Bottom Three: Matt Giraud (!!!) Michael Sarver Scott MacIntyre
Raise your hand if you think this list is total B.S.
Where the hell is Megan Joy? Dialidol.com had Matt placing 4-7, with no possibility of being the Bottom 3. On the other hand, Megan placed between 7-10 They have rarely, if ever, been that wrong. Does anyone on Earth really believe that Megan's not in the Bottom 3???
Eliminated: Michael Sarver
Last week, Alexis Grace sang "Jolene" on the Results Show and the song's poignant pleas changed from trying to save her man to trying to save her "Idol" existence. This week, Michael Sarver's "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," held more meaning, yet rang hollow. He was one of the happiest looking people we've ever seen voted off "Idol." We still hold to our analysis that because he knew he couldn't win, Michael would rather do the Regis-Ellen circuit now, then kick back at home and be a local hero for the next seven weeks until rehearsals for the finale and tour begin. What's the fun of living in a mansion when you have to work so hard and can't even win? He probably learned that working as an "Idol" contestant was cleaner but no less grueling than working as an oil rigger. Besides, Sarver's real payday was making the tour, not working for scale until he was eliminated.
As for Matt and Scott, if you listen very carefully throughout the show, Ryan Seacrest never says that the Bottom 3 are the contestants with the least amount of votes, he only says they are in the Bottom 3. The only time vote totals are mentioned is when Michael is eliminated, and Seacrest intones: "After the nationwide vote, that record-setting vote from over 36 million, the person with the lowest number of votes tonight is Michael. Matt you're safe." But Matt was probably always safe. Never does Ryan say that either he or Scott were among the three lowest vote getters (though Scott probably was). The producers are very cagey about this.
But why would the producers place people in the Bottom 3 who don't actually have the lowest vote totals? It's hard to say. To create drama? To manipulate how the public will vote the following week? Perhaps both. All we know is that they do it. For example, last season Syesha Mercado didn't appear in the Bottom 3 on weeks when she should have clearly been there, yet on the week when five contestants remained, and when according to DialIdol Mercado scored the highest amount of votes -- even more than David Cook and David Archuleta -- she was placed in the Bottom 2 with Brooke White, who was eliminated. Ryan actually confirmed this two weeks later when he said that the remaining three finalists (Cook, Archuleta and Mercado) had all come in first at some time during the season. There was no other week that Syesha even came close to being the top vote getter.
This leads us to believe that the producers are hanging Megan Joy -- who, according to DialIdol, had the second lowest vote total this week -- out to dry next week, while trying to keep Matt -- who the judges now consider a front-runner, but who placed fifth according to DialIdol -- in the competition. As for Scott, his number will probably be up a week or two after Megan departs. And we bet that the producers judges will make no attempt to save either one. It's all part of the "Idol" circus, folks. We're just saying ...
The show began with Ryan telling us that 36 million votes were received this week, the highest vote total ever for 10 remaining contestants. It's interesting that the vote total was 6 million higher this week (after being down 3 million last week) when "Idol" didn't have to compete directly against CBS' "The Mentalist," which tends to attract the same 40ish female audience as "Idol" does. ("The Mentalist" aired out of its normal time slot, at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m., on Tuesday night, while "Idol" aired on Wednesday and Thursday instead of Tuesday and Wednesday because of President Obama's Tuesday press conference).
This was followed by the now obviously lip-synched group number, which was a Motown medley. We are hearing complaints from friends and fans as the show increasingly becomes prerecorded and less live. First, it was the Ford commercials, but that's OK, after all it's a commercial. However, this week the contestants weren't even singing during parts of the commercial's song. Then, some of the Results Night performances were prerecorded either during the rehearsal, or even weeks earlier. Now, it appears it is spreading to the group dance, which was at least good for laughs when it was live. Last week, it was lip-synched. This week it was prerecorded and spliced together really poorly. It's like the Ford commercial without the car. What's next? Prerecorded "live" performances?
The Ford commercial, set to Nastasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine," is up immediately after. The Top 10 barely sing, as they lay down floor tile puzzle pieces illustrating a road that the cars eventually drive away on.
The first of three guest performances features Ruben Studdard in the ugliest navy suit -- the jacket is ridiculously long, has big white buttons and seriously wide white piping around the collar and down both sides of the front -- we've ever seen. It looks like something you'd put on a 2-year-old. It's hard to take him seriously in that getup. He's here to sing his new single, "Together." Studdard's still got great pipes, but the song is boring. He's sweating profusely by the end.
Ryan chats up the contestants about their trip to Hitsville in Detroit before starting the eliminations. He first asks Lil Rounds a question, then zeroes in on Matt, who comes from Michigan. As we learned last week, Ryan talking to you before the eliminations can prove to be a bad sign. We'll have to keep an eye on whether the producers continue this "give" every week. Ryan begins with Adam Lambert, who is safe, next is Matt, who is told, "You sang 'Let's Get It On.' The judges all thought you had a solid performance and called you a front runner in the competition. America voted, and they did not agree with the judges. Matt, you are in the Bottom 3 tonight." Note, Matt placed fifth according to DialIdol.com, which put him squarely in the middle of the pack. So technically, Ryan didn't lie. From the public's point of view, Matt wasn't a front runner. But Ryan also never says that Matt got one of the three lowest vote totals. He just says, "You are in the Bottom Three tonight." Matt takes a stool onstage. Ryan then plays a cruel trick on Kris Allen. He reads the judges critiques, then tells him, "America voted, Kris, and, wow, you, too (pause) (as Kris starts walking to the stage) are safe." What a nasty fake out. Lil and Michael are asked to stand. It's time for more producer cruelty. Ryan tells Lil, "You sang 'Heatwave' ... Now in past seasons, Jennifer Hudson and Kimberley Locke sang that exact song and they ended up in the Bottom 3. Tonight, after that vote, believe or not, you, also, (pause) sang 'Heatwave" (pause) and are safe." Michael, who knew Lil was being played, kept saying to her through all of this, "Sit down, sit down." He is then sent to the stage.
