idolator's american idolatry

Posts Tagged “idolator's american idolatry”

Jeff Archuleta Banned From "American Idol" Rehearsals; David Archuleta Fans Give World Another Reason To Believe That Journalism Is In A Bad Place Right Now

TMZ first reported it yesterday and now the Associated Press has confirmed it: The American Idol braintrust has banned David Archuleta's father/musical arranger/puppet-string-puller, Jeff, from the show's rehearsals, after months of speculation about his stage-dad tendencies and overbearing presence. The final straw? The cheesy "Beautiful Girls" interpolation into David's performance of "Stand By Me" last Tuesday, which not only made the song's message completely incoherent, it cost the producers an undisclosed amount of licensing money. This raises a host of questions regarding the junior Archuleta's last two weeks in the competition (Will the news, and the apparent fact that Jeff is the first person to be banned from the Idol backstage ever, garner a lot of sympathy votes? Will this be his chance to show the haters that he can, in fact, interpret and arrange music without Daddy pulling the strings, or will he wilt under the pressure on Tuesday night? Is this abortion of a season over yet?) But leave it to the Archie-crazed commenters at rickey.org to ask the important questions regardnig this whole story. More »

2:00 PM on Sat May 10 2008
By Maura Johnston
2,262 views, 8 comments

Latest by hastings: @hastings: uhh, "News" Corp. Should probably stop watching FNC while cat-sitting. more »

The Probably Inevitable Denoument To This Disappointing Season Of "American Idol"

Vote For The Worst has endorsed David Archuleta: "Sure he's annoying, but that's why he's perfect. Most of America does not want him to win. Imagine an Idol winner who couldn't aspire to be much more than a less-talented Clay Aiken. Imagine an Idol winner whose press tour would take 20 minutes to answer a single question. And just imagine the type of sappy ballad that the producers already have lined up for David to record, dripping with extra cheese and terrible melisma. We smell failure!" [VFTW]

1 comment

idolator's american idolatry

OMG! What Are The "American Idol" Finalists Doing Right Now?

The three remaining American Idol contestants are currently enjoying their homecoming days, and the Fox affiliates in their largest-populated hometowns (Salt Lake City, Kansas City, and Tampa) are going all-out with coverage, employing streaming video, blogging, and third-party chat-room technology to make sure that people can spend their Fridays slacking off to David Archuleta's overly licked lips, David Cook's unending grunge homages, and Syesha Mercado's inflated sense of importance. A guide to the proceedings—including pointers to the not-really-live webcam feeds that are claiming to follow the hopefuls all day, but have also provided somewhat terrifying glimpses into the rest of the country's local news offerings—after the jump. More »

2:00 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,147 views, 10 comments

Latest by Maura Johnston: @punkybunky: Hey man, that jacket is for Members Only!! more »

idolator's american idolatry

Jason Castro: In Memoriam

And so we bid farewell to Jason Castro, the singer who brightened this season's American Idol proceedings with his song choices (think about it: dude brought Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan to the Idol stage, even if the results were decidedly mixed), big dreadlocks, and the fact that he generally seemed to be having a good time on stage, unlike some stage-managed kids who seem to be on the verge of passing out every time they're forced to stand on stage while not singing. Some may have referred to him as a Sanjaya-like figure because of his unquenchable goofiness, like his line last night about shooting the tambourine man, and his hair, but I kind of appreciated the fact that he was actually having fun with the proceedings, and not being as deadly self-serious as some of the other people still in the running. (Congratulations, Syesha, on making that Presidential race reference—we knew you had it in you.) At least his semi-glazed expressions and "it's all good, man" vibe made for good TV. More »

9:00 AM on Thu May 8 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,804 views, 10 comments

Latest by punkybunky: That Leming kid bugged me. At least Castro managed to be chill about everything. The rest of Idol will surely be stale, but now I can watch simply for its awfulness. more »

idolator's american idolatry

Seriously, Why Even Bother With The "American Idol" Finale At This Point?

