PamelaMaeSnap

This made me feel SO much better! I recognized his voice before I recognized him ... okay, before hubby said "this is such an interesting character for him to play" and I asked, "Okay, I give up ... who is that?" ... Because even recognizing his voice (or thinking "Man, that sounds like Ray Romano") I STILL couldn't make the connection that it was actually him. And I totally heart Ato Essandoh ... fell in love with him in "Garden State"!

If the pilot results in a few dozen more copies of "Tasty" by the Good Rats being sold (the first album they recorded for Warner Brothers, released in 1974), it will be a win for me. I laughed my ass off at that scene. I did the majority of my underage club-going to see them. The other half was just going to see whoever was playing at CBGB. Hard for me to be objective about the show ... we'll probably stick with it ... for me, grew up in Manhattan and was obsessed with music (local and beyond) and 1973 was really the year that it kicked into full gear (I think I recognized every album cover on the wall), and then later on through getting my radio license when I was 15, et al ... plus working in the music industry several years later (not now, though). For my husband, also a New Yorker and a musician, he was already gigging in the city at this point but more involved in jazz, blues and R&B so I'm actually probably a little more familiar with the songs being played than he is (Slade, Mott the Hoople, etc.). It's just fun, so far, picking out what we recognize (we've been long gone from NY). Only halfway through the first episode, though ... thought it was only an hour and budgeted for that during our lunch breaks today ... will watch the second half tonight.

I know I am in the minority in this, but honestly, I never got the Mean Girl vibe that night because, IIRC, I thought the girl who left/was booted was a huge producer-planted pain in the ass with the requisite drama-mama from hell. Good riddance and can't blame the other girls for giving her the stink eye.

And yes, this is one area where I think there's a huge difference between Stephany and Sonika, and why I think the judges threw their support behind Sonika vs. Stephany. I get the feeling (and it's only my hunch) that Stephany thinks she's already all that ... perfectly coiffed, gorgeous, technically excellent. I don't think she even realizes there's "no there there" and if someone told her she needed to connect better she might politely say "okay" but she'd have a thought bubble over her head that said "WTF do you mean?" Whereas I get the feeling that Sonika's lack of connection has a lot to do with her nerves and lack of self-confidence and experience. So, for me (for you), I don't think Stephany had much growth arc because in her mind she's already there and just needs the validation and record deal and fame. Sonika has a growth arc to gain confidence (and lose the pageant dresses).

I wish we weren't getting stuck with Trent and Jenn but am happy that cute little Lee is still there.

Just a couple of totally random observations because most things have already been said often and/or better by the rest of you ... Just as we have discussed the theory of Emily Brooke being jettisoned because Tristan is the favored pretty 15-year-old country singer (and it helped that Emily completely self-destructed on stage but I think had TPTB wanted her in there, they would have found a way to overlook it and put her through), I actually believe that Stephany's departure came from a similar place ... they weren't going to put through her AND Sonika because they both fit into their vague "spot" for beautiful ethnically not black-or-white girl with long dark hair who will prettify our stage and Sonika was their choice for that slot. Wow, was Nick always this unattractively greasy? He made ZERO impression on me last year (I kept forgetting he was there until like the Top 3) but I didn't think he was visibly unctuous like I do now. Ick. And in relation to Nick (and some others), those wondering why some of the "celebrity alumni" were so visibly outshining the current contestants, while I don't think this is necessarily the reason for ALL of them, I'm betting at least some of them were doing so because, their Idol wins (or high placements or whatever) notwithstanding, they have not had great careers (the ones with great careers are mostly absent from this showcase promo) and this is their chance to try to win back fans or make new ones. What have most of them done for us lately? (And next week's lineup doesn't look much better). That said, I really did enjoy the premise ... I heart Ruben SOOOO much and admit I cried during "Flying Without Wings" because I freaking love that song so much and his voice sounds divine and he still is so adorable he makes my heart melt. And to give credit, I HATED Lauren Alaina with the ever-popular thousand nuns passion during her season but she really won me over last night. I think she's totally adorable and talented and stuff. So, yeah, I'm not a country music lover but she made a grudging new fan. (Oh, also, I did think she noticeably reined it in to the best of her ability during the duet with MacKenzie and that impressed me ... and I think they'd be an adorbs couple.) As for Scotty ... well, I quite liked him during his season and had picked him for Top 3 during the first auditions (earning me the win in my Idol pool that year since I was the only entrant who had him in my Top 3), but boy, he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. He sounded ... fine. He looked ... okay. He just did nothing for me. Maybe he's just at an awkward age. I have a feeling that both Avalon and Sonika are what the show CLAIMS to have wanted but hasn't usually gotten ... incredibly talented young singers with big growth arcs. Avalon may have the edge because she has that added lack of confidence and likability/authenticity factor. Plus they can make her over without going over the top (ditto on rooting for them starting with letting that gorgeous wavy hair down). And finally, La'Porsha? She won't win this thing but IMHO she should. She may be the best singer ever on this show. And that is coming from someone whose favorite Idolette ever is Melinda Doolittle ... she gives me goosebumps, she has yet to sing an off note, she knows when to rein it in and when to blow it out, and then she seems truly and honestly to be the humblest, loveliest person ... I am totally crushing on her.