We cut away from the sadism for some "entertainment." Joss Stone and Smokey Robinson duet on "You're the One for Me." Frankly, we've never understood the appeal of Joss Stone. Her vocals are little better than Megan Joy's as far as we're concerned, and the coupling of her voice with Smokey's just doesn't work. Besides, it was downright creepy having a 21-year-old sing that song to a 69-year-old. Smokey still has it, however, and listening to his high voice, we realize why "Tracks of My Tears" was a perfect choice for Adam.
Let the torture continue! Allison Iraheta, thankfully, is safe, as are Anoop Desai and Danny Gokey. That leaves Scott and Megan. Megan seems shocked when Ryan tells her the judges called her performance a "horrible trainwreck" (was she not listening Wednesday night?). Who is safe, who isn't? It's a toss-up, but we guess wrong, and Scott is assisted to the stage. Ryan is going to release someone back to safety. Randy Jackson says it should be Matt, while Michael, who no doubt peeked at DialIdol and seems to know he's a goner, keeps pointing at Matt. But it is Scott who is returned to the bleachers.
Before the ax is dropped, Stevie Wonder gives the only musical performance of the night worth listening to, doing a medley of his Motown hits, including "My Cherie Amour," "Superstition" and "Overjoyed." He even slips in an "I love you, Barack Obama." Stevie was incredible then, he still is now. Why couldn't he have been given the time spent on Ruben and Joss Stone/Smokey Robinson? We could have listened to him all night.
Finally it's time for the obvious. Matt is told he is safe, and Michael is told to sing for survival, the same song that he told the judges the day before he knew wouldn't be good. We perceive little change in the reprise, but Kara (I don't know how many words 6 is) DioGuardi and Paula Abdul make a play at grooving and dancing to it, while Simon Cowell and Randy make dinner plans believe they're discussing it. When Sarver finishes, Alexis Grace is dealt another indignity. Whereas Simon immediately told her she wasn't good enough last week, he lyingly tells Ryan that they judges haven't yet reached a decision on Sarver. This after they made it clear last week that they wouldn't even consider saving Sarver, only Grace. So why the false dramatics? Ryan indicates they are running out of time, so Simon tells Paula to make the decision. She says, "You're not doing that to me." Simon then "valiantly" steps up to the plate and says, "I'm going to make a decision. Michael, you're going home. Sorry." Cut to journey video. Who cares?
Next week's theme has yet to be announced, but rumors are that it is the iTunes Top 100 (talk about patronizing to get their music sold). On Results Night, David Cook performs his new single "Come Back to Me" and Lady Gaga sings "Poker Face."
We grew on classic Motown music, so we weren't particularly excited about this week's theme. Why? Because we feared this year's crop of singers wouldn't do justice to the music. And for the most part, we were right. In spite of mentor Smokey Robinson thinking this year's group is more special (well, they are, but in bad ways), than previous seasons, there were only two performances that shined and held their own. That the first belonged to Adam Lambert doesn't surprise us at this point. Though still over-theatrical, he is turning into this season's David Cook, crafting each performance very carefully and finding -- or inventing -- nontraditional versions of classic songs that become identifiable solely with him. Does anyone even doubt at this point that he is winning this competition, fer sure?
The night's other very pleasant surprise was Allison Iraheta. Not that we were surprised she could be burning hot -- we've been feeling her power for weeks. But because she earned and owned the week's pimp spot, plus sung a much-more recognizable song, we're hoping that the rest of the country is finally catching up on her incredible talent. That Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell had to steal some of her limelight by acting as children during her critique (more on that later) is inexcusable. But according to DialIdol.com, which places Allison second this week, the judges' escapades didn't seem to impact her phone calls as we feared they might.
Aside from a bunch of other mediocre-to-outright horrible performances, our biggest disappointment was the Motown artists on display. This was a group that encompassed Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, Jimmy Ruffin, The Four Tops, Tammi Terrell, The Spinners, The Isley Brothers and Gladys Knight, among so many others greats. Yet we heard three songs by The Temptations, two by Marvin Gaye, two by Smokey Robinson, and one each from The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Martha and The Vandellas. Yes, they are all superstars, but we were hoping for more variation and, in some cases, a far better song selection.
As with a number of this week's contestants, Matt Giraud sounded better in rehearsal with Smokey Robinson than he did during the actual live performance. We were hopeful about his choice of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On." We agree with the judges that his shift from beginning at the piano and then doing the rest of the song standing is a nice change. But as the song progresses, we find it pitchy in parts and the falsettos not nearly as pure as they are at the beginning. The worst part is that it lacks the pure sensuality of the Gaye version, which gives us chills. We're not sure what ruins it for us, whether it is Matt's appearance (when singing and smiling he shows too much gum and his teeth are yellowish -- a smoker?) or that he just doesn't exude sexuality. We think it is just OK, and by the recap we realize we have forgotten the performance completely. Randy Jackson likes the run at the end and the strength of the falsetto, enough that he says that Matt is challenging the other boy front-runners for the top spot. Kara DioGuardi, who has to convert everything to sex, says, "I think there are a lot of girls out there saying, 'Yeeeeah, let's get it on. Let's do it.' " If they are, they're aren't saying it to Matt, heh. Kara also likes that Matt's losing his shyness and coming out of his shell, but would like him to push the envelope more. Paula, twisting her thoughts (what else is new?) says, "I'm glad that you're as comfortable behind the piano as you are coming out here," when she obviously means the obverse (after all, professionally Matt is a dueling piano player). She also says Matt has a sexy-cool vibe and that his riffing is tasteful, classy, spot-on and fits the melody. Simon calls it a brilliant choice of song, says it is a cool performance and that Matt's voice exactly suits that kind of song. He also reiterates what he said last week, that Matt is now one of the front-runners in the competition.
