American Idol:The Top 9 Results Show

Bottom Three:
Ramiele Malubay ("Do I Ever Cross Your Mind")
Kristy Lee Cook ("Coat of Many Colors")
Brooke White ("Jolene")


Eliminated:
Ramiele Malubay









Watch video of Ramiele Malubay being eliminated:


The group medley this week was Dolly Parton's "9 to 5." As we've previously noted, the group sounds really tight together, though this week David Cook definitely proved he is NOT a dancer. His "Dancing With the Stars" future looks about as bright as Steve Guttenberg's! But he did shine on his solos at the judges table, unlike Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado, who paled by comparison with their onstage parts. And Brooke White proved that if she had gotten a shot at this song instead of her lame rendition of "Jolene," if probably would have been Jason Castro in the Bottom 3 instead of her.

Watch video of Top 9 group medley, "9 to 5":


This medley was followed by the yada, yada, yada recap, which included Dolly Parton on the video telling us how she was honored by what a good job the contestants had done.

Since there were two musical acts plus the other scheduled fluff, Ryan Seacrest jumped right into the results. The nine were shown huddled backstage waiting to be called out, and when Michael Johns pulled the first straw, he made a face before proceeding onstage. Ryan talked him up on his feelings about Tuesday's performance. Johns, who scored high praise from the judges, said he felt totally in his element Tuesday night. No surprise, he was sent to the safety of the Big Couch, as was David Archuleta, the next contestant sent onstage. Ryan played a bit with Carly Smithson's head, telling her she was no stranger to the Bottom 3. She looked stressed. He asked her if given the choice, which direction she would rather head in. Well, duh, The Couch, of course. So he sent her over there. She is actually either a rather good actress or honestly surprised every time she makes it through to safety. She almost kissed Ryan.

Three up, three safe, meaning the remaining six each had only a 50-50 chance now of remaining safe. So of course, it was time to let them mull that over and move on to the stupid viewer Q&A segment, which, again was only the least bit entertaining when Simon was asked a question. We *learned* that Syesha Mercado misses hanging out with family and friends, that David Cook would like to be more organized because he's a slob, which his roommates, Jason and Michael, can attest to. (hmmm, "Idol" is tripling up the contestants this year. They're really getting cheap with those hotel rooms, aren't they?) Randy in answer to who he'd like to work with who he hasn't worked with before, dodges the question by answering whomever wins Idol this year. When Ryan pushes and asks for a name, Randy says a girl or a boy. Uh-huh. Michael Johns and/or David Cook are asked what song they would love to sing on tour. Michael answers "Islands in the Stream" with David saying that he'd take the Dolly Parton part. The last caller asks Simon Cowell why he feels the need to apologize after giving negative critiques. Simon answers that he likes the caller and will never do it again.

The Clark Brothers, who won "The Next Great American Band," produced by the same folks who bring you "Idol," performed next, followed by the Ford commercial in which the contestants sang Run-DMC's "It's Tricky" while playing basketball.

Watch video of The Clark Brothers performance:


Before Ryan returns to the results, he asks Carly what she thought was going to happen to her. She evades the question by saying that she didn't know, that Ryan is full of tricks. Seacrest next asks if she and Simon have made up. Carly said, "no," because he hasn't apologized and now, apparently, he never will after that last Q&A segment. David Cook comes onstage, and before being shown The Couch, Ryan asks him about the reports of him going to the hospital the night before. Cook underplays it, says to was overblown that he has high blood pressure and that his pressure had spiked. No biggie. Well, yes it is, especially for someone his age.

Ramiele Malubay looking nervous (there are still three Bottom 3 slots left and only five contestants to go) comes out and has reason to worry. She is the first to take one of the Bottom 3 silver seats. (Having three seats is totally symbolic as the third Bottom 3 contestant never gets to sit down; they go straight to the elimination.) Kristy Lee Cook knows where she's heading, but takes it with a bit a black humor. She enters with a note in her hand that says, "Kristy's Seat." Ryan asks her "What's that for?" and she tilts her head to where Ramiele is now sitting and says, "For over there." Ryan has to assure that studio and home viewers that nobody knows the results in advance, then sends Kristy Lee "over there." Paula Abdul tells them that they both had good nights (liar, liar, pants on fire) but they just don't connect to the audience. Well, at least that part was true. Two down, one to go. Will it be Syesha, Jason or Brooke? Que the suspense and move on to more fluff.

As promised by executive producer Nigel Lythgoe earlier in the season, next comes a segment where we get to see where former contestants are now. This segment focuses on Nashville, now the home to country singers Bucky Covington (Season 5), who has two singles in release; Phil Stacey (Season 6), whose first CD is dropping later this month; and rocker Bo Bice (Season 4). Bice, whose son is now 2, spent a year off recuperating from extensive abdominal surgery, but released his second post-"Idol" CD late last fall. He was incredibly gracious and thankful to "Idol."

