Top 20 – Idol Exit Interviews

Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just a tad bit bitter. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t blame him.

I don’t blame him either. They couldn’t clear a freakin’ Journey song for him? As we’ve heard mentioned a few times, Randy was in Journey. The band members wrote the songs. Surely, Randy could have helped out a bit. Hooked Nigel up with the band members’ phone numbers or something.

I can’t imagine the sinking feeling these guys get when they realize they are cannon fodder. As they eagerly sit through their audition show and see they aren’t shown. Then nothing in Hollywood. A brief glimpse in the chair. Then, the songs they want, even if on the list, “don’t clear”. And they are given songs to sing at the last minute that don’t suit them. Then the judges harp on weird things (you need to get out in the sun, you are a pencil) and completely ignore other contestants going wildly off-key, gasping for air and/or using bad phrasing.

So, good on Jason Y for speaking his mind. I’m sure that the some PA has been fired for not turning off his mic halfway through the interview.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Well, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s tough for me. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s kind of a tough situation, because they were saying they werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sure if I was a rock singer. I had the look and everything, but they werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sure.

Oh Robbie. You just don’t get it, do you? It’s not about the look. Do they brainwash these “boy-band” kids?

I definitely sympathize with the cannon fodders. Forget the crap about Kelly Clarkson not being shown. She was one of how many?

Keep singing, Jason, your hometown must love you!

Kudos to Jason for speaking his mind, unbelievable treatment imo.
I cannot imagine what he must have been feeling from the jump- no air time, crappy song choices, producers not clearing a Journey song, I call BS and he knew it too. The inane comments from the judges after his songs, his stomach must have been doing jumping jacks, he got the message, you aren’t “chosen” this yr, sorry buddy, gonna slam you to make sure TPTB’s marketing plan for AI 7 is on track..
Jason like all the auditioneers just wanted a chance to show his singing and his talent, hoping that he can get grounded again, and is provided other opportunities. Wish him the best.

I feel bad for Jason. To be put in a group of SUPPOSEDLY the top 24 singers in America (as Idol keeps telling us) and then to be told you don’t stand out in a crowd is utterly ridiculous. Was he deserving of constructive criticism? Sure; he an stand to work on his performing skills a bit. But the judges didn’t go there; instead, they gave him the party line about “you don’t stand out in a crowd.” Sigh. Oh well. I always give a little mental fist-pump when a contestant calls it like it is when talking about how the show works, and he seems to have good understanding of the reality versus what is broadcast on television. I really like him and hope he goes far.

Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not a whole heck of a lot of time given to do really good research and to listen and try to find a killer song for yourself. And sometimes youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re back to the drawing board if the song isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t approved

I fell bad for him. And what would have to suck even more is David A. then gets to sing a song that he has been doing since he was around 13, arranged the same way and everything. There was nothing new there for David to learn.

I think Jason was saying that Journey would have been 80′s week, Kirsten. I sympathize with all of them on song choice but not just Jason. He did have a disadvantage at not being featured before the top 24 but having a cute son made me notice him. You can’t control that but you can control your song choice and picking Moon River was a blunder. There are so many great 60′s songs and he just had to look at what worked last season for the guys to see that.

I think Alaina should have stayed in and I’m surprised she didn’t. She seems like the type that people would like but maybe David A is sucking up all those votes.

Robbie says he has the look but to me it looks more like he’s dressing up like a rock singer from the 80′s. Scruffy long hair with bandanas isn’t in anymore. I think he sounds like a bar band singer.

I like Alexandrea and was sorry to see her go. I thought Kristy, Amanda, and Kady should have gone before her. Too bad her interview seemed more about David A than her.

I think Jason was saying that Journey would have been 80à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s week, Kirsten

That is probably true, but given that they are probably going to record the Top 16 shows this weekend (and he did record his Top 20 show on Monday and Top 24 on a Saturday), he would have already started practicing his 80s song by the time he got booted on Thursday. So, I would believe him that he knew that they had “not been able” to clear a Journey song for him (‘Next week was going to be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢80s, so I thought, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Well, great, Journey would totally showcase my vocalsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  but we ran into problems with getting rights.’).

During the top 12, they don’t really start practicing until after the Wednesday boot night, but the semi-finals are pre-taped so that means they are already several days into preparing for the next show before they are booted.

There are so many great 60à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s songs and he just had to look at what worked last season for the guys to see that.

We don’t know if those songs from last year were available on the list of 50 songs this year.

I have only read Jason Y’s interview so far but that is one of the best depictions of what is really happening once they get to the top 24 I have ever read. It really shows the pimp factor behind some of the contestants, who got ample screen time, compared to others (even pre-top 24). And on top of not getting the screen time, they throw the song choice boulders in their paths.

Some have been able to rise above those boulders being thrown down, like Taylor, Bo, and Blake. They were each able to customize a song to suit their strenfths. They each were also deep in years spent honing their musical talent and imo, bleed musical talent–it is in their blood ; you get the idea they couldn’t breathe if they couldn’t be artists.

I posted a list here after the top 24 reveal night of the ten contestants who had not gotten much screen time just that night. Here’s their status report so far:

1) Still there: Jason Castro, 20, Rockwall, Texas;

2) Still there: Danny Noriega, 18, Azusa, Calif.; (This year’s Sanjaya?)

3) BOOTED: Garrett Haley, 17, Elida, Ohio;
4) BOOTED: Jason Yeager, 28, Branson, Mo. –minor focus

5) **Appeared to be at risk Top 24 week: Chikezie Eze, 22, Inglewood, Calif.;

6) **Appeared to be at risk top 20 week: Luke Menard, 29, Crawfordsville, Ind.;

7) BOOTED: Amy Davis, 25, Cedar Lake, Ind.;
BOOTED: Alexandrea Lushington, 17, Douglasville, Ga.;
9) BOOTED: Alaina Whitaker, 16, Tulsa, Okla.

10) BOTTOM 3: Kady Malloy, 18, Houston

Two of the other boots so far were the two who were made to look as though they barely made the top 24 and that they were chosen last for their group over another person: Joanne and Colton.

That leaves Robbie C. as the only boot so far who had some focus that night who, we were told, wasn’t authentic, and failed to stand out among the other top 24.

It is so obvious to me that they want Carly S, David A, Michael J, Asia’h, David C, & Kristy Lee C in the top 10. So far, it is working.

I think Jason Y’s interview blurb should be mandatory reading for anyone trying out for AI. Prepare for the game, guys. They play it hard and have some sharp tools in their tool bag, including editing, controlling song choices, and judges’ comments.

Some have been able to rise above those boulders being thrown down, like Taylor, Bo, and Blake.

I didn’t know any of these guys had these kinds of problems. They sure didn’t suffer from a lack of screen time during auditions. I can’t remember what happened with Bo but I dont think you can compare Jason Y’s experience to Taylor or Blake…. jmo. I think Jason just got royally screwed. I found what Garrett said about who gets what song to be very enlightening and very dissappointing. Think of the killer bucks someone could make on an AI expose!

Robbie Carrico: Is it a wig? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I have been growing this hair for a very long time”

Growing it on what? Your pet sheep dog? Sounds odd to say I’ve beeen growing “this” hair & not growing “my” hair. I think some of the hair was his but there was some wig action going on too. He would have had more rock cred going baldy like little D, in my opinion. But it wasn’t the hair that got him booted anyway so it doesn’t really matter.

Lu is right. Blake’s audition was aired, and so was Taylor’s. In fact, Taylor got lots of screen time in Hollywood, too. Bo’s audition was not aired until later in the show, so he can be compared to Jason Y.

We donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know if those songs from last year were available on the list of 50 songs this year.

I didn’t mean the identical songs but the type. By picking the song he did he came across as old fashioned instead of current which is key. I’m sure Journey didn’t okay his choice but my point was it didn’t matter as far as him staying in the competition. He just didn’t make a good impression and he can whine all he wants but ultimately he’s the one responsible for that. He just wasn’t that good.

