News Roundup:
Access Hollywood interviewed this week’s four Idol bootees. It’s yer typical post-idol story. Except, Randy Jackson “lets slip” (yeah right) that Chris Daughtry (left) has an offer from the band Fuel (he performed Fuel’s “Hemorrhage” Tuesday) to replace their recently departed lead singer.
Why would Randy mention offers that Chris can’t take unless he breaks his contract with Idol? It could be part of an Idol strategy to make Chris seem like a real, legitimate rocker and to impress potential voters. I have to say, after Simon’s remarks Tuesday that singled out Chris as the only contestant who is presently market-ready, I’m beginning to re-think my predictions about who might win this thing. At the very least, the producers are setting up some competition for Ace–who I previously pegged as the producer’s “Chosen One”. I’m wondering if there won’t be a male Top Two face-off between any permutation of Chris/Ace/Elliott or even Taylor? Something to ponder…
At any rate, if the Fuel offer is true, Chris should hire a lawyer to spring him from his Idol contract immediately. I’m not joking. Fronting an established rock band would be a heck of a lot better than continuing on Idol. Even if he wins, he’ll probably be forced to make some horrible record that will strip him of any rock credibility he has left (see: Bice, Bo). At least with Fuel, he’ll have a chance at a real rock career. Ok, not that Fuel is some cutting edge rock act–but compared to Idol, Fuel is freaking Husker Du (recently, somebody quoted Husker Du in an Idol recap, and I thought I’d give it a try. For you fellow 80’s alterna-rockers). He’d also have a measure of freedom that an Idol contract would not allow. Jump, Chris, jump…
David Radford (right) pleads with the Access Hollywood audience “I really would appreciate a prom date this year because all the girls I ask always say no. So that’s just not good. I really need a date this year!” In some alternate universe, David Radford–he of the dimpled charm–cannot get a prom date. David, who turns 18 in a few weeks, stands to be a very popular boy when he gets back to Illinois. He should take a tip from John Stevens the young crooner from AI3. He’s studying music at the famed Berklee School of Music in Boston, hoping to become a better singer. In a few years, with some training, David could grow into a very good performer.
Brenna Gethers hopes to pursue an acting career. She cited Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen as directors she hopes to interest in her, erm, “talents.” OK Brenna! Good luck with that. And, she’s not going back to her hometown in White Plains NY, because of the “mobs” of people who would surely follow her there.
The girl’s a legend in her own mind…
In this MTV article, Heather Cox talks about how completely confused she was, standing on the seal with Kinnik awaiting her fate, as Paula answered Ryan’s question, “What happened with their performances, why are they standing here tonight?” Paula answered weirdly–incoherently, ” Simon said one of them ate pizza and the other one ate salad.”
Said Heather, “I was like, ‘Am I hearing them correctly? I’m standing here and my career is on the line, my life, and they’re talking about salad and pizza.’ It was confusing. I still don’t know what they were talking about. I don’t know if they were talking about my size. I didn’t eat pizza or salad. I don’t know.” Heather was not amused, as you can see (left).
By the way, while Paula seemed perfectly coherent during the audition rounds, I think she’s back on the “happy juice, ” as evidenced further when Paula gave Sway and Kevin Covais some “advice” as they stood on the seal. Paula said, “The moth who finds the melon always finds the cornflake…always finds the melon and one of you didnt pick the right fortune.” Apparently, “advice” found in a fortune cookie by way of Simon Cowell. The remarks not only sounded ridiculous, but vaguely racist. Sway wondered if this bit of “advice” was aimed at him, but then just rolled with it, “It made for good TV, ” he said. Watching a stoned Paula sorta gives me the giggles. The inane nattering coming out of her mouth? Not so much.
Oh, and David Radford has never heard John Stevens sing, but said, “I’ll go check his record out.”