Back to the results. Syesha Mercado comes onstage next, which automatically means she is safe, because the drama of the last Bottom 3 contestant is always left to the last two contestants to come out. At this point, we're banking on it being Brooke White, since Jason Castro was in the Bottom 3 last week and we know the producers think the public will assume it's him again and not dear, sweet, nanny Brooke. But, ha! We knew it, since she was no better than Jason was the night before. So three women -- Ramiele, Kristy Lee and Brooke -- are the Bottom 3 this week. Ryan turns to Simon and asks if America got it right. Cowell answers yes, that he doesn't think that anyone from the couch should be there instead. Cowell also tries to make nice with Carly over the highly insulting remarks he made the night before about her choice of onstage clothing, saying he was just trying to be helpful, that he thinks she's a cute girl (oh, puleeeeze!) and she just needs to start looking more like a star. Uh-huh. Wonder who told him to apologize? So, who's gone this week? Oh, wait, we have to torture the Bottom 3 some more first, with two more fluff segments.

It's now time to pimp next week's "Idol Gives Back" begathon with a clip about two sisters in Africa who have been reunited -- because of your dollars -- after living in the streets. No matter how cynical you are about Idolgivesbackpalooza, if clips like this don't grab you, you're made of stone.

What didn't grab us was Dolly Parton's performance of "Jesus and Gravity," from her latest release,
"Backwoods Barbie." We don't know if the aging country star's voice is finally beginning to go or if her overly Botoxed face is keeping her from being able to move her mouth enough to sing well, but it was not impressive. Pair that with the cheesiest lyrics we've heard in, like, forever:

And I've got somethin' lifting me up
somethin' holding me down.
Somethin' to give me wings and keep my feet on the ground.
I've got all I need, Jesus and gravity.

Besides, everyone knows that the somethin' holding Dolly down isn't gravity but those humongous honkers.

Watch video of Dolly Parton singing "Jesus and Gravity":


After her performance, Ryan did a little schtick with Parton about letting Simon back into Dollywood (Cowell began his negative review of Jason Castro's performance of "Travelin' Thru" Tuesday night with, "This is the point where I lose my season pass to Dollywood because I didn't like that at all."). Dolly defends Simon saying that he just tells the truth and someone has to do it. She adds that there are no hard feelings and he's got a free pass to Dollywood, to Ryan tells Dolly to make Simon pay. She also tells Cowell she loves him, then says she loves Paula and Randy as, so as not to insult them. Dolly wants everyone to feel loved. Even if her performance was less than expected, we've met her and she not only appears to be, but is a genuinely sweet person.

Finally, the three women were given their fates. We have to give credit to Brooke. Someone we know said if she was in the Bottom 3 she would turn on the waterworks to assure she wouldn't land there again for the next three weeks, and sure enough, she did. When Ryan asked her, "Brooke this is your first time in the Bottom 3, and clearly you're very emotional (she verging on tears at this point with her arms around Kristy Lee and Ramiele) ... she said, "I'm emotional for a variety of reasons. We throw everything we have into this thing, here, at 'American Idol,' um, and then you watch that 'Idol Give Back' portion and you think, 'Gosh, there's a whole other meaning of difficult in that, and then Dolly comes out here and talks about Jesus and gravity and it was really amazing, she's great." Applause, applause, applause. Boy, does Brooke know how to play the audience and the cameras. Heh!

Brooke was then sent to The Couch. Kristy Lee was next told she was safe, but almost smothered teeny Ramiele in her breasts she held her so tightly. Ryan pretty much had to break them up it went on so long. Ramiele clearly was very upset (no one has cried this much since "the other side of her heart," Danny Noriega, was booted off).

But, like a tiny trouper, she sang her song one last time, and, free of the burden of having to be judged, sang it better than she did on Tuesday night. It's sad how many times this happens. You can't help but wonder how many contestants could have saved themselves if that had sung their song that well the first time.

And so it goes, onto three episodes next week: Tuesday the performances, Wednesday "Idol Gives Back" and Thursday the results show.

IDOL NEWS

Some "Idol" news stories broke yesterday. First, Mariah Carey posted on her Web site that she would perform, what we affectionately call this year's "Idol Gives Back" dead duet with Marvin Gaye, singing "What's Going On" (obviously nothing with Marvin). Remember Elvis and Celine Dion last year? But on a conference call about the show yesterday, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told the press that the duet is off:

"Unfortunately, it's not [happening]," Lythgoe said. "We couldn't get the rights to music with Marvin, so we had to cancel it."