Chris Daughtry didn’t get featured before the top 24 other than his audition. That’s the same as most of the ones booted out. I remember Alaina’s, for eg. and also Kady’s, Amy’s, and Alexandea’s. I don’t believe that airing their audition is important either way, it’s making the most of your airtime once you make the top 24.

By picking the song he did he came across as old fashioned instead of current which is key.

David Archuleta didn’t come across as particularly “current” on “Imagine,” either. I do think David gave a better performance, but at the same time, fodder is fodder, and if the judges for whatever reason had WANTED to keep Jason around, they would have dubbed his performance “lively” or “energetic.”

He just wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t that good.

That is a matter of opinion, which you are certainly entitled to. I happen to think he had one of the best male voices there.

Well I disagree about Yaegar. I felt like at the beginning of the top 24 that I didn’t know any of them, so I came in with a clean slate. I can honestly say that he was my least favorite guy and it had nothing to do with prior exposure or judges’ comments. His songs and performances were either boring, or in the case of this past week – just really goofy looking, in *my* opinion. I’m not trying to offend anyone, just saying how I felt about him.

I didn’t really like any of the ones that were voted off. Alaina was alright, but she by no means stood out to me.

And I think Jason using song selection as an excuse is a little indulgent as Simon would say. Every contestant that’s ever been on there has had to jump the same hurdles, and the ones that have succeeded have managed to overcome obstacles with song selection…..Blake and Taylor come to mind.

David A can sing what ever he wants and everyone plus the judges will love him at least right now. Jason Yeager needed to make an impression and imo blew it royally. The only thing that stood out for me was his cute kid. I can’t even remember which song he sang the other day.

dusty, thanks for the list. Very interesting when you look at it. Of the two that are still surviving, Danny will stay on, I believe- his audition was shown and he has his fans. Jason C could be in danger very soon; I do believe he was supposed to be a fodder.

The thing about Taylor, Chris D, Bo, and Elliot is that they got good feedback from the judges unlike most of the contestants this year who came in with little prior screen time. Plus the limited song choices they have makes it even harder to jump the hurdles and “stand out” (whatever the heck that means in the producers’ books).

I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know any of these guys had these kinds of problems. They sure didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t suffer from a lack of screen time during auditions. I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t remember what happened with Bo but I dont think you can compare Jason Yà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s experience to Taylor or Blakeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦. jmo

Taylor definitely had more early buzz than Jason, now only did Blake have his audition shown but he was also shown in the group rounds because I remember thinking how great his group did on How Deep is Your Love, Bo didn’t get much screentime at all except a snippet of him singing The Letter in Hollywood.

I do feel bad for Jason if they screwed him with song choices (did they still have to choose from lists?) but Jason C. also had no previous screentime and it sure looks like he managed to gain a fanbase.

Lu and PJ, The boulders I was referring to for Blake, Taylor, and Bo did not necessarily happen in the top 24 -top 12 timeframe; it is just that they happened, they were tactics used by TPTB. There are well known instances of Taylor and Blake having unfair song choice issues.

One instance for Taylor was country week, where he had to sing “Country Roads” with little prep time.

Then there is the F2 song that Blake had to sing, the same one as Jordan, when in some previous years each contestant had their own song (like the year before, Taylor and Kat each had their own song).

Here’s what Blake had to say to MTV in December about the F2 song:

http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2007/12/21/exclusive-blake-lewis-talks-about-getting-screwed-on-american-idol/

Here’s a snippet from the Buzzworthy interview:

———-

“BW: When you first heard à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“This Is My Now,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  the ballad you had to perform during the finale, did you think you were toast?

BL: Oh, totally. Me and Jordin went in a room with some guy who was producing that song and I was like, what the fà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  is this? This is a piece of sà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ . And youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re not going to let me arrange it? OK, cool. Thanks guys. I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to win American Idol anyway; I wanted to get second. Then we found out we had to learn it in, like, three days or something ridiculous. It was dumb. It was just like, are you kidding me? It was really a piece of crap song. And the guys who wrote it were like, weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re sorry, dude.

BW: It seemed totally unfairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

BL: When I found out they wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t let me change it, I was like, youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re kidding me. I mean, my range is alright but à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t do power ballads. And if I do, I write them and tailor them to my voice. But this one, I was just like, ummmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ So I totally just, like, brushed it off and picked a key that I shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have picked. But it didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t matter. Honestly, I picked Jordin to win during Hollywood Week.”

The thing is, Jason Y wasn’t going to win anyway, so why screw with his song choices? Just let him crash and burn on his own accord.

And yeah, I’d guess that Jason Castro wasn’t chomping at the bit to sing Andy Gibb, but he managed.

Dude, you sang “moon river” in your first week. What do you expect? Danny chose the wrong song but won fans with his sassy manner. Jason Castro choose to take a risk and bring out the guitar. So yeah you don’t stand out.

(à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Next week was going to be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢80s, so I thought, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Well, great, Journey would totally showcase my vocalsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  but we ran into problems with getting rights.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢).

“Problems” being “you are a goner this week…no need to waste time, effort, and money getting rights to a song you will never get a chance to sing on the Idol stage…”

I do feel bad for Jason if they screwed him with song choices (did they still have to choose from lists?) but Jason C. also had no previous screentime and it sure looks like he managed to gain a fanbase.

It can happen — Elliott had almost zero screen time and finished third. It’s not unprecedented, and Jason Castro (who I personally find more effective than Ambien, not to mention the creepy, half-stoned look on his face all the time) seems to have overcome the odds. But I don’t agree with the sentiment that it’s the contestant’s “responsibility” to overcome those hurdles, or at least I don’t fully agree with it. Because the real question is why certain contestants have those hurdles and others do not.

I don’t blame Jason for speaking up about what went on behind the scenes. Why is it his duty to just smile and STFU? What exactly does he owe American Idol when they, IMO, egregiously shoved him and three other male contestants into the shadows so they could cast more light on three or four others? I have zero problems with him speaking up as to what went on behind the scenes, especially about how restricted they are in song selection and therefore how “song choice” isn’t really as much of a “choice” as the audience is supposed to believe.

And this comes from a person who wasn’t 100% on the Yeager train (oh God, that sounds cheesy). I do love his voice, but I wasn’t a fan of his performing style or his inappropriate perma-grin, and I think that he needed to step it up. But at the same time, the judges could have given him more criticism on those specific points instead of throwing around almost meaningless phrases like “that wasn’t a singer’s song” and “it’s about song choice” when they don’t have that much of a choice and “you’re not current” when they’re being told to sing songs that are thirty years old. And I’m sorry, none of those contestants have taken a song and made it sound “fresh,” so really, I don’t see why some of the contestants merit the “old-fashioned” criticism when others don’t. Not to keep harping on Archuleta as an example, because I like him just fine, but was there anything “new” or “current” about “Shop Around” or “Imagine?” In my opinion, no, although again they were very fine performances. But the judges/producers choose their critiques. On “chopped and screwed night,” Simon said that Jason was a very good singer. He could have emphasized that during the actual performances — “you’ve got great vocals, just tone down the smiling and the dancing.” But he didn’t — he all but ignored Jason’s voice and went for the jugular in other areas.

Dude, you sang à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“moon riverà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in your first week. What do you expect?

Not everyone considers “Moon River” a forgettable song. I adore it; it’s one of my favorites (and I’m 25–SHOCKING!). One man’s “standing out” is another man’s “wow, that was a great song selection.” It’s just opinion. How well he did in his performance is up for debate, but I don’t think it was the song itself that sunk him. If Archuleta or Johns or Carly had sung it, I don’t think they would have been that criticized. And it’s nothing against those particular performers, but it’s very clear who the producer favorites are this year.

Again, I’m not saying that Jason really didn’t deserve the criticism he got, because he was far from a perfect performer. But it’s not fair, IMO, that when you have a group of contestants who really are all susceptible to the same criticism, some of them get it and some of them don’t.

RollTide
Mar 1st, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Well I disagree about Yaegar. I felt like at the beginning of the top 24 that I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know any of them, so I came in with a clean slate. I can honestly say that he was my least favorite guy and it had nothing to do with prior exposure or judgesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ comments. His songs and performances were either boring, or in the case of this past week – just really goofy looking, in *my* opinion. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not trying to offend anyone, just saying how I felt about him.

