American Idol: What a difference a year makes.

[revid]

Before I start, I want to tell and_ed how much I've enjoyed being on her flist the last 4 1/2 years, because I'm pretty sure she's going to hit the Remove Friend button after she reads this. ;-)

I've been watching Idol pretty casually this year...after last year, I was so emotionally invested in the show and one particular contestant that I swore that was NEVER gonna happen again. Fortunately for me, the producers of the show have spent all season ensuring that that wouldn't be a problem. Awful casting with more emphasis on backstory than talent has made this season a chore to watch. Part of the reason I haven't written about any of it was I was afraid I'd fall asleep in the middle of the post.

This time last year my stomach was in knots for 2 days straight anticipating the Tuesday night performances and the Wednesday night results show. Today I had to be reminded online that tonight was the final performance.

So, we have two southern white kids who play guitar...one with a penis, one without. For all the pimping about how it's a "girl's year," they effectively eliminated all the interesting females early on while giving a winner's "promise" tiara to Crystal to wear every show. But all of a sudden, "Wait, it's Lee! He's just a humble paint salesman" (TPTB have completely neglected to mention that the guy had a recording contract in the past.) He has the "My goodness, you've grown and improved" story arc. And did you notice he had a moment last week? In case you didn't, it was the fog machine and the gospel choir that gave it away for me. And from this, Simon KNEW he was a wonderful person.

One knollish theory is that this sudden over-pimping is to create backlash to ensure that they don't get their 3rd WGWG (White Guy With a Guitar) winner in a row. But seriously, what are they gonna do with either of these two? Do you see Crystal battling it out with Katy Perry on the top of the charts eight months from now? Or Lee selling out shows across the nation? But between the two of them, at least Crystal's a little more...unique.

So, that's what I was thinking, going into tonight's final performance.


For the reprise songs tonight, they both had a huge problem: "The Boxer" (Lee) and "Me and Bobby McGee" (Crystal) are story-telling songs...and frankly when you cut them to 90 seconds, they're ruined. (Last year, Gokey had the same problem when he left that poor woman still spinning on the ice with "Jesus, Take the Wheel.") Lee's vocal was OK until it sucked at the end, and he still looked like a deer in the headlights. Crystal was a little better, but as Randy would say, "It was just all right for me dawg."

Fuller's choice was Nineties Flashback night. No nice way to say this, Lee massacred REM's "Everybody Hurts." Even the gospel choir couldn't save him this time. Crystal was a little uneven on Black Velvet, but at least she showed some passion.

And the WTF moment of the night is: THE CORONATION SINGLE WILL BE A COVER? Are you kidding me? I'd rather have No Boundaries.

I know I just said Lee massacred REM, but what he did to "Beautiful Day" was criminal. In fairness, it did improve towards the end, but the beginning was just atonal and horrible. And it made me notice things like he finally ditches the guitar, and instead holds the mic in a death grip like Linus holding his blanket. I kept hoping he would pull the mic from the stand and walk around the stage, which would have improved the performance dramatically, but apparently he was superglued to one spot. (I also kept imagining...wait for it...ADAM and how he would have KILLED with that song. So shoot me!) Crystal's "Up to the Mountain" was far and away the best performance of the night. Well sung and well performed. And if you have to do a cover as a coronation single, at least that one isn't so well known and so strongly associated with the original artist.

So I give the night to Crystal. But according to Dial Idol, Lee is getting the confetti shower tomorrow. Congratulations, 3rd Annual WGWG.

Goodbye Simon, goodbye Season 9. AI has jumped the shark anyway. I predict next season will be the last. The producers made it all about the back-stories and the judges, and Ryan, and nobody cares anymore. They will be lucky if they get one half the votes tonight than they got one year ago.

I would not be at all surprised if Casey is this year's Chris Daughtry. The guy was made to front a southern blues rock band, and I think he could be successful at it. But I'm pretty sure that both RCA and 19M are gonna pass on him, so he'll have to find a way to do it himself. But it could happen.

And just because I can, here, have a happy gif:

Comments

[lferion]

Oh, 200% agreement here. Though I actually am voting (for Crystal) while noodling about on the internet. It doesn't cost me anything, nor can it hurt.

I do believe that next year will be the last, no matter what changes they make, especially if Lee wins.

(It doesn't help that there were only 2 people I actively liked this season - Crystal & Siobhan - and Siobhan was the one I actually cared about. Lee is like nails on a chalkboard to me, not least of which is that he is completely inarticulate.)

[stumphed.livejournal.com]

Siobhan ♥

[and-ed.livejournal.com]

Nah...can't get rid of me that easily. Nice try, though ;)

Tonight sucked, all round. As we've been discussing on AIM. Hugely disappointing finale...I'm not even sure I'll give a shit who wins tomorrow. I mean, it should be Crystal, but who knows. I still like Lee, but if it turns out that Beautiful Day was really totally and completely HIS choice, then I can't help you dude. Sheeesh. And Everybody Hurts? What kind of freaking stupid ass song choice was that? *smacks entire American Idol machine upside the head*

[loser-and-user.livejournal.com]

chicago and ohio arent really southern. haha

[rationalflake.livejournal.com]

Well, at least I can say I saw it coming. Not that I've watched this season at all (except for the parts where a certain someone's mug was on camera) but I had a feeling that it was going to be a cakewalk for anyone who resembled D. Cook so closely. Doughnut know how he'll sell though. That record label comment was amazing - they just flat out said they didn't expect them to sell well at all.