Then there was the bombshell was that Ellen DeGeneres was no longer hosting the portion of the show to be taped this Sunday before a paying audience in Los Angeles. "Ellen, we were told, couldn't do it due to a personal production pressure," Lythgoe said. Five days before the event? Hmmm, we smell a rat. Wonder what the producers, or someone else, did to upset Ellen so much that she backed out of the show?

The new host? Ryan Seacrest, the busiest man in show business. Lythgoe said, "We've got a lot of co-hosts, so it isn't like last year. There are a lot of really good people coming on that stage to introduce people."

He also addressed the rumor that seems to be becoming an annual event that an 11th previously eliminated contestant will join the summer tour, when he was asked whether the producers had considered using a "carrot" to get viewers to tune in next week:

"Yeah, of course we did. For my money, this isn't about a carrot. I don't want to cheat the audience here. This is about a wonderful show with incredible talent involved with it, asking you to do something about what's going on in the world, end of story. After that, carrots are just misleading the audience and stink."

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American Idol Top 9 Perform/David Cook Rushed to Hospital

NOTE: TMZ reported late last night that David Cook was taken to the hospital (not by ambulance) after Tuesday's show. He was suffering from heart palpitations and high blood pressure, believed to be due to a setback in his brother's illness. Cook began complaining that he did not feel well, but after his performance he reassured people he was OK. He ultimately realized he needed medical help. He is now back in his hotel, but his medical problem has not yet been resolved. One "Idol" executive told TMZ, "David's blood pressure was far too high."

Cook was examined by medics at the show, then taken to the hospital and treated by a private doctor. The doctor gave Cook medication to bring his blood pressure down and he will monitored again Tuesday.

The "Idol" executive says the stress and anxiety from being on "Idol" and dealing with his brother's illness -- his brother has cancer and suffered a setback within the past week -- had really put David, who normally has high blood pressure, on the ropes.

The site also says that Cook has been completely stressed out during the entire season. During one of the first shows, David broke down and said he couldn't perform that night -- and changed his mind at the last minute.

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It is April 1, and not even "American Idol" was immune from April Fool's jokes. First there was the phony list of spoilers for tonight's show that was validated by no less that EW.com's Popwatch. It had ludicrous information, such as Jason Castro singing "I Will Always Love You." But because it was presented on EW.com, even we repeated the list to our friends. April Fool! Then there was the blog listing we found that purported that Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest had such a severe falling out last night that Cowell had demanded Seacrest's immediate resignation. It even accused Cowell of yelling at Seacrest to "just come out of the closet you * homo." Could it be true? Uh, no, we decided as soon as we reached this paragraph:

"Last night the producers were frantically searching for a temporary replacement for Ryan until they can permanently replace him either later in the season or next year. Four names were being tossed around as potential temporary replacements - Mikalah Gordon, Matt Rogers (from Season 3), Sanjaya Malakar or Antonella Barba. Other presenters will be considered, but we're likely to see a former Idol contestant as the producers are so short on time to find a replacement for tonight."

OK, thanks. Don't we feel like a jerk? Then there was Ryan Seacrest opening the program by telling us that the show was being preempted by a celebrity edition of "Moment of Truth" starring Simon Cowell. Enough already! Is it April 2nd yet?

The show welcomed its first guest mentor of the season, country singer Dolly Parton. The contestants all sang songs that Parton either wrote or sang. It was a mixed evening: a couple of hot performances, but also a lot of mediocrity. Even the best singers have done better in the recent past, including David Cook.

Brooke White opened the show with her version of "Jolene." It might have sounded better had we not just heard a piece of Parton's haunting rendition of the song during the video clip that introduced her. Sadly, it made Brooke's version pale by comparison. She also sang it way too uptempo with a smile on her face for most of the song, which has lyrics such as: "He talks about you in his sleep/There's nothing I can do to keep/
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene." Obviously, there's nothing happy about those words, but smile Brooke did, as if she were singing about a day in the park. Perhaps it would have been more acceptable just listening to it rather than watching her perform it. As it was, we've seen (and heard) Brooke do a lot better.

Randy Jackson said that the music definitely suited her voice, that she could make an album out of it, but that it wasn't a stellar performance for him. There were some pitch problems and she sometimes rushed the music a little bit. Paula Abdul pretty much babbled her critique. She began by praising Brooke for her consistency, then rambled into "You are who you are ... You have an emotional connection with each song that you pick. And I think that's what record companies and executive want." Meanwhile Simon Cowell was providing funny running background commentary to what Paula was saying. She ended with, "You are Brooke White (Simon, "Yes she is"), excellent and wonderful." Simon then totally disagreed with Abdul's appraisal, saying that he thought "what was lacking on that song was any emotion. It looked like you were busking your way through the song. ... It wasn't one of your better performances ... I wasn't that crazy about it." And not only did Brooke (as usual) interrupt him with her commentary to his critique, Cowell also was cut off by the segment-ending music.