I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really like any of the ones that were voted off. Alaina was alright, but she by no means stood out to me.

And I think Jason using song selection as an excuse is a little indulgent as Simon would say. Every contestant thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ever been on there has had to jump the same hurdles, and the ones that have succeeded have managed to overcome obstacles with song selectionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦..Blake and Taylor come to mind.

I didn’t watch much of anything until the Top 24 reveal night. But since then I have been watching to see who gets the subtle and not so subtle promotion by AI once they are in the Top 24. They are very skillful and have it down to a science. For example:

–solo sing outs in group sings

–extra camera time in group sing outs

–positive judges’ comments

–extra positive reinforcement from Ryan after the judges’ comments, including the arm around the shoulders hug

–special Simon comments like “the one to beat” (Carly); “one of the top 3 contestants (Ramiele)” ; “you have potential” (Kristy Lee C); “she has the “total package” (Syesha); or “my favorite performance of the night” (Asia’h). (BTW, think these five will be in the top 6 girls? )

–special focus in the performance recap on boot night (As MJ noted in her write up, Carly and Michael judges’ comments were spotlighted positively even though the judges’ comments to them were mixed) versus special negative focus on boot night

–video package pimpage (come on–showing Kristy Lee on horseback riding through the countryside versus not letting your food groups touch on your plate? What a contrast!)

–”reaction shot to the boots” extra camera time (they were sure to show us David A over and over last week and this week, can you name whose reactions we did not see?)

–who gets pimp spots? So far we have had Michael, David A, Carly, and Asia’h sing last. I look for David C and Kristy Lee C to make the pimp spot roster this week, complete with Kristy Lee debuting as a country singer (since Simon told her it was time to be one).

Compare those positive tricks versus pulling someone on stage with the bootee so suggest their vulnerability (Luke, Kady this week but Kady was bottom 3), (Chikeze, Amanda last week).

At this point I can go down the list of 16 contestants and easily see who falls into which camp: a) positive promotion by AI or b) negative or little to no promotion by AI.

Now throw in song choice help like “Imagine” that David A has been singing for years to song choice “boulders” for the contestants who are struggling to learn and master completely new material or are just trying to get something cleared!

Add in AI bussing in some teenage girls to scream for David A and seat them in the rows right by the stage….their promotion of their favs is so obvious to me and so easily documentable this season.

The only way you can get away with an old fashioned song even if it’s a classic is if you hit it out of the park which he decidedly didn’t. I just don’t feel any more sorry for him than any of the others who have been sent home. I’m sure they all had equally tough song choices to make.

I actually think chosing Imagine could have hurt David A if it weren’t for the fact that the judges chose to slobber all over him. I hated his version of it. I doubt they bussed in screaming girls for him, though.

I just donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t feel any more sorry for him than any of the others who have been sent home. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure they all had equally tough song choices to make.

I don’t feel more sorry for him than I do for Garrett or Colton, but Jason had a lot more to say than either of those two, really. Plus, I happened to like his voice better.

I actually think chosing Imagine could have hurt David A if it werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t for the fact that the judges chose to slobber all over him.

How? He’s been singing it practically since he was on his way out of the womb. If I ever go on American Idol, I hope to God I get to sing all the songs that are 100% in my wheelhouse and that I’ve been practicing for years. And truth be told, I didn’t think his performance was slobber-worthy, either. It was nice and he’s clearly talented, but he’s this year’s Jordin Sparks as far as I’m concerned — talented to be sure, but unable to transcend his youth and terribly difficult to market.

I doubt they bussed in screaming girls for him, though.

The person who provided the spoilers was there on a school trip. I do think they stacked the audience with youngsters.

ETA: I didn’t care for his version either. That is a song that should be sung straight, IMO.

Oh bean — I totally believe they bussed in little girls for Archuletta, but I guess after 7 seasons, it’s gonna take more than that to upset me. It just wouldn’t be American Idol without some of this stuff.

I recall Anwar (sniff…Anwar) singing Moon River and knocking it out of the park in such a way that even Simon had to say something nice to him…and then retract it the next night so Anwar didn’t become too popular.

I feel for Yaeger/Colton/Garrett and maybe Jason C because they were definitely identified cannon fodder. They might as well have just stamped CF on their foreheads. I think what TPTB may have underestimated about Jason C is how much the camera really, really loves him. He doesn’t have all of Archuletta’s experience and training, but the boy glows on camera — and that will get ya some votes.

The one I think is going to get the most horrific comments this week, regardless of how they perform is David Cook. The boy is toast and that makes me sad because he is the true rocker this year (IMO.)

Now throw in song choice help like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Imagineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  that David A has been singing for years to song choice à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“bouldersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  for the contestants who are struggling to learn and master completely new material or are just trying to get something cleared!

I agree with this. Not that I cared for that version of the song. Imagine is a song that should never be messed with, IMO.

Even if the audience is packed with schoolgirls, there is no guarantee that they will scream only for David. It is a little surprising that they did not scream for Danny who is exceptionally pretty, or Luke aka Orlando Bloom. They simply screamed for David.

As for the marketability of David, it is too early to say as we haven’t see enough of what he could bring. Last year everyone is saying Jordin and Blake are much more marketable than Melinda. But it turns out the winner and runner-up are not so “relevant” after all.

Is Jason Y the one who said he has been playing the piano and guitar since he was three years old, yet doesn’t consider himself a musician.
Dude seriously. You were exposed to music at a very young age yet didn’t take advantage of this opportunity ‘cept to get by on good looks and an inoffensive voice.
Could easily have played the keyboards on Moon River, broken some ground on American Idol and really stood out from the other contestants.
File this one under blown opportunity.

And don’t get me started on a contestant who thinks the most interesting thing about herself is she refuses to let her food mingle on her dinner plate.

Also didn’t like his version but screaming isn’t new on Idol. They screamed for Ace and Blake also and the audience is usually full of young teens. It’s just that David A is much more popular and gets more screams. I doubt Idol has hatched a major conspiracy to make him appear more popular than he is. He already gets more votes on Idol polls than all the other contestants put together.

I enjoyed the Jason interview and respect him more. Plus I like that this crew isn’t all puppies and rainbows.

Last year everyone is saying Jordin and Blake are much more marketable than Melinda.

I don’t count myself in that “everyone” I NEVER thought Jordin was particularly marketable — I thought she might stand a chance in the Disney crowd, but ultimately what sank her, IMO, was that she didn’t have a genre. Blake, much like Taylor, tried to create a genre (or at least straddle two) and both of them, IMO, failed at that endeavor. Unfortunately, it seems like to succeed sales-wise, the contestant needs to conform, conform, CONFORM strictly to a pre-estalished genre of music. Only time will tell, but right now I certainly can’t pinpoint a genre for David A.

Is Jason Y the one who said he has been playing the piano and guitar since he was three years old, yet doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t consider himself a musician.

Interesting how people see things differently. I find this to be an incredibly humble statement. I don’t play any instruments, but even if I did, I wouldn’t consider myself a musician unless I were able to CREATE unique music. To me, it’s the same distinction between being a “singer” and an “artist.” Again, personally speaking, I am a singer (not a bad one, either), but I am no artist — I’m not too great at the whole emotion/interpretation thing.

I know I’m out here on an island but I liked Jason’s Moon River. And to be fair to him – who knows what his “acceptable” song choices were… I’m not saying he should’ve stayed but a lot of stuff is coming out about how some contestants are treated very differently than others. I know that’s the way it is but I don’t have to like it.

Last year everyone is saying Jordin and Blake are much more marketable than Melinda. But it turns out the winner and runner-up are not so à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“relevantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  after all.

Jordin has two huge Top 40 hits, and her album will more than likely go platinum. I would say that she’s pretty marketable.

Only time will tell, but right now I certainly canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t pinpoint a genre for David A.

Is High School Musical a genre?

I can see David, top 4 or higher, opening for Miley Cyrus. The Jonas Brothers are now out on their own tour.

And donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get me started on a contestant who thinks the most interesting thing about herself is she refuses to let her food mingle on her dinner plate.

But that’s my point! Why do some contestants get video crews sent to their homes and get beautiful footage of them at home, and being on horseback is even better! , endearing them to us with their “back story” while others are left to come up with the “interesting” tidbit on their own?

I still remember Kellie Pickler’s video package, they started selling her all the way back on her audition night. And she has done a good job of embracing it and running with it.

IMO Jason Castro’s video clip made him look like a goofball. And Ryan was sure to remind us of it on the top 20 results night. Contrast that to the Michael J playing tennis vid package or –even better–the David A grainy home video of being embraced by season one contestants and being oohed and ahhhed over by Kelly C.!

The playing field is not even, not by a long shot. If Jason C . continues to melt America’s hearts, then they will play catch up and give him some pimping. We’ll see how he does now that he has been commanded to sing without his guitar this week. Funny, no such command was made of Brooke.

I think Jordin has a great Top 40 voice but those hits plus Chris Brown plus the 95 million Superbowl viewers and now the Alicia Keys tour and she’s still struggling mightily to sell CDs. I’m sticking with my prediction that she’ll be lucky to sell her initial shipment of 900K. She’ll def get a platinum record though but actual sales….

I don’t think her identity is so unique that people are interested in buying a whole album of the Jordan Sparks experience.

I wonder why Blake gets the return to Idol when Kat with a bigger radio hit and similiar sales got the snub.

Jordin has two huge Top 40 hits, and her album will more than likely go platinum. I would say that sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pretty marketable.

Yep… I hear Jordin on the radio ALL the time. Her cd sales didn’t rocket right out of the gate but her download numbers are great and I too think she’ll go platinum… not too shabby.

Blake, much like Taylor, tried to create a genre (or at least straddle two) and both of them, IMO, failed at that endeavor.

Blake SAID he created a genre but his album is basically pop, with some R&B and electronic influences thrown in. And I love his album, so he didn’t fail in my mind. It isn’t his fault his label chose the wrong first single. He has plenty of songs on his album that would fit on Top 40 radio. But anyway, that’s totally OT, so…

I read Alex’s full interview on ew.com, and this made me LOL:

If you could have picked any song, what would you have loved to do for America?
I would have loved to do a Nick Acosta song. Any of them. Just any one they would have let me do. I’m a huge Nick Acosta fan. It would have been nice to rock out to that.

Nick Acosta = Nikka Costa. She mentions she’s a fan in the AOL version of her exit interview.

I wonder why Blake gets the return to Idol when Kat with a bigger radio hit and similiar sales got the snub.

Heh. What I wouldn’t give for the answer to that.

You might be right about David A, Dusty. Miley is incredibly popular and it’s possible that he could cash in on that and the High School Musical crowd. It’s nothing I’d ever buy but I don’t have any preteen girls in the family.

Kat isn’t from last season so am not surprised it’s Blake and not her. Kellie Pickler appeared last season around this time.

I think Blake got invited back because he is managed by 19, whereas Katharine wasn’t.

You might be right about that, Dusty. Miley is incredibly popular and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s possible that David A could cash in on that and the High School Musical crowd. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s nothing Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d ever buy but I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have any preteen girls in the family.

I have a 10 year old show is WILD over the Jonas Bros and she is now WILD over David A so yes, I think that’s the market to go for and that market is huge. Just check out the sales for the concerts of Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Bros… unbelieveable.

Nick Acosta = Nikka Costa. She mentions sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a fan in the AOL version of her exit interview.

Aww. I wish she didn’t get voted off. She’s the one pick I missed because I didn’t want to vote against her. I won’t make that mistake again. LOL.

Yeah, Blake is with 19 and Kat and Taylor were not. Pretty simple.

I think Blake got invited back because he is managed by 19, whereas Katharine wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t.

Yes, exactly.

I think Jordin has a great Top 40 voice but those hits plus Chris Brown plus the 95 million Superbowl viewers and now the Alicia Keys tour and she’s still struggling mightily to sell CDs. I’m sticking with my prediction that she’ll be lucky to sell her initial shipment of 900K. She’ll def get a platinum record though but actual sales….

Heh, ya wanna bet? Just kidding .

I think she’s going to eventually sell more than 1 million records. It’s going to take a bit of time, but it’ll happen, imo.

Blake is with 19 and Kat and Taylor were not. Pretty simple.

Taylor WAS invited back for the finale. Kat did not appear all season but apparently met the contestants backstage. I remember it because she looked like she was wearing lingerie.

I think the management thing explains it. Thank you. I still don’t get the complicated deal when one 19 does the show and another manages the artists. Blake, Jordin, Picker and Ruben do get the benefits of the 19 management that I guess Taylor and Kat gave up when they went elsewhere.

Okay,MJ I’ll be checking Jordin’s sales 10/08.

Taylor WAS invited back for the finale.

Yeah, I know. I meant during the season.

And donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get me started on a contestant who thinks the most interesting thing about herself is she refuses to let her food mingle on her dinner plate.

LOL. I thought that was sort of cute. The thing I liked about Alaina was that she really was only 17 in every sense of the word. Nothing precocious or precious about her.

I agree with Simon. If she had been given the chance, she could have grown throughout this competition.

Yeah, I know. I meant during the season.

Ah. Gotcha.

”
I think sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going to eventually sell more than 1 million records. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going to take a bit of time, but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll happen, imo.”

I think Jordin is struggling too. I don’t think she had outsold Taylor yet and he was dropped. After “no air” I don’t know what bides for Jordin.

What I am suggesting is that marketability on the paper is very different from reality. So we will have to wait and see.

I have a 10 year old show is WILD over the Jonas Bros and she is now WILD over David A so yes, I think thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the market to go for and that market is huge. Just check out the sales for the concerts of Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ unbelieveable.

The Disney route is certainly lucrative. There are exceptions (Christina A. is one) but, unfortuanately, the shelf life of these kids is about 2-5 years. I’d bet in 10 years The Jonas Bros, Myley Cyrus and the High School Musical kids will all be answers to trivia questions.

I think Jordin and her team are smart to stay clear of that route.

They screamed for Ace and Blake also and the audience is usually full of young teens.

Not necessarily in the semi-final rounds. Most of the time, the audience for those performance shows is mainly comprised of friends and family, I believe.

Jordin has two huge Top 40 hits, and her album will more than likely go platinum. I would say that sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pretty marketable.

Exactly.

Not to mention that “Tattoo” is platinum, and “No Air” is just getting started and is already showing strong downloads. Isn’t she approaching a total of about 2 million for both already?

ETA:

Weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll see how he does now that he has been commanded to sing without his guitar this week. Funny, no such command was made of Brooke.

Brooke has not accompanied herself on the guitar for two weeks in a row. Jason has. I can see why the “command” was not made of her. We haven’t seen Jason without a guitar yet. I know that I’m curious to see how he does. I think he’ll be great, but I’d like to see him without it some too.

I think Blake got invited back because he is managed by 19, whereas Katharine wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t.

Ding ding ding!! I think star gets a prize.

Jordin is doing well by most standards, but she hasn’t taken off the way Daughtry and Carrie have. I would think that it’d be TPTB’s goal every season for their winner to be that popular. So why TPTB would choose to focus their efforts on a contestant who doesn’t fit into a genre that comes along with a built-in fanbase (e.g. ballady country or pop-rock), and instead throw their weight behind a riskier pick, I’m not sure. From a pure business standpoint I’d want to do this. And yeah, David is Disney-ish but so was Jordin, and I’m loathe to compare her relatively mild monetary success with Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers. I’m not sure that David is a solid lock with the Disney crowd.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d bet in 10 years The Jonas Bros, Myley Cyrus and the High School Musical kids will all be answers to trivia questions.

Oh Lord… I hope it’s not going to take 10 years! lol Although, I really like Myley Cyrus from what I’ve seen. We watch her tv show all the time and she’s pretty darn good at comedy – kind of just an okay singer for me – but the girl has stage presence. If Jordin and David A steer clear of Disney, I’m sure they have their reasons. It sure seems like a juggernaut right now.