Simon had it right the week he called Kris Allen a puppy. He is sweet and pleasing, but lacks the soul to really give Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is" the oomph it needs. It tends toward the James Taylor version but isn't even that soulful. And sue us, but when Kris plays the guitar, he looks as if he is strumming way too fast and out of tempo with the song. It's becoming a distraction and as much of a crutch as the piano is for Scott. What's weird about Kris is that he has a good voice, but there is absolutely nothing distinctive about it. It sounds like a million other good voices. The performance has some moments, but overall we found it lackluster. And what was up with that shirt? It looked like something a military prisoner would wear. The judges, however, jump aboard the Kris Allen train. Kara thinks Kris put his mark on the song with different phrasing, different rhythms and riffs and did everything right. Paula thinks he picked a great song and that his personality is infectious. Simon says it was smart that Kris did his own version of the song but that he needs to believe in himself. Randy says Kris is now very consistent, has hit his zone and that he should keep his stride 'cause it's all good, baby. Yawn.
Things go from bad to worse. The only soul that Scott MacIntyre possesses -- he is so refined that he makes Wonder Bread seem like a whole-grain product -- is in his fingers. He can really rattle those keys. But what comes out of his mouth still reminds us of dentist-office music. With the exception of his excellent piano skills, his version of The Supremes "You Can't Hurry Love" could be heard at any karaoke bar. And that he tried to make it inspirational by saying that he's a single guy and relates to the sentiments of the song was laughable. Fortunately, the judges for the most part are no longer looking at him and Megan through rose-colored glasses. Paula says Scott brings a whole new light to his performance by having the backup singers stand the piano. Apparently we're still in the dark. Simon makes us LOL when he begins with, "Oh dear. There was a line in song when you sang, 'How much more can you take.' " He continues with it wasn't a great version of the song, plus he hated the honky-tonk piano (we kinda liked it) and the backing singers, thinks it was the completely wrong song for Scott and that it was a bit "cheap." Randy calls it a very hotel kind of performance and says that Scott needs to start taking some risks ending with, "It was just average for me." Kara likes that Scott brought tempo to the song but doesn't like that he took liberties with the melody but didn't nail it, saying he had good ideas but bad execution.
And just when we think we've heard the worst, the light at the end of the tunnel is the freight train. Barreling down that tracks is the train wreck named Megan Joy (Corkrey) singing Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life." For once in our life we wish we didn't have to listen. Our only question: How have the judges not heard how bad she is before this week? Her horrible phrasing because she has no understanding of the lyrics, her pitchiness. These are not new phenomenons. Yes, she's got an interesting tone to her voice (this, however, does not make her a great singer) and, yes, she's one of the most beautiful women we've ever laid eyes on (though we think it's a bit weird that she matches her dress to her arm tattoo every week). But we've suffered enough with her and Michael Sarver. Can't they both go home this week? Randy comes right out and declares it a train wreck. He says it was rushed and hectic and mad-crazy. Kara tells Megan she should have sung "My Guy." Why? So she could ruin Mary Wells for us, too? She also tells her she hit bad notes all over the place (as she does every week, Kara), the phrasing and rhythms were weird (and this is different from last week how?) and that the song dominated her instead of Megan dominating the song. Whatever. Paula starts with the kiss of death: "Your stunning beauty just takes my breath away. And the camera loves you." Pause. "But I'm gonna have to agree, this wasn't the right song for you." She tells Megan that she just didn't find the pocket and wasn't as comfortable as she normally is. Simon again resorts to, "Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear. Megan look, the good news is you look good, the bad news is it was horrible. And whoever is advising you, I would fire. Seriously. Because you're getting some really, really terrible advice. It was an atrocious song, it was a horrible arrangement and the vocals were just all over the place. And you know what? I think you could be in serious trouble after tonight's performance. I really hate to say that [WHY!!!!], but you really could be. Sorry." The only part of Simon's critique we didn't get was his regrets. Give her the hook!
We take a break from the terrible for Anoop Desai, who brings sweet poignancy to Smokey's "Ooh Baby Baby," but also s-l-o-o-o-o-w-s it down so much, we can't wait for it to end. Yes, we'll take it over "My Perogative," any day, but Anoop really knocked it out of the park with last week's "Always on My Mind," and this didn't play quite as strong. Still, it was a good performance and reinforces his length of stay on the show. Kara says overall it was a hard song to sing and that Anoop did a pretty good job. But she wants him to be more creative with how he changes up the melodies. Paula says Anoop's phrasing, delivery and falsetto are not only spot-on but sweet and tender. Simon calls it a great vocal, but says Anoop looked like he was half-asleep throughout the song. He adds that Anoop has had two good weeks in a row. Randy wants Anoop to turn it back up next week and get the party on (sounds like the recipe for disaster Desai was previously adhering to). Jackson wants more energy with the great vocals, but says it was nice to hear him "croon and swoon."