Watch video of Brooke White singing "Jolene"


As "Idol" has been doing most of the season, they used a Coke segment prior to David Cook's performance to deflect controversies that have cropped up about the show, in this case Cook's use of arrangements by other artists that have brought him great praise. He paid kudos to Doxology, White Snake and Chris Cornell, then, in answer to Ryan's question, said that the arrangement he was doing on "Little Sparrow" was his own. In the video segment, Parton said it was one of her favorite songs and praised David on his voice. We certainly liked it and thought he did a fine job. Was it as momentous as some of his prior songs? No. But it was still one of the better performances of the evening and proved that Cook can score points even when he's not rocking out. Plus, Cook is getting better looking every week. The show's stylists have obviously had a positive influence on his appearance. His now monochrome-colored hair was attractively cut and tousled. Where previously he looked as if he was sporting a comb-over to cover baldness, his hair now looks fuller (were extensions added? Who knows.) And instead of that raggy soul patch under his bottom lip, he now has a slightly unshaven sexy look and rocks a light moustache and goatee.

Randy told him, "You're a rocker but you've been showing that you've got this unbelievable range. I liked how you went into the false[tto] there. You made your own arrangement which was very cool, and once again another hot, consistent performance." Paula first praised David on his haircut, then said, "I've never heard a guy do that song and it was fantastic hearing you do that ... It shows how well-rounded you are as an artist." Simon, who, with the exception of two of the night's singers, was in a hyper-critical mood, threw Cook a crumb, "I'm not going to say it was as good as last week because it wasn't, but if you can make a song about sparrows good, which actually you did, congratulations." Simon obviously is not a bird-lover. A couple of weeks ago he crapped on Carly's "Blackbird" and now on Cook's "Little Sparrow." Oh, well.

Watch video of David Cook singing "Little Sparrow"


Ramiele Malubay gave perhaps her final (forgettable) performance on the show. She did a bit better than she has in the past few weeks, showing a little of her personality, but it was definitely the weakest performance of the evening. She tried to be bouncy and cute with her version of "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind," but came off more as a scared rabbit. We have no doubt that she won't escape the Bottom 3 this week and will probably beat even Kristy Lee out the door, but in all honesty she's been no better (and perhaps worse) than Kristy Lee has the past two weeks and at this point deserves the boot. That she hasn't appeared in the Bottom 3 previously is nothing short of a miracle, and we can't help but wonder if Hawaii's not insubstantial vote has been instrumental in saving her thus far. It's worked in the past for Camile Velasco and Jasmine Trias, keeping the Season 3 finalists on the show far longer than they deserved to be.

Randy told her, "It was alright. You showed some signs of strength right there and conviction. I thought it was a pretty good performance. I would say 6½ out of 10." Paula disagreed and told Ramiele, "I'm very proud of you because I was a little worried that you weren't going to connect. But I think that you really had a great minute and 30 seconds and you really connected with the audience and you were having fun." Well, not quite, Paula. Simon, cutting to the chase, said, "Look, we're not going to remember this in 10 year's time are we? It was cute. You sang it quite well. But overall, I thought it was forgettable, and I thought it was very reminiscent of something you would see and hear on a cruise ship, if you want my honest opinion." And, you know, he was right.

Watch video of Ramiele Malubay singing "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"


Though we thought Country Week would be a breakout genre for Jason Castro, he also had another weak showing, though it was still much better than his lame performance of Sting's "Fragile" last Tuesday. He chose "Travelin' Thru," Parton's Oscar-nominated song from the transgender film "Transamerica." Castro gave a pleasant, laid-back performance, pitchy in spots, but not totally unsatisfying. It's just there are much better singers left in the competition than Jason, and it will be a struggle for him to even reach sixth place, despite his baby blues and dreds. He again placed dangerously close to the bottom in DialIdol's voting this week and should be making a return appearance in the Bottom 3 (though we think it was a toss-up between him and Brooke as to who belongs there more).

Randy said it started a little bit rough for him, but that by the middle of the song Jason had "picked it up" and worked it out. Paula called it one of Jason's strongest performances (how could she say that after "Hallelujah"?) and that he seemed comfortable, that his voice sounded strong and rich and that he was confident. She said, "It was great. I loved it." Er, OK. In total contrast, Simon said, "This is the point where I lose my season pass to Dollywood because I didn't like that at all. It sounded like the same song as before (which one? Ramiele's? It wasn't anything like it????). I didn't think you sang it particularly well. I don't think this kind of music suits you well. If this had been the first time I'd seen you or heard you, I wouldn't get it. Sorry." But then, we didn't get Simon much this week. Sorry. Randy was probably the closest to the real truth on this one.

