American Idol: The Top Tourers

So the Top 10 or Top Tourers since they played the hell out of the fact that these Ten will be on tour this summer. It is R&B week with Usher, and I liked the choices of songs that I listened to on iTunes and hope they pick the right ones.

Siobhan Magnus: D, I hate to give a grade like that to Siobhan, but her rendition of Chaka's "Through the Fire" was just bad. As Simon put it "it was manslaughter." Her scream part was good, but getting through the beginning was rocky. Also, screaming at the end is getting old.

Casey James: A-, He made the best song choice of the season. Point Blank. Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming" was the best song for him and I loved the performance all around. I do agree with some of the judges that it (his whole rock out thing) is playing out. But he promised an acoustic song for next week. Which he will be able to fulfill.

Micheal Lynche: A-, Big Mike did "Ready for Love", and it was great. I was disappointed that he didn't choose a different song, though.

Didi Benami: C+, A rendition of David Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" that was not a wower by any means. It could have been much better but it wasn't horrible.

Tim Urban: B-, He was in key for Anita Baker's "Sweet Love", but it just didn't do it for me. Remember that scene in "Spider-Man 3" when Mary Jane was singing on Broadway and she just didn't cut it and was replaced? Well, yeah, that was Tim. Simon made the point that as long as he smiles they'll vote for him anyway so f@*k a critique cause he'll be back next week anyway. And he's right Tim has got the looks to bring in the gaga girls and the gaga homosexual males (trust me, I know, I have a friend, leave it at that) that will call for him.

Andrew Garcia: B, Doing a recent hit song, Chris Brown's "Forever." It brought him to a prominence that we haven't seen in a while and was good. But once again I have to agree with Simon, that with this song he came off as boring.

Katie Stevens: B, Someone tell me something, how is she still on the show? With that asked, this was a good performance overall. However, Aretha's "Chain of Fools" is a strong song and she didn't get that power. I think no one has since Fantasia.

Lee DeWyze: A-, Par Excellence from Lee. Doing "Treat Her Like A Lady", he went with it and made it his own with his guitar.

Crystal Bowersox: A-, I loved the song choice and her performance. "Midnight Train to Georgia" was fantastic. She switched it up by playing the piano and it was great. She said she hadn't played the piano in a while and I could tell because at times it looked like she was concentrating too hard and she was gonna loose it but she didn't. Great for her.

Aaron Kelly: B, Not his best. Doing "Ain't No Sunshine", I felt he didn't put enough soul into it. I mean he's weak and 16, when has gone through what Bill Withers went through to write this song? jk.

Overall Grade: B

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It was a good show overall. I liked most of the song choices. They decided to do a backstage expose all show and it was awkward at best, especially after Siohban. If I had to take a guess at who's gone, Siohban misstep may have been the release of the axe. J out.

American Idol: The Top One-One

So the Top 11 make it to Tuesday night and they have to work hard. A new change in American Idol, after the competition, is that only the Top 10 go on tour, not the Top 24 of previous years.

The theme this week was a perennial favorite, Billboard Hot 100 #1's. With a plethora of songs that at some point or another reigned supreme to our ears, I hoped they made good song choices.

Let's grade. . .

Lee Dewyze: B-, To me the vocals were good but his formatting of the song was just off. For me that is. I like the song, it was him, but something didn't click. I can see him back next week, though.

Paige Miles: EF, That is an E or an F or put together EF. She did Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" in the style of Mariah Carey. Where did she go with it and why? She could be gone tomorrow.

Tim Urban: B-, His vocals were good but his performance of the song was not. He did Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", which I can't see anybody doing right other than Queen. So not a good choice of song.

Aaron Kelly: B+, He was very good, doing some Aerosmith. I like his youth and what it brings to the stage.

Crystal Bowersox: A, The first A goes to Crystal, who, with some help from Janis Joplin, continued to prove to us who she was. The judges want a little more and she promised them a surprised next week. I can't wait.