We've officially had enough of Michael Sarver. We had a moment when we felt bad for him last week when his critiques were going badly, until he decided to sass back at the judges. And this week, during his post-performance interview, he pretty much tells Ryan Seacrest that as long as he's made the Top 10, it doesn't kill him that he might not have what it takes to go all the way. It doesn't matter whether the judges get him or not, as long as he stays true to himself. Then let him sing to himself. Though Simon still seems to have this man love for Sarver and his All-American virtues, on "Idol" his work ethic sucks. He's lazy and mouthy. He knows he can't win so he'd rather take the next eight weeks off and then join the tour where his payday is. The one small comfort we have is that he'll probably never get a recording deal. And if all that isn't bad enough, his version of The Temptations "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is Las Vegas cheeeeezy. And what's with all the glad-handing with the mosh pit? You're hardly a star Sarver. Paula calls his performance Las Vegas loungy. Simon tells him that he couldn't wait for it to end because Michael was screaming and shouting the song. He adds that Michael has no chance of winning the competition with that type of vocal. Michael, of course, has to answer back, telling Simon he knew it wasn't going to be good, but he gave it 150 percent and wasn't playing games. Simon says he knows that Michael is a sincere guy (he is???), but he's just got to take the criticism for how it's meant. That it's supposed to help him. Randy thinks the song was too big for Sarver and that he made it a little bit corny because he was trying to do too much with it. Kara went off on her artistry rant again, which we've already heard at least three times this night.
We know that Lil Rounds is making a sincere effort to pay tribute to the ladies of Motown with her wig and flapper-fringe dress, but it somehow comes off as old-fashioned, costumy and almost patronizing. In that getup, the performance feels more like musical theater, as if Lil is treading into Adam Lambert territory. Though her voice is a breath of fresh air based on most of the acts that precede her, Rounds version of Martha and The Vandella's "Heatwave," -- an "Idol" kiss of death song -- sounds shouted and is way too fast and frenetic. It falls well short of being great. Randy calls the front of the song torture for him and says, "It just wasn't the right kind of song for me for you" and that she was rushing through the song. Kara tells her it wasn't the right song for her and that she was screaming in certain parts. Paula disagrees completely with Kara, saying that Lil made a classic song fresh without really changing anything. Simon says it was an authentic Motown tribute, but the song was the wrong choice because it didn't give her a "moment."
Though we hated how Adam Lambert slicked back his hair with oily looking gel, looking like a Vegas Elvis for Smokey's "Tracks of My Tears," we absolutely loved what he did with the vocals. Smokey said he's heard many versions of the song, but none the way Adam sings it. Its irrelevant whether Lambert borrowed this unplugged version from someone else or arranged it himself, it is amazing either way. He has the "moment" that Simon was speaking about. It is like how we all held our breath as we listened to David Cook sing "Hello." It is standing O time all the way, With Smokey the first one up on his feet. Kara says, "I don't stand up a lot, but I've got to stand up for that." She then pulls a Paula (who is actually beginning to sound smart next to Kara), by saying, "I have just six words for you: 'One of the best performances of the night.'" Er, dear, that's eight words. But then, you think that an amazing singer can, ahem, sing the alphabet (instead of the phone book). Paula loves his handsome and classy look (no, it's oily), then says that Adam's exciting and "it." Simon says he's going to disagree with Kara, "because it was: the best performance of the night." Well, at least that's six words, ha! He ended with, "And you tonight really have emerged to me as a star. Congratulations." Randy calls it "Unbelievably hot. Da bomb tonight."
There's a veneer of arrogance about Danny Gokey that we just can't get past. Tonight it exhibited itself in the video segment preceding Gokey's performance of The Temptations' "Get Ready." In rehearsal with Smokey, Danny didn't sing the ends of the verses, leaving it for the background singers. Robinson advises Danny that in order to strengthen his interpretation of the song, he needs to sing them, too. Danny says in the video, "At first I was like, 'Oh man, is that gonna work?' It is going to work, because he [Smokey Robinson] knows what he's talking about. And he's been in the industry way longer than I have. So I really trust him." Guess Danny lost that thought onstage, 'cause guess who decided not to sing the ends of the verses? Er, that would be Danny, who apparently reconsidered and decided he knew better than the man who's been in the business way longer than he has. It isn't the best of Danny's performances, but, as always, is solid and very energetic. Running short on time, Paula tells Danny he's undeniable, identifiable and always reliable on giving a first-class performance every week. Simon calls it "clumsy and amateurish." Randy says Danny's got a dope voice, that it isn't his best performance, but he loves the energy and feeling of it. Kara thinks it is good but not great, adding "but I'm still a huge Danny fan."
Last up is Allison Iraheta. Though Adam earned the pimp spot, Allison definitely held her own with a dynamic version of The Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." Please, we no longer need to hear "she's only 16," but the fact is she brought raw emotion and wisdom way beyond her years to the song. It was her best performance to date and showcased her growling vocals beautifully. The last note was amaaaazing. Randy calls her one of the dopest singers this season, saying "That was blazing hot." Kara says, "Oh ... My ... God! 16 years old and you were in the Bottom 3 last week? Whaaaaa? America, you've got to vote for her! Are you kidding? Amaaaazing. You sing like you've been singing for 400 years. That is from God, You can't teach that. Wooooo!" At this point the camera pulls back and we see that Simon is doing something to Paula's face. But what? Well, at the beginning of the show, Paula said if Simon was going to act like a child, she had something for him. She reached under the judges' table and came up with a coloring book and a box of Crayola crayons. Simon is now drawing a black mustache on Paula's face with a crayon. What a pair of idiots! Did either of them listen to Allison knock the house's socks off? As she tries to rub the crayon off and hits Simon, Paula says, "You look fantastic, you kept your rocker edge and I just want to say [covering her upper lip and mouth] you are awesome, you belong in the competition, you are amazing. Beautiful. Simon can't stop laughing at his prank, and spits out between guffaws, "Allison you are a survivor. You had a terrible week last week (not!), a very difficult song to do and that was really one of your best performances that you've ever done. Very good." Gee, thanks for your time, Simon. Sorry we interrupted your coloring.
