For those of you who have watched the results show tonight, you already know who went home. For the rest who don't, the person who went home is...not going to be told here. The results show episode will be posted in this post below at some point. For now, it is the weekly roundup of recaps pertaining to American Idol. This week was very interesting, both in the choice of songs for the performance show, and for who went home tonight. Although, the recaps will probably spoil who went home tonight, and if you're reading this tomorrow (3/17/11) it will be yesterday.
On to the recaps for the Top 12 performance show that aired Wednesday night....Borrowed from MJ's Big Blog http://mjsbigblog.com/american-idol-10-top-12-recap-roundup.htm#more-56301
Top 12 Performance Show Recaps
American Idol Recap: Natural ‘Born’ Killers
Wednesday night, American Idol
broke out the time-honored theme of “Songs From the Year You Were Born,” which is alternately known as “Excuses to Show Contestants’ Baby Photos” Week and also “Holy Crap, You Could Have Totally Changed That Singer’s Diaper!” Night. Song selections ranged from Nirvana to Whitney Houston (twice!), and from “I’m just gonna pretend that wasn’t the theme from Disney’s Pocahontas” to “Dude, Carrie and Allison sang it better, and as a matter of fact, so did Gina Glocksen.” And that was just the tip of the inscrutable iceberg.
‘American Idol’ on the scene for Top 12 performance night: Casey plays his bassy
The squealing, oh for the love of my cochleae, the squealing! For what amounted to a rather middling Top 12 performance show, the Idoldome was nonetheless Kathy Griffin-with-a-vuvuzela loud. I knew something was up when Ryan Seacrest was greeted with the same enthusiasm as that kid who received a Nintendo 64 on Christmas morning. So, yes, the audience was pumped. Cory Almeida, Idol‘s go-to warm-up guy, took advantage of the electricity in the Idoldome by… doing the same warm-up routine he always does. And Debbie the Stage Manager informed everyone that this was the season’s first live performance show — the prior two had been taped.
More Recaps after the JUMP…
‘American Idol’ recap: Mostly Stupid and Contagious
In between scripted therapy sessions with Jimmy Iovine, American Idol’s top 12 — all of whom are much, much younger than you — sang “Birth Year Songs” (2011′s updated lingo for the tried-and-true “Songs From The Year You Were Born”) on Wednesday’s disappointing performance show. The best contestants — Stefano, Pia, James, Scotty — stood out only because they were not as wretched as the others. They were more like kneel-outs than standouts. Maybe squat-outs. Squat it out, everyone! I am mostly talking to name-dropper Randy.
2 ‘Idols’ leap out of their comfort zones
It was an interesting week on “American Idol” as the headlines were stolen by the risk takers and the sick.
Casey Abrams and Jacob Lusk were the singers who went outside of their comfort zones when picking songs from their birth year. Abrams went with Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and proved what’s obvious — he’s not a grunge singer. I give him credit for trying something new, but it was screamy and pitchy, and in general not his best work. Not that he has to worry about being voted off, but he probably shouldn’t plan on moving to Seattle to get that band back together.
Guest Blogger and ‘Idol’ Alum Brandon Rogers: ‘Stefano Langone Stands Out as the Shining Star’
We’re at the start. Like seasons before, my own included, here is a very strong group of singers trying to find their way. But where my year had a ton of people who were dope, it’s taking this group longer to get settled in, to learn how to pick the right songs and have stage presence. I think with the absence of the Top 24 process and by just throwing contestants into the Top 13, it’s causing some growing pains. We had a lot of pitch issues last week, and even on Wednesday’s episode, almost everybody, even Pia Toscado and James Durbin, had a problem with their first line. Whoever can learn that curve the fastest is going to stand out quickly.
‘American Idol’ Recap: ‘Finalists Compete’
Randy and J.Lo are convinced we have a “competition” and I agree. Tonight, just about everyone was vying for a slot in the bottom three.
The Top 12 busted out the awkward body language, bad song choices, sleepy vocals and that cursed “pitchy-ness” all in an effort to make America ponder just who not to vote for.
‘American Idol’: The Top 12 Compete
Tonight’s “American Idol” made it clear: some singers are creeping toward the top of the heap in a very overt way. Others are still struggling to find themselves and who they want to be as a performers. And the judges aren’t holding back on who they like and who they think needs some work.