Watch video of Jason Castro singing "Travelin' Thru"


Although many will disagree with us on this, our favorite performance of the evening belonged to Carly Smithson. We absolutely adored her arrangement and interpretation of "Here You Come Again," singing it gently and poignantly for the most part, but hitting a couple of money notes. Even Parton said that the song, which she didn't write, was far better suited for Carly's voice than her own. We don't care what anyone says, for our money Smithson is one of the top singers in this competition. We're not sure if we'd buy a CD by Brooke or Syesha, but we guarantee you that we'll own the next one that Carly puts out. The tone of her voice is just amazing. Yes, we know, a lot of people can't get past the tats on her right arm, and for that reason we wish she'd cover up on performance nights, but it is what it is and she is what she is. And we think that is wonderful.

Randy proffered the praise, "I do believe that that will probably be one of the better performances of the night. Nice job." Paula jumped in with, "Carly, that was glorious. You are such an amazing talent. You are beautiful, that voice of yours -- oh my god! And you look great!" Simon wasn't nearly as enthusiastic. "I thought it was good. I don't think it was great." Then he nastily dug into her appearance with, "I also think that you've got to have a word with whoever's dressing you at the moment ... I think at this stage, without being rude, you've got to start looking more like a star and I'm not seeing that progression at the moment." Well, check out some of the other performers. For god's sake, Brooke looked like a banana two weeks ago in that horrible dress and was dressed very ordinarily this week. Ramiele dresses like a 12-year-old most weeks. Why aren't you picking on anyone else? It's become patently obvious that Simon is always overly harsh with and doesn't like Carly. Probably because he doesn't want to see her anywhere near his precious Brooke in the finals. Boo! Hiss!

Watch video of Carly Smithson singing "Here You Come Again"


Yes, we know you all love David Archuleta, but, sorry, we still don't get him. Did he give a good performance? Yes. Was it the best of the evening? No. But the judges and those folks calling into DialIdol are all hearing something we're missing. No way would we buy this kid's album. The performance was mechanical and exuded no real depth or emotion for us. Yes, we know Dolly thinks he really gets it and it almost made her cry ('cept she didn't want to lose her false eyelashes). Us? Sorry, not moved at all. Call it our Season 7 blindspot. But the staff did make David's earpiece look a lot less distracting this week and that was a plus. Still, if Daddy Jeff is such a rampant stage father, how come he didn't invest a little money in his sonny boy's overbite? The kid needs braces in the worst way, and everytime those girls scream we think they need glasses.

Randy, screwing Carly, said, "David Archuleta is back tonight and I stand corrected. That was the best performance of the night right there." Wrong-O! Paula, who we think either wants to molest or adopt David, gushed, "You have an amazing tone in your voice, you're strong, you have a beautiful aura about you. You're just glorious." Eeech! Simon, squarely back in Archuleta's corner, told him, "I had issues with your choice of song last week. This week, absolutely on the money." Sorry, not convinced.

Watch video of David Archuleta singing "Appalachian Memories"


We have to admit, we knew if Kristy Lee Cook made it to Country Week she'd do OK. Not great, but OK, and that's exactly how she did. In fact, her "Coat of Many Colors" was certainly better than Ramiele's performance, and perhaps even better than Jason's and Brooke's. But we'd classify all of them in the Bottom 4 of the night. Brooke, no doubt, will come out of this unscathed. The others will probably comprise the Bottom 3, which would be a fair call. At this point, which one of them leaves isn't much of an issue, as none has a snowball's chance of winning the competition. They've already secured their spots on the tour and that's their real prize. It's worth noting that Kristy Lee looked really nice last night, something that will help garner her some extra votes.

Randy said, "Country music is definitely your wheelhouse, and I think you gave a very nice performance ... This is kind of the Kristy Lee week." Paula told her, "You look stunning tonight (usually the kiss of death, but probably not in this case) ... You just gave a beautiful performance. I think this was your best performance." Simon's appraisal was pretty accurate: "I totally disagree. I thought last week was your best performance, and I thought this was pleasant but forgettable."

Watch video of Kristy Lee Cook singing "Coat of Many Colors"


We're sure our opinion of the next act will also be at odds with our readers. (Maybe we're just as bitchy as Simon is this week). We thought Syesha Mercado was one of the top three acts of the night. Her sensitive, powerful and emotional arrangement, which combined both Dolly Parton's and Whitney Houston's versions of "I Will Always Love You" harked back to her performance of "Yesterday" a couple of weeks ago. So we were really annoyed when Randy and Simon bashed her. Is she Whitney Houston? No! But, you know, Brooke White wasn't Dolly Parton, either. In fact, she wasn't nearly as good as Syesha but the two women received approximately the same level of critique. Mercado's performance, including the next-to-last (money) note, was absolutely stunning. It might not have been perfect but it certainly was as good a performance as David Archuleta's, which was highly praised. Where so many others shouldn't, Syesha proved she had the goods to take on a Whitney Houston song.