The Bottom Three: Alexis Grace Michael Sarver Allison Iraheta Eliminated:Alexis Grace Ryan Seacrest opens the show by telling us there were 31 million votes this week. Hmmm, that's 2 million less than last week. Normally, the vote totals go up as the season progresses, not down. Is the public's enthusiasm for Season 8 on the wane because of the contestants or because of all the rule changes? Will more fans defect after seeing the results of tonight's show? Probably.
Seacrest also says tonight's results might shock us. Well, no. We've seen DialIdol.com and the results are actually right in line with what they predicted. What will shock -- and dismay -- us is the cruel way that Alexis Grace is forced to "sing for her life" and then told by Simon Cowell she is good, but not good enough. You gotta be kidding. They'd rather kick Alexis to the curb this week than let her stay and hopefully eliminate Michael Sarver, Megan Joy or Scott MacIntyre from the tour next week? One thing's for certain: They've saved us the ticket price of this year's tour. Bleh.
The group number, Travis Tritt's "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," once again focuses on Scott's limitations, as he plays piano while the guys first gather round him and then take to the dance floor with the girls. There are no solo vocals and the entire thing comes off as lip-synced. In fact, we're pretty sure we notice Scott not singing in a couple of shots.
We waste no time getting to the Ford video this week, sung to OK GO's "Here It Goes Again" and involving water balloons. While introducing it, Ryan tosses a water balloon at Simon. After the video Ryan tells us it went over Simon's head and hit a studio audience member. Cool. Does she get free tix to the finale for getting drenched tonight? On second thought, would she even want tix after tonight?
Before the night's cruel- ness begins, it's time for a heart- warm- ing spot and a few hints to who is going to land in the Bottom 3. Ryan presents a clip of the farewell dinner held for Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nuñez. It opens with *surprise* Alexis Grace talking about how she hates Result Night because in the back of your mind you always think it is going to be you. Ha! After the clip, Ryan goes directly to Alexis and asks her, "Did you ever think it would be this emotional?" Why is he toying with her? He couldn't ask someone who was obviously safe? His next victim is Michael. Do you see a trend here? Those are the two who with face the chopping block at the end of the show. Everyone chokes up and gets teary when Ryan asks, "Michael, how is it being away from the family and the kids," and Sarver says his 3½ daughter, who doesn't understand why he is away, asked him last week, "Why don't you want to be with me anymore?" Of course, Michael then has to follow that with, "So being away from your family is really tough. It's worth it in the end and I still want to go on real bad." Ryan then encourages Michael to say hello to his daughter McKenna, on camera. It's a Hallmark moment, as he says, "McKenna I love you ... with all my heart." The audience audibly "aaaaahs." Ryan then goes to Megan to ask how she's feeling and shows a clip of her from that day with her head enshrouded and other contestants wearing face masks to protect them from her germs.
Now it is time to start the torture. Ryan begins with Danny Gokey, who, of course, is safe, as are Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai. Allison and Michael are asked to stand. Allison is told she's in the Bottom 3 and to take a stool onstage. Michael, thinking he has escaped danger, sits. Ryan has him stand again and tells him that he, too, is in the Bottom 3. So now, before we're told, we know who is taking the third stool. Alexis had the lowest vote total on DialIdol.com. But Ryan won't reveal Alexis' fate just yet.
The first guest performance of the night is by Brad Paisley who performs his new single "Then." We like Paisley, but restlessly wait for the results to continue. It feels like a long night already.
Back to the nail-biting. Scott MacIntyre and Megan Joy are safe and we're wishing they were in the Bottom 3 along with Michael. But, after all, this is "Idol." Also safe are Matt Giraud (yea!) and Kris Allen. Alexis and Adam Lambert are asked to stand. Ryan asks after watching back on TV, whether Simon still thinks Adam's performance was "horrific, indulgent rubbish." Simon says after watching it back, he thought it was even worse. Ha! Randy says he loved Adam's "Jeff Buckley take" on "Ring of Fire," a version that only seems to exist in Randy's head, not on video or MP3 anywhere on the Internet. Do we even need to type that Adam is safe and Alexis is heading to her doom? Alexis joins Allison and Michael onstage and Ryan immediately decides to send one back to safety on the couches. It's Allison. We're relieved.
Back from the break and it's time for the second guest performance of the evening, by Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis. But before that, Ryan presents a video tribute to Carrie's career to date, from Oklahoma farmgirl to country superstar.
Before their performance, Underwood and Travis chat with Ryan. Carrie, who looks awful in a modern-day Minnie Pearl getup, says she is flattered that the contestants sang her songs (and happy for the royalties, heh). The red dress is bad enough, but we can't stop staring at the bouffant hair and what looks like a black lacy wrapping- paper decoration sitting on her head. The duo perform "I Told You So." Carrie's vocals soar and we are reminded why she won Season 4. Her voice never fails to impress. That's why Lil should never have attempted "Independence Day," and Danny sounded lame on "Jesus Take the Wheel." They can't touch Carrie's vocals. Travis even looks over in amazement a time or two at the notes Underwood hits. She's an "Idol" treasure. Right before the break, Ryan asks the judges if they'd consider saving either of the Bottom 2. They say, yes, there's one they'd consider saving. Any question who it is folks?