‘American Idol’: The Top 12
Jimmy Iovine is making out like a bandit this season. No one gets more screen time apart from the judges. And unlike them, when he looks at the contestants, he sees only dollar signs. Never has the capitalist impulse been more blatant on this show, or more welcome. No longer are Simon Cowell’s critiques the bellwether of how a contestant is going to fare. Instead, check to see if Iovine holds their gaze for even a second. For the most part, he’s not – he knows who his thoroughbreds are. Everyone else is just pocket change he’s happy to hold on to, but doesn’t want to get dirty by touching.
‘American Idol’ Top 12: Jacob Lusk Has Heart, Pia Toscano Picks It Up
The theme this week was songs from the year you were born, and first up was Naima Adedapo, who worked up Tina Turner’s comeback hit “What’s Love Got to do With It.” Slinking down the steps in one of her signature colorful getups, Adedapo struggled a bit to find the melody over the rocked-up, percussive track produced by Rodney Jerkins. The performance had plenty of attitude but failed to really show off Naima’s range.
‘American Idol’ Top 12 Night: Sounds Like Teen Spirit
Considering that the median age of “American Idol” viewers is 45 years old, I’m fairly certain many fans felt more ancient than one of Steven Tyler’s discarded gypsy scarves on Wednesday night, when the top 12 performed songs from the years in which they were respectively born. I can only imagine how Steven Tyler himself felt, since the oldest two contestants, Paul McDonald and Naima Adedapo, were born in 1984, and several of them didn’t even enter this world until the MID-NINETIES. (“I have leftover sandwiches under my bed older than you,” Steven informed one contestant.) No wonder so many Season 10 contestants don’t know who the Beatles are; “American Idol” almost seems like “American Juniors” this year.
‘American Idol’: The Top 12 Enjoy Nirvana & More
“American Idol” is as grueling and competitive as any marathon sport, and this week several of the contestants showed the effects, from the colds that dogged Paul McDonald and Lauren Alaina—but only seemed to make their gruff voices even more distinctive—to the ulcerative colitis that landed favorite Casey Abrams in the hospital last week.
That didn’t prevent Abrams from making “Idol” history by performing, for the first time, a Nirvana song, in this case “Smells Like Teen Spirit;” and even Kurt Cobain, who had some famous stomach problems himself, would’ve had to be impressed by the way the bearded Seth Rogen look-alike emerged from sick bed to slay what he called a song “that defines a generation.”
‘American Idol’ Top 12 Performances: Smells Like Casey Abrams
During last night’s non-live “live” show of American Idol, the Top 12 contestants had to sing songs from the year they were born. This theme has been done in seasons past, most memorably (for us, anyway) with David Cook delivering a haunting twist to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”. Well, Casey James may have given just as awe-inspiring a performance with the off-kilter song from his own birth year, though for entirely different reasons. Nirvana, meet Idol. Idol, Nirvana. Head below to see how the hopefuls handle grunge, Disney showtunes and Whitney Houston.
American Idol 10 Top 12: You Give Women A Bad Name
On the way home tonight, I thought to myself how nice it would be if American Idol donated every bit of the cash from the tonight’s song downloads to the Red Cross to help with the relief efforts in Japan. Well, Idol. I might just have to give you props this one time. Of course, you would have looked pretty damn stupid if you hadn’t done something…I certainly do hope one of the contestants delivers a song I want to download tonight.
“Top 12 Perform”
Naima kicked things off with “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” but first we had a look back at her childhood. Naima’s parents helped confirm my suspicions that she’s probably one of the most fun people on Idol this season to hang out with: she comes from the kind of bohemian stock that probably make up the real-life versions of the wedding reception in Rachel Getting Married. Plus, she wears one of those COEXIST t-shirts made up of all those religious symbols, so I bet she is partial to tolerance and also possibly smoking good weed. Unfortunately, none of this translated into a great rendition of “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Once again, it was a song choice that didn’t seem to reflect her on-stage personality and her pitch was just never really on-point. Steven, who I think just likes Naima because, stylewise, she’s the girl-version of him, said “You got a sorcerer’s grasp of melody, girl,” and basically contributed nothing of value all night.
