American Idol: Season 9

[Lizzy]

Ok, the whole thing has to be staged. That scene at the end with the guy getting handcuffed was so fake looking!

[Ian]

[DisneyPrincess21]

Ok, the whole thing has to be staged. That scene at the end with the guy getting handcuffed was so fake looking!

On TMZ, they said that the cops handcuffed him to remove him from the building, they told him that as long as he didnt come back he was free to go, but if he came back he would be sent to jail.

I do think the handcuffing was alittle overkill, considering the guy wasnt being that bad.

They should have atleast waited till After he freaked out on Kara before they handcuffed him!

[Ian]

There were a couple performers last night that I think could go really, really far in this year's competition. I thought Andrew Garcia was awesome.

I found the guest judges annoying as anything last night, though. That skanky chick that I never heard of was one of the most irritating guest judges they've ever had.

[PirateLover]

Didn't even watch.... call me when it's Hollywood week

[DisneyPrincess21]

I found the guest judges annoying as anything last night, though. That skanky chick that I never heard of was one of the most irritating guest judges they've ever had.

which one, they had Katy Perry and Avril Lavenge(sp) i am guessing you are talking about Katy Perry (the girl with the dark hair who was annoyed by Kara)

[bicker]

I think some people don't like Lavigne because (1) she's young and rich and (2) she is a pop-punk artist. Either is enough to cause some folks to simply not like her. By the same token, both would encourage others, many of whom are the within the target demographic for American Idol, to like her. You cannot please everyone, and indeed, you can never please everyone all at once, so with variety you please some people with some things, and please other people with other things.

[PirateLover]

I liked Avril Lavigne's first album. I'm sure I was her target audience, being a then 17 year old. As far as pop-punk, I never liked that portrayal. She always dressed punk but the music was always pop. Anyway, Now I'm 24 and while I still like some of those songs off the first album, I now find her to be pretty irrelevant and I can't stand the sight of her. Her most recent songs are just irritating, and She has spit on photographers, and made a donkey of herself in many public situations. I'm just not a fan anymore.

[DisneyPrincess21]

I liked Avril Lavigne's first album. I'm sure I was her target audience, being a then 17 year old. As far as pop-punk, I never liked that portrayal. She always dressed punk but the music was always pop. Anyway, Now I'm 24 and while I still like some of those songs off the first album, I now find her to be pretty irrelevant and I can't stand the sight of her. Her most recent songs are just irritating, and She has spit on photographers, and made a donkey of herself in many public situations. I'm just not a fan anymore.

Maryanne, I have to agree. At first when she came out she was okay, I have to admit that I was into a few of her songs on her original cd Although, like you I was her "target" audience so that may have something to do with it, but I don't like her anymore based on the things she has done.

But what annoyed me the most about her during AI was when she was judging on if she should put people through to hollywood based on their family lives/jobs. Like the one guy that worked at a church and had a wife and kids, her and Kara were like,"I dont think you'll have time for being on the road."They aren't here for you to judge what they should do in their personal life, they are here so you can judge if they can sing. And besides that, Avril isn't exactly the person I would go to for marriage advice.

[bicker]

The judges are there to determine who will do best in the competition -- not only who is a good singer. The judges are, very specifically, casting for a television show -- an entertainment program -- and are charged with the responsibility for making selections that best serve the competition. Read the rules contestants are given. You may be very surprised at how much of it is about making good television versus a pure singing competition.

Regarding the specifics with regard to the pastor, Avril and Kara were right. It wasn't attitude. It wasn't capriciousness. It was on-target accuracy and honesty.

[Ian]

Wow! Not a single post in this thread for well over two weeks! Is no one watching or is there just not that much to say??

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Andrew Garcia. I thought his take on Straight Up was incredible and the guy's voice is near perfect. He also is totally likeable, which helps a lot.

I was sort of surprised to see Angela Martin get cut again. It almost seems cruel that they keep letting her through and keeping her hopes up and then cutting her at the last minute. I mean she's been through three times now. Hadn't they seen enough to know one way or the other before she got this far?

[SBETigg]

I got so bored during auditions this time. I was watching, but doing other things at the same time. No one sticks out for me yet. I don't know any names or faces really at all. And for the past two nights, I gave up AI to flip between the Olympics and the Westminster Dog Show. So... I'll catch up next time. I really think this show is on the way out for me.

[Ian]

I really think this show is on the way out for me.

Well I can tell you for certain that if Howard Stern replaces Simon next season I am OUT!

[Melanie]

Wow! Not a single post in this thread for well over two weeks! Is no one watching or is there just not that much to say??

Not watching, and surprisingly not missing it at all.

[Ian]

Not watching, and surprisingly not missing it at all.

I think you may be missing out, Mel. There are some pretty talented folks in this years competition and fortunately there aren't any ding-dongs like Sanjaya in there or anything.

There is one thing that's irked me to no end, though, and I wonder if anyone else has noticed it.