I suppose that lots of reality-show viewers get so invested in the contestants they like, and the outcomes that they want to see that become less possible with each passing week, that they actually lose interest as the climactic episodes come closer. But this season of American Idol has to take the cake on actually driving viewers away from it, thanks to the tireless efforts of the judges, who are so in the tank for David "Licky-Loo" Archuleta that their post-Archie critiques have become a must-fast-forward part of the show for anyone who wants to remain sane. Forgetting lyrics and mashing your gums together in order to let said moments slide by? No problem! Having your voice crap out on the climactic part of a song? That's OK, dawg, you still brought it! Singing "Stand By Me" in such a way that the song's message is completely switched up, so that it becomes more about how any problem will be improved by merely basking in your glory? Hey, misunderstanding lyrical intent is part of the Archuleta package—and it has been since the kid was 12 and mugging his way to a Star Search win! More »

11:00 AM on Wed May 7 2008
By Maura Johnston
2,805 views, 27 comments

Latest by Ultragrrrl: i've been finding that the music industry-types are rooting for jason. most of the blogs LOVE him, i think its because they can appreciate the fact that he's quirky and know that, when marketed right, quirky sells... and labels are more »

idolator's american idolatry

Democracy In Action, "American Idol" Style: Ryan Seacrest Wants You To Vote Today (Even If You Don't Live In North Carolina Or Indiana)

"You must vote," Ryan Seacrest lectured the American Idol audience as the singing contest's top four episode opened. And then he mentioned that three of the remaining four singers had, at one time or another, been the week's top vote-getter. Hmm, I wonder which singer (cough Syesha cough) has never received enough votes to be up top (cough cough)? Could it be the one with the fanbase that seems to be a mirage? Oh, I don't know. What I do know is that the lionization of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is making me kind of sick, and David Cook singing Duran Duran isn't going to make me feel much better. Especially since he just said that he was born the year "Hungry Like The Wolf" was released. More »

8:01 PM on Tue May 6 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,537 views, 21 comments

Latest by GoEliGo????: @Moomtazz: Actually, I think both AI and DWTS are filmed on the same lot so it would be possible for them to do both shows. more »

idolator's american idolatry

Jason Castro Is Finally Allowed To Play Up The Fact That He Has Dreadlocks

Spoilers for tonight's American Idol, where the hopefuls are taking on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock, are starting to make their way out of Fox's fortress. Here's the first one: "Jason's a man on a mission. With one arm that fires, authorities fall, but their counterparts are spared. With the other arm, he jingles his tympan all the way to victory." MJ's Big Blog has translated the gibberish, and it's after the jump—but first, a spoiler for the spoiler: So, anyone want to guess how Randy Jackson is going to react to a Bob Dylan song on American Idol? More »

12:00 PM on Tue May 6 2008
By Maura Johnston
2,386 views, 14 comments

Latest by Manola: Was it me, or did anyone else thought Jason's performances were a giant middle finger to the judges and this competition? more »

idolator's american idolatry

Idolator Presents Its Entry In The "American Idol" Song Competition

The "song contest" portion of American Idol, in which hopefuls around the country pen the coronation song for ~~one of the Davids~~ whoever winds up winning this season, is enough of a laughingstock that even Simon Cowell's mocking it: "You can guarantee either the word 'proud' or 'moment' will be in the song. How about 'I'm Proud to Be in this Moment Now'?" Ho snap! Well, if it's that much of a laugh, then there's no reason I can't offer my own lyric for next year. Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy "There But For The Grace Of Clive." More »

2:00 PM on Mon May 5 2008
By Anthony Miccio
664 views, 8 comments

Latest by SimonSays76: HELLO ---------AM I THE ONLY PERSON THAT SEES A PROBLEM WITH THE FOLLOWING? Is American Idol Rigged? If the Paula Abdul "Gaffe" doesn't convince you maybe this will.Did you know American Idol is having a songwriting contest this year?They also had one more »

Wednesday night's episode of American Idol garnered 1.2 million fewer viewers than it did in the previous week, thus setting another five-year low for the sliding Fox franchise. At first I was surprised that ratings were lower, to be honest, since I figured all the conspiracy theorists would be tuning in to see whether or not Jason Castro was, in fact, headed for the door—until I realized that more and more people are probably getting sick of the filler-packed results shows and are probably just tuning in for the last five minutes. [Reuters]

5 comments

idolator's american idolatry

The 29 Seconds That Are Supposed To Make Everyone Feel Better About "American Idol"

For those of you who are curious, the "rumors" Ryan is obliquely referring to as being untrue aren't about Paula being into field hockey players. Nor are they about Paula using the rehearsals to guide her later critiques, since she admitted that she does engage in that practice yesterday: More »

12:15 PM on Thu May 1 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,061 views, 7 comments

idolator's american idolatry

Bye Bye Brooke: Tonight's "American Idol" Elimination Adds Some Vinegar To The Bittersweetness

What more is there to say, except that I hope she stops crying by the time this episode airs on the West Coast? (But I don't think that's really likely, to be honest.)

