American Idol: Top 3 & Jason Castro
First off, anyone who cries should be disqualified immediately. This is American Idol not Old Yeller! Syesha broke down this week. I forget why. Maybe it was when Paula was blowing sunshine up her skirt, telling her what a great star she is. Of course she also said that to Vonzell Solomon, Anthony Federov, Carmen Rasmussen, and Trenyce.
But I will give her this -- Syesha had the line of the night. Talking about why she chose to sing Sam Cooke's "A Change is Going to Come" she equated the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s to her journey on American Idol. Get real, Syesha! You had it so much harder.
I hate this week and next. There's no suspense. We know who's going to win. David Archuleta clinched that Tuesday night. The fun geezer mentors have all moved on to more drastic plastic surgery or their ninth comeback tours, we're past the actual "theme" shows (can anything beat last year's "Latin Night", which did more harm to U.S./Latin relations than the Spanish-American War), your favorite has been booted off, and the Fox celebrities in the audience have been reduced to the bald guy on Prison Break.
Tonight's theme was the "Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Museum". (The producers must be getting a buck for every admission ticket sold this week.) This is such a narrow theme that "Baba O'Reilly" and "Love Me Tender" both qualified.
(Next year for the Top 4 why not make the theme the "4 Tops"? I'm just sayin'.)
David Archuleta's dad chose two very good songs for him. "Stand By Me" the 1962 Ben E. King hit that David just "happened" to sing all the time in his room, thus making him the only 17 year old in America who knows of that song. (Dad picked it, who we fooling?) And then "Love Me Tender" from the Rock n' Roll Museum's schmaltzy wing.
But not only did he sing both great, he out-sang David Cook -- and this was rock n' roll night. David Cook's milieu. It's like if there were "monosyllabic grunt night" you'd expect Jason Castro to do well. Or at least passable.
David Cook's two songs were "Hungry Like the Wolf", which was "Boring Like the Drying Paint" and "Baba O'Reilly" - better but hardly "kick ass". More like "accidentally brushing against ass".
Syesha's first tune was "Proud Mary". She thought she was doing Tina Turner, but she was really doing the road tour of "Ain't Misbehavin'". Her second song was "A Change is Going to Come". Sam Cooke originally sang it with a certain ease. Syesha almost brought her liver up through her throat.
And then there was Jason Castro. If American Idol were The Godfather Jason would be Fredo. This guy is an absolute disgrace. This week he massacred "I Shot the Sheriff" (adding the nice touch of having a guitar but never playing it) and then on "Mr. Tambourine Man" he not only killed it but then had sex with its empty skull. What does it say when he forgot some of the lyrics and that was the best part of his performance? Jason Castro has to go.
Next week I imagine is the tedious visits to the finalists' hometowns. The banners. The proclamations. The parades down Main Street and through the trailer parks.
Just announce that David Archuleta is the winner and let us get on with our sad pathetic lives already.
You can read more from Ken at kenlevine.blogspot.com
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Melinda Doolittle was the ordained one going into the final three.
To me, David A. is boring, sorry. Maybe he's good technically but I find myself going to the kitchen for a snack before his songs end. But that's just a difference in musical taste. I like David C. but hope he doesn't win because he'll be freerer if he's just the runner up, and will get the necessary exposure to launch a potentially successful career. I actually have not been impressed at all this season. David A. was pegged as the winner from early on---maybe the show is rigged. After all, can you imagine the horror if Jason C. had won? He's a nice kid but not a world class musician.
He's boring, and he looks like he should be an extra on "Battlefield Earth," and to top it off, Carly was already voted off! It's not the best season.
Whoa there good buddy! You're way too passionate about American Idol! Is it really that interesting for you? I got bored after the 2nd or third show. Anyway to each his own.
But Ryan said that one of these could someday be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
Right next to Sean Cassidy, Ashanti, Country Joe & The Fish and Nickelback.
How about having just one song again....the whole song. They just can't get the second song in with Paula rambling on and on about colors and...........etc. I am tired of listening to Ryan talking like an auctioneer at the end to make it fit.
Mr. Levine's comments about Syesha's tears about the Sam Cooke song are very rude in my opinion... as a white person, how do I know what it has mean to be a young black woman in this country. I am pretty sure Mr. Levine is not savvy to that feeling either. Even today, there are stupid people who discriminate on people of color. I would not presume to say how hard or easy it is to be Syesha. It is refreshing to see a young person actually give a damn about the fact that others who came before her paved the way.
