American Idol Results - The Top 12 Elimination

by John Patrone
March 17, 2010

More details later, but our East Coast spies report that Tim Urban, Paige Miles and Lacey Brown were in the Bottom 3.  Lacey was then eliminated.  The judges' save, however, made an unannounced (and to me, unwelcome) return, but was not used to save Lacey.

Yeah, that was worth it.

Ugh.

American Idol Live Report: The Top 12 Sing Songs of the Rolling Stones

by Chip Letzgus

March 16, 2010

Reporting to you live—from Television City in Hollywood—this is “American Idol”!

Despite the superficial resemblance—the drinking, the descent into madness, the sequins—there are so many ways that I am not like Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Among them: When it comes to getting tickets to see “American Idol,” I have never had to depend on the kindness of strangers. For that I have been blessed with friends—who may be strange, yes, but no stranger than me—including John Mihelich, who last Thursday night called to let me know that he had gotten an admission voucher for two for tonight’s broadcast and was, as luck would have it, dateless.

I have to admit I was a little leery, having spent four hours on Beverly Boulevard two years ago carrying a sign reading “SYESHA SHINES LIKE A DIAMOND” only to be turned away like so much riffraff at the door. An admission voucher doesn’t get you in the studio; it just keeps you in line until the CBS pages determine whether or not they need seat-fillers. But I haven’t seen John in several years, so I figured if nothing else we could spend the afternoon chatting before being rejected like a couple of incompatible  kidneys. I never allowed myself to imagine that we might actually get past the velvet rope and into the Cathedral of Kara . . .

But we did!

American Idol Results - The Top 12 Are Chosen

by John Patrone
March 10, 2010


So, we have our Top 12.  Let's hope they all improve really fast or else we are headed for another Jordan Sparks year (and without a Blake Lewis to make things interesting).


Here they are:


Didi Benami
Crystal Bowersox
Lacey Brown
Lee Dewyze
Andrew Garcia
Casey James
Aaron Kelly
Michael Lynche
Siobhan Magnus
Paige Miles
Katie Stevens
Tim Urban


Performances on the big stage start Tuesday and will feature the music of the Rolling Stones.  Chip Letzgus, TOTT's own 'Idol Mind', will be at CBS Television City to see it all live!  Look for his special, on-the-scene roundup of the performances late Tuesday night.

Chip's Idol Mind: The Top 16 (Men)

March 10, 2010
By Chip Letzgus


Greetings, fans and followers of “The Kara DioGuardi Show”— 
Here’s tonight’s recap:

Ryan Seacrest asked Kara why she was constantly snuggling up to Simon Cowell, and Kara coyly retorted that it was Simon who was always leaning against her. Later, she told Casey James that she was almost back to having a crush on him but wasn’t quite there yet. Then she had an emotional breakdown because she has never had a child, which required her to bury her tear-stained face in Simon’s armpit for comfort.

In between, some guys sang some songs.

Chip's Idol Mind: The Top 16 (Women)

March 9, 2010
By Chip Letzgus


Greetings, Idophiles!

Well, finally.

Last week, Ladies’ Night on American Idol was largely a sad and tortured affair, an assemblage of mostly mediocre performances that the judges seemed to resent having to endure.

This week? Well, the judges were still spouting their inanities about “bad song choice” and “it’s too big for you” and “I don’t know what kind of artist you are” and whatnot, but the contestants were in much better shape. In fact, there were no less than six above-average performances out of eight singers—that’s certainly a first for this season. Since the eight contestants were shoehorned into a 60-minute time slot, it made for a thoroughly enjoyable hour of musical entertainment.

Well, almost.

Chip's Idol Mind: The Top 20 (Women)

March 3, 2010
by Chip Letzgus


Greetings, Idolovers—

But why would anyone be an “Idol” lover after tonight’s joyless show? A passel of uninspired performances critiqued by judges who at times were excessively cruel—if this had been the first time I’d seen “American Idol,” I would probably have decided not to tune in again. Where’s the fun in that?

A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, though, so . . . in order of appearance . . . 

CRYSTAL BOWERSOX—Long As I Can See the Light—1 / 95 
You would never know from Crystal’s performance that she had been hospitalized 24 hours earlier, reportedly with complications from diabetes. (I’ve done a little research, and learned that periodontal disease can be a side effect of Type 1 diabetes, and that explains everything, doesn’t it?) Crystal was clearly in the moment when she sang, and gave her gospel-tinged arrangement an authentic, heartfelt, spontaneous interpretation. The judges were at their pretentious worst. Randy Jackson said something about reality TV and then made this pronouncement: “Truth is reality.” He then went on a tear about Crystal being true, or real, or on TV, or something. His nonsensical soliloquy was nothing compared to Simon Cowell’s critique, wherein Simon invoked the mangled English of George Bush himself: “I totally misunderestimated you.” To which I can say only, “Simon, I totally misoverestimated you.”

Chip's Idol Mind: The Top 20 (Men)

March 2, 2010

By Chip Letzgus

Greetings, Idol Nation!

The Olympics are over. There are earthquakes everywhere. Every story in the news is sad or frightening or both. And this season’s crop of contestants on “American Idol,” taken as a whole, is dismal.

Leave it to my friend Martha to come up with something designed to bring a modicum of happiness into this vale of tears: She created a Fan Page for my “Idol” reviews on Facebook. I’m not saying this will make life worth living again, or that it will even be as uplifting as the new recording of “We Are the World,” but for those of you who are tired of e-mail and want something to do while you’re waiting for your rutabagas to grow on FarmVille, here it is: Chip's Idol Mind. If you can’t bring yourself to become a fan of any of this year’s singers . . . well, at least become a fan of mine.

Chip's Idol Mind: The Top 24 (Men)

February 24, 2010
By Chip Letzgus


What? Already?


I had forgotten how grueling it can be watching two nights of twelve-performance “Idol” episodes in a row. Aren’t you tired, too?
So before I nod off, here’s what happened with the dudes, in order of appearance:


TODRICK HALL—Since U [sic] Been Gone—5 / 90
Somewhere on the urban-fabulous scale between Usher and Akon lies Todrick, who might as well just start going by only one name right now. This reimagined version of the Kelly Clarkson hit allowed Todrick to show off his dance skills and his personality, but it also kept us from judging his singing prowess: he rapped part of it, and the chorus challenged him to hit only a couple of big notes. Charisma, yes. Talent? Too soon to tell. 

Chip's Idol Mind: The Top 24 (Women)

February 23, 2010
by Chip Letzgus


Greetings, Idolympians old and new!


With speed that Bode Miller could only dream of achieving in the downhill, another year has flown by. Suddenly it’s February again, and that means it’s time for me to perform my community service—watching “American Idol” so you don’t have to.


My ongoing lack of traditional, old-fashioned, full-time, outside-the-home employment will allow me to stay up late on Tuesday (and, for the next three weeks, Wednesday) nights so that I can tell you what you think of the evening’s performances at the earliest possible moment.

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