10:15 PM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,260 views, 12 comments

idolator's american idolatry

"Is Simon A Good Kisser?": Welcome To Another Awkward Episode Of "American Idol"

I just got home from a dinner out and I turned on my TV to find that American Idol is kind of crazy. Paula Abdul is making MC Skat Kat references! The first girl who Simon Cowell kissed—and his first crush!—is on the call-in segment and saying that he's "aged very well"! Natasha Bedingfield performed a semi-hookless dance song that sounded like a filler track from 1988-ish Z100! The two girls are the bottom two, thus avoiding all "Jason was robbed" spoiler possibilites! Ryan Seacrest is pretty visibly addled, possibly because his saying "We're out" instead of "Seacrest out" last night spelled his certain doom and also possibly because he's still drunk from the bender that he so obviously needed after last night! Live-action commentary of the show's final 15 minutes after the jump. More »

9:45 PM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,176 views, 9 comments

Latest by ScarletMurphy: You left out the best part: 9:59:02 pm. Brooke tries to start "I Am, I Said" over again. Ricky and the band are having none of it, because even THEY are embarrassed by this mess of an episode, so more »

idolator's american idolatry

American Idol Gets Ready To Shape The Songs That Shaped Rock And Roll Into Little Tiny Squares

The long trips into the past will continue on next week's American Idol, when, according to a tipster quoted at MJ's Big Blog, the top four contestants will sing songs from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock. On the one hand, ugh; on the other hand, given the Idol producers' track record of knowing anything about current music, I guess that's progress, since there are a few songs that were actually recorded in the past 20 years on the list. Anthony and I went through the list and tried to pick out which songs would be most appropriate for each remaining contestant. (Since we don't have Paula's psychic abilities, we selected songs for the five singers who are still in the competition as of this very moment.) More »

4:00 PM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,403 views, 12 comments

Latest by jopari: Guess I could have waited a little longer. more »

idolator's american idolatry

Five Reasons Why "American Idol" Is In No Way A Singing Competition

Even if you don't count Paula Abdul's psychic critique of Jason Castro's second performance, last night's American Idol was so crummy, it made me wish for the dulcet tones (and fewer performances) of Andrew Lloyd Webber night. The pacing was off thanks to 10 songs, six video packages, and all that product placement being squeezed into one hour; Brooke White's "crazy girl who just got dumped at the karaoke bar" performance of "I'm A Believer," capped by a pair of sparkly pleather pants, was the most cringeworthy non-Archuleta outing of the night; David Cook once again proved that the judges have never listened to Puddle of Mudd. And for some reason, Randy's assertion on freakin' Neil Diamond night that because Idol is a singing competition, Jason's performance was weak really grated on me. Not that Jason was spot-on last night—his performances were a bit wispy, and he should really have ditched the band for at least one of them—but the "singing competition" line is usually the judges' way of saying "jump through more octave hoops," and I'm sorry, last time I listened to Neil Diamond, he wasn't exactly Mr. Technical Virtuosity. In lieu of writing up the five contestants, I'm going to run through five reasons why this line is crap—especially this year, the "best year of the show ever." More »

8:30 AM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By Maura Johnston
2,013 views, 24 comments

Latest by Manola: @Rory B. Bellows: and Twilly: It's not just teenage girls swooning for David Blandchuleta. it's a whole array of post-menopausal women who want to squeeze Archie to their maternal bosoms. more »

idolator's american idolatry

"American Idol" Fix Exposed?

