Group of 7 Results
Oh, what a beautiful show. Never call AMERICAN IDOL boring and predictable after this one, folks.
Why did the bottom 3 fall like that? LaToya made a bad song choice. Jennifer sang a song without ever making a word comprehensible. Fantasia was too busy trying to get the crowd to clap along with her to remember to sing. (When a contestant’s first words on stage are, “c’mon, y’all,” you know they’re in trouble.) Meanwhile, John had his best performance of the competition. Ditto Jasmine. Ditto, for many, Diana. And George Huff is just far too likable, and gets a free pass for sounding sick.
Or, perhaps it has more to do with voting patterns.
This one, more than any show before it, is sure to inspire howls of protests from people who don’t think about voting patterns and the realities of this show. I don’t have any problem with Jennifer Hudson getting kicked out this week. In the long run, I didn’t think she was going to win. She got off to too slow of a start. While she had momentum on her side, it proved not to be enough. Right now, I’m picking Jasmine Trias as the wild card third finalist with Fantasia and LaToya. I don’t even have faith in George Huff right now. These are interesting times. But they are not scandalous. They are indicative of the way America has ALWAYS voted on this show.
Contestants who are in trouble the most often will generate the most activity from their fan bases. A bad performance will garner more votes than a mediocre one, or one that’s anything less than stellar. I don’t think Jennifer did a bad job last night, necessarily, but it wasn’t stellar. And her old bad form came back, too, with the trembling lower jaw. I thought she had gotten rid of that weeks ago. But it showed up again this week, and now she’s gone.
The top three singers, by the judges’ standards, couldn’t garner the votes from an American public that assumed they were safe. Notice Ruben’s bottom three showing in the waning weeks of season 2, or Tamyra’s ouster near the end of season 1. Diana and John, in particular, had fan bases that mobilized and made the calls to ensure their favorite got another shot this week. This is the second wakeup call America has had this season. With only five weeks to go, I wonder if it won’t be the last.
Still, I expect to see the articles written tomorrow about how unfair the voting system is, and how the producers are fudging the numbers somehow. Isn’t that the fun of the show, though? The “outrage” and the water cooler conversation?
Look, if Jennifer is really that great, you’ll see more of her. Notice right now that two contestants from the first season are just getting albums out this year — Christina and Tamyra. See how Kimberley Locke’s album is just showing up now. Meanwhile, Justin’s already been dumped from his label. With the amount of exposure this show gives new young singers, winning isn’t everything.
In the meantime, I wish they’d actually finish the show in the half hour time slot it’s supposed to air in. TiVo stopped recording at 9 p.m., while they were still in the middle of the tribute video. On the plus side, this saved me from Jennifer’s incomprehensible screaming for a second time in the week.
Oh, and Barry Manilow can still sing. He’s gotta be in his late 50s, but he’s still got a voice, even if he acts on stage like a cheesy lounge lizard.
Anyway, let the calls for AI’s Producers Heads to roll begin. It ought to be fun.
P.S. To the producers: If you hadn’t included the kid in Tuesday night’s episode, we might be mourning the loss of Fantasia right now, and then you’d REALLY be screwed. Good move, you shrewd manipulative bastiches.
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22. April 2004 at 02:18
i didn’t think jennifer was gonna win either, but did she deserve to be chucked before jon or diana? c’mon, get real.
i also don’t really get a big charge off of watching people hijacking what is nominally supposed to be somehting that OUGHT to be decided on talent and skill. if i want to watch special interest groups stuffing mediocrity down my throat, i’d still be working in politics.
a few months back, i ran across an interview that randy jackson gave in which he spelled out what ails the music industry of today and why AI was the perfect remedy. i thought he was full of crap then and frankly, stuff like this just proves it to me — AI isn’t about talent (which it ought to be), but which person has the blandest set of tools so as to appeal the largest number of people. diversity tends to polarize, but from that diversity comes creativity. jon has played it safe for the last few weeks and consistently gotten rewarded for it. diana has the occaisional moment of inspiration, but they are few and far between. yeah, jennifer isn’t likely to go anywhere either, but again — what’s the point of sticking up for mediocrity here? ‘it makes for compelling television’?
yikes. that just seems just so bankrupt to me.
