‘Something Pitchy:’ Judges Ruining Show, J.Lo Most Beautiful Woman in the World
Find out what myself, Rickey Yaneza (Rickey.org) and MJ Santilli (MJ’s Big Blog) had to say about the non-judging, J.Lo’s supreme beauty and one man’s fight to save Stefano Langone on this post-Top 8 edition of AOL’s ‘American Idol’ talk show, ‘Something Pitchy!’
See the Video at TV Squad
‘American Idol’ on the scene for Top 8 performance show: 10 fun tidbits you didn’t see on TV
There are nights where the Idoldome feels like a bundle of nerves, as determined by the state of the wary contestants, so much so that the entire audience, by sheer proximity, feels jittery, too. And then there are nights that are completely the opposite, where the studio positively bubbles over with effervescence and confidence. Last night was blissfully the later, as the Idoldome brimmed with the power of the warblers — singing their favorite “Songs from the Movies, ” led by Paul McDonald’s upbeat “Old Time Rock and Roll”
More Recaps after the JUMP…
‘American Idol’ recap: Movie Wailers
The judges continued to over-praise the kiddos on Movie Night, departing from protocol just once to tell Haley Reinhart she gave off a karaoke vibe. J. Lo quickly washed away this aberration with the loofah on her dress, and all was forgotten. Meanwhile, she and Randy Jackson showed more disdain for the Idol viewing public than ever before. I’m sick of this show pretending it’s doing us this huge educational favor — as if watching eight people doing cover songs is Randy’s way of personally bestowing upon us, the unwashed masses of America, the precious gift of musical enlightenment. Dude. Yo. Randy. I know how to go to a music store. There’s one on my computer already — I don’t even have to move!
American Idol Recap: Reel Talk
The first signs of mutiny aboard the U.S.S. American Idol surfaced during Wednesday night’s Top 8 performance telecast, and not a moment too soon. As the Season 10 contestants tackled “Songs from the Movies, ” James Durbin and Casey Abrams stood up and said “no” to Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine and his wacky cartoon sidekick, choosing instead to forge their own imperfect paths in the competition. Whether or not their singular visions were successful, or whether they’ll lead to quick exits or carry them all the way to the Nokia at the end of May is almost irrelevant at this point. Their passion — for musical self-expression; for independence from the tyranny of watered-down, test-marketed, Auto-Tuned production; for wanting to create the kind of “Idol Moment” that is always spontaneous and can never be manufactured or pre-planned — hopefully marked a turning point in a season that’s been long on talent but short on tears of joy and standing ovations from our living room couches.
‘American Idol’ Top 8 Movie Night: Box-Office Bombs
Wednesday was Movies Night on “American Idol, ” and while sadly no one did anything from Nigel Lythgoe’s 1980 cult flick The Apple and Clint Gamboa wasn’t around to reprise his soundtrack to The Room, at least no one did “I Believe I Can Fly” (oh wait, Jacob Lusk already did that this season) or Steven Tyler’s done-to-death Armageddon theme “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.” And the one upside to Pia Toscano’s recent elimination was she wasn’t there to sing the inevitable “My Heart Will Go On.” But Movies Night was still way too heavy on schmaltzy balladry. Only James Durbin–who eschewed safe silver-screen fare for some righteous rock that even movie metalheads Bill & Ted of Wyld Stallyns would appreciate–put on a real show. In a night of mostly box-office bombs, Durbin was THE bomb.
‘American Idol’ Recap: Jennifer Lopez Doesn’t Want Any More Girls to Go Home
I think we all needed a week just to recover from the drama of Pia Toscano’s ouster. With just two girls left in the competition, it seems the only woman benefiting from Idol this season is Jennifer Lopez, People Magazine’s Most Beautiful Woman in the World.
Of course, Jennifer doesn’t want to be the last woman standing at the Idol finale, exclaiming at one point that she didn’t want any of the girls to go home. The question is: Did the girls do enough to stay? Did either of them inherit Pia’s fans and fill the vortex of her departure?
‘Idols’ ignore advice and do their own thing
Jimmy Iovine had some advice for the remaining eight “American Idol” finalists on Wednesday. At this point in the competition, the mentor said, “Every performer has to do a song that makes them think, ‘This could make me win.’ ”
However, the singers did not exactly treat the advice with the reverence that the Interscope executive was likely expecting. Instead, this was a week of self indulgence for most of the performers. When faced with the song selection for movie night, they tended to go for the tunes that made them the most comfortable or spoke to their sense of themselves as artists rather than making strategic choices.
‘American Idol:’ The Top 8 Goes to the Movies Recap
It was “songs from the movies” night on ‘American Idol’ and who doesn’t love movies? I know I do. Except those really cheesy, predictable romantic comedies that are supposed to make you feel good when they’re really just soulless pieces of fluff with no real substance or meaning. You know, kinda like the judges’ comments tonight.
American Idol Thinks Everything is Just Fine
In the wake of Pia Toscano’s non-shocking elimination from American Idol last week, a frequent complaint was raised; Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler so far this season have shown nothing more than their near-uselessness as actual judges, and not as robots endlessly stuck on a loop of smoke-blowing and self-aggrandizing. (There was a period a couple of weeks back where Lopez was actually giving well-reasoned critiques, but that ended abruptly once will.i.am installed himself next to Jimmy Iovine in the permamentor’s chair for the purposes of making incoherent asides about corn and wearing sunglasses.)