Micheal Lynche: A-, Big Mike went with some classic Percy Sledge. I really enjoyed "When A Man Loves A Woman". Apparently, the judges, especially Kara and Simon, did not seeing it as loungy which I did not. I did agree that the riffs could use some work and that is the only reason he got a minus.

Andrew Garcia: C, He did some Motown with Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". To me, the absolute wrong choice of song. It wasn't him and it wasn't as good as Hollywood week.

Katie Stevens: C, A pitchy affair for Katie, but one good thing was that she proved pop may be her forte. "Big Girls Don't Cry" fitted her well. Now only if she could sing it, we'd have a rolling ball.

Casey James: B+, Taking a track off of the Back to the Future soundtrack Casey did pretty well. I liked it but Simon wanted some more variety. He really knows how to work a guitar and that will get on the good side of Randy.

Didi Bemani: C+, To me it was an odd song choice for her and it didn't stand out for me. Nice try and she might have a spot next week because she just has that quality.

Siobhan Magnus: B, Doing Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", she, to me, gave the best performance in terms of stage presence. Her voice could be a little better. And her screaming is okay.

Overall Grade: B-

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In all it was a good show. Overall though, I was looking for better songs from some of them. Some fit them well, while others should have gone in another direction. We get the elimination tonight and I lean towards Paige Miles. She has been on a slippery slope for a while and she may have reached the end tonight. J out.

Tiger Woods Marks His Return

Tiger Woods has set a date to his return to the game of golf. As we should all know that date is April 6th better known as somebody's birthday and the start of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

Now some ask if this is too soon. Well I say no. Now Dr. Drew says that being in sex therapy is more than a 4 month thing and she has had people who have gone for almost a year. While I agree that yes that is true, he goes on to talk about how he shouldn't go back to a stressful game like golf. So since when is golf stressful? I understand that it is a competition and you need to be out to win but, it offers a chance to release your baggage.

Then there are those who say he will be disrespecting the prestige of the Masters. How in the world will he be doing that? By having an affair? You've got to be kidding me? So you mean to tell me that not one of the other golfers in the tournament have not had an affair? The board members at Augusta are squeaky clean? Yeah, right! He won't be disrespecting anything.

They say he will get all of the attention. Let me ask, since when has he not gotten the attention? So it would be a good time for him to come back after his knee surgery but not now? GTFOH!

And let's not forget that there were two big politicians, one who left the country and the other who had a child through his affair. And yet we hardly see any coverage as big as Tiger Woods. You all (whoever that may be) need to leave him alone and stop judging him and not forget that a bunch of others do what he did.

American Idol: The Top 12

So the Top 12 tread the waters and to me, they sunk.

So I meant to grade each of them but since I was away from my laptop while watching it, I can't grade them definitively without doing it after their performance. That means I'll go with the Best/Worst System this week.

The Best: I'm split between "Big Mike" and Crystal Bowersox. Simon thought "Big Mike's" was "desperate" and I disagree and agree because I mean what can you do with The Rolling Stones. Crystal was great and she will get the best title.

The Worst: Since "Big Mike" and Crystal were the cap-off performers, everyone in between was the worst. I mean the only alright performance in the middle was that of Siobhan Magnus. I don't know what the judges heard because most of the performances they gave positive marks on didn't deserve them.

In all, The Rolling Stones was a horrible theme. There is not much many can do with that and that's what happened last night. I hope they get a much better theme next week like "Year You Were Born" or something.

American Idol: Our Top 12

Well the final result is in and America has (recklessly?) chosen their Top 12! This is where the real excitement begins. Theme Weeks, Commercials, and Big LCD Screen Doors. The whole show seemed to be confused. People walking all over the place and illegible but lip-readable cursing.

Our Top 12 is: Micheal "Big Mike" Lynche, Lee Dewyze, Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus, Tim Urban, Lacey Brown, Andrew Garcia, Didi Benami, Aaron Kelly, Paige Miles, Casey James, and the most controversial pick Katie Stevens.