Jason proved beyond a shadow of a doubt what a buffoon he is when Andrew Lloyd Webber tried to give him advice and he ignored it.
The audience proved beyond a shadow of a doubt what buffoons they are when they voted Carly off after her great rendition of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and kept Jason after his abysmal delivery of "Memories" from Cats....
Jason's comment about the song? Something along the line of, "Uhhh... duh.... I didn't know the song was about a cat." His idiocy and ignorance of music is pathetic. Then there is his eye rolling and tongue wagging... bah!
This week was more of the same... his take on Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" - laughable.
Forgetting the words to "Mr. Tamborine Man" sucks so much, because what else did he have to do for the last week???
Memorize two songs. That's it...
I started reading your comment about Syesha's tears and I was like "nice comment, nice person" and then it just got weird. You comment on how rude Mr. Levine's comments were and then you proceed to call Jason a buffoon......call the audience buffoons.....and then make fun of Jason again and again. I was like wtf? What you said was much ruder than anything Mr. Levine said. One thing you said was correct though....Even today there are stupid people who discriminate.
You are right. I was unnecessarily harsh. Point taken and, thank you.
Cook did fine with The Who tune. It's just that because they make them sing two Readers Digest abridged versions of tunes, the 90-second riff of "Baba O'Reilly" came off as nonsensical as Michael John's Cliff Notes version of "A Day In The Life".
This is the most depressing season of AI ever. Not only has the show caught a full blown case of "Nashville Star" disease, where young girls skew the voting so that talents like Miranda Lambert get sent home early while every male winner ends up on the side of a milk carton with Taylor Hicks, the show has now become tortuous.
David A. was cute the first time he sang. Now he gives me acid flashbacks to the Andy Williams Hour every time he croons. Has the world really been waiting for the next Donny Osmond?
Castro doing his sleepwalking bit on Neil Diamond was one thing. Being sacrilegious and bringing Bob Marley into the mix is unforgivable. This just in, Castro, having dreadlocks does not make you a RastaMan.
Up till now, every time Castro has launched into one of his insomnia curing renditions, I can't help but laugh in remembering the old SCTV spoof of Perry Como performing, and actually falling asleep while singing a tune. What is keeping him awake when he sings? Time for random drug testing, AI.
Cook deserves to win. Which is why he doesn't have a prayer.
Ken you should make a bet. If David A loses, you will do.....what?
Noooooo - please say it isn't true. I cannot tolerate that sniggling, giggling little munchkin, much less accept him as the winner. It must be David Cook, it must.
Ken, there are a MILLION sad, pithy movies you could have chosen to compare Syesha's tears to. I got a sick, racist rumbling in my belly over your choice of "Old Yeller." If she were caucasion, I wonder what film would have been appropriate?
Contestants on AI are, above all, young people - - not particularly articulate, and not as well coached as they should be. I think her combination of the meaning behind her song selection was a simple gaffe by a neophyte in the spotlight.
I don't think we can say the same about yours, however.
Thank you for your article, Ken. This is the first year I have purposely decided to not watch American Idol. And your assessment of the show makes me feel good that I have not missed out on anything.
I've decided not to watch because, though it originally was an entertaining show, it's now just an obvious popularity contest. Plus, Randy, Paula, and Simon have nothing new to say. They have literally been making the same statements over and over for the past 32 years (or however long the show has been on the air) and I can longer endure the droning sounds that emanate from them. In the past, I would simply use the mute button on my remote. But because I'm fluent in lip-reading, I realized there was no escape.
I find it funny when people use AI in place of American Idol. I always thought AI was in reference to Artificial Intelligence. Hmm...
Life is a popularity contest not just AI.
What a horrible way to live.
I am sorry but I just cannot get behind the soulless pageantry that is American Idol. What I have seen (not too much, I am PROUD to say) of the show reminds me of glorified karaoke, people singing bad songs…badly. Listening to people cover songs I do not like in the first place or making a mess of the ones I do, is distinctively unappealing. Granted, I'm sure there are some talented people on the show but let’s be honest - there are surely plenty of other talented folks that we’ll never see because they are not “attractive,” do not wear a gimmicky hair style or lack “personality,” however that might be defined by fans of the cheesy, bubblegum pop fest that is AI.
that was funny. almost choked on the 7 layer salad
All I can say is bye, bye dredlocks, you should have had the shove weeks ago!
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