According to this article, bookmakers at Pinnacle Sports.com have set Chris Daughtry as as the new favorite to win “American Idol.” That is, if he doesn’t take that gig with Fuel. His betting odds are +332 to win (a $100 bet would pay $332 or a $10 bet would be approximately $32). He replaces Ace Young (right) as the favorite. His odds are now +489. It’s early in the game kids–I wouldn’t count out Ace just yet…
…but there are those who will try. Here’s an article declaring that Ace Young and Taylor Hicks (left) aren’t going to win AI after all. Of course, this line of thinking is based on Chris Daughtry and Elliot Yamin (below) both turning in pitch-perfect performances last Tuesday. And, more importantly, (I think the judges reactions often sway voters more than the actual performances) receiving universal raves from the judges. Well, it’s early in the contest, kiddies. Tuesday, I saw the judges setting us up for a fierce competition between the four top men. And that’s just good TV. What happens between now and the end of this competition can be full of surprises, as any fervent “Idol” watcher knows. I wouldn’t count Taylor, and especially Ace out just yet.
And, speaking of making early–therefore foolhardy–predictions, Check out this Boston Globe article on Ayla Brown (below). If you make it all the way to the end of the story, you’ll read a blah-blah-blah prediction by someone who is obviously trying to sound oh-so-smart when asked the inevitable prediction question. Ace and Kellie as the Final Two? Hmmphf. Hee.
Some interesting tidbits about Ayla from the article: “Massachusetts Federation of Young Republicans chair Karl Burns, who volunteered for Brown’s father’s 2004 state Senate campaign, has embarked on an Ayla get-out-the-vote drive the way he’d approach a political race. There are four finalists from North Carolina, he muses; that might split the regional vote. He’s trying to establish weekly ‘Ayla parties’ — cellphones welcome — at local bars.
‘It’s leveraging personal networks, leveraging regionality, ‘ Burns said. ‘We’ll probably have to go on Craigslist, strategically place her name in a lot of places.'”
Political operatives working on Ayla’s behalf? Interesting. And this:
State Senator Scott Brown (MA-R), Ayla’s dad, “fields daily questions about the ”Idol” process, scans Ayla websites to make sure they’re positive (so far, 90 percent are, he said) and faces speculation about whether ‘Idol’ will affect his potential bid for lieutenant governor.”
He scans Ayla websites to make sure they are positive? I wonder what happens when he finds sites that are negative? Gulp. I’m glad his strategy doesn’t include AI blogs. Ha.
And, yes, Senator Brown may be running for Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor. The current Lt. Governor, Kerry Healy, is expected to announce her political partner for her bid to replace outgoing Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who has elected not to run again. Senator Brown is one of the potential candidates for the position, and it’s said that Ayla’s Idol stint may be impeding her father’s political future. The speculation is that until Ayla is eliminated, Dad won’t have much time to campaign with Healy. In other words, Senator Brown’s chances of being added to the campaign diminish the longer Ayla stays in the competition. Hmmmm. It’s a clash of two political campaigns in the same family, isn’t it?
One more article: This Milford Daily News story interviews the nuns from the cloistered community in Wrentham, MA where Ayla did some volunteer work. In a rare exception, the sisters are allowed to watch tapes of Ayla performing on “American Idol.”
Ratings News:
American Idol had another banner week. On Tuesday, according to Hollywood Reporter, “‘Idol’ averaged 29.7 million viewers and did a 12.3 rating/30 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary ratings estimates from Nielsen Media Research. The hour-and-a-half show started strongly — 26.3 million viewers — and then concluded with a monster 33.1 million viewers between 9 and 9:30 p.m.” On Wednesday, Idol averaged a steady 29.4 million viewers between 8pm and 9.30 pm. “Lost” dropped to a season low as it competed against an expanded “Idol” in its first half hour. Thursday “Idol, ” according to “Hollywood Reporter, ” “raked in 26.2 million viewers and 10.8 rating/27 share in the adults 18-49 demographic.” …