American Idol Gets Time Warped
The big scuttlebutt before the stage doors opened surrounded Casey Abrams and his decision to sing “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the grunge classic that, as he noted, “defined a generation.” (Note that the alt-rock generation’s relationship to him, age-wise, is almost identical to that demographic’s relationship with the Woodstock era.) At the time, I joked to friends that he should have performed “Weird Al” Yankovic’s oblique-lyric-mocking parody “Smells Like Nirvana” instead. After watching his performance—which the lighting designers honored by giving him this intensely eerie yellow glow that made him look like he was about to transform into an alien—I sort of thought my joke idea would have made him come off better. And his performance was one of the better moments of the night, because it was at least sorta interesting!
Top 12 Recap: The 4 Horsemen Put a Lusky Stank On Their Mosquito Libidos
For the top 12, the contestants sing songs from the year they were born. Paul McDonald, of course, makes VFTW proud with his performance. But it’s not just him I’m loving this year. I’ve dubbed my 4 favorite contestants the 4 Horsemen of the Idolpocalypse. Because if these 4 stick around long enough, it will kill the show. Not just in a slow, dignified way. But in a glorious, horrific way that I anticipate loving. My 4 horsemen are Paul, Casey, Jacob, and Naima. The 4 of them make me want to stand up and cheer because I love them so much each week. They keep delivering entertainment value and that VFTW je ne sais quoi that is so hard to bottle. And this season, four people have it. So naturally, VFTW is going to support the one who would produce the funniest winner, which would be white guy with a guitar #4 Paul McDonald. But there’s so much potential this year, I can’t help but say my interest in Idol is truly reinvigorated. This show has really hit its peak and I’m just holding on for the ride and hoping it can continue for as many weeks as possible. The other 3 horsemen should keep up the good work in case we lose Paul so we can switch horses and keep riding.
'American Idol' Top 12 Night: Sounds Like Teen Spirit
Posted Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:22pm PDT by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks
Considering that the median age of "American Idol" viewers is 45 years old, I'm fairly certain many fans felt more ancient than one of Steven Tyler's discarded gypsy scarves on Wednesday night, when the top 12 performed songs from the years in which they were respectively born. I can only imagine how Steven Tyler himself felt, since the oldest two contestants, Paul McDonald and Naima Adedapo, were born in 1984, and several of them didn't even enter this world until the MID-NINETIES. ("I have leftover sandwiches under my bed older than you," Steven informed one contestant.) No wonder so many Season 10 contestants don't know who the Beatles are; "American Idol" almost seems like "American Juniors" this year.
But in an era when the charts are topped by Justin Bieber, Willow Smith, and Greyson Chance, a 16-year-old like Lauren Alaina doesn't seem so young anymore. And besides, lots of great music came out in the '80s and '90s. So I put my personal feelings of reverse-ageism aside, and got all psyched for a dream episode filled with cute contestant baby photos and, hopefully, everything from Madonna to Nirvana covers. Well, I didn't get any Madonna, but thanks to Casey Abrams, I got to witness the first-ever Nirvana song on "Idol." That's a memory I'll keep in my heart-shaped box forever.It turned out that some finalists possessed a more extensive musical knowledge than others, but in the end, life experience didn't always guarantee a stellar performance. Here's how the minors versus the over-18's stacked up:
Naima Adedapo - I was a little worried because my girl was singing in the kiss-of-death first spot, AND because she chose to take on the immortal Tina Turner. But I hoped that this comeback contestant--who only made it into the top 13 via the Wild Card round, then wowed everyone last week with her Rihanna reggae performance--would impress with Tina's comeback hit, 1984's "What's Love Got To With It." But, um, not so much. She was good, but after last week's tour de force, she just fell a little flat--and her final note was the opposite of flat (as in really sharp). The always easily impressed Steven was all smiles ("You've got a sorcerer's grasp of melody...I loved it!" he raved), but the usually equally easy-going Jennifer Lopez actually got critical, and rightfully so, saying: "You bring your specific flavor to everything you do, and I love that...but now I'm starting to see that you're consistently pitchy." Uh-oh. Newly self-appointed "mean judge" Randy Jackson was of course the toughest on Naima, saying the vocals were "kind of a mess" and "all over the place." So the love of Naima's loyal fans will have EVERYTHING to do with whether she stays or goes this week, because this performance probably won't win her any new followers.