It's the time of reckoning. And, sadly, Michael is safe. He really needs to be back home with his daughter. Simon tells Alexis that, yes, she was the one they were thinking of saving, but first she has to sing for her life. And she does, turning yesterday's softer version of "Jolene" into one of desperation, pitchy power notes and cracking vocals. The words take on a new meaning as they echo Alexis' own situation, begging the judges not to take her out of the competition. It's so sad, especially as we get the feeling that this was all predetermined and the show the judges make of deliberating are probably, in reality, just them making dinner plans. In the end, Simon, with a seriously contrite look on his face, tells Alexis that "We're kind of unanimous on this. It was good, but it was not good enough. Sorry. It's the end of the line, I'm afraid." Emulating her last name to the end, Grace tells the judges "I wish I could have done better. But things happen for a reason, so, you know ..." We watch her journey video. We cry. The end.
Next week, "Idol" will air on Wednesday and Thursday, as the show is pre-empted on Tuesday for a presidential press conference. The theme will be "50 Years of Motown," with the contestants performing classic Motown songs (sigh, Alexis would have done great with that). Berry Gordy, the man behind the Motown sound, appears on Wednesday. On the results show, Motown legend Smokey Robinson performs and Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard sings his new single, "Together."
Watching Season 8's Grand Ole Opry Week, mentored by country great Randy Travis, was an exercise in futility and mediocrity. Frankly, we saw better performances on the just concluded Season 3 of CMT's "Gone Country," wherein such unlikely contestants as 62-year-old former Monkee Mickey Dolenz, master of funk George Clinton, former Miss USA Tara Conner and actor-turned-singer Richard Grieco attempted to "go country." Even Season 1 Idol Justin Guarini shined in comparison to the current crop of Idols. We hope "Idol's" producers aren't relying too heavily on that iTunes income, 'cause there wasn't a single performance we'd consider shelling out 99 cents for.
No doubt, the most talked about performances will be those of Anoop Desai, who rose like a phoenix from the ashes with one of the best numbers of the night, and Adam Lambert, whose bizarre Middle Eastern take on a Johnny Cash classic was simultaneously mesmerizing and repellent.
Also worth discussing: Paula Abdul's inability to complete a coherent sentence all evening. Yet, she wouldn't shut up and babbled on incessantly. Almost as unbearable was the bickering among the judges. But worst of all is this trend of the contestants to talk back when they are being judged. Last season Brooke White turned her critiques into discussions and, much to our distaste, the idea seems to have taken wing. On Tuesday, nearly every singer felt the need to explain themselves or make a wisecrack. Lil Rounds might have spoken even more than the judges during her critiquing period. As Judge Judy would say, "This is not a give and take." So contestants, shut up and listen. You're there to sing, the judges are there to evaluate. And speaking of the judges, can we lose their la-de-dah entrance from behind a curtain at the top of the show? That, as well as Ryan Seacrest descending the grand staircase as if he was a god descending from the heavens, is way too precious and pretentious.
Opening the show was Texas oil-rig worker Michael Sarver. We were betting that he would do great with this genre, but his song choice -- Garth Brooks' "Ain't Goin' Down Til the Sun Comes Up" -- baffled us. Instead of showcasing Sarver's voice or range, it demonstrated that he has a great ability to memorize lyrics, as the song contains perhaps a thousand words sung at rapid speed. There was very very little melody involved. Bleh. Randy Jackson thinks it is a fun song but doesn't bring out Michael's vocal capabilities. Kara DioGuardi likes that we got to see Michael's personality but misses his big notes. At that point, Michael's smile goes flat. He decides to jump in and answer back, saying, among other things, that "country music is about fun." Well, Michael we didn't have much, and your remarks make it even less so. Paula combines about 42 half-thoughts into one sentence, concluding with "this is the genre that suits you well." Simon Cowell says he couldn't understand a single word Michael was singing (Michael interjects again here) and that he could have been singing in Norwegian. Another interjection. Simon continues, "I thought it was a bit clumsy ... and this could have been karaoke night at a country-western club." Michael retorts, "If we were all perfect, we wouldn't need this show." The audience goes wild and Randy says, "Good one," while we're thinking, SHUT UP Michael. Ryan asks Simon, "Did you like it or not?" Simon answers, "On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it 1.2." Michael feels compelled to open his mouth one final time. He turns to Ryan and says laughing, "It wasn't zero." Whoa, way harsh, Simon. We'd give it at least a 2.2. Though, considering Sarver's back talk, perhaps Cowell was being generous.
Allison Iraheta is like an uncut, unpolished gem. She has great vocals, but the voters can't see through to them because her song selections tend to be obscure and her appearance needs refining. For example, we loved her version of Patty Loveless' "Blame It on Your Heart," but her DialIdol.com score is second to last and she stands a strong chance of being eliminated tonight. It's a shame, as there are few females left and her distinctive, rock-tinged voice alone makes a compelling argument for her to remain in the competition. Kara says she is beginning to think that Allison could sing the alphabet and sing it well. It's a stupid twist on the phone book analogy when you think about it, Kara, 'cause every child sings the alphabet. She adds, "You bring your own spin to everything and you really made that song your own." Paula, in a lucid moment, calls it "Another rock solid performance by Allison," but encourages her to experiment with other sides of her vocals that make her more vulnerable. Simon calls it good but a little tuneless in parts, and thinks it looked as if Allison was struggling to remember the words. He asks, "Were you?" Allison tells him, no, that she's known the song since she was 8 years old. He concludes by calling her "rock solid verging on precocious," whatever that means. Randy says, "I didn't think it was precocious at all. I thought it was dope!"