Randy started the Syesha bashing with, "You took on the biggest tiger of the night, and I think you did pretty good. It's still hard for me to hear anyone else sing that song. It was alright." Huh! Just alright? Give us a break. Paula started with Syesha's appearance, never a good sign. "You look beautiful. That color's gorgeous on you." Then, in another one of her I-don't-really-want-to-say-what-I-think-if-I-really-didn't-love-it critiques, Paula said, "Let's talk about your voice. Your voice [has] like a velvety tone. That's it for you and I just think you're growing and growing and growing and you're connecting with the audience so much more and I love it." Uh-huh, thanks for the support, Paula. Simon said, "I almost wish you hadn't got it [the song] in a strange way because the first part was good, the second part, as I had a feeling, unfortunately paled by comparison to the Whitney version, so, therefore, I don't even know if it helped you that much. It was a good; it wasn't a fantastic version of the song."

Watch video of Syesha Mercado singing "I Will Always Love You"


Michael Johns received the prized "pimp" spot this week for his bluesy version of "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right." We thought it was really strong, one of his best performances, but we didn't love it quite as much as everyone else obviously did. (Although we liked it a lot better on second listen). The singing in some spots was brilliant and no one can deny his stage presence. After this week, many will consider Johns to be at his best as a blues singer. Personally, we preferred his performance of Queen last week. And so it goes.

Randy began the accolades with, "You keep on bringing it up every week a notch, dude. That was a blazing hot performance. Nice job." Paula added, "You're a star, a rock star, a blues star, soul and you look gorgeous." Simon put it simply with, "I think this is the best I have heard you sing throughout the competition."

Watch video of Michael Johns singing "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right"


Top 3: Carly Smithson, Michael Johns, Syesha Mercado

Bottom 3: Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook, Jason Castro/Brooke White (tie)

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American Idol:The Top 10 Results Show

Bottom Three:
Chikezie ("If Only for One Night")
Syesha Mercado ("If I Were Your Woman")
Jason Castro ("Fragile")



Eliminated: Chikezie










Watch video of Chikezie elimination journey:

When Ryan Seacrest introduced the Top 10, he coyly stopped by Jason Castro and then between Chikezie and Syesha Mercado. This is the third time in as many weeks that we've noticed a "tell" on the results show, either indicating the Bottom 3 or the contestant who was about to be eliminated. Last week, Amanda Overmyer was the only girl missing in the medley chain as the girls stood onstage to sing "Here, There and Everywhere," showcasing one after another. Amanda only appeared later on the left rear side of the couch as they finished the song. Her "solo" came after that, she sang: "And in the end the love you take ... ." Watch video.

The week before, the Top 12 were each individually shown in fast succession during a video segment on the "Horton Hears a Who" premiere. The last contestant was David Hernandez but, as they got to him, the film dissolved into a digitized blur and you never saw his face (at about 1 min 10 sec. into the video) Watch it. Interesting. Are the producers intentionally playing games to tip us off before the actual results are announced?

Back to last night. Next was the the group medley, Maxine Nightingale's "Right Back Where We Started From." We must admit, this season's contestants sound great together compared to contestants from seasons past, when some of the medleys were actually painful to listen to.

Watch video of Top 10 group medley, "Right Back Where We Started From":

We also saw footage of how the finalists go into the studio each week and record full-length versions of their shortened show performances that are for sale on iTunes.

Watch video of finalists recording in the studio:

The eliminations began and Chikezie, the first contestant onstage, was told to take a stool. Uh-oh. Next cames Brooke, who, of course, was safe and then Carly, who dispelled the pregnancy rumors that began swirling earlier this week. We had deja vu of Katharine McPhee needing to do the same thing two years ago after wearing loose-fitting tops a few weeks in a row. Carly was told to head for the couch, the stage safety zone.

The week's Ford commercial was sung to "I Want You to Want Me," with graphics of the contestants on T-shirts, posters and CD Cases becoming animated. Cute, but it's still just a commercial.

Watch video of the Ford commercial, "I Want You to Want Me":


David Archuleta joined Ryan and said maybe Simon Cowell thought his performance was theme park-like because he was having so much fun he got a bit carried away. Uh, no, David, that wouldn't be the reason. He also said that he didn't understand why Simon didn't think he chose his own song. Uh, that would be because your father did, David. Anyway, he was safe, as we all knew he would be. David Cook, too (a no-brainer). Ryan told Cook he spoke with Chris Cornell, who loved David's version of Chris' version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Got it? Ryan told Syesha Mercado that Randy and Paula loved her the night before, but America didn't, and she's in the Bottom 3. Michael Johns, however, found safety on the couch.