Paul McDonald - What is up with the "Idol" producers putting Naima and Paul in the tricky opening spots of this week's episode, huh? Are they TRYING to upset me and send my favorites home? I want Paul and Naima on the Idols Live Tour, dang it. Anyway, this scheduling decision gave me the blues, and Paul's song choice, Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues," was a perplexing one. This was not my favorite Paul performance--I would've preferred some early R.E.M., or maybe some Psychedelic Furs (gawd knows Paul has the rasp to do the Furs' Richard Butler proud)--but I guess after last week's risky, "obscure" Ryan Adams cover, he wasn't taking any chances. His cold this week (and a vocal-cord node he tweeted about recently) only made his rasp raspier, but as usual he compensated with his vivacious personality, "McDonald two-step," and ceaseless jolly demands that the crowd whoop it up along with him. J.Lo noted that she could tell the ailing Paul was "struggling" vocally, but on the plus side she said: "You have so much soul and so much star quality, it overcame that." Steven told him, "You define 'cool dude in a loose mood.'" And while Randy refused to give Paul a "pass" just because he was illin', Randy too was mostly forgiving, pretty much dubbing Paul the new Ray LaMontagne. The judges just seem to adore this fellow no matter what he does--and honestly, that's fine with me, because I'm beginning to doubt just how long America will keep voting Paul through. And if the Judges' Save must be used, I'd like it to be used on Paul.
Thia Megia - Born in 1995, Thia is this season's youngest contestant, but onstage she exudes all the youth and vigor of Steven Tyler's great-aunt. Case in point: This evening, she elected to sing "Colors Of The Wind" by Vanessa Williams. REALLY? Of all the 1995 songs? What about TLC's "Waterfalls," Madonna's "Take A Bow," Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough," or "No More 'I Love You's'" by Annie Lennox? All of those would have been better choices than Vanessa's treacly, forgettable ballad, which was rendered even duller by Thia's typically emotionless delivery and floor-length bridesmaid dress. "The problem I'm having is you've been singing all these ballads every week...I felt like I was at some pageant. There was nothing special," griped a right-on-the-money Randy. Questioned Steven: "You have a beautiful voice, but is thatsong who you think you are?" J.Lo called the performance too "safe...We need to see you break out of that." Thia may be one of the more technically gifted singers of this season, but as less-perfect contestants like Naima and Paul have proved, it's not just about the voice. Personality counts, too--and I'm not so sure if Thia even HAS one.
James Durbin - This born-in-'89 rocker rocked some Bon Jovi this evening, and while it wasn't quite as exciting as his Judas Priest cover from a couple weeks ago (Motley Crue's 1989 smash "Dr. Feelgood" would've been a more feelgood choice), I have to say he belted out the power ballad "I'll Be There For You" almost better than Jon Bon Jovi himself. And he did so while working the crowd like a stadium-rock pro, slapping the audience's outstretched hands and stomping the stage in custom-made leather boots, while Muse frontman Matt Bellamy (there with his starlet girlfriend Kate Hudson) looked on. Steven seemed a little bummed out, warning James, "Don't get too poppy on me," but then James fearlessly invited Steven to duet with him on the "Idol" finale, Steven shockingly agreed, and all was right with the world again. (Set your DVRs now, people.) J.Lo seemed pleased, "acting a fool" as she sang along, and told James: "Every time you get up there, you bring me so much joy!" Randy noted a couple pitch issues, as he is wont to do, but then said: "You always figure out how to make it your own." I have a feeling James's fans will be there for him when it comes time to vote this week.
Haley Reinhart - This 1990 baby sang a song by one of what Randy calls "the big three," Whitney Houston (the other untouchable two are Celine Dion and Mariah Carey). And while I was glad that she went with a more uptempo hit ("I'm Your Baby Tonight"), I think it was a BIG mistake for her to do a "big three" song at all. Her performance improved towards the end, as she got growlier and prowlier, and no one could accuse her of not putting her own spin on the song...but her vocals sounded more like Whitney circa 2011 than circa 1990. Haley just didn't measure up. J.Lo surprisingly didn't comment on Haley's voice, instead criticizing her "tense" and "forced" stage movements. Randy understandably expressed confusion over Haley's schizophrenic song selections (Alicia Keys, then LeAnn Rimes, and now this), saying, "I'm just not sure who you are...or that you're sure, either." Steven said he missed that "Janis Joplin thing" he once heard in Haley's voice (although it seems Randy never heard it, since he quipped, "Where was THAT?"). Overall, Haley's critique was not positive. She was no one's baby tonight.
