After weeks and weeks of her staying behind while more worthy candidates were sent packing–and a “who’s in the bottom three?” charade that came off more like a game of Red Rover–Kristy Lee Cook was eliminated from American Idol last night. (I was so sure, upon finding out who was in the bottom three, that Syesha would be sent home, but I suppose that would have been too cruel of a trick during “diva week.”) After the jump, relive the moment where everyone gets offended by Simon actually saying that Kristy’s time was probably up, even though it was pretty obvious that she was living on borrowed charm from the moment that she pulled the Hail Mary move of singing “God Bless The USA.”
American Idol Top 7 Kristy Lee Cook Is Eliminated [RedLasso]
Earlier: Idolator’s American Idolatry Archives
@Chris Molanphy: I find the revisionism on “8 Days a Week” hard to believe. It was a terrible arrangement.
I agree on Carly: She’s trying too hard, and is just too intense. You have to make it look easy to win.
Well, if you believe all the conspiracy theories, Carly will be around till the end. And it has been boy-girl-boy-girl the last 4 weeks. After the Michael Johns shaft(which Seacrest brought up again at the start of the show) it’s obvious the show is worried about their ratings.
I actually grew to like Kristy Lee. Her Beatles week performances weren’t as bad as everyone said, and I admired her audacity. But when she was boring (as she was this week), she was insufferable. So I’m glad Syesha got another week.
Did anybody think Brooke seemed more upset about Kristy’s exit than Kristy did? Man, Brooke’s elimination is gonna be a train wreck.
Also, when Archuleta said he’s never been happier, I was totally hoping for Seacrest to pull another dick move, and be like, “David, your happiness is coming to an end.” No such luck.
There are no longer too many Cooks, but the broth has already been spoiled.
@Charles A. Hohman: And what was with Archuleta being “the one”. “Let’s bring him out here and not only is he safe, but we’re going to use him to bring safety to 3 other people.
I’m really surprised Carly wasn’t bottom 3. She seems to be getting more cheers from the audience (whether that’s canned or not). Seems like she has gained some momentum over the last couple of weeks, even though she hasn’t had a “great” performance since Beatles week.
@tubby: By “since the Beatles week” I think you mean “ever.”
Ding dong, the witch is dead!
Seriously, though, I suspect that the reason Kristy Lee was so calm and collected when her elimination was announced is that she literally already knew, as I’m guessing the setup and camera angles of that outgoing performance would probably have had to have been rehearsed in advance.
@Charles A. Hohman: Since when is turning the beatles into a hootenanny not a trainwreck? She fucking sucked.
I didn’t get to watch the show last night, but watching the clip above, I have a newfound respect for the bland bombshell. Unlike the other rejects, KLC refused to devolve into a blubbery, sobbing mess. And that part where she serenades Simon? Hate her or not, her time on the show has been a constant rollercoaster mindfuck. I can’t believe I’m actually hearing these words come out of my mouth: could KLC be the most subversive contestant on this season?
Was it just me, or was the entire show a huge kick in the balls to David Cook?
I know they can’t help it that Elliot Yamin’s mom just died. And producers probably didn’t have a lot of say in Mariah’s “This is for my people’s who just lost somebody.” But I’m pretty sure they could’ve found something more tactful than “One Sweet Day.”
So much for my Syesha prediction. And not even bottom two — clearly, my affection for Brooke blinds me in the prognostication dept.
@Charles A. Hohman: Her Beatles week performances weren’t as bad as everyone said, and I admired her audacity.
Agreed (despite what certain rockist naysayers say); I still think that “Eight Days a Week” was misunderstood. I also didn’t think KLC was that bad this week–she’d just about figured out how to give pop numbers a mild twang–but she was certainly dull, which is all that mattered.
@tubby: I’m really surprised Carly wasn’t bottom 3.
I am, too, and I wonder how that snippy exchange she had with Simon will play out for her. I found it exceedingly ungracious. Also, did you notice how she exulted when David Cook was switched over to her “side” (hence making it the obvious “winning” side)? I can’t remember who said yesterday that Carly’s got a barely-disguised, rather unseemly ambition to win this thing. Whoever that was: spot-on. And, ick.
@ArmCandy: I hadn’t thought about it, but yeah, it’s like Nigel Lythgow was enacting revenge on Cook for not wanting (I’m guessing) to milk his brother’s illness for ratings/votes…
@Chris Molanphy:
You know, just because they sent Syesha out of the bottom three first doesn’t necessarily mean that she was the highest vote-getter among the bottom three.
And I’m no big Carly fan, but if she’s in it to win it, then good for her. I thought it was kind of cute how she spazzed when she found out that she was safe.
@Chris Molanphy: Is Carly not supposed to be ambitious about winning? Why else would she be on the show? And you can’t blame her for freaking out, she clearly thought for sure she was a goner last week, and may have been close this week.
I think she gets way harder of a time than she deserves. She does things that are annoying but she’s definitely in the top 3 of the whole competition as far as just her voice goes.
@tubby: We’ll agree to disagree on Carly. I (a) think she’s not being as gracious as some other, equally ambitious contestants, and (b) agree with Simon (and sometimes Randy) that she often looks like she’s trying too hard. She has pipes but a kind of pushy stage presence that just repels me. Again, I’m a Brooke fan–read: I like the wafty Carole King-like thing–so take me with a grain of salt.
@Chris Molanphy: DEFINITELY trying too hard. And she isn’t heeding their advice on that. That’s going to wind up burying her, for sure.