guests will include Bucky Covington and Blake Shelton, and he’s hoping to confirm participation by James Otto and Kellie Pickler. The event will include motocross and ATV trail-riding, a silent auction and an acoustic concert. “I grew up around Dickson and live there now,” Morgan says. “It’s a great place to raise a family. But not all children are as fortunate as we’d like them to be, so this event is a fun way to get people together to raise money and awareness to help kids who really need it.”

CMT

Kelly Clarkson’s Killer New Bod

Wearing leggings that hugged her every curve, Kelly Clarkson recently flaunted a svelte new figure that mirrored her strong singing style. The American Idol alum showcased her sexy look in the video for her latest single, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“My Life Would Suck Without You,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  which debuted during a Jan. 28 episode of the hit reality show that jump-started her career.

Now fans are buzzing about her weight loss, which some experts place at as much as 20 pounds.

OK Magazine

Idol Pleasures with Kara DioGuardi

Browsing a record store, Kara DioGuardi looks like a shoe fiend attacking a sale rack. “OK. The first thing I do is see what’s out in pop,” the newest American Idol judge says upon entering Amoeba Records in Hollywood. It quickly becomes apparent that the 38-year-old songwriter and producer had a hand in almost every CD in sight–from Carrie Underwood’s Carnival Ride to Christina Aguilera’s Back to Basics. But she’s modest about it: “I don’t go to record stores to look at my albums,” says DioGuardi, the daughter of a former New York congressman, “but it’s always a thrill to see them. I still can’t believe this is the job I get paid to do.”

Women’s Health Magazine

Audition For ‘So You Think You Can Dance’

Auditions will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles.

Last year’s winner received a $250,000 and performed along with the Top 10 dancers in a nationwide tour.

No Las Vegas auditions will be held this year.

Fox5Vegas