My daughter use to be a huge Hillary Duff fan. About 3-4 years ago I took her and three of her friends to a an outdoor concert where Hillary performed for Good Morning America..I think at the time about 8,000 people packed into the the park where the concert was held. Now neither my daughter or any of the other girls that came that day can barely remember being a fan and they’re mostly now obsessed with High School or the Jonas Brothers Musical. So many of these Disney Channel kids really are disposable.

Jordin is doing well by most standards, but she hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t taken off the way Daughtry and Carrie have. I would think that ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d be TPTBà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s goal every season for their winner to be that popular

Jordin’s downloads are very impressive, but given the kind of airplay she’s getting with two songs, add in she had Black Friday sales to give her a head start I would have thought she would have sold a million by now. I hear her more on the radio than I heard Daughtry the first few months INO was out.

I found a very interesting post at TWoP on this point; I hope it’s okay to bring it over here. I figured I’d quote it because 1) it addresses my own questions about marketability and 2) it offers an interesting alternative theory to why TPTB have disinherited Taylor, although I’m not 100% sure it’s one I agree with.

WaltzinSpringTm
My memory is not perfect here but in this last off season I thought I read some AI honchos explaining that AI is important to them as a television show. My impression was they downplayed the importance of actually ending up with a big pop star.

So, for credibility’s sake they have to give lip service there, but I kind of think who they push or seem to “like” has a lot more with who they think is gonna appeal demographically while the AI season airs. Whether AI believes “TCO”? will have hits later is totally secondary or less.

I don’t think there’s some intra-industry collusion going back several years, prepping Archuletta for superstardom, with “Idol” the culmination. Or Jordin would be a massive industry star. AI doesn’t seem to care she sort of flopped. Maybe they don’t even care that Taylor flopped, but they didn’t want to be known as a talent show that ended up with old people winning.

This is all neither here not there about Archuletta’s voice, talent and prospects, but AI’s own “promotional” enthusiasm for him could be pure TV and demos for AI’s Season 7 run, not AI and 19E thinking they’ve got a superstar for afterwards.

I do think it makes a difference who gets pre-24 pimping on the show. It’s the exceptional non-pimped that makes it to the top 10 (Bo, Elliott).This season, Nigel made a point of talking about Jason Castro and they showed him even though they couldn’t show him singing in Hollywood, so I think they wanted him. We saw a little of David Hernandez, Chikesie, Robbie and Danny, but not enough to pimp them. We saw nothing of Garrett, Colton, Luke or Jason Y.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’who gets pimp spots? So far we have had Michael, David A, Carly, and Asiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢h sing last. I look for David C and Kristy Lee C to make the pimp spot roster this week, complete with Kristy Lee debuting as a country singer (since Simon told her it was time to be one).

The one I think is going to get the most horrific comments this week, regardless of how they perform is David Cook. The boy is toast and that makes me sad because he is the true rocker this year (IMO.)

Interesting. David C. seems to be a question mark. My personal opinion is the PTB will want one (older) male “rocker” – either Michael OR David C. (or Robbie) and cast a couple of spare “rockers” in case their original preference didn’t work. Robbie is gone now. Personally, David C. impressed me as the true rocker of the group, but the judges seem to prefer Michael. Michael seems to have more “buzz” and is conventionally better looking (relative, of course). I think David C. has been more consistent to his genre – in my opinion. I think Michael is good looking, but I can’t imagine where he fits in terms of mainstream “relevance”. It will be interesting to see if they try to bump off David C this week.

I think the PTB want one male neo-soul singer – either Chikesie OR David H.

The want one adult male “eye candy” Michael OR Luke.

They want as many teens as they can get.

This season, Nigel made a point of talking about Jason Castro and they showed him even though they couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t show him singing in Hollywood, so I think they wanted him.

Well, the average viewer is unaware of Nigel’s comment. But yeah, I think they want him to make top 12 for sure. The camera loves him, they play him up as a harmless music loving goof, and then they eff with him during result night. He could be a stealth finalist, but not TCO.

It’ll be interesting if they throw David C under a bus this week.

AI doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t seem to care she sort of flopped. Maybe they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even care that Taylor flopped, but they didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to be known as a talent show that ended up with old people winning.

Or more importantly, with a winner whose primary appeal is to an older demographic. That 18-49 demo is the all important one to advertisers.

I have to think TPTB are pretty happy with Jordin as an ambassador of their brand. She’s young, squeaky clean, is awesome on television and has a couple of hit records.

I agree with that TWOP poster. I think the folks who run the TV show make more money from the show, than from the records the winners make afterward.

That’s why, I don’t buy into the-long-arm-of-Simon Fuller-theory, where he makes it a point to destroy the careers of Idols he doesn’t like. Once an Idol is off the show, how do they threaten the popularity of the show itself? They don’t. What happens between the label and the kids aftward has nothing to do with American Idol imo.

Interesting. David C. seems to be a question mark. My personal opinion is the PTB will want one (older) male à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“rockerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  – either Michael OR David C. (or Robbie) and cast a couple of spare à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“rockersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in case their original preference didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t work. Robbie is gone now. Personally, David C. impressed me as the true rocker of the group, but the judges seem to prefer Michael. Michael seems to have more à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“buzzà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and is conventionally better looking (relative, of course). I think David C. has been more consistent to his genre – in my opinion. I think Michael is good looking, but I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t imagine where he fits in terms of mainstream à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“relevanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . It will be interesting to see if they try to bump off David C this week.

I think the PTB want one male neo-soul singer – either Chikesie OR David H.

I think we have two rounds of cannon fodder.

Round One cannon fodder are the ones with little exposure in the pre Hollywood or Hollywood rounds. Then there is the disparate attention given on the night of the top 24 reveal; that’s the list I posted earlier in this thread.

Round Two cannon fodder are the ones who go out at 12,11,10, & 9. And in some seasons, at 8th and 7th (last year).

They will not have gotten a lot of camera time in the top 24, top 20, or top 16 shows. They probably haven’t had the pimp spot or the extra special video package. If they sing in tune and stay on pitch then their comments from the judges will be about song choice, their look or on stage presence or lack thereof, their apparel, their hair, etc.. Paula will likely be the positive one and Randy “won’t be feeling it, dawg”. They will be told they are karaoke, cruise ship, wedding, or dive bar singers by Simon.

Question for me is: is David C round two cannon fodder or is he top 6 or top 4? I think he has the talent to take him that far; how will the show treat him? He got a little redemption in the top 20 recap this week, where he said he felt a little bad about what he said to Simon.

Also, to those who are saying David A has already won…remember, AI needs a strong second contender that many are rooting for …to keep people watching and to keep us in suspense. So, of the other top 5 or so contestants on the show, who will it be? I am thinking Michael J. And if David C can make it to the top 4, when he gets booted his fan base will likely switch to Michael Johns. And that’s how Michael Johns can beat David A. We’ll know in about ten or eleven weeks.

Or more importantly, with a winner whose primary appeal is to an older demographic. That 18-49 demo is the all important one to advertisers.

It has to be more about demographics than about the age of the winner. Chris Daughtry is no spring chicken (relatively speaking in Idol terms, of course) and yet they plug him every chance they can get — because he has cross-demographic appeal.

This is not to excuse the trickery that probably goes on at 19Evil, but I’m not sympatheic at all to these crybabies talking about how they didn’t get top 24 exposure and how it’s so unfair. They all know that someone goes home every week and that this is a major opportunity for national exposure that they’ve gotten, even if they are “cannon fodder”. They go on, sing as well as they can, get booted and then go cry about it because their story wasn’t interesting enough to get face time prior to the top 24 like some of the ones that survived the boot. How do they explain those that do and don’t even make it to Hollywood?

Skunkboy was a boring dud and his “Long Train Running” was a long-train-wreck.

Chris Daughtry didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get featured before the top 24 other than his audition. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the same as most of the ones booted out. I remember Alainaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, for eg. and also Kadyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, Amyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s, and Alexandeaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t believe that airing their audition is important either way, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s making the most of your airtime once you make the top 24.