‘American Idol’ Guest Blogger Anoop Desai: Lauren, Haley, and James Topped Movie Night
As we learned during Season 8, Anoop Desai has a thing for pop music. Anoop Dog, as he was lovingly nicknamed, charmed us each week with danceable song selections and impressive vocals — before he was sadly eliminated on Disco Week with the prophetic “Dim All The Lights.”
These days, Anoop’s lights shine brightly, as the North Carolina boy, now living in Atlanta, burns the candle at both ends recording music at a furious pace. Last year, Desai released his debut album, All is Fair, which contained the single, “My Name, ” co-written by Idol alum Brandon Rogers. Even though the second video, “All is Fair (Crazy Love)” was released this February, Anoop is surprising his fans with a plethora of brand new music, starting with the free download of songs from a project entitled Zero.0. It’s a collaboration with Atlanta-based musicians, writers and producers including DJ Trauma, Calvin Matthews and Sak Pase (Rihanna). In fact, one of Anoop’s songs, “OoWee, ” has already been chosen by Victoria’s Secret for their “Pink Nation” campaign.
‘American Idol’: The Elite Eight Are Ready For Their Close-Ups
On a night in which “American Idol” celebrated music in the movies, the eight finalists staked their ground, with few chances taken. After last week’s stunning elimination of Pia Toscana, the survivors stuck close to what they knew best, both in song choices and performance.
Country teenagers Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alana stuck close to their roots, while sandpaper-voiced Paul McDonald went heartland with Bob Seger. Handsome crooner Stefano Langone killed his ballad, sexy siren Haley Reinhart channeled Blondie’s pop-dance and Jacob Lusk went gospel with Simon & Garfunkel, while rocker James Durbin celebrated “Heavy Metal” with the Sammy Hagar song from the animated feature of the same name, accompanied by guitarist Zakk Wylde in a furious, guitar-driven finale.
‘American Idol’ Recap: Lauren Alaina, James Durbin Shine On Movie Night
She’s gone but not forgotten. The ghost of Pia Toscano was everywhere on Wednesday’s (April 13) “American Idol, ” from an opening montage reminding viewers that “every vote counts, ” to a poster in the audience that read “I miss Pia” to the mentors’ many invocations of the eliminated finalist’s name.
But Pia, alas, is gone and the show, as they say in Hollywood, must go on — in this case to Tinseltown itself. The theme was songs of the cinema, and like last week, we got a show with no bombs and a few blockbusters.
‘American Idol’: Music from the Movies
After last week’s Pia Toscano upset it is fair to say it’s anybody’s game on “American Idol.” It’s also evident the judges are weighing every word they utter, fearful they spur another upset among the final eight contestants.
‘American Idol 2011’: Songs from the movies
It’s movie song night on “American Idol, ” but the opening is pretty darn ominous – a black screen with words “Every Vote Counts. No One Is Safe.”
Cut to Obama? No! It’s Pia Toscano – last weeks’ ousted Idolette and we have to re-live that shock and horror as if the show’s executive producer Nigel Lythgoe hadn’t called her boring afterwards and said she was never a frontrunner in this competition.
Top 8 Blog: Everyone Says “Fuck You, Jimmy”
This week the Idols choose songs from the movies. And they pick songs from the real classics like Boomerang, The Miley Cyrus Movie, and The Pursuit of Happyness. Has anyone actually seen any of these films? The judges responded to the fact that they’ve been too nice this season by being even nicer this week. But Jimmy Iovine debuted his nasty side when he gave the contestants song choices that they didn’t like. I’m enjoying nasty Jimmy way more than boring Jimmy. That’s what the record business is all about, making records for some idiot who yells at you to do something else. It looks like this group of contestants got together and said they’d all start to do whatever they want each week as a big fuck you. I love this group of contestants so much. Keep it up, everyone!
American Idol Recap: Paul F. Tompkins on Movie Music Night
The show begins with Ryan congratulating J.Lo on being named People magazine’s Most Beautiful Woman in the World. Obviously, I’m not going to argue with the title. But is it right to congratulate someone on something over which they have zero control? Well, I mean, she brushes her hair, I guess. But still. Genetics, right? No one congratulates me on the way I look, and I am just as helpless over that as Jennifer Lopez is. Come to think of it, we are helpless over each other’s appearances, too, so I accept Ryan’s congratulations to J.Lo. We all win.
‘American Idol’ Recap: Casey Abrams, Jazz Visionary?
The popcorn is popped! The 40 lb box of Junior Mints, opened! Turn off your cell phones, make a donation to the Will Rogers Institute and shush the giggly teenager behind you, because Wednesday night was “Songs of the Cinema” on “American Idol X: No Girls Allowed!”
With Pia Toscano off gallivanting with Ellen DeGeneres and record labels (so says the rumor mill!), the top eight faced even more scrutiny than usual. From viewers, that is. We all know the judges cheerleaders would give the contestants a standing ovation even if they just belched the alphabet. Unless that contestant’s name rhymes with Paley Fineheart. (More on that later.)