Janimo, will you please accept this rose served on a dirty rock with a bottle of orange juice pulled out from under the front desk and served with a soupcon of bloody finger? ETA: Over-under on when Phillip ends up on NFNS?

Am I the only person here who is old enough to remember very young Robby Benson, say, from the "Jeremy" era (I qualify that because, god bless him, he is still around, acting and making music and directing and stuff)? THAT is who MacKenzie reminds me of (though I see the early John Mayer as well). And I even have Robby Benson's single "Blue Balloon," which he sang and was the theme song from "Jeremy." So I'm with (can't remember who it was) in having that little dirty old lady crush on him because it takes me back to my own early teens when we all swooned over him and that movie.

ETA: Never mind. Nothing to see here because BogoGog had already made the astute observation that Emily Brooke was the sacrificial bleater to clear the way for Tristan ... I had not made the connection that, indeed, Tristan was considered a country singer so now it makes perfect sense.

Interesting that Tristan identifies as a country singer ... admittedly I was completely unfamiliar with the song she sang at her first audition so I had no idea that Mickey Guyton was a country singer or that "Why Baby Why" was, indeed, a country song. To me, it just sounded more "singer-songwritery" without a specific genre ... and maybe it was the timbre of Tristan's voice, I don't know. I haven't gotten a strong "country" vibe from the other performances we've seen from her thus far (at least, not to the level of, say, Shelbie Zed -- and kudos to whoever coined that! -- or Emily Brooke) but now that it's been mentioned, I can see where you're coming from. If they do want her to win, and they want to hedge their bets by her cornering the market on the girl country singer vote, we'll know soon enough by seeing in what rows they stack their ducks for the Top 12.

Oh, one last observation/question (because, apologies, my memory is just so crappy in terms of short-term retention) ... I had been positive, when we saw Jordyn Simone's initial audition, that if not a TCO she was absolutely going to be a major contender. Yet ... was last night, in the chair of doom montage, the only time we saw her again after that first audition? Am I forgetting (or did I accidentally fast-forward through) other subsequent appearances? Or did they just show this amazing first audition and then completely ignore her until they jettisoned her in a not-even-worthy-of-mention "montage of no"?

But again, we still don't know who they REALLY kept and let go yet ... there are still 24 folks remaining and the judges themselves are going to whittle that down to 14 -- and THEN whittle it again to 8, with the fans ONLY getting to choose, if I understand this correctly, two "wild cards" (or "fan favorites" to bring back to round it out to a Top 10 (it MIGHT be that they vote through FOUR "fan favorites" for a Top 12, not sure) -- but either way, the first time the fans get to vote, the judges will have already knocked out TEN of these 24 permanently. That said, I might be sort of surprised if they kept Dalton AND MacKenzie AND Trent (though I don't see Trent getting the tweeny-grandma vote because he's just uncute.) OR they may think they'll split the tweeny-grandma vote. Who knows? Main takeaway: The judges (in other words, TPTB) have a LOT more control over who's going to get into the fans' voting hands than they ever have before, so if they keep saying they're looking for a bookend to Kelly Clarkson, I expect at least one shocking cute-talented-boy boot during the showcases. The only guy who I think they might be okay with going further than planned/expected would be Lee Jean because he really does fill a different hole for them in terms of previous winners (and yet has at least SOME of the qualities that have frequently won in the last and gotten that voting public excited) but while I think he's adorbs, I don't think he has the staying power to go the distance.