Stefano Langone - Stefano started his pre-performance interview piece teasing that he'd considered covering 1989 hits like Milli Vanilli's "Girl You Know It's True," NKOTB's "Hangin' Tough," or Tone Loc's "Funky Cold Medina"--and my fondness for Stefano instantly upgraded. Come ON, how awesome would that have been? Unfortunately, he was just kidding. Instead he went with "If You Don't Know Me By Now," a soul ballad originated by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 17 years before Stefano was born, but later popularized by Simply Red. This turned out to be a good choice, too. While I heard a wonky note at the end that, bizarrely, none of the judges mentioned, for the most part Stefano worked it out and sounded strong. Randy dubbed it the best performance of the night: "You picked the highest degree of difficulty, like the Olympics, and slayed it! 10, 10, 10!" Said Steven, as only he could: "You're gonna make Jimmy Iovine more famouser!" And J.Lo even told Stefano (a Wild Card who almost didn't make the top 13 at all): "You could take this thing." Whoa! I'm not so sure about that, but I do think Stefano will be around for a while to get "famouser." Which means maybe he'll do some New Kids On The Block next week!
Pia Toscano - I give Pia points for the satin Linda Ronstadt jumpsuit she was rocking, and for her always-impeccable vocals (she's for sure the strongest female singer this season), but I'm beginning to tire of just seeing her stand there and look/sound pretty. I need more PERFORMANCE from her. It boggled my mind that J.Lo called Pia's song choice, Whitney Houston's "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," an "uptempo" song (really?), but OK, at least this here was one contestant who could handle a Whitney vocal with ease. "You are why this show is called 'American Idol,'" said Steven. "You took that song over the top in your own special way, and you nailed it!" Exclaimed Randy: "Pia is in the competition to win it!" I don't doubt that one bit, but I would like to see more variety from her in the coming weeks. And more '70s jumpsuits, too, please.
Scotty McCreery - In his bio piece it was revealed that Scotty was an amateur Elvis impersonator as a young lad, but since he was born in 1993, Presley songs were off the table tonight. (Side note:1993?? I could have sworn Scotty said he was 16. Has he "gone Hollywood" so much that he's already he's lying about his age? But I guess if he was born in late '93, he would have still been 16 at last year's auditions. OK, enough math for now.) So anyhoo, Scotty went with the unchallenging choice of "Can I Trust You With My Heart" by Travis Tritt, another country song straight in the middle "of his lane." And while it was fine, it was nothing new from him, despite Jimmy Iovine's earlier advice that he try to "grow" this week. So I was baffled when Jennifer and Randy praised Scotty for "pushing it out there" and "taking chances." Um, what performance were they watching? This was such typical everyday McCreery fare, he might as well have hit the stage crooning, "Babylockthemdoorsandturnthemlightsdownreallow..."
Karen Rodriguez - Karen is a solid singer, but after last week's dreadful Selena impersonation (and subsequent, deserved bottom-three placement), she needed to deliver a knockout performance this week to get back in the game. She certainly made an impression visually--little black minidress (instead of her usual pageant gowns), up-to-there Pretty Woman boots, and a Snooki/Winehouse/Marge Simpson hair pouf--but her snoozy song choice, 1989's "Love Will Lead You Back" by Taylor Dayne, wasn't quite as flashy. Randy put it best when he said: "It was better that last week, but I'm still not jumping up and down." Steven liked Karen's Spanish-language verse ("I love it when you break into your ethic what-it-is-ness!"), but I am beginning to find the dual-language thing to be Karen's gimmick, an almost desperate, tacked-on afterthought, so I didn't agree with him. Jennifer told Karen she'd seemed scared at first--and who could blame Karen, since not even J.Lo liked her Selena song last week?--but that Karen "attacked it" in the end. I'm wondering if the fans who kept Karen afloat last week will be motivated to attack their phones this week.