22. April 2004 at 08:07
There can be only one winner. Everything leading up to the finale is just gravy and ratings. In the end, I’m sure it’ll be either LaToya or Fantasia.
I can almost guarantee that neither of those two will be in the bottom 3 next week. Their fan bases will be super-energized to keep them out of that trap again. So, special interests will save the talented one over the un-talented (I assume) ones.
Heck, I still think Matt Rogers and Amy Adams were out far too soon. But you know what? I doubt either was going to win it all, anyway, so I can’t be too upset.
There’s one other analogy to be made: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You can get off to a slow start and still win the race if you build up the momentum late. I thought Jennifer might have been doing that these past couple of weeks, but it wasn’t enough. I think Jasmine is the one with “The Big Mo” on her side now, and George is the one going off in the opposite direction.
22. April 2004 at 08:20
John sucks, A. Period. He is fine for high school choir at 16. But for AI – no. Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of Weekend in New England was great. I loved it. John made Mandy sound awful by the end. He had his moments but he is not the best. He is the worst in the competition right now and deserves to leave. And I don’t get the whole “teenage girls love him”. I doubt it. Its the older, white America that loves him. He’s so “wholesome”. Gross. Jennifer didn’t deserve to get voted off.
22. April 2004 at 08:26
John does not suck. He’s outclassed in this competition, and he doesn’t have the experience needed for this competition right now. I think he’s got a great sound to his voice, but it’s one that needs more work before it’ll be ready for prime time, as it were. Yes, John is probably getting the Claymaniacs’ votes.
AI should consider raising the minimum age on this show, because nobody under the age of 20 has ever made it very far…
22. April 2004 at 08:38
First of all, Barry is too nice of a critic. Simon is always right and so brutally honest. I liked Quentin’s critique. He didn’t sugar coat anything. I thought, over all, everyone sang well, except for George Huff. BUT, I DO LOVE HIS PERSONALITY. Although, he does have some bizarre facial expressions. But it is not a popularity contest. Anyway, I still think Diana and Stan Laurel need to be kicked off before Jen baby. I think we have too many kid lovers in the audience. I vote Latoya all the way. She is the most comfortable on stage and resembles a star. Fantasia is to follow. As for the third, America will probably pick one of the babies. OH WELL! America, GROW UP!!!!!!
22. April 2004 at 08:41
Thanks, Jess, for being the relative voice of sanity. =)
22. April 2004 at 08:56
How funny was it when Barry said he dreamed of someone like Diana Digarmo singing his song. Give me a break. I am certain that Barry dreamed of anyone singing the song, Money, Money, Money, Moneeey, MONEY!! (a little apprentice action).
I wish JPL was still there. He would have been great singing Copa Cabana. Now, I admit, I along with many other young women had a bit of crush. But he was such a cutie. I know he was not good enough to win, but I wish we had him for just one more time. (Hey isn’t that a Barry Song, or maybe not)
22. April 2004 at 09:06
Yeah, JPL doing Copa would have been fun, you’re right. I can’t help you on that crush thing. He was just awkward to me. But, then, I don’t crush on his kind. ;-)
It all just makes me miss Nikki McKibbin. There’s a girl who made it to the top three without ever singing a Whitney, Mariah, or Celine song. I miss those contestants in this competition.
22. April 2004 at 10:07
Augie, I can’t believe you’re serious about your second paragraph, where you give a possible explanation why Jennifer, Fantasia and LaToya were the bottom 3 vote getters. You can’t really believe that for one minute.
22. April 2004 at 10:22
Am I the only one who thinks Hudson would have stayed longer if she were 25 pounds lighter, or white? America is stupid, that seems to me to be the ultimate AI lesson.