It was then time for more fluff, the stupid caller Q&A's, though we have to admit when they are directed at Simon he usually makes them funny. One caller asked Simon what she would have to do to get Ryan's job. He told her, "The good news is, you don't need a lot of talent. So there's a chance for everyone." Another caller asked Cowell if he thought he's the best-looking person on the show and why. Simon told her, "It's not what I say, it's what other people say." Paula banged her head against the judges' table on that one.

We also learned that if she could do a duet with anyone, Brooke would pick John Mayer, that Chikezie is "very single," and, once, again that David Archuleta chose his own song Tuesday night. Hmmm, why do they think they need to keep telling us that over and over again?

Watch video of caller Q&A:

Next up was Season 2 third-place finisher Kimberley Locke, first introduced in a video where she talked about her post-"Idol" life, including her single "Eighth World Wonder," the restaurant she opened, Croton Creek steakhouse and wine bar, in Croton Falls, N.Y., and how she's lost 40 pounds in the past year. She sang her new single, "Fall," a pleasant, if rapidly forgettable, song. But compared to her Idol days, she looked spectacular. The dress Locke wore on the show, designed by Bravo "Project Runway" winner Christian Siriano (see photo above), is being auctioned off for charity here.

Watch video of Kimberley Locke singing "Fall":

Of course, there was the obligatory pimping of the upcoming "Idol Gives Back," begathon, focusing on how last year's contributions benefitted people in the United States. The guest list now includes Robin Williams, Celine Dion, Forest Whitaker, Billy Crystal, Dane Cook, Kiefer Sutherland, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Jennifer Connolly, Elliott Yamin, Fantasia, Amy Adams, Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5, Heart and Gloria Estefan.

Tickets are currently on sale to the general public. The event will tape at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, April 6. For more information, click here.

Watch video of "Idol Gives Back" pimping:


Back to the results and Ramiele Malubay, who was, surprisingly, safe. At that point we were surer than sure that Kristy Lee Cook, too, would be safe and slacker Jason Castro would be joining Syesha and Chikezie in the Bottom 3. We were right. Jason told Ryan he expected something because he hadn't been out onstage this late before and that he was prepared for it. Well, duh, if you're coming out as the last two contestants it's a 50-50 chance you're in the Bottom 3. That's not exactly rocket science, Stoner Boy. But Ryan let him off the hook entirely too quickly, much to our annoyance. Syesha, too, was declared safe and Chikezie sang his way out beautifully.

Next week it's country music as the Top 9 sing the songs of guest mentor Dolly Parton.






And we're predicting right now that Kristy Lee Cook will be eliminated next Wednesday.

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© 2008

American Idol:The Top 11 Results Show

Bottom Three:
Carly Smithson ("Blackbird")
Kristy Lee Cook ("You've Got to Hide Your Love Away")
Amanda Overmyer ("Back in the U.S.S.R.")



Eliminated:
Amanda Overmyer







Watch video of Amanda Overmyer elimination:

At the top of the show, Ryan Seacrest announced this season's mentors: Dolly Parton (who just released her latest CD, "Backwoods Barbie"), Mariah Carey (whose next CD, "E=MC2," releases on April 15), Andrew Lloyd Webber (currently appearing on the BBC 1 show 'I'd Do Anything,' in which he is conducting a search for stars to take on the leads in a new production of "Oliver") and Neil Diamond (whose new album, "Home Before Dark," releases on May 6). Are you beginning to see a trend here? Got a new CD or something else to promote? Dial 1-555-IDOL-PRODUCERS.

Still, we have to give credit to "Idol's" producers for checking out our exclusive poll that ran from the middle of last season until January 2008, where we asked our readers to vote on whose songbook they wanted to see featured with that person mentoring on the show. The producers apparently weren't able to get your most popular choice, Carole King, but they were able to snag two other of your most popular choices to appear.

Here are your results:

Musically, the show gets off to an inauspicious beginning with audio problems during the Top 11 Beatles medley. First the audio starts fading while Jason Castro and David Cook sing their section of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Next Ramiele Malubay joins Brooke White for "Here, There and Everywhere," but only Brooke's microphone is working. We're beginning to think it's going to be a very long hour (and, in fact, it was. The show ran over to 62 minutes. Who knew there was that much fluffy filler in the world?)

Watch video of Top 11 Beatles Medley:


Part of the fluffy filler included not only the week's Ford commercial by the Top 11, but also a video of the making of the week's Ford commercial. Does Ford have to pay double for the ad time this week?