So, I've finally been able to watch the whole Chairs episode. And here is my takeaway. While there are several Top 24 members that I DO NOT LIKE, I will grudgingly concede that with only one exception they have degrees of either tremendous talent, pipes, or that ineffable "something" that TPTB like to put through. For me, the lone glaring exception is Jordan Sasser who I don't get at all. I'm close to feeling that way about Shelbie Z as well. But the rest that I kinda loathe (Gianna Isabella, e.g.), I can't deny the pipes. I know they want to front-load this group with such formidable women that they HAVE to have a woman winner, and I think there are a few great candidates (I do love La'Porsha and I STILL love Tristan, despite their forcing her down our throats, but I don't see her having the staying power -- vocally or emotionally -- to see this through to the end game). That said? Here's my prediction: IF the judges allow MacKenzie Bourg to get through to the voting rounds, our Last! American! Idol! will be not just another WGWG but the BEST WGWG to ever grace the Idol stage. In real life, I happen to love WGWGs IF THEY'RE GREAT, and as a result I have NEVER liked the WGWGs that have won Idol. But this guy? I think he's amazing. I will also add that watching the entire Chairs episode won me over a little bit to Dalton. I really didn't "get it" at all before this, but he's quite endearing, has a great voice, etc. I think he is also a potential meltdown candidate. But while I was originally "take your Billie Joe Armstrong and go home" about him, I don't mind his sticking around a while longer. But I do think MacKenzie Bourg is the one guy who could stand in the way of their Kelly Clarkson bookend, and it will be interesting to see next week if they know that and quality-control the crap out of things to keep him out of the mix. Trent? He just squicks me out completely. I can't watch him and I can't listen to him.

If future Top Chef contestants were really smart, they'd come here and read all of the posts before they go to film the next season (amuse bouche idea is GREAT, they should have had that in their back pocket ... though not literally.) I also kind of wish I'd thought to hold out on watching this week's episode so I could watch both parts of RW together. I was pretty sure there would be no elimination, so I felt safe I wouldn't get Twitter-spoiled. Oh, also? KATSUJI!!!!!!!!!! That made us squee.

Because Amar and Isaac are two of my three favorite cheftestants (along with Kwame), while I totally understood why Amar picked Philip over Isaac as explained in his talking head, little old peacekeeper me had been hoping that he would explain his reasoning TO ISAAC, who seems so genial that I am sure he would have understood (right after threatening to stab Amar).

Thanks, BoGog ... I, for one, am absolutely stunned if this spoiler is true then. I thought she was a lock to go all ... the ... way ... Makes you wonder if she got some amazing record deal or something that prompted her to ASK to be let out. Or if the spoiler is not accurate. I am trying to imagine ANY way she was one of the first cuts and am coming up with zilch. (Speaking of zilch ... MONKEES NEW ALBUM AND 50th ANNIVERSARY TOUR!!!! Could we have MONKEES NIGHT this season???)

If the spoilers are right, AND the rules are that AMERICA will vote in WC contestants from the eliminated contestants, then my money says that they deliberately cut Emily along with four people no one really cares about (including at least one, Jordan Sasser, that NO ONE understands why he's even IN the Top 24) to ensure that AMERICA votes Emily back in and then feels like they are part of the great surge that will make her our Last! American! Idol! If they're taking away the control of the majority of the finalists, they still want the public to feel like they chose the AI, and what better way than for AMERICA to give a second chance to the girl who seems pre-destined to be the bookend to Kelly Clarkson they claim they want. There is always method to their madness. This one seems, to me at least, to be pretty obvious IF I am understanding the elimination/wild card process. Does that make any sense? Or am I misunderstanding the process? Can they only choose WCs from the cut of 14 to 8? Or from anyone in the Top 24?