22. April 2004 at 10:35
Bluuzman –> I’m serious. I know it’s not the knee jerk reaction most have had, and that it’s not going to be very popular — but there you have it. And don’t forget — LaToya is my favorite in the competition by far.
John –> No, you’re probably not. Doesn’t make it true, though.
22. April 2004 at 10:39
John C.-I have to disagree with your statement about Hudson. Had she not been so egotiscal and cocky, she’d still be around. Color had nothing to do with it.
22. April 2004 at 10:40
Another thought, color and weight didn’t affect Ruben.
22. April 2004 at 10:40
Sorry, let’s forget the phrase “kneejerk” and use “conventional wisdom” instead. I don’t often believe in “conventional wisdom.” That which seems obvious so rarely is.
22. April 2004 at 10:51
i should be weeping and wailing injustice as i saw my favouritemleave yesterday i feel so bad because its the first time i didnt vote for her but then again fantasia would have left it really sucked last night and i am going to miss my gurl jennifer she was just a great finalist to watch, :(. Now on the other hand will america stop voting for the bad singers oh my lord if u keep voting for these kids they might win and lord knows we dont want either jasmine, diana or red head to win so for goodness sakes stop voting because they are young and cute vote based on their performances i agree with u John C, and augie will u give me a break, i think your reason for the 3 divas being booted is a load of crap and i dont believe it for a second obviously because they were all great last night and the rest of the pack sucked america forgot to vote for them and hence one of them was ousted, john needs to go nothing against the kid but as simon has said he is a poor performer he lacks charisma and he does not have one of the best voices in the competition. it just irritates me how every one still raves about jasmine she SUCKED on tuesday i mean how can u batter up a song like that her pitch was unstable as usual she needs to stop reaching for notes her voice cant carry, and diana she is the one i kinda favor the most out of all the 3 and i cant stand her so whatever one of the best singers has been ousted what next?
22. April 2004 at 10:53
oh give me a break will u eziekiel those r obviously different situations becuz as u know it is more acceptable to be a man and overweight than a female so puleez.
22. April 2004 at 11:02
Rueben may have been large, but he wasa man – men are allowed to be fat in popular culture, women aren’t. And I’m sorry, but I’ve really no doubt at all in my mind that if JH’s coice had been coming out of Diana DeGarmo’s face and body, she’d still be in. All the talk about voting patterns and the like is obfusacting one pretty much undeniable fact, as undeniable a fact as you can get when talking about the arts–that the worst singer was not voted off last night. To my mind, if the contest is to have any validity at all, that has to be seen as wrong, if not correctable.
Also – did anyone else see how horrified both George and Jon looked – I half-expected to see one of them offer to leave instead of JH.
22. April 2004 at 11:08
What about Kimberly Locke? She was “heavy,” inasmuch as Jennifer is, and made it to the Final 3. Her not getting past Clay and Ruben had nothing to do with her color or size and everything to do with their appeal and popularity…
22. April 2004 at 11:15
And J. Hues gets the award for invalidating the silly claim. I think Locke was the best singer of the competition last year, actually, but she didn’t build up the fanbase, for whatever reason, that Clay and Rubem did. That’s why she lost in the end, but was a Very Strong Third. I think the difference last year between first, second, and third were razor thin.
The real reason I think America voted the way it did this week is a combination of the issues I mentioned above and their voting patterns. We’ve been over this a million times before. People in the bottom three with any sort of fanbase will get a big boost the following week.
And don’t you think there’s a bit of vote splitting going on between the Divas? With Jennifer out, I think that strengthens the votes for LaToya and Fantasia. Neither will be in the bottom three next week. If they are, I’ll have to suspect that there’s something really funky going on with an outrageous fanbase size for one of the others.
22. April 2004 at 11:58
Augie, thank you for finally saying it. Vote-splitting. They’ve made such a point of having this ‘three divas’ thing that you can’t help but lump them all together. It becomes a contest of ‘which screecher do you like best?’