I saw Daugtry’s audition prominently featured in an AI network promo before the top 24 was selected. But even so, you make the point. Some without the advance pimpalicious exposure go on to do very well. Others get primo exposure and fail spectacularly (Sundance Head comes to mind).

Although David A is my favorite I don’t think he has it in the bag. Producers may want him to win but didn’t they want Daughtry over Talor? He may be a top 3 elimination shocker actually with Michael J and maybe Carly top 2. All those screamin girls mean nothing..Justin Guarini has screaming girls back from the Hollywood rounds and yes he came in 2nd but sold zip in sales.. I think not even 150,000..

Anyway to me Idol is a TV show and it makes its money on advertisers and tours. I agree they don’t carry too much weight if the idol sells a million or not or at all. At this point all 10 will probably get record deals so it’s all good. I would love a top four of David A, Micheal J,Carly and Brooke or Ramielle.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sympatheic at all to these crybabies talking about how they didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get top 24 exposure and how ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s so unfair. They all know that someone goes home every week and that this is a major opportunity for national exposure that theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve gotten, even if they are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cannon fodderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

So what, they should just shut up? If the producers screwed with them behind the scenes, they should instead smile and talk about what an amazing experience Idol was and how they’re so grateful that they got to go on television twice a week for two weeks only to be told that they didn’t stand out or that they are pale and creepy? It’s one thing to whine about regional power voters or how people didn’t pay enough attention to you after someone else was voted off; it’s another thing to speak frankly about the effects of pre-show exposure (as Jason did) and to acknowledge that “song choice” really isn’t a “choice” for all the contestants (as Garrett did). I don’t have a problem with that. None of these “whiners” have gotten up and said anything like “I performed better than everyone else that week but it was the fault of the judges/the producers/nerves/allergies/the weather/karma that I was voted off.” When that happens I’ll start rolling my eyes, but I do think that people who go on a show hoping for at least a fair shake have the right to speak publicly about it when they don’t get it. Yes, anyone who’s been closely watching American Idol for the last few years really SHOULD know better, but IMO that doesn’t mean that they lose all authority to critique the very real unfairness of the show.

And none of this is to say that if Garrett, Colton, or Jason HAD gotten equal time in the auditions/Hollywood, they’d be coming back next week. Garrett and Colton were a bit forgettable IMO (though others may disagree), and Jason really has to improve his performing skills. Jason Castro has been doing well, but he’s also been playing an instrument. Let’s see what happens next week when he has to step out from behind the crutch.

Skunkboy was a boring dud and his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Long Train Runningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was a long-train-wreck.

An opinion you are certainly entitled to, but you don’t speak for everyone. I think he has a fantastic voice (marred by poor performance abilities) and thought he certainly stood out amongst the Disney cast members and wannabe rockers.

I’m very circumspect about MikeJ. As eyecandy goes, he’s more than alright, but seems to be lacking in something. Enthusiasm, perhaps?

On close inspection, his voice is not the best (those barritone voices are like busy print fabrics — lots of places to hide dirty spots) and his performances have been only slightly better than ordinary. This could be written off to the “ick” that went through the cast, but only to a limited degree. I give him one more round to impress me beyond his bicepts and accent, before I write him off as superfluous to the cast. It already has a more reliable “rocker” in David C.(if he can control the back-sassing), an experienced adult “ringer” in Carly, and a “hunk” in Luke.

TPTB would have a better investment (in terms of the resident pretty boy) in Luke the carpet cleaner, who is undeniably lookesome, seems genuinely interested and has a better (ie., humble) backstory. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if there is a major sea-change in terms of judge’s bench persuasion tactics.

Weighing in on Jordin and marketability, I’m also convinced that she will sell plaatinum in less than 6 months. Her single downloads are very impressive, and I’m inclined to think that her target market will more readily download singles than buy CDs. I also look to a similar phenomenon with Rihanna who had 4 hit singles, included what was unquestionable record of the year, and only recently went platinum after her CD being out for 8 or 9 months. If being professionally allied with Chris Brown and Alicia Keys and certainly making an appearance on AI (which I expect to happen within a few weeks) don’t get her to platinum, nothing will.

If Jordan doen’t sell Platinum it isn’t that TPTB haven’t invested a lot of money and effort. I think they really feel like they need a big seller no matter how much it cost or how long it takes. I’d really like to see David H. in the top six guys as he really impressed me last week, and I seem to prefer his style more than David A., David C. or Jason C. for that matter.

I guess I sorta feel sorry for Jason, and the funny thing is that he really has a good voice. I think it was a combination of poor execution of song choice, because I am one of the few who believe that if you sing a damn song really well, make it memorable, that you can take a bad song choice and make it better, lol. He didn’t have that in him. He came off as cheesy and not in on the cheese. That killed him. Even in his exit interview he didn’t quite get it. I love Alex’s exit interview, I guess having gone through this before she knows the ropes. She did nothing wrong she was just lost among cutsie girls because imho I think she outsings all of the other girls on that stage except maybe Carly who I finally get. I keep hearing he singing Crazy on You, dammit. I think we will see Alex in the future because she actually does have something marketable. The rest should have gone, not feeling sorry at all.

As for the pimping of David A, I think he doesn’t need it because for the most part only three guys have really distinquished themselves as really good singers, that is beside him, and that is David H, David C, and, to a lesser extent Jason Castro. Jason was supposed to be cannon fodder yet he remains and is a fan fave, Michael Johns was supposed to be the one to beat, now looks like he peaked at auditions. Luke ‘I am cannon fodder’, escaped two elimination shows due to to bloomesque appeal. I don’t know. David is being remembered because whether is is a pageant boy or not, he can sing. He doesn’t need to go Disney cause unlike most of the disney crew, he can actually sing.

Earlier someone said:

Even if the audience is packed with schoolgirls, there is no guarantee that they will scream only for David. It is a little surprising that they did not scream for Danny who is exceptionally pretty, or Luke aka Orlando Bloom. They simply screamed for David.

I say amen to that. Unless they were from his hometown school and then that doesn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t screem for pretty Luke, or even sassy Danny. My 17 year old would have screamed for David A and Danny N. She loves them, and she votes. They are the ones to watch.

TPTB would have a better investment (in terms of the resident pretty boy) in Luke the carpet cleaner, who is undeniably lookesome, seems genuinely interested and has a better (ie., humble) backstory.

I think Luke is the Brandon Rogers of this year, the major difference of course being that Brandon was pimped to eternity and then crashed spectacularly, whereas we didn’t see much of Luke before the Top 24. I predict more screwery with song choices should he make the Top 12.

Nigel: I’m sorry, Luke, we were unable to clear “Hard Day’s Night” for you.
Luke: But it’s…it’s Beatles Night. And that’s a Beatles song.
Nigel: ::shrugs::
Luke: Well, what about the other songs I submitted?
Nigel: Well, we had problems with those too.
Luke: “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” “Here Comes the Sun?” “Hey Jude?”
Nigel: Well, actually, we gave those to Carly, Archuleta, and Michael.
Luke: What about the other eight songs I submitted?
Nigel: They went to the other eight contestants.
Luke: …oh. Well…what am I supposed to sing?
Nigel: (Handing Luke a piece of sheet music) Don’t worry about it. We did some digging, and we came up with the perfect song for you. You’re gonna love it.
Luke: ::blinks:: Um… “I’m F!cking Matt Damon”??

MJ said:

Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t buy into the-long-arm-of-Simon Fuller-theory, where he makes it a point to destroy the careers of Idols he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like. Once an Idol is off the show, how do they threaten the popularity of the show itself?

Amen to that also, I don’t buy alot of the conspiracy theories cause they don’t stack up.