Kris Allen left his guitar behind to sing Garth Brooks "To Make You Feel My Love," a ballad which made good use of his sweet tender vocals. Yet, it left us wanting something more. Truth be told, we were a bit bored by the end of his performance. The judges however were more enthusiastic. Paula calls it an honest, pure and vulnerable performance. Simon says it was terrific, that it was a great choice of song and that Kris was completely in control of the song. But Cowell saves his highest praise for last: That for the first time he thinks Kris has a really good shot at doing well in the competition. Randy likes that Kris showcased his vocals, calling it "tender moments from my dawg Kris." Simon seems amused by this, changing it to "tender dawg" and later to "tender puppy." Kara says, "I didn't even know it was Opryland when I was hearing that. It wasn't even country, it was just beautiful." What is wrong with Kara? Does she not know that country is comprised of many sounds, not just twangin' geetars? Ugh!
Lil Rounds wants to show everyone that she's more than just an R&B artist, she wants to prove she can go country. We just wish she hadn't chosen to do it with Martina McBride's "Independence Day." It's one of Carrie Underwood's great performances that is etched into our head. So though Lil soared on the second half of the song with its power notes, the first half left a lot to be desired. Randy felt the same way, saying he found himself struggling with the front part but that it got a little bit better when she hit the power zone, concluding with, "It didn't feel comfortable for me on you." Lil interjects to explain her choice of song. Randy answers her, and Lil turns it into a discussion. Kara says, "You did what you felt and that's part about being an artist -- standing your ground." Well maybe it is, but it didn't work too well for Kelly Clarkson with "My December," and she's well-established and a far better singer than Lil. Kara ends with, "So I give you props for that. Is it the best performance? Not your best. But good for standing your ground." Tell Lil that when she stands her ground and her first LP sells 10,000 copies. Paula says everything's going right for Lil tonight, that her vocals are spot-on (not even close) and that the hair, makeup and clothing are beautiful (agreed). She then contradicts herself by saying that Lil should have sung only one verse instead of two (which is so wrong, 'cause this is a story song), so that she could have hit the soaring vocals earlier. So, then, perhaps everything wasn't going right for Lil tonight, Paula? Then Simon totally stuns us by calling Lil "Little." Paula stops him and says, "Little?" He answers, "Lil, Little, it's the same thing." Er, no it's not, Simon. He then starts with Little again, Kara says "Lil," he says "Little, Lil, which is short for Little." No, it's not. Her name isn't Lil', or Li'l it's Lil, which is most likely short for Lillian, if it's short for anything. She's not Li'l Abner, or Lil' Kim or Lil Wayne. Ugh! What is wrong with Simon? He then compares her to a wedding singer who has to sing a song request she's not comfortable with, saying what they originally liked about her was her Mary J. Blige rawness. Kara starts to respond to this and then Lil jumps in again, too. Enough! Can each judge not state an opinion without being argued with by the other judges and the contestant? We had to smirk, though, when Simon raised his hand during Lil's unending remarks (and his critique time) with, "May I talk, Little?" He went on to say "I thought that just wasn't you."
The night's most bizarre performance award goes to Adam Lambert, who, as we noted above, did a Middle Eastern sitar-driven turn on Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." Randy Travis had good reason to have trepidations about this. When Adam told Travis he had found a different take (Dilana's from "Rock Star Supernova") on the song he wanted to do, we immediately thought of Chris Daughtry's wonderful transformation of Cash's "I Walk the Line." But, no. Even something like Dilana's version (and we love everything Dilana does) was way too pedestrian for showman Lambert. Way before Simon got the chance to say "self-indulgent" we were thinking it, along with over-the-top theatrical and WTF. The high notes were ridiculous. Yet as we sat there mesmerized, we couldn't decide whether we liked it or hated it. It certainly held our attention. Kara *shock* finds it all a little strange and got so flustered trying to critique it she finally just gave up, saying it left her confused but kind of happy. Paula calls Adam true to himself as an artist, and says she loves the Middle Eastern sitar sounds. Simon brings things back down to earth with "I think there are a lot of people throwing their television sets out their windows at this point," then calls it "absolute indulgent rubbish" and "really really horrific." But Randy jumps in to defend Adams and says if Nine Inch Nails did a country song this is what it would sound like. He deems it current, young, fresh and hot. Well, alrighty, then.