Two other notes:
•Latoya London–bland. She sings well, sure, but her perfect poise comes off as BORING. Really, what does she add in the personality department? Will I ever actually care what she has to say in her Rolling Stone interview? Which brings me to my next point…
•Have you noticed how much the judges have been pointing out lately that this is a singing competion? Guess what guys, it’s not. Before ‘The AI Voting Crisis of 2004′ the judges would be very upfront about things like looks and personality and the ‘it’ factor mattering in the competition. Now what do we hear? A producers-mandated plea from Ryan Seacrest of ‘vote for the talent.’ Whatever, it’s too late to backpedal now. I’m not saying talent didn’t matter before, but come on–Lisa Leusheur (sp?) anyone?
22. April 2004 at 13:50
Speaking of Lisa — did anyone else catch wannabe Matt Metzger in the audience of this week’s show? They wanted that chin and that hair in the competition so badly, but he just couldn’t perform.
I’d love to see what Lisa would have done in this competition.
And you’re right, Broc, about the sudden calls for talent-based voting. I remember the writeups on the internet during season two when people would go nuts with Ryan Seacrest for saying, “Vote Your Favorite.” He’s backed off that a lot this year, but it seems like they have to remind themselves every now and then to reset the stage.
LaToya looks like she’s stood in front of a ballroom filled with wedding guests and had to sing while standing perfectly poised and straight up still throughout. She needs to work on that a little. Country week was a good departure for her. She should try that again, PLUS tone down the long notes a bunch. I think she could really stand out if she carried a song memorably with one good strong note at the end, instead of three or four attempts.
22. April 2004 at 14:06
i think they all need to tone down all those note stretching it becomes irritating when all of them do it, i am sad to see jennifer go although she wasnt going to win she left early just like tamyra and trence from seasons 1 and 2
23. April 2004 at 07:24
teddy, if you’re gonna take a shot at me, at least spell my name right-sheesh.
Anyways, I was gonna mention Kimberly Locke but someone else beat me to it.
Side note-Anybody else gettin’ tired of Randy saying that THIS season is the best other than me?
23. April 2004 at 14:02
I am voting for John Stevens.
I am voting for John Stevens.
None of the so called “talent” is any good. I want to see Fox and 19E try and sell Stevens.
Besides, after way the judges acted on Wed. they deserve this fate.
Vote for John Stevens, piss off the judges.
23. April 2004 at 18:00
noname, a little part of me agrees with you, the part that’s been growing ever since the finale of season 2. When Ruben won, I could not believe it. Seriously, the guy has the personality of a turnip. Think about his career since then, in every way he’s been outclassed by Clay. The judges, particularly Simon, never made it a secret that Ruben should win over Clay, and so he did. Barely. Because they pushed Ruben so hard.
They do deserve John Stevens at this point. Not only because they clearly don’t want him but because, with a little coaching, he could probably sell 10 times as many records as the divas who are already clones of half the singers on the radio right now anyway.
Besides which, it’s television show. Who’s to say people aren’t voting for the show and not for the recording contract. In other words, maybe nobody cares who’s a better singer, maybe at this point people just want to have an interesting show. (I honestly doubt it’s gotten this far, but how long until AI burns out on its concept and the public starts changing the rules out of boredom? Anyone else think this is a possibility?)
24. April 2004 at 01:45
There are several reasons why I believe race is a major issue in this years, American Idol. From the beginning of the show it was clear the best singers were Latoya, Jennifer, George, and Fantasia. Anyone who disagrees with this statement is deaf. With the four best singers all being black something had to be done. Quite honestly, American Idol is really unfair to other ethnicities. African Americans simply have better voices than any other race. Sure there are exceptions, Maria Carey, Christina, Teena Maria, etc. In their search for the next “Pop Star,” American Idol has only doomed itself to having primarily all blacks in the top five. That meant someone had to go. With four blacks in the top twelve finalists, one of them simply had to go. That person unfortunately was Jennifer. Evidence of the judges’ mission to sabotage her performances could be seen early.