If Rihanna much more famous than Jordin and with 4 huge hits can’t move albums, how the heck will Jordin. Selling downloads and albums is not the same thing and it’s shocking how few albums some Top 40 artists sell. Anyway, I’m sure she’ll get the full Idol push and we’ll see what happens. (I’m not rooting against her btw)

To be perfectly honest, as much as I dislike some of 19E’s antics, I don’ think they are as complicated as everyone makes them out to be. These people care about one thing: ratings. I really think Paula, Randy and Simon picks the Top 24 they really want (for the most part), and the producers dole out screen time to whomever they think makes good teevee. Period. If you don’t seem to “pop” to them once they get your audition/interview footage back, they ignore you. Then once the voting starts, if your totals start looking like something big is brewing they go with it.

Really, Season 5, as much as Simon hated Taylor, remember the show starting to slowly come around to him. By the end they were treating him like the inevitable winner. Clay’s treatement got better as the show progressed. Ditto Kelly Clarkson. Clearly their vote totals showed they had a big fanbase and the show reacted accrodingly. These people care about money, in the form of ratings and demographics.

Before we started the top 24 everyone was complaining that Carly was clearly TCO, but once the voting started focus clearly changed to David A. Why? Because he’s getting the most votes. Simple as that. That’s my opinion anyway.

I agree with most everything you say, tinawina, but for the past two years we have been hearing stories of the producers screwing with song choices at the last minute. Do I think that Nigel and his merry men are in the green room twirling their moustaches at the thought of screwing over a less-favored contestant? No, not really. But I do believe that they are willing to throw the “fodder” under the bus if it will serve the interests of a contestant who is getting more votes. It is a business model, and I understand it, but I disagree with it. It’s not “fair” even though it may make more engaging television.

But I do believe that they are willing to throw the à ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ…“fodderà ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€š  under the bus if it will serve the interests of a contestant who is getting more votes. It is a business model, and I understand it, but I disagree with it. Ità ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€ž ¢s not à ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ…“fairà ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€š  even though it may make more engaging television.

That I totaly agree with. If you have momentum and buzz, they will make sure you stick around because you will bring them ratings. If nothing seems to be happening for you, then they could not care less. It’s not like they are actively plotting against you, but if the Top Vote Getter and Mr. Nobody both want the same song, guess who’s gong to get it? The meal ticket will always win. Sucks, but to them, that’s just business.

I think this year, more than ever, they want a real star–Carrie or Daugherty level recording artist–as the winner. That’s why they keep chanting “best talent ever.” After Taylor and Jordin, the show need successful stories to keep its credibility and relevance to music industry. If the winner always flops, why would good talent audition in the years to come?

No, not really. But I do believe that they are willing to throw the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“fodderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  under the bus if it will serve the interests of a contestant who is getting more votes.

I think that’s what happened to Ace on Queen night. He got a bad editing job and he was gone the following week, with BFF next to him in the bottom 2. Manhugs galore. Yeah, like Daughtry was in the bottom 2.

I think this year, more than ever, they want a real starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’Carrie or Daugherty level recording artistà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’as the winner. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why they keep chanting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“best talent ever.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I can’t see little David doing that. Or Carly. So hmm…

If Rihanna much more famous than Jordin and with 4 huge hits can’t move albums, how the heck will Jordin.

Is Rhianna considered a failure because she can’t move albums? She’s a huge star. It’s not all about moving albums. Well, maybe to the bean counters at the label, but not to the big picture.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m very circumspect about MikeJ. As eyecandy goes, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more than alright, but seems to be lacking in something. Enthusiasm, perhaps?

On close inspection, his voice is not the best (those barritone voices are like busy print fabrics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  lots of places to hide dirty spots) and his performances have been only slightly better than ordinary. This could be written off to the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ickà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  that went through the cast, but only to a limited degree.

Nomi, that’s how I feel about Michael J. too. Just because he’s from Australia doesn’t make him one of the best. (you know those Brits & commonwealth people stick together)

As to the others: I didn’t start watching until Hollywood Week and none of them stood out more than another….they gave the MOST time to Josiah…the MOST time….and Syesha’s dramatic voice loss….

I don’t think the public cares what the judges say unless they say something the public agrees with….for example, I tend to always side with Simon….almost always, because he’s watching from a producer and manager’s eye. I tend to listen to Randy before Paula because I don’t know what she’s saying, not one word do I understand.

The public is contrary also, so the judges & simon can b***ch all they want, if the public decides you go (or stay) then that’s the way it is….it’s like David C., he doesn’t have to impress Simon he has to impress the public.

Is Rhianna considered a failure because she canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t move albums? Sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a huge star. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not all about moving albums. Well, maybe to the bean counters at the label, but not to the big picture.

Plus, she has her own line of Umbrellas at Macy’s!

I hate to say it, but Rihanna is primarily famous because she has been able to capitalize on her looks and figure. She not only has hit singles, but she models and is a fixture on the fashion circuit. The way our culture judges beauty right now, Jordin (a lovely girl in her own right) will never get that kind of exposure and will probably never reach Rihanna-like heights. Which is a shame, because I think that Jordin is infinitely more vocally talented than Rihanna.

Skunkboy was a boring dud and his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Long Train Runningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was a long-train-wreck.

An opinion you are certainly entitled to, but you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t speak for everyone. I think he has a fantastic voice (marred by poor performance abilities) and thought he certainly stood out amongst the Disney cast members and wannabe rockers.

When I offer my opinion, it is just that: my own opinion, on which I am an expert. :grin1_ee:

No one is required to agree with me. IMO, of course…

And I do think that the crybabies…er…elimiated contestants are served better by avoiding the “no fair” comments. But they are certainly entitled to say whatever they want.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s one thing to whine about regional power voters or how people didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t pay enough attention to you after someone else was voted off; ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s another thing to speak frankly about the effects of pre-show exposure (as Jason did) and to acknowledge that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“song choiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  really isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“choiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  for all the contestants (as Garrett did). I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have a problem with that.

I totally agree with you. I don’t need to have sunshine blown about the show all the time. I can just stick to the Nigel and Paula interviews if I want to hear positive glowing reports. I welcome hearing about the honest feelings people have about the show. Sure, if Jason was a better song picker and had better performance skills, he may still be in it, but that doesn’t mean that the Idol producers didn’t make him start the 100 m dash 25 m behind everybody else.

And the producers aren’t always right about backstories. They decided Elliott was too boring to show, but once he survived the semis and they had to tell us something about him, many people felt he had the most compelling story of that year.

Is Rhianna considered a failure because she canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t move albums? Sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a huge star. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not all about moving albums. Well, maybe to the bean counters at the label, but not to the big picture.

The rules are different for AI artists. They have to move CDs and the media has already labeled Jordin a flop. She’s going to have to hope for a HUGE turnaround to reverse momentum on that label. Outselling Taylor (somebody ejected from his contract after one CD) by a few 100K isn’t going won’t be enough (“I sold 20% more than the biggest failure ever…woo!” 20% better than a “mega-flop” isn’t much of an improvement). Those labels do tend to stick.

Sure it’s nice that she was certified platinum on one of her singles (“No Air” is currently at 380K), but Rihanna is going multi-platinum. With the massive increase of downloads, the hit singles are starting to go to the 3 million range. Umbrella sits at 2.6 million. Crank That at 3.4 million. Apologize sits at 3.1 million. No One at 2.4 million. Low at 3.0 million. These are what are being called hits these days. 21 songs in the Top 50 downloads this week have been certified at least platinum. I expect that the RIAA will soon be changing the definition of platinum. I should be achievable, but not a default for almost every song with Top 10 airplay.

At her current rate of sales, it’s going to take her another 7 months to go platinum in album sales. It’s certainly possible for this to occur, but not guaranteed. Her managers are definitely doing their best to get her to achieve that goal.

Crank That at 3.4 million.

Eww. I hate, hate that sorry excuse for a song. “Low” is a guilty pleasure, though.

I don’t get why AI artists are judged by different standards. Yes, I know they have exposure, but it almost seems to work against them. Besides, no one is going to reach the first week sales of Ruben and Clay ever again.

I think this year, more than ever, they want a real starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’Carrie or Daugherty level recording artistà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’as the winner. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why they keep chanting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“best talent ever.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  After Taylor and Jordin, the show need successful stories to keep its credibility and relevance to music industry. If the winner always flops, why would good talent audition in the years to come?

