S14.E20: Top 12 Perform

[viajero]

It seems more likely it's just something to help her stand out than an homage to a little-known Welsh indie artist.  

 

While Marina and the Diamonds may be little-known to the general American public, she seems to have quite a following among American female indie artists.  But sure, it could be that it was just a general fashion statement or that she was inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

Heh. They think they're being all modern, but it's essentially the same thing as patches from 17th and 18th century Europe...

 

Isn't most fashion cyclical to begin with?

 

[MarkHB]

Per MJ's blog, Maddie Walker is recovering from a burst appendix. Wow. Just... Wow.

[BogoGog24]

I saw that. Props to her for her performance last week. I wonder if she will perform this week, and if not, what will they do? I hope they don't eliminate her for circumstances she can't control. She should be eliminated the same as everyone else.

[rereader2]

They may not have a choice but to eliminate her--if her appendix ruptured, she's not going to be back in a few days--several weeks is more like it.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Poor Maddie! She looked very pale and like a deer in headlights last week and when Ryan said she was in pain I thought that is more than the flu!  I guess it will depend on how much toxin entered her system before they got them out.  I have known 2 people with ruptured appendix and both were very sick before and after and in hospital.  

[Sparkling Beth]

I wish her well.  What an unfortunate time to go through a medical crisis.  Well, I guess there's never a good time to have a medical crisis, is there?

[proserpina65]

Nick is good, but not too exciting to me.  He looks like Stanley Tucci's character in The Hunger Games (only not clean shaven).

 

I think of Caesar Flickerman every time I see Nick.  I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[Padma]

You would think Idol could have had their doctors (or others) diagnose appendicitis before her appendix burst. The flu-like symptoms accompanied by the pain should have been a clue to rule out more serious issues.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I'm not a Maddie fan but I do feel bad for her ... it's possible they were not thinking appendicitis since one of the current flu bugs going around starts with severe stomach pain (yay me, I had THAT one! And even at the ripe old age of AARP-plus I seriously pondered an emergency room visit) ... and it appears about half the cast (or maybe more by now) has been felled by different levels of fly, strep throat (I had THAT checked on my flu list as well! Woo hoo!) and other maladies. That said, if it didn't come on zero to 60 then I do question why her MOM wasn't bringing in a doctor to check her out or SOMETHING. That's why the teens have parents/guardians with them (well, one of the reasons) ... someone has to take care of their well-being because they'll all be just "suck it up and don't give up because this is my ONE CHANCE IN LIFE TO DO SOMETHING OTHERWISE MY LIFE IS OVER AT AGE 18."

[Qoass]

Sounds like a new thing to add to the "So you're going to be on a reality show" list:  learn to drive a stick, get over your fear of heights, learn to swim, get a flu shot.

 

It wouldn't have helped Maddie but if I were on a singing show, I certainly wouldn't race around shrieking at the top of my lungs all the time like these folks seem to do.

[rereader2]

Or it wasn't a ruptured appendix after all? (It doesn't seem to be something Maddie or her doctors would be unsure of--if an appendix ruptures and there's no operation, you don't have a living patient...)

[viajero]

Or it wasn't a ruptured appendix after all? (It doesn't seem to be something Maddie or her doctors would be unsure of--if an appendix ruptures and there's no operation, you don't have a living patient...)

 

Not in the least surprised that it seems like Daniel was the originator of the burst appendix rumor and that he got it wrong.

 

Also, leave it to a country music producer like Borchetta to highlight two of the least interesting contestants of the season in Maddie and Nick.  Yes they both have decent voices, but they are also dull as dirt. 

Edited March 19, 2015 by viajero

[BogoGog24]

Reportedly there was still some issue with Maddie's appendix though, I think. But I don't think it ruptured or that she needed surgery. According to Daniel, he posted about it because Maddie did not want to say anything in case it came off like a sympathy vote. But fans were probably tweeting her to ask what was up and Idol wasn't saying anything. Hearts were in the right place but things got exaggerated.

[MarkHB]

Scott, if nothing else, is at least sufficiently invested in the process to try to find a winner who can actually become a successful recording artist.  Jimmy apparently gave up for Season 12 (did Candice get any promotion?), and I have no idea which record company was involved in Season 13.

 

Heck, for that matter, Jimmy barely gave Phillip Phillips any promotion after Season 11; he got his lift when NBC picked up "Home" to be the theme for the women's Olympic gymnastics team coverage.  Of course, it's quite possible that Jimmy and Interscope worked with NBC to get that to happen as a sort of BTS viral marketing, but that doesn't belie the fact that the record saw very little movement before then.

[BogoGog24]

Interscope was also involved for Season 13. Caleb got even less promo than Candice, if that's even possible. The first thing he's done since winning is he's finally putting out a music video to promote awareness for pediatric cancer.

 

Some may find Scott annoying but I agree at least he is not playing around when it comes to the winner. Yes, Idol is technically a singing competition. But I frankly don't care about the "best" singer winning, especially if they are not marketable (i.e. another Candice or Caleb, even though I love Caleb). The winner should be talented but they should also be somebody who could be mildly successful. Scott hasn't made his opinions a secret as to who he thinks could be that person. He recognizes those who can sing but also knows they wouldn't be marketable or successful. I mean, look at somebody like Clark or Rayvon. Great singers, but one keeps choosing outdated songs and the other is one-dimensional and dull.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Honestly, though, if he thinks the two most "marketable" are Maddie and/or Nick then we're all in trouble ... Nick, IMHO, is more boring than the rest of them put together ... or maybe I should say "forgettable." Every time I try to remember the Top 12 (11, 10), he's the one I have to actually look at the group photo to figure out who I'm forgetting. 

 

And he may be reasonably attractive, but Scott is showing his own age if he thinks this guy is a hot young sex symbol.

 

I have already stated my less-than-stellar opinion of Jax, but I think she's much more musically current and relevant than Maddie and Nick put together. I just don't happen to like her voice, but I could totally imagine her being quite successful with the right material, the right producer and the right auto-tune equipment.

 

Maddie may be reasonably cute and reasonably pretty and reasonably reasonable (and she is his only country option and I don't know if he can operate very far outside his own wheelhouse and ego), but she's got squat compared to 95% of the pretty blonde singers in Nashville who are waiting tables and asking if I want fries with that.

 

I'd like to be able to say "well, happily, Scott Bruschetta doesn't choose the winner" but who knows? Maybe he does. 

 

If he really wants a marketable winner who could have a long and successful career, he will do whatever is in his power to make sure Tyanna wins this thing. 

 

Now maybe I'm completely underestimating him and he's watched the show long enough to know that pushing a TCO at this point is the best way to get that person/people booted, and that deep down inside he has a few stealth favorites that he could actually have a hit record with.  

 

Because he can't ride the "I discovered Taylor Swift" train forever. That one-trick pony is saddled up and leaving the corral.

[BogoGog24]

I haven't seen anything that points to him pushing Maddie or Nick. He's made it obvious several times that one of his faves is JAX.