That means we lost: Todrick Hall, Lily Scott, Alex Lambert, and Katelyn Epperly.

Honestly, America has gone wrong again. Katie Stevens over Lily Scott!? Really!? If I had to put my nose on it. America wasn't feeling Patsy Cline on Tuesday. But she deserved that spot in the 12. You've disappointed me once again.

As for the rest, Todrick chose too late to get on his game and Alex and Katelyn were no big surprises. I was surprised that Paige made it in though. Everyone sees real potential in her and it carried her to the 12.

Good Luck to Everyone next week. Rolling Stones week. One new feature AI has added that I loved is that you can go on iTunes and listen to the playlist of songs the contestants must choose from. That way we can say you should've gone with "this" song. It will be fun and I can't wait for it. J out.

American Idol: The Top 8 Guys

So the guys go for a spot in the Top 12. And away they went. . .

The Best: "BIG MIKE", HANDS DOWN! That performance was the best of the night and so far. I mean good f@*king grief. He did Maxwell's "This Woman's Work" and blew everyone away and made Kara cry. He is a def shoe in for the Top 12!

The Worst: I think everyone did great but I will go with who will be eliminated. Todrick Hall really improved. He did Queen's "Somebody to Love" and did something great with it, for once. However, it may have been too late.

Also, Andrew Garcia could've been better.

I think elimination could go to anyone but Michael Lynche. We shall see tomorrow. J out.

American Idol: The Top 8 Girls

So this was it for the girls. They performed to make into the Top 12, which is where you get to stay in that nice mansion and make commercials. I saw most of it and here is my critique.

The Best: Crystal Bowersox blew my socks off with her rendition of Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason." It was absolutely riveting and she should be a shoe in for the Top 12.

The Worst: Paige Miles, who preceded Crystal Bowersox, did Charlie Chaplin's "Smile." To me it was a boring affair. I felt like I was on a cruise listening to some lounge singer, who wasn't that good. I could hardly get the feel of the music and at points she was off key. I could see the end of the road for her however, the first three performances weren't anything to fall over for either. So we'll see when Thursday comes round. Guys are up tonite. J out.

Oscar Night is On Its Way! (My Picks Are In)

10 Best Picture Nominees, Two Eccentric Host, and a Great Movie Year. These are hopefully the ingredients for a good presentation this year. In its 82nd year we're still in bewilderment of the Academy's thought process, I think. In any case I will be offering up my picks for the 5 major awards, the supporting awards, and animated feature.

The Supporting's

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique. Without a doubt Mo'Nique should walk away with that award. Her performance in "Precious" was absolutely chilling and such a departure for her unlike the other nominees. I look forward to a riveting acceptance speech.

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Waltz. He was absolutely the best person to play a Nazi and was great in "Inglorious Bastards". If he doesn't walk away with it, it will be sad.

Best Animated Feature

Up. "Up" is more than certain to walk with this award. Pixar and Disney are the unstoppable powerhouse when it comes to Academy Awards. Although, "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" is also a pretty good contender. But when you deal with P & D it's over.

The Majors

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges. His role as an alcoholic country western singer was riveting and seemed to be the role (so far) for him. He should get it done.

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock. It has been 28 years since Meryl Streep has won an Oscar, but she's been nominated 16 times since then. She has become the Susan Luchi of the Academy Awards. And she may stay that way. Winning an acting honor for a comedy film is hard. So I say Sandra. I wish Gabourey Sidibe was in contention but this was a bad year for her. She is though having the best time to be nominated.

Best Adapted/Original Screenplay: (Adapted) An Education. I would love to see Precious win, but I will go with the subtly strong "An Education". (Original) The Hurt Locker. It is a tough race between "The Hurt Locker" and "Inglorious Bastards". Quentin Tarantino would love to have an Oscar but Mark Boal's story touches more to the heart and tug strings of the Academy.