So right….I’ve been saying it all along — they need a real bona fide star to break out. A teen star that can grab the Jonas Brother’s thunder would be the ticket. They’re putting a lot behind Jordin and it’s not because she has a winning personality or she’s the “best” singer out there — far from it — but because the show has to deliver.

I think Jordin is managed by 19E too, right? Like Blake and Reuben, right? So 19E has its cred on the line too. They successfully managed the Spice Girl return (at least Simon did).

And I do think that the crybabiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦erà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦elimiated contestants are served better by avoiding the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“no fairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  comments.

I don’t think anyone — except the producers, of course — is better served by pretending to be happy shiny robots when some real unfairness and favoritism goes behind the scenes. But YMMV, of course. If the fodder keeps their mouths shut, that’s just more room for the media to pay attention to the chosen ones.

Thanks Kirstin for the post. Those download numbers are incredible.

Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t buy into the-long-arm-of-Simon Fuller-theory, where he makes it a point to destroy the careers of Idols he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like. Once an Idol is off the show, how do they threaten the popularity of the show itself? They donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t. What happens between the label and the kids aftward has nothing to do with American Idol imo.

True, the PTB just ignore them. /snark

I know it’s all about ratings because ratings = ad revenue. But, record sales don’t necessarily equal excitement by the viewing audience, and audience excitement doesn’t necessarily equal massive record sales and I’m not sure they appreciate that. Taylor WAS extremely popular on the show and in part was responsible for increasing ratings and huge buzz, but according to the PTB “America got it wrong” because Taylor’s sales were disappointing by previous Idol winner standards.

Is Rhianna considered a failure because she canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t move albums? Sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a huge star. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not all about moving albums. Well, maybe to the bean counters at the label, but not to the big picture.

Well, I certainly don’t think record sales are the only measure of success, but then most of my favorites don’t sell huge numbers of units, apparently. The problem is, I remember reading all those articles slamming Taylor as a “failure” for only selling 600K. It fed into the PTB’s script last season that “America got it wrong” or that Taylor was somehow unworthy of being the winner, while the 4th place finisher (the bigger commercial seller) was literally force-fed every week during the elimination round the next season (no disrespect to Chris Daughtry – it’s not his fault and he deserves his success too).

Unfortunately, a lot of the media buy the hype about American Idol having the power to produce automatic commercial mega-stars. The truth is, even Clive Davis says an Idol winner’s sales just from exposure on the show is $300-500K. The rest is due to label promotion and radio play. American Idol takes credit for all successes, but won’t take the blame for any “failures”. Jennifer Hudson is case in point. She was cast aside as an also-ran on American Idol and forgotten until she got herself a great movie role and earned an Oscar, for which the PTB took credit.

The rules are different for AI artists. They have to move CDs and the media has already labeled Jordin a flop. Sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going to have to hope for a HUGE turnaround to reverse momentum on that label. Outselling Taylor (somebody ejected from his contract after one CD) by a few 100K isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t going wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be enough (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ I sold 20% more than the biggest failure everà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦woo!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  20% better than a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“mega-flopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t much of an improvement). Those labels do tend to stick.

I would be shocked if Jordin was dropped at the end of this year by her label. I’d bet my house that doesn’t happen.

She’s not going to be a mega-superstar, but that doesn’t mean she’s going away anytime soon.

Her story is far from over. We’ll see how things shake out after her tour with Alicia Keys. “No Air” hasn’t even begun to peak yet.

“Or Jordin would be a massive industry star. AI doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t seem to care she sort of flopped.”

For the purposes of the TV show, she hasn’t flopped. I doubt if most people have any idea about what her record sales are (or what record sales are like in general). They just hear her on the radio all the time, so she is going to be perceived as doing well. Which as far as Idol the TV show is concerned, is probably fine. The record companies may have other thoughts of course.

Like mj, I would be pretty surprised if Jordin gets dropped. But I don’t think I would be betting my house on it just because the major record labels haven’t really been winning any awards for rational behavior the last few years.

I think that Taylor’s problem was not that he sold “only” 700k, but that he sold them to the perceived wrong demographic. His problem was that his genre and ‘age’ skew old, and idol was already losing that lucrative demographic so they of course don’t want that to happen again. That is why I fear for Michael Johns, imho he isn’t relevant to this time, and he has for the last two weeks shot himself in the foot with good song choices but bad performances, they will not give him choice songs again if he blows it this week. He will indeed be singing the phone book. The x page at that. He was pimped but turned into a streetwalker instead of a upper west side call girl. To bad for him. I actually liked him before the top 24 now he’s midpack for me. I like my little ArchooD2 and David Cook for pure talent. Danny and David H, because I love a good show, and they can sing.

Jordin will not be dropped, or she would not have gotten that plum tour with The esteemed Ms. Keys. That will move those cds. The thing is she can sing, and if stardom doesn’t come with this cd, I think it will come.

Rihanna is not a singer so much as a celebrity. That is a totally different animal. That seems to be the tag Kat was going for. So far it didn’t work out.

Numbers only tell part of the story. I never bought into Taylor being a failure, too bad so many others did. I don’t care if my neighbor doesn’t like my guy, my opinion matter only to me.

I would be shocked if Jordin was dropped at the end of this year by her label. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d bet my house that doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t happen.

Given that the label has provided her with an unprecendented level of initial support for an AI, I would tend to agree with this. We all know that there are a lot more factors that go into deciding whether or not a person is dropped from their label (not just units moved). The label, for whatever reason, seems to be willing to invest heavily in Jordin. That would seem to indicate they see some kind of future for her.

I’m not sure I would bet the house (because the record industry is in a state of flux…and what Allen said), but I would not be surprised to see her get a second album regardless of where the total sales end up.

For the purposes of the TV show, she hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t flopped. I doubt if most people have any idea about what her record sales are (or what record sales are like in general).

It’s frequently mentioned in articles (part of the “Last Season really sucked” mantra the press, AI producers and Simon like to preach). You are right in that the airplay probably does help with perception with the general public.

Notice the boyz seem to the be ones who complain about the genre….I don’t know, maybe they don’t watch AI, because every year they theme and decades night.

Okay, this is the last one for me: Carly is growing on me. One thing about her is she “stands out”….the tattoos, the black hair, the pretty Irish eyes…she has a certain look that makes her stand out from the Brookes on the stage.

Notice the boyz seem to the be ones who complain about the genreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know, maybe they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t watch AI, because every year they theme and decades night.

Not during the Top 24, and to my knowledge they’ve never before been constrained to a list of 50 songs. Things ARE different this year.

The thing about Michael Johns is that he’s got something when performing that stands out for me (and my friends). I think it’s the charisma that Simon says David C is missing. I like David’s singing a lot but kind of agree with Simon. I prefer both of them to most of the other guys. Jason C is the only other one I really like but he needs to pick a good song this week.

Carly is a stand out among the girls along with Ramiele. I’ve resisted liking Carly but she’s growing on me because of her great voice. I also like Syesha and Asia’h but they both need better song choices.

The thing about Michael Johns is that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got something when performing that stands out for me (and my friends). I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the charisma that Simon says David C is missing. I like Davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s singing a lot but kind of agree with Simon. I prefer both of them to most of the other guys. Jason C is the only other one I really like but he needs to pick a good song this week.

Carly is a stand out among the girls along with Ramiele. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve resisted liking Carly but sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s growing on me because of her great voice. I also like Syesha and Asiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢h but they both need better song choices.

ITA. I hope Michael J has been holding back a bit the past two weeks so that we can see him “grow” as a contestant over the next few weeks. Ryan said someone would “emerge” as a “superstar”. Since David R2D2 has already been positioned at the top of the heap by Simon, shouldn’t someone else be the one to emerge?

I was really surprised and a bit bummed to see Robbie Carrico leave so early.

Cmon, gang….somebody tell me why Luke Menard is still in this competition? I’ve had bowel movements that sounded better.

For me it’s Jason Castro and David Cook. I really like those guys and hope they go far enough in the competition to get a record deal.