I was SO wrong ... I thought they'd make Tristan vs. GiannaIsabellaBrendaKStarrWhatever the showdown in the battle of the hair because Tristan would so CLEARLY go through and GiannaWhatever wouldn't ... GAH. (I confess to being a Tristan fan since she sat down at the piano in that first audition and opened her mouth -- and remain one DESPITE the mom story which has hurt her more than helped her ... thanks a bunch, TPTB!) Bummed that Ginger Lush crashed and burned. I would have put her through anyway because they certainly put through plenty of people who had a bad day (hey, that would be great name for a "song for the season," no?) Love Lee Jean even if he is too young ... and LOVE Mackenzie Bourg. The other boys can leave now. Bummed they broke up SarahLee -- she was really good (she actually was my daughter's favorite after the audition episodes, strictly based on her vocals) and -- please correct me if I'm wrong, but had they ever had an on-camera "showmance" before? It was so cute! And please for the love of all that is good and holy get Jordan Sasser off my screen forever. If he makes it through the showcase rounds I will officially call pronanigans. And I'd like them to bring back Ginger and Jessica Cabral. But I guess they won't.

Just a few thoughts ... I didn't replay it and I deleted the episode, but I thought when Ben came into the room at 4 a.m. to take Amanda on her date, he actually said "whose weave is this?" Is that possible? I no longer trust my memory like I used to. Also on the topic of Amanda, when she was explaining her long, sad story my bet was that her ex was a douchebag but she simply had crazy good chemistry with him ... not sure if she's particularly religious, but if she's religious enough to feel like she should marry her baby daddy but not religious enough to stay a virgin until she gets married (one per show is enough), then if they had a wild hot sex life but things sucked by dawn's early light it would explain a lot, including the two kids. Have we ever heard Leah say anything? At all? IMHO she's the prettiest of the interchangeably-weaved blondes. Why is she still there? I can't help but think if Jubilee hadn't left, Leah would have been the one to go and no one would have ever known she was on the show to start with.

Just a few random thoughts ... It wouldn't be group night if there wasn't a meddling stage mom of a teenage singer creating drama. I had an immediate and inexplicable dislike/distaste for Trent from his first audition -- there's something about his looks that flat out creep me out and I don't like his voice -- but it was clear from the get-go that he's being pimped (since there is such a deficit of guys) and by using his mono as an excuse to give him a solo, they both gave him the sympathy edit AND were able to avoid the chance that he might just suck in a group setting. Is Sarah Sturm egg girl? If so, she's actually my daughter's early stealth favorite ... she LOVES her voice (and has never cared one way or the other about personality, etc. ... she goes strictly on voice). Between Jordan Sasser and Phillip from Top Chef, it is the reality season of the detestable ManBun wearers. My favorites at this point are Ginger Lush, Tristan and La'Porsha ... There was something about Tristan I found inexplicably mesmerizing in her first audition, I love the tone of her voice, and think she is one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen. The fact they flew in mom is proof they want her to go at least to Top 24. But I am not sure she has the staying power vocally to make it through the rigors this takes ... whereas I have a feeling both Ginger Lush and La'Porsha have the pipes to go the distance. I think Emily Brooke may win the whole thing but she just doesn't do it for me ... I do think she is good and pretty and likable and talented etc. Just not my cup of tea. One last unpopular opinion -- I am fine with the judges picking the Top 10 and letting the fans pick the wild cards (I've read 12 or 14 finalists so not sure which is correct because I have been avoiding spoilers with specific names). I think they've seen more of the contestants than we have, and it's unfair to let fans make the early decisions when they have only seen who the producers want them to see ... I think with judges picking we have a better shot of a few late-surging contenders we can grow to love (or hate). And then the fans can pick their handful of favorites from those who didn't get locked in. Did they do this two-week/four-night showcase to pick the Top 12/14 before? Or is this longer than it's been in the past? I have a weird work schedule the week of the final two showcases/Top 12/14 (working realtime European hours for eight days in a row from Monday before through Monday after so generally going to sleep around 9 p.m.) so I may end up having to tape both nights and watch in the afternoons and stay totally unspoiled ... I may just wait until Friday afternoon when I can watch both of them together ...

Ditto on Jennifer getting the phantom coverage, for whatever reason ... and I think she's ALMOST beautiful but there's something slightly askew that keeps her from being full-on drop-dead gorgeous. But I can't figure out what that is because she's never on my screen long enough. Plus, then there was Rachel, who, when she was one of the eliminees last week, I had absolutely no idea who she was. None. If I were Amanda, with two kids at home, and getting as little attention as she appears to be getting from Ben (maybe there's more we haven't seen), I'd be outta there and home with the kids. She strikes me as one of those who keeps getting through because she's not in the bottom, not because she's among the frontrunners. The voice alone would drive me batty.