Paula Abdul's stupor may have pulled back the curtain on the plot to destroy Jason Castro tonight—it was the first night that the contestants sang two songs each, so they ran through all their initial performances, then came out to be judged at the end of the first half-hour. And Paula used this opportunity to tell Jason, who went first, that while she liked the use of his lower vocal register on "Forever In Blue Jeans," his second song "felt like your usual charm was missing for me... it left me a little empty. The two songs made me feel like you're not fighting hard enough to get into the top four." But he only performed one song! Apparently those second-song comments were meant for David Cook—but then when Paula "recovered" to give Cookie her critique, he said that he was "fantastic," and that the only problem with his performance was that the song wasn't as well-known as other picks from the night. And the producers can't figure out why the ratings are down this season? Between this and the fact that David Archuleta could have an on-stage vocal cord hemorrhage and still be called "the bomb" by Randy, I think any sentient being can know that there's at least some sort of "desired outcome" that's been communicated to the judges by Nigel Lythgoe's camp.

8:45 PM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Maura Johnston
3,235 views, 21 comments

Latest by Manola: @ScarletMurphy: Most likely you are right that there is a lot of manipulation of votes, of outcomes, etc. But to give any credit to the allegations of meathead Josh Gracin is a little thick. It sounds like a serious more »

idolator's american idolatry

Neil Diamond Comes To "American Idol" To-Niiiight!

Not only is tonight's American Idol Neil Diamond Night—way to keep on keeping up with your target demographic, Nigel Lythgoe!—it also represents the first evening where each of the hopefuls will warble two tracks instead of just one. Spoilers have Jason Castro singing "Forever In Blue Jeans" and "September Morn," while rumor has it that David Archuleta is going to sing "America" and "I'm A Believer." (You know that he's going to pull some sort of Smashmouthy Shrek bullshit out of the air on that second one, right?) More »

3:30 PM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,347 views, 6 comments

Latest by Manola: If there is a show that is going to make me quit watching AI, was this one. Neil Diamond, WTFC?!?!?!?!? What's wrong with inviting, hell, I don't know, Green Day? Fergie? Justin Timberlake? Rascal Flatts? Fantasia???? I more »

idolator's american idolatry

Oh, Lordy: Did Carly Smithson Get Voted Off For Blasphemy?

File this under "probably not surprising, but still kind of a bummer": There are rumblings on the American Idol boards that Carly Smithson was eliminated this week because she angered the Bible Belt by singing "Superstar" from Jesus Christ Superstar, given that the song is sung by Judas and the play itself, as Tim Rice said in its program, has as its central idea "Christ seen through the eyes of Judas, with Christ as a man, not as a god." (Wait, doesn't this mean they should also be peevish with Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the damn thing and who told Carly to switch up her song choice from something more ballady and Celine-like?) Given that Kristy Lee Cook pretty much saved her bland, off-key ass for multiple weeks thanks to goodwill from her performance of "God Bless The USA," this theory is kinda plausible, and this americanidol.com post by FightinIRISHIowan would further bear it out: More »

10:45 AM on Fri Apr 25 2008
By Maura Johnston
1,726 views, 12 comments

Latest by saturn: @StuntKockSteeev:You don't need to know the plot to be offended by the lyrics: "Jesus Christ, who are you? What have you sacrificed?" The song directly questions the legitimacy of Christ's claims, and therefore questions the foundations of Christianity. When I saw more »

idolator's american idolatry

Jason Castro Knows How To Play "Badfish," Loves You

I will be heartbroken when they make this guy leave American Idol. I don't look forward to a time where that stage won't feature his goofy, incessant grinning and guile-free bon mots. No one else would say they thought "my belle" was you know, "a bell," or that they never knew "Memory" was sung by a cat. No one else would tip an imaginary hat and squat on stage for no reason whatsoever. Aside from that one Sting-related slip-up, he's never pulled some respectability trip on his fanbase. He's sitting on your bed, singing your favorite song, and he's happy to do it. You want to hear Sublime, like the girl who posted this video of him on YouTube? He'll drop "Badfish" on ya, grinning and strumming his hear out. Jason Castro loves you. More »

4:00 PM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Anthony Miccio
1,799 views, 5 comments

Latest by 92BuickLeSabre: Oh no, the youtube video was pulled! But this remains brilliant for the Barbarino comparison. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. more »