Watch video of Top 11 Ford commercial "Should I Stay or Should I Go":

And just when you think it can't get any fluffier -- or stupider -- we come to this year's lamest segment, the viewer call-in Q&A. Someone needs to tell the producers that this segment is even worse than last season's "Man/Woman/Child on the Street" interviews by Ryan Seacrest. Those were dazzlingly entertaining by comparison! Simon Cowell was asked why he spends so much on cars and so little on clothes, a question Cowell called "rude." Simon and Paula Abdul were asked if they would considering filming a sequel to their kiss scene from Season 2 (He says "yes," because Paula is a good kisser. Paula never got to answer). Ramiele was asked what the last song she downloaded to her iPod was (R. Kelly's "I'm a Flirt") and Michael Johns was asked if his "Idol" experience has been everything he thought it would be (yes, and more. It's been very stressful). Wow! How illuminating.

Watch video of stupid viewer call-in Q&A.

We are treated to shown clips of Kellie Pickler's progression from roller-skating waitress at Sonic to post-"Idol" breast-augmented country singer. Ryan introduces the video with a snide double-entendre about how everything in her life has gotten bigger. Kellie then sings "Red High Heels," a seemingly odd choice as it was her very first release from "Small Town Girl." Currently touring with Rascal Flatts, Pickler reveals that she is working on her "sophomore" album. She looks slim, stylish, young and pretty and about a million times better than she did during her Season 6 appearance (bottom picture in blue dress). The "Idol" producers most love Kellie. Even though she finished in sixth place during Season 5, she has rated two post-"Idol" appearances, whereas Katharine McPhee, that season's runner-up, was snubbed by the show until last week.

Watch video of Kellie Pickler performing "Red High Heels":


And finally, just prior to the elimination, the show does its weekly pimp spot for this year's "Idol Gives Back" on April 9. This week it's a clip of Elliott Yamin and Fantasia in Angola distributing mosquito nets. Elliott gets all verklempt when a woman names her newborn for him. OK, it was touching and we verklempt, too. Sue us! We've also learned, though Ryan strangely didn't announce it, that Ellen DeGeneres will again be cohosting the show this year. DeGeneres will host from the Kodak Theatre with Seacrest hosting from the "Idol" stage.

The updated list of performers includes Maroon 5, Heart, Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, The Clark Brothers, Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend and Snoop Dogg, with many more to come. This year's event will raise awareness and funds to benefit six charities: the Children’s Defense Fund, The Global Fund, Make It Right, Malaria No More, Save The Children and the Children’s Health Fund.

Watch Elliott Yamin, Fantasia in Angola video:


Next week, the Top 10 finalists perform songs from the year they were born. On Wednesday night, Season 2 finalist Kimberley Locke will perform her new single, "Fall."

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© 2008

A Bunch of Boobs

Watercooler gossip on Friday centered around not who had been eliminated, but rather who had gotten to stay -- Antonella Barba and Sanjaya Malakar. The idea that fans would have to be subjected to yet another week of their caterwauling was indeed irksome.

But there were two other "things" gathering even more attention than this season's crop of semi-finalists, and those were the appendages on Kellie Pickler's chest. Speculation on their authenticity was rampant (including a flip comment made by Ryan Seacrest on the show to Kellie about what she had been spending her money on, see clip here), with some claiming they were enhanced, while others saying they were not. We lie in the latter camp. If you check out pictures of Pickler from her Idol days, it is obvious she was slimmer, but not flat-chested. As most women know (here's the scoop gents) when you gain weight, fat frequently goes to the chest and bust size increases. We believe Kellie's enlarged mammaries are more a factor of a weight gain combined with a good push-up bra and a too-tight dress that was very low-cut in the bustline.

Her matronly look? We can perhaps attribute that to Pickler trying to emulate her Idol -- the woman many said she resembled Thursday night -- Dolly Parton. (Personally, we thought she looked more like a young Tammy Wynette.) KTRK/13-TV in Houston reports that Pickler said meeting Parton for the first time left her "so speechless." She met Parton, whom she calls her American Idol, at Sony BMG records in Nashville. They were both wearing red high heels, she said, in honor of Pickler's first single "Red High Heels." Kellie, who calls Dolly a "my-size Barbie" doll, said she can now "die a happy woman" after meeting the country superstar. Not that she wants to die right now, Pickler added, but if she did her life is now "fulfilled." Pickler also said Parton may even give her some songs for her next album.

And Kellie Pickler's puppies weren't the only ones subject to speculation recently. Katharine McPhee revealed to Tyra Banks that she was really tired of everybody saying that her breasts weren't her own, when she visited the host's talk show recently. In fact to prove her point, she had Tyra feel her up -- on camera -- to prove the authenticity of her breasts. We have to assume that Tyra has felt fake breasts before, because she was able to confirm McPhee's claims. Check it out:



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© 2007