Casey Abrams - As I mentioned earlier, Casey amazingly performed the first Nirvana "Idol" cover this evening--and he went for the granddaddy of all Nirvana songs, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Another first here: He was the first contestant of the season to play an instrument (the electric bass) on the big stage. Was this a perfect performance? Well, no. Even Jennifer admitted Kurt Cobain had some mighty big Converse to fill, and I'm sure Casey's attempt will have its haters. But this was by far the most INTERESTING performance of the night, and the most passionate--even if, as J.Lo pointed out, it got a bit "screechy" in parts. Randy was so floored, he compared Casey to supercool artists like Radiohead, Muse (I wonder if Matt Bellamy agreed with that), and Lykke Li, and said: "I love that you're putting art first and then thinking about commerce second!" (I wonder if Jimmy agreed withthat.) I love that about Casey, too. Casey, please don't get sick again. Stay well, and stay in this race. "American Idol" needs you.
Lauren Alaina - Melissa Etheridge's 1994 hit "Am I The Only One" is a song full of raw yearning and passion, but 16-year-old Lauren, who usually traffics in teenagey cutesiness, sapped the song of all of its original emotion. She flatlined like Thia Megia on a bad day, in my never-humble opinion. But the judges all called it a comeback, after last week's widely panned, country-fair-ready Shania Twain cover. "You gave it that country flavor...you just took it and made it your own!" said Jennifer. Randy and Steven even said the cold Lauren was battling this week (I guess that's one germy Idol Mansion the top 12 are all living in) helped her voice. But I thought this was just a sick performance, not a siiiiick one. It was better than last week's, granted, but I was still underwhelmed.
Jacob Lusk - Say what you will about Jacob--that he's too flamboyant, that he oversings, that he needs to tone it down. All of these statements are true, to some extent. But a) the man can SING, and b) he is interesting, a contestant we always remember. With him singing last and putting his own gospel spin on Heart's "Alone," he was certainly memorable this evening. Ann Wilson of Heart should really be in the "big four"--her vocals are amazing, and almost every "Idol" wannabe who tries to sing the Heart catalog fails and pales in comparison--but Jacob did Ann proud, give or take a showboaty, pitchy note or two. (Yes, the song's coda did go a little awry.) At least he had the pure passion that the song required. "Gospel had a baby and named it Jacob Lusk!" preached Steven, while Jennifer and Randy respectively called Jacob's performance "amazing" and "genius." I'm still a little worried that Jacob won't go as far in this competition as the judges hope or expect, but I think he is safe this week.So, now it is prediction time. I'm a little worried for my faves Naima and Paul, who were not at their best and performed so early in the show, but I think Paul still has enough of a fanbase to stay in the game. Naima probably won't be so lucky. As for who will round out the bottom three, I don't think Haley and Karen, who were both in the bottom three last week, did themselves any favors with their Houston and Dayne covers, so I'll go with them. But of those three, I think it's Haley who's had the roughest time defining herself--at least we all know where Naima and Karen are coming from--so I'm guessing it will be her turn to go.
We'll all find out if I'm right Thursday night. Until then, Parker out.
Top 12 Results Show Recaps
American Idol’ on the scene for Top 12 results show: Tears, hugs, and the mystery of the ‘goop’
The Idoldome giveth and it taketh away. In the case of Thursday night’s Top 12 results show, it offered us a group performance that (for once) delivered the goods, plus some St. Patrick’s Day stage lighting and a snazzy drink coaster 10th Anniversary Idol CD. But in exchange for these fine gifts, Karen Rodriguez had to bid adieu to her Idol dreams. Tears were shed (not only by Karen), hugs were exchanged, and Bones started at its scheduled time. Life moves on, but let’s hold on to that single hour in the Idoldome just a bit longer and dive into the moments you didn’t see on TV.
Behind the Scenes at American Idol: J.Lo Gets Called Out!
In case you didn’t hear it at home, two ladies up above the stage yelled down to Jennifer, “You’re married!” and pointed out her husband Marc Anthony in the audience right after she and Stefano exchanged words (and more flirty looks). J.Lo didn’t react to the scolding from the two women, but some of the people sitting around the yellers seemed taken aback.
But not all the behind-the-scenes action was about shouting down to judges and questioning their devotion to their spouses. Here are other tidbits that went down while the cameras were off:
Read more at EOnline
More recaps after the JUMP…
A First-Timer’s View From Inside the ‘Idol’-Dome
I attended my first ever taping of American Idol on Thursday, and honestly, I can’t complain — it was pretty fun and exciting!
