Posted by Mattie in Well, well, well…where to begin? I could spend a couple of paragraphs talking about the train wreck that was Fantasia. My God, I think the judges were even aghast. Was it me or was she basically running around the stage and studio yelling “Go! Go! Go!” over and over while her back-up singers/dancers were doing the actual song? I could be really ugly right now and compare her to half the black girls I worked with at Cingular, but I won’t do that…
And then there were the hometown visit montages…handled well I thought, and of course, the right amount of emotion from Syesha and David Cook…and over the top emotion from David Archuleta. I mean, if he does win it, he’ll be worse than Jordin was last year.
Speaking of who might win it, of course Syesha was the one sent packing last night. I think she exhibited a large amount of grace as she was told the news last night. Some people might call it relief, and hey, maybe some of it is, but instead of the dozens of bloggers wishing her ill will, I’m going to lean towards the positive and congratulate her on a great season of Idol and wish her well. I honestly think she has a bright future on Broadway. I think she shouldn’t even venture into trying to make an album (although I’m sure she will). Her passion clearly lies with acting, and it showed during her performances of show-tunes this year.
And one last thing I’ll say on Idol this year…some might think that having people like Andrew Lloyd Webber on is pointless because he’s not relevant to 21st century pop music…I call hogwash on that. Look, Idol is trying to expand it’s variety of music that’s displayed, and I applaud them for that. The ratings are lower than previous years because it might be the contestants aren’t the most engaging personalities ever, but I don’t think that’s the fault of anyone but the American public who keeps them on each and every week. They send home originals like Michael Johns and Carly Smithson because they are too original. You got what you wanted, America…a David vs. David final. I can’t say it’s not what I wanted either though…
Here’s the thing about this final next week…it’s quite possibly the most anti-climatic finale ever. We ALL know that David Cook and David Archuleta are both getting record deals. We ALL know that both these guys are going to be featured on the American Idol tour this summer. What happens next week will have no bearing on those two facts. Their careers are off to super-stardom right now, no matter what. And I guess that’s part of the problem. American Idol wants you to believe their show makes or breaks your dreams, but at this point, what happens in the Finale next week isn’t the point. We all know it.
But we’ll all tune in won’t we?
Am I the only one that foresees David Archuleta fading into the background when this show is over?
The problem I have with Archuletta is not the quality of his talent. He’s clearly a very gifted young man. And once someone teaches him how to dance and some better breathing techniques, he could have quite a career, maybe in vocal jazz or the “light rock”/John Tesh kind of market supported exclusively by middle-aged, cat-owning single mothers driving Camrys to their girls’ night out of drinking fishbowl margaritas at TGI Fridays on the weekend their kids are at daddy’s house with his “new” wife. Whoa. Where’d that come from? Anyway, the problem with Archuletta is the breadth of his talent. As long as he’s belting out a ballad, he is moving and pitch perfect. But when he tries to do anything with more of a pulse than a bedridden octogenarian, he sounds like Michael Buble trying to cover the Black Crows’ arrangement of “Hard to Handle.” It just doesn’t work. Cook, on the other hand, could, as they say, sing the phonebook and it’d still be a hit. Fast, slow, rocking, crooning. The man can handle a challenge without dissolving into a blushing, grinning mound of awkwardness. And that, I am told by reliable sources, is sexy.
Aw man. . .vision into my future. . .I’m a single mom with a cat and a camry and middle age is fast approaching. I think I’ll be depressed for a little while now.
Hehe. Sorry, Jill. But, hey, in your defense, looks like you’ll be the voice of dissent calling out for Archuletta to take a risk. You know, do something bold, like, oh, I dunno, don’t shudder in horror when a girl touches you, David — or — realize that even Harry Connick, Jr. sings the occasional upbeat song without stumbling all overhimself, and it didn’t hurt his career one bit.
But for the record … how do you feel about fishbowl margaritas?