America listens to Simon and Randy. Their inconsistencies are partly why Jennifer was sent home. First off, how in all the world did the judges let people like John Stephens, the pen salesman, the football player (forgive me I don’t know there names) get on the show. They clearly do not have any talent. Furthermore, if you review the shows, and listen to the commentary towards Jennifer, and John, you will hear as the show progresses, the contradicting comments the judges gave. First, Simon told Jennifer that she was not what this competition was looking (or something to that effect on the first episode, previously he had given her praise when she sang John Lennons, “Imagine” but this was before she became a finalist) and on the same show he gave John Stephens his blessings, and relatively good comments. In fact, he and Randy argued back and forth about the two. John Stephens, this guy has a range of a minor third, for those of us who are not musically literate, that means he can sing about 4 notes, and not very well I might add. Randy himself commented on a later show that Jennifer was “over the top.” What is over the top? The next day Jennifer was in the bottom two. If over the top mean Jennifer sang powerfully and accurately, then I guess that’s what she did. That tells me one thing, the judges do not know what fuck they are talking about. It wasn’t until Elton John said, “Jennifer Blew Me Away,” that the judges gave consistent comments. That night Jennifer sang as she had in the previous episodes (beautifully), but the judges claimed “she had finally found her way,” as if it took singing an Elton John song to hone her vocal skills. Idiots! She has always been the best singer.
Getting back to John Stephens; Simons endorsements of the boy is the only reason why he survived the first show. Had Simon revealed to the world just how horrible he was from jump, it may be Dianna, or George getting eliminated, and not Jennifer.
As for the earlier post :
Jennifer Hudson did the same thing. When she’s not screaming, she’s not terribly good. As much as the judges loved her last night, I didn’t see it. For starters, I couldn’t make out a single word she was singing until a minute and a half into the song. She’s so busy styling and riffing that it makes the song completely unintelligible. This is a song I know, for goodness’ sakes, and I still couldn’t recognize the words. I wish more people would enunciate better.
24. April 2004 at 15:25
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Technically, LaToya has the best voice in the competition, but emotionally–and in terms of stage presence–she is lacking. That’s why I thought Jennifer was a better performer than her–she worked you over visually as well as aurally. As for anyone who thought the divas have been over the top, for the most part I don’t think they have. But I would argue that’s exactly what LaToya needs to do–her performances are much too controlled. Personally, I’m hoping I’ll start to like her more in the next few weeks–I don’t relish the prospect of cheering for Fantasia. And sorry, Augie, I don’t think Jasmine measures up.
24. April 2004 at 16:38
Augie, getting back to your theory about the three divas being on the bottom because of their song choices and performances: The only way that would make sense is if the judges had made comments that pushed voters in that direction. But, as you well know, the judges thought all three divas were spectacular. The only logical explanation for what happened is that the fans of the other four contestants voted above and beyond the call of duty to ensure their survival. Plain and simple.
24. April 2004 at 20:00
I truly think they were contributing factors, and I still think you’re making basic assumptions here that state your opinion maps to the rest of America and that voting happens strictly according to the history of performance quality. Neither is true.
America’s voting never maps with the judges’ opinions. That’s particularly impossible since they often disagree amongst themselves so often.
“Above and beyond the call” of what? Yeah, obviously their fans voted more for them then the Divas’ fans voted for their singers. I think the Diva thing split the vote big time, though.
I’ve said it since AI2: One of the best ways to get through on American Idol is to have a bad week. That mobilizes your base to vote more often than if you had a merely good performance. Having a GREAT performance — and I think some might qualify Fantasia’s performance that way, but not Jennifer’s or LaToya’s — also helps get votes, because you’ll garner the votes of people who aren’t single-mindedly voting for one particular favorite.
This whole discussion is a massive case of deja vu, though. This argument happens every year. Read here for all the details:
http://www.foxesonidol.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article1524.art&page=1
24. April 2004 at 20:09
Stacher: No, I haven’t heard the Manilow duet. Didn’t make it out here, it would seem. I’ll look for it on the internet later.