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow. It (hopefully) will be a historic night for the Academy and Kathryn Bigelow will take away the first Best Director award for a female. I think she deserves it although James Cameron will give her a run for her money.

Best Picture: Avatar. I may be wrong on this, but I think this mammoth film will win Best Picture. It is a close race with "The Hurt Locker" in the fray. I think "Locker"'s chances have been severely hurt (no pun intended) by their producer who e-mailed Academy members and told them to rate his movie higher than "Avatar" and to rank "Avatar" at the bottom. Campaigning a film during the voting process is already a no-no, but putting down the other is a definite uh-uh. The producer is already banned from the ceremony and his short-sighted dumbness may cost a good film the award.

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We'll see what happens at these ceremonies. I can't wait for Joan Rivers and the Fashion Police on Monday. Until then. J out.

How Did the Girls Do? Who is Out?

It seems I am never destined to see the girls perform. Another outage prevented me from seeing most of the 2 hour show. And to think that had they performed when they were supposed to I would have seen them.

In any case. They weren't that bad from what I saw, but I do agree with who was voted off.

And with that ungentle segway, lets move to the cast-offs.

The Guys: No surprise when they let Jermaine Sellers go. Sad part was that he sounded better when he sang goodbye than the original performance. Oh well. The other sad part is that his campaign to "Rock the Onsie" will never catch on like "Pants on the Ground".

Then we said bye-bye to John Park. He was just the good one with a weak week. He'll at least get some girls when he gets back to Northwestern.

The Girls: Then the girls let em go. Haeley Vaughn and Michelle Delmor sang their swan songs and it was a teary affair for the girls. I was sad to see Haeley go but in a competition like this the young-ins have a hard time.

As for Michelle, if her swan song was a repeat of what she did Wednesday than she deserved to go.
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So now there was 16. After next week we will have out Top 12 and that is where the real competition begins. J out.

No AI Post Tonight

Sorry, too much to do tonight. My critique will come tomorrow. J out.

American Idol: The Top 10 Gir. . .Guys

Well, it was an interesting night on American Idol. The girls, who were scheduled to perform, didn't because of a sick girl who was hospitalized. I hope she's alright. That meant tonight that the Guys performed.

Instead of grading each of them I will give the best and worst of the show. I won't give out individual grades until we reach the Top 12.

The Best: I'd have to give it to both "Big Mike" and Tim Urban. Who would think that Tim Urban would fix up his act!? It was such an improvement from last week, I'm proud of him.

The Worst: Between Todrick Hall and Jermaine Sellers, one or both of them will be leaving Thursday. If neither of them don't I will eat a piece of paper. Todrick can't get that I want to be "the original one" out of him. Once he picked a very familiar song that I didn't recognize until he started to sing. At least I got this one earlier on.

Then there was Jermaine Sellers. I like that he started out slow and got into the upbeat part. But maybe he got into it a little much, again. He didn't go as far off as last week. But for him unfortunately, soul means suck. He just can't do it.
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Once again, I'd be surprised if he or Todrick are back next week, but America is fickle.

Up tomorrow, THE GIRLS. If everything goes as scheduled.

J out.

Jay Leno Returns to "Tonight" in 16 Minutes!

In a matter of minutes Jay Leno will return to "The Tonight Show". After a 9 month unplanned hiatus that ended with a disaster show and big flap that made not only NBC but him looking like jerks, he will come back with guests Jamie Foxx and Lindsey Vonn. As well as Jaywalk All-Stars with the cast of Jersey Shore.

Soon after this premier Kevin Eubanks will be departing to try something new and tour. Whether the band will go with him is yet to be seen. He will be missed and I hope he reconsiders.

Once again, I wouldn't blame Jay Leno for this flap. You know I think he does have some control but not to the extent that he can push someone off the network. Leave him alone.