When you first step into the Idol studio, it’s impressive. You immediately think, this set had to have cost a decent amount of coin — from all the lights to the spinning American Idol logo globe thing. Everyone knows the show brings in a lot of money, and it’s clear that some of that money goes back into the show.
“American Idol” Has No Hero
Last night on American Idol, Lee DeWyze came back (with some sweet advice for the hopefuls), the Black Eyed Peas performed, and, as is customary on Thursdays, one of the singers got sent home. It probably wasn’t all too surprising that the bottom three was once again made up of all female singers—this time, it was Naima Adedapo, Haley Reinhart, and Karen Rodriguez who received the lowest number of votes—but the fact that Karen, whose MySpace-assisted journey to the show was dotted with lots of big ballads and playing straight to Jennifer Lopez, was the vocalist who America placed on the chopping block was a bit surprising. She was given the chance to sing for her life, and she revisited her bilingual interpretation of Mariah Carey’s “Hero.”
American Idol Recap: Woe Is Mija
A disappointing week of American Idol ended Thursday night with all the suspense of watching an episode of Martha Bakes and wondering if the domestic diva’s cookies might catch on fire. There wasn’t a single genuine surprise over the course of the longest hour of Idol‘s 10th season. Well, unless you count Thia Megia declaring herself an “artist.” (These kids today!) Or Pia Toscano getting bleeped for language that would’ve been appropriate on Sesame Street. Or Lee DeWyze wondering what kind of God won’t let him be on the radio but allows the Black Eyed Peas to have a hit with that collection of notes and words they coughed up on the Idol stage tonight. (Little does Lee know, God hasn’t turned on the radio since Scotty McCreery was in diapers.)
‘American Idol’ Recap: Karen Rodriguez Voted Off, 11 Remain
After once again being voted into the American Idol bottom three alongside two female singers, Karen Rodriguez could not survive this week’s competition and was voted off during the elimination episode Thursday night on Fox. Haley Reinhart and Naima Adedapo joined Rodriguez in the bottom three but were eventually cleared into the top 11.
When Rodriguez, who delivered a take on Taylor Dayne’s “Love Will Lead You Back” on last night’s episode that made Steven Tyler praise her “ethnic-what-is-it-ness,” found out that she had received the least votes, she busted out a multilingual performance of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” that earned a standing ovation. “It just felt great to have at least that one chance,” she said as she broke down in tears following the performance. “I can do so much better, and I know you guys believe in me.”
‘American Idol’: ‘One Voted Off’ Recap
There aren’t going to be too many shockers in the early stages of this Top 12. That’s because, as much as I hate to say it, the girls are, indeed, proving to be the weaker sex in this 10th season of ‘American Idol.’
While the little ‘Idol’ elves counted up all the Facebook and phone votes, it was clear well before tonight’s elimination episode that Karen Rodriguez, Haley Reinhart and Naima Adedapo were in danger.
‘American Idol’: Karen Rodriguez Eliminated
Two of the three bottom vote-grabbers on “American Idol” tonight had experience in the slot. Haley Reinhart and Karen Rodriguez sat in this seat last week. This week they were joined by Naima Adedapo.
America voted to send Karen packing tonight. She gave it one last effort with an English-Spanish version of “Hero” in hopes of snagging a judge-infused stay, but no go.
‘American Idol’ 2011: Who got sent home?
Twelve will become 11 on “American Idol” tonight. As befits this solemn occasion, judge Jennifer Lopez is wearing a doily that she has had made into a very short dress. Judge Steven Tyler is dressed as one of those middle-aged ladies who lunch, who is attending an evening art gallery opening. Judge Randy Jackson has grown a Van Dyke, and host Ryan Seacrest is wearing a gorgeous suit.
American Idol 10 Top 12 Elimination: Born Identity
American Idol is now employing the 8mm camera techniques employed by hipster iPhone apps and Jersey Shore. Can you feel the false drama? Its palpable, ain’t it. And while I already know who’s going home (yawn) after last night’s Songs From The Year You Were Born show, I must admit I am a wee bit excited this will be the first results show my DVR did not screw up…but only because it’s been a long time since I’ve got to rip on a cheesy Ford commercial (granted Ford is now employing that same Hollywood backlot for their REAL commercials. Yikes.) and my all-time favorite — THE AMERICAN IDOL GROUP SING.
Until next time, D-Rizz Out!!
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