Is it just me or are they really overplaying the whole forced dramatics thing this year? It really seemed to me like every single time when people were selected to make it through they went down the, "You know there's only 24 slots and it was a really really tough choice this year. You had some ups and downs, as I'm sure you'd agree, so ..... let's hope you've got a lot more ups in you because you made it through!"

I mean that works every once in awhile, but after you do it every time no one falls for it!

[TheDuckRocks]

Mel, I agree with Ian that you might be missing out this year if you're not watching. Doesn't seem to be any really obvious nut cases and most all have very good voices and there are at least a half dozen that are truely gifted.
I'm also in the group of people who will never, ever watch again if Howard Stearn becomes part of the show.

[Aurora]

I was sort of surprised to see Angela Martin get cut again. It almost seems cruel that they keep letting her through and keeping her hopes up and then cutting her at the last minute. I mean she's been through three times now. Hadn't they seen enough to know one way or the other before she got this far?

Here in Chicago they did a follow-up of Angela (of course, because if there's a local angle they'll stomp on it), and yet another hardship she has is that her mother has been MISSING since around Christmas. The mother had been a drug user and they think she might have relapsed. Angela's sister was interviewed saying there may have been a sighting of the mother begging for change. Could someone give this talented girl a break?

[SBETigg]

Idol producers have denied ever talking to or about Stern and it seems to be a rumor that Stern cooked up. Maybe he wants it? Which is weird. But the Sirius radio thing isn't going quite as he planned. But I really don't think he fits in and it would bring it to a place I don't think the average AI viewer wants to go. So I would say there's no chance of it. But what do I know.

[Aurora]

FROM USATODAY's Web site:

Feb 18, 2010

Chris Golightly: "This is not fair; I don't know what to do"

When the American Idol machine starts moving, nobody gets to stand in the way.

Not even one of the semifinalists.

Chris Golightly is learning that lesson the hard way this week.

"This is not fair; I don't know what to do," he said when reached by phone this morning.

Chris originally made Season 9's Top 24 -- he was even shown in the group shot with Ryan Seacrest near the end of Wednesday's show. But when the 12 male semifinalists were shown individually, Chris had been replaced by Tim Urban.

"Everything was fine when I made the Top 24," Chris says. But things quickly went sour. Shortly after Chris got the news that he'd made the cut, he says a former manager named Lawrence Franklin emailed 19 Entertainment claiming that Chris was under a recording contract.

Chris says he then received an email on behalf of the show, saying that he would be disqualified if, indeed, he was under contract. Chris says he then called Lawrence Franklin, reminding him that his contract had ended the month before he'd auditioned for Idol.

Within a day or two, Chris got another phone call, this one from American Idol supervising producer Patrick Lynn, telling him that he had been disqualified.

That same day, however, Chris says he and the Idol producers got another email from Franklin, this one saying that there had been a mix-up and that Chris had been released from his contract before he'd auditioned.

Unfortunately for Chris, by that point, Tim Urban had been notified, and the Idol producers had moved too far along to reverse course.

"Since then, I've left them voicemails, but they've screened my calls," Chris says. "They don't even answer me. Nobody."

Chris says an Idol attorney called him last night and told him he his ouster took place because he hadn't been forthcoming about his contract. "But I went and looked this morning," Chris says, "and I said, no, I was not in a contract. If he's trying to say that's what it was about, they're covering their a**."

Fox released a statement on the matter late Wednesday: "It has been determined that Chris Golightly is ineligible to continue in the competition. 'American Idol' contestant Tim Urban has replaced Golightly as part of the Top 24."

Chris, who grew up in orphanages and foster homes, made a great first impression with audiences during his audition episode, when he sang Ben E. King's Stand By Me. His curly blond hair earned him comparisons to Season 1 runner-up Justin Guarini.

Chris said he'd had a great Hollywood experience. "The second day of Hollywood Week, they were all like Chris, Chris, Chris," he says. "The third day, they're not allowed to say anything, because that's our final performance, but they were smiling and clapping and pointing, like, yeah, that's him, you know?

"Then, when our room got to stay, Ellen pointed at me, with approval, [as if to say] good job. And when I made Top 24, Randy said, 'Chris, I'm sorry to say this, but you made it to the Top 24.' And I was the last one in the Top 24."

At this point, Chris is so clearly overwhelmed and upset by the situation, he doesn't even know who to be angry with. "Lawrence apologized to everybody, and I respect him for that." And he says he's not currently looking at legal action.

"I don't want nobody getting hurt," he says. "I just want the spot I earned."

[citizensnoopy]

I'm enjoying this season a lot more than last season. The top 24 contestants all seem really strong. I thought for sure that they'd put Angela Martin through this year --- poor thing. Haeley Vaughn intrigues me. I don't think she has the greatest voice in the world, but her personality is so infectious that I find myself rooting for her subconsciously. Andrew Garcia is amazing and I loved what he did with Straight Up. I also like Big Mike.