Thursday, March 06, 2008

American Idol - Brooke's and Done

Top 16 - Top 8 Girls Performance Night - 80's Night

Some people think the winner for American Idol should always be female.

I so disagree, especially with this years batch of women.

Yes, they can belt it out, sure. That doesn't make them a star. It worked for Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey but even that diva shouting is over for now.

Yes, the best 2 idols have been women (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood) but they were smart enough to belt out something a bit unexpected (Kelly with her rocker meets pop schtick and Carrie making a really countrified song into pop gold), because if you just belt it out (like Fantasia), that just won't do anymore.

It's time for a strong male to win (and Ruben Studard didn't count because he was the big cuddly guy people felt sorry for/picked because they hated Clay Aiken more, and Taylor Hicks was a joke gone too far) that Chris Daughtry should have taken but there is room for a great guy singer to win the hearts, but we seem to keep around the male gimmicks. Oddly, the strong male may come in the form of a tiny 17 year old boy.

Anyways, I'm high on sugar from all the cake (4 cakes in one day! Nice! Thanks to all my friends/work!) so I'm not totally thinking straight and I know I can come up with a better argument but after hearing the final 8 girls sing, I'm without words.

Only Brooke White really stood out with anything interesting and new and possessed anything remotely like star presence.

Carly can sing and while I like her, I still thought she needed a better song.

Meanwhile, Kristy Lee Cook, Ramielle Ubulay and Alana Obermeyer can belt them out but that doesn't mean they are interesting.

Just as Simon's reactions, I'm so over the Whitney, Celine, other Diva impersonations. So boring. So 90's. I'm so done with it. Don't the girls know after 7 seasons of Idol to NEVER do Whiney, Mariah, or Celine? First of all, it's not even popular anymore, and secondly, don't even try to hit that high note.

I can't even remember who else sang and I JUST finished watching the episode.

Am I just being totally gay and dismissing the women too easily (I swear I'm usually championing a few at least but other than Brooke and maybe Carly, I don't care for anybody else this year)? Have my hormones led me to get way too excited over the men this year (well, really just David Archuleta)?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved Clay Aiken on AI2. I still do, but then, I'm not gay like you.

Sunny said...

I like Brooke too, she's lovely and has a unique sound and vibe. My favorite guy is not Archuletta, he reminds me of what it must feel like to eat four cakes... ;) His tongue action, constantly flipping in and out and his gasping are distracting. He does bring a big voice to the show.

I like dreadhead, Jason Castro. He's an untrained natural talent with little prior experience to singing. He's got an adorable self-deprecating sense of humor, but when he gets in front of the mic, like some kind of savant. Loved this past week's performance. He trundled a bit on that last note but overall a nice job. He's interesting.

Anonymous said...

You're wrong on people 'picking Ruben because they hated Clay more'. Um....Clay received 80 percent of the vote EVERY SINGLE WEEK HE WAS ON, INCLUDING THE VERY LAST NIGHT (maybe more than 80 percent)- HE WAS THE TRUE WINNER OF AI2. Two producers of the show admitted to the fact about the percentages Clay was receiving. Clay was the most popular, and still is, contestant the show ever had on. One measly phone line and 2hours of voting just couldn't handle the amount of votes trying to get in for Clay. When Ruben's mother gets in 200 votes for him and Clay's mother only 2 for Clay, doesn't THAT tell you something. And..what has Ruben done to prove he was the 'winner'?????? NADA. AI even has had Clay as a guest more than any other past contestant. They had Clay as the Emcee of their Xmas Special for the top AI2, NOT dull Ruben. Clay is the one who narrates AI2 Rewind-Ruben only did a 2-minute introduction. I predict David A. will win this year; but he won't be an 'IDOL' in the sense Clay is. David may end up being the male Hannah Montana-the 'tweens will be his fans. But I don't see him solo touring 8 times in 4 years; acting in numerous tv shows; emceeing other shows; starring on Broadway; starting his own charitiable foundation; being a UNICEF and TOYS For TOTS Ambassador or doing any of the other numerous things on Clay's resume.

Vance said...

Just to clarify, I never said I HATED Clay. I said other people hated Clay enough to vote for Ruben (I had always rather had Clay win then Ruben though neither were my ultimate favorite from that year).

And again, did you not note the disdain in my voice for Ruben and Taylor as the lack of strong male winners thus so far?

Linz McC said...

Wow, Vance, those are some intense commenters there. Anyway, I agree about Brooke. Of all the girls, I have liked her the most since the beginning of the top 24. She has an actual STYLE (not that others don't, but hers is actually appealing to me). But I agree the guys are better this year and it would be great if one of them won and actually had some success afterward.

h said...

Gotta agree on the Celine/Whitney/Maria song ghetto so many contestants apparently live in. BORING.

Brooke was okay. The judges were friggin awful.

The 3 best performers this year are guys.

Anonymous said...

"Just to clarify, I never said I HATED Clay. I said other people hated Clay enough to vote for Ruben (I had always rather had Clay win then Ruben though neither were my ultimate favorite from that year). " Vance, I never said YOU 'hated' Clay. You are the one who made the comment that you thought others 'hated Clay more that is why they voted for Ruben'. And I tried to set you straight that Clay was THE most popular contestant ever on the show. He garnered more votes than any other contestant INCLUDING THE FINAL SHOW ON AI2-Ruben did NOT get more votes than Clay. Geesh. Where has it ever been proven??? (I guess coming from two of the producers mouths that Clay received 80 percent of the vote every week he was on doesn't mean a thing to you) When the show has run it's course, the truth will come out in print. Idol Found, Game Over. No one on the show since or ever will be on has the 'IT' factor that Clay has. Ruben had no stage presence, at all, and couldn't even get through a song without breathing as hard as he could and allowing viewers to hear those labored breaths. Ruben may be a 'nice guy' and such; but an 'IDOL'????? Never.

Vance said...

Well, there does seem to be a lot of Clay haters. He seemed really polarizing.

I do hear hes great in Spamalot and I liked his first album but I think those that hated him, really hated him and voted Ruben out of spite.

But yeah. Ruben. ugh.