Where was Ginger Lush? Did she not even make it out of first night? NOR group night? Man. I thought she was going to be Top 3. Maybe for some reason they simply have not shown her period but she's still there. But no, I know that's really unlikely. Oh poo. Team Tristan. And I'm good with LaPorsha Renee and Sonika okay too. And baby Lee Jean.

So, I'm definitely sticking with my original call of Lauren B for the "winner" (YMMV) and Caila for the next b'ette (especially after the stealth "sex panther" reference which will add to her mystique and she is SOOOOO cute) ... UNLESS TPTB really wanted to shake things up and make both twins dual b'ettes (which I think would rock). I agree with Lace for BIP along with probably Olivia (since she's probably unemployed for the foreseeable future) and both twins (my only hesitation on the latter is that they really do seem nice and sweet and sincere ... but their lack of real storyline and any chance to make connections might tempt them to do BIP). While I absolutely see Lauren B and Ben's connection, and good for them, I do not find her attractive AT ALL ... mainly because there are just a lot of little things that are so off. Her hair is very helmet-head 60s and the severe side part into that almost-That Girl flip does no favors to her fivehead. I keep thinking if she would cut some fringey bangs it would be a 400% improvement. Plus the beady eyes and little potato nose. I actually think she is the least physically attractive of the women that are left, but then it says a lot for whatever their connection is that apparently looks aren't everything to Ben. Olivia gets less attractive every week which may be a combo of her personality overtaking her looks, her lack of her TV station's professional makeup artist pluffing her up every time she goes on camera, and her surplus of alcohol and nerves and an apparently previously unexperienced feeling of "Oh, wait? You mean I'm NOT the best?" has caused a meltdown that is not only figurative but literal ... it's like watching her face melt a little more each week. And any sincerity I felt from her talking head angst was completely wiped out every time she put her finger in her mouth and bit it like a 19-year-old being told to look like Lolita. I didn't watch Chris Soules' season because after the first week I couldn't stop yelling "WHERE THE F&^% IS YOUR TOP LIP?" so I don't know much about Becca other than she is a virgin and wears bad lipstick. But if they went with her for b'ette, I do think she'd have a lot of suitors just because of the V card, and I wonder if the producers wouldn't have some sort of secret bonus for anyone who could get her to give it up ... and I'd love to see the backroom negotiations that would go into where they could/could not have cameras. ETA: Re: the twins know who Terry Fator is ... no surprise, since he has been a Vegas Strip staple for about eight years, as mentioned earlier in this thread I think ... if the other 49 states have never heard of him other than America's Got Talent, I suspect you can't drive a mile in Vegas without seeing billboards for him, etc. Like one-hit wonder Clint Holmes, who had a blessedly short shelf life with his single, possibly THE worst song ever to hit the Top 40, "Playground In My Mind," no one outside of Vegas probably remembers him (though they remember Michael who had a nickel all shiny and new) but he is one of the biggest draws in Vegas. I am definitely NOT going to see either one of them when we go there next month, though. But maybe I'll run into the twins!

SOOOOO excited for Hollywood week that it's actually in bright blue big block letters on my desk calendar. I am so lame.

I think I have his recipe typed up somewhere (though he's one of those "a little of this and a little of that" guys!) but if I do, I don't want to post it until/unless I have Tara Ariano's permission because it might be veering TOO much off topic and I do NOT want to tick off one of my idols! But I will add that he definitely works from the Streit's mix box for the matzoh balls. Oh, and because I neglected to mention this before, I've been happily blown away by the number of good delis in my daughter's neighborhood (ETA: That would be Los Angeles, first WeHo for three years and now technically Beverly Hills but on the orthodox neighborhood line on the 90211 side). She's lived there for almost five years now, first in walking distance from Canter's -- turkey sammiches from there made her first move-in day much more dealable, especially when we had to put together an IKEA Hemnes daybed -- now to walking distance from Factors. We always stock up the fridge in our Marriott Residence Inn room with bags and bags of deli! Finally, because I DO want to stay on topic and have been thinking about this anyway, I don't really mind some of the more "vague" challenges as long as they don't become TOO frequent ... but occasional challenges like this one I think give the chefs a little room for creativity, to showcase some of their specialties, etc. that they might not otherwise get a chance to make ... providing, of course, they can come up with a way to BS around it with their stories to make it work (Kwame, sadly, did not go that route).