Your arguments fall apart when you lead with an opinion that you call fact. That’s your first mistake. It makes everything else you say afterwords look ego-driven and small. Keep that in mind. It doesn’t invalidate your arguments, mind you, but some people aren’t going to take you seriously.
The REALLY funny thing about your comment, I thought, was your choice of white singers who are good. They all sound like they’re trying to be black gospel singers to me. They all affect the same accents and singing quirks of black singers. But, then, my American Idol — Billy Joel — has said that he likes to sing like he’s a 50s black rock and roll kinda guy.
There are, however, plenty of powerful white singers, but they aren’t in the Billboard 100, generall speaking. Look at people from the world of Opera or Broadway, for starters: Luciano Pavarotti or even Josh Grobin.
I think “one of them had to go” is a bit over the top, though. Your best argument is that your Top 3 singers — which you state as a factual concern — are splitting their own vote. The producers didn’t need to rig the competition to make that happen. It happens naturally. I think Camile and Jasmine, for example, split a little of each other’s votes, for example. And I think it’s happened in the past, too, though I can’t for the life of me think of the examples right now.
Yes, Jennifer WAS over the top that week. Of course, that was the week I REALLY liked her performance. I thought the song demanded an almost cartoony quality to the singing, which she gave it.
George went “over the top” this past week to the degree that he lost the song completely, but he also best exemplified all the problems I have with that style of singing — all the riffs and runs annoy the crap out of me. Why must every single note become three notes? That’s a trait particularly common in black singers. Does it come from the gospel church training? I don’t know. It annoys me, but that’s a personal opinion. A personal preference. I’m not speaking for all America on that. Look at pop music; it’s obvious not everyone agrees with me there.
In the end, though, you’re right: She has a bright future, without American Idol. Tamyra Gray is doing just fine without winning AI. Jennifer Hudson will have a CD out in the next couple of years, too, most likely. But to try to extrapolate some sort of racism from the results of this unscientific voting process on a TV show devoted to discovering a recording star is reaching a bit.
24. April 2004 at 20:14
Bluuzman: We’re actually agreed on LaToya. But I think she has gone over the top, just this past week. Half her song was made up of her holding one note for as long as possible. I’d like to think there’s more song to be sung, rather than more high notes to hit and wail on. Thankfully, she wasn’t constantly riffing on them, like George was. That’s what killed him this week. I think if she can tone that part done, and bring a little more energy to her performance and a little more variation, she’ll be golden.
And I don’t know if Jasmine measures up, either. She’s not as strong as the other two Divas, obviously, but she’s younger and I think she’ll grow into it. She brings something DIFFERENT to the table, though. It’s a younger sweeter quality that’s lacking from LaToya and Fantasia. She won’t be splitting that vote with anyone. (Maybe George, but that’s personality based. Musically, he’s completely different from her.)
26. April 2004 at 07:33
Augie, what I meant by above and beyond the call of duty is exactly what you said: The fans of the non-divas voted for them much more than the fans of the divas did for their favorites (because the diva fans thought they were safe). My point is that it didn’t have to do with singing and song selection–otherwise the judges would have noticed it and pointed it out. In the cases of LaToya, Jennifer and Fantasia, the judges liked them all last week UNANIMOUSLY–there was not disagreement about those three. Therefore, that’s NOT why America didn’t vote for them more.
28. April 2004 at 18:26
Eff you dawg, you don’t know sh!t about music. What the hell is wrong with a gospel night to prop those others up, they did everything else better than all the other contestants. Obviously you don’t understand emotional singing. If Jennifer screams, then so does Whitney, Christina, Celine, Aretha, Jasmine(who can’t sing a note),& Diana Degarmo. I’m tired of these people talking about something they don’t know anything about. If someone sings strong, does it means that they are screaming, Hell no, get a fucking clue
26. May 2004 at 21:34
I cant believe la toya got out and jennifer hudson they were the two best ones ! American Idol sucks now because they make the best singers leave and leave the good ones in . John Stevens sucked. why did he even get in the final 12? la toya should have been here tonight with jennifer or fantasia not dianna .