What are the chances that Scott MacIntyre can go just one week without singing about faith or angels? Our guess? Zero. Every week, it feels like the same saccharine-sweet inspirational song and we weren't loving it the first time we heard it. It makes us hope that they'll have a Satan theme week, just to put an end to it. This time round it was Martina McBride's "Wild Angels" (whoa, is Scott getting reckless, LOL). Even Randy Travis seems to think it's an ill-advised choice. We tuned out through it, but Paula calls it a lovely performance and tells Scott that he's one of the hardest-working performers on that stage (patronizing). However, she's concerned that the piano is becoming a bit of a crutch now, and that it separates Scott from the audience. Scott retorts, "We can move it closer." Paula's remark was not meant to be insensitive to Scott's sight problems with working the stage, but Simon seems to take it that way, telling Paula, "What do you expect him to do?" and then "It was a stupid thing to say." They then call each other disrespectful and get into an annoyingly protracted argument. Simon tells Scott that his song last week and this week are very similar and that he's not choosing good-enough songs. Scott interjects(!) "I've also lost a lot of hat picks" (hmmm, so the performances are based on song choices picked from a hat? That kinda sucks, doesn't it?). Simon continues saying that Scott is picking songs "that just do a little bit of that [making a hand motion over his head], going over my head and I forget them afterwards." Paula jumps in with "That's disrespectful," apparently referring to the hand gesture Simon made and that Scott couldn't see. Simon misunderstands and says, "That's not disrespectful" and their argument begins anew. But what has truly gone over Simon's head is the fact that Scott is saying he doesn't have a lot of freedom in choosing his songs. Randy says it's not the song choices that bother him, he's missing the hot crazy vocals that he hasn't seen from Scott the past two weeks because "this is a singing competition," to which Simon chimes in, "thank you." Well bust my buttons and call me shorty. When did it become a singing competition again for Simon? Two weeks ago, during the Wild Card round, he told us it wasn't just a singing competition. Kara tells Scott, "What everyone is saying is that we want you to up your game a little bit" but that "you bring class and poise to that stage" (patronizing) as Paula yells out, "Yes, you do!" (patronizing). Oy!
Alexis Grace says she wants to show her softer side with Dolly Parton's "Jolene," and we think she did a pretty nice job of it, though we did miss some of those knock-it-out-of-the-park notes. The rest of America apparently missed them a lot more than we did. Alexis surprisingly sits at the bottom of the DialIdol.com pile. We can't believe the producers will let her escape the summer tour, so our thinking is if she is the one to be eliminated tonight, the judges' save will be employed and they'll gloatingly ask us, "Now aren't you happy we have a judges' save?" To which we'll reply, "No." If America thinks Alexis isn't worthy of moving on, then she shouldn't, regardless of her talent. Certainly nobody held back from voting last night because they were confident she was safe. If she's in last place it's because America thought she should be. Randy says he wasn't sure if she "hit the notes quick well," noting there were pitch problems and that Alexis tried to bend the song too much in a bluesy way that didn't work. He also says it was a good song choice but not a great performance. Of course, Alexis has to interject an explanation here (shut up, shut up, shut up). Kara says, "I think you lost your edge a bit" and then makes some of her stupid song suggestions that she thinks would have been better. "Before You Cheat"? Give us a break. Kara says she wants something edgy that brings out the angst in Alexis. We repeat: "Before You Cheat"? She ends with, "It was just a little flat for me." Paula thinks it was a good song choice and enjoyed the vulnerable soft side of Alexis. Simon rolls his eyes during her critique. Another interjection by Alexis. Simon says, "I thought it was OK. I thought it was a little bit sound-alike." Alexis asks "What does sound-alike mean?" Duh! What does low IQ mean? What does she think it means? Simon explains, "It means you sound like the person you're trying to sing." She says "Oh, OK." She should have asked for the English translation: It sounds like the same version of the song as the artist who originally performed it. Simon also tells her he thinks it's one of those performances that's going to be forgotten in about 10 minutes. She pleads, "No, please don't. Please don't forget about it." But America did.
We wonder why Danny Gokey tends to select songs popularized by female artists -- Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" during Hollywood Week, Mariah Carey's "Hero" during the Top 36 Round 1 and this week's "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood? Is it so the ladies will love him? Or so he can't easily be compared to the original? Whatever the reason, it seems to work for him. (And yes, we know, Scott sang a Martina McBride song.) We thought he had moments during his rendition, but much prefer the original. For us, it was probably Danny's weakest performance. Yet, the audience went wild and there he is once again on the top of DialIdol.com's results. He remains America's No. 1 widower. Kara says, "The front half of that performance for me was not spectacular, but halfway through it was 'Here comes Danny' ... and went straight up. And I wish I had 10 minutes of that and not the first half." Paula disagreed, saying "I love when artists build a story," adding that he was brilliant (not) and that Carrie Underwood would not only approve, she'd go out and buy that record. Paula, reality check. We wouldn't even go out and buy that record. Simon, surprisingly after their earlier tiffs, agrees with Paula, saying, "You can't start a song full on, you've got to have a little bit of light and shade." Simon's only problem is with what Danny is wearing. Danny, as usual with Simon, is self-deprecating, making fun of his own outfit, much as he made fun of his own dancing last week after Simon bashed him for it. Randy splits the panel by agreeing with Kara, saying that the verses were pitchy and that Danny didn't support them enough (we need our Randy-English dictionary for the last), but that he was blazing through the rest of the song.
Next came the biggest surprise of the evening. Just as we were about to write off Anoop Desai as the mostly likely contestant to be voted off the show, he comes back like gangbusters with a compelling and different interpretation of Willie Nelson's iconic "You Were Always on My Mind." It was the best we've ever heard him sing and he finally convinced us that he was more than just a really likable guy. He actually possesses as good a voice as the rest of the contestants, and better than some. He doesn't need to rely on posturing and gimmicks to survive. He can use his voice. Paula announces, "Anoop is back!" She tells him she is proud of him for picking a song that allowed him to have his own interpretation of it and that it fit him like a glove, adding that his "tender, amazing, sweet vocals" touched her heart. Simon says, "Anoop, you just managed to go from zero to hero. That was a good choice of song. Actually, in a way, that was one of my favorite performances of the whole night. You know what, Anoop? Good for you that you can take a bit of a kicking last week -- which was thoroughly deserved -- By the way I take back what I said, you definitely deserve to be in this show. But you didn't kind of whine about it. You just took the good advice [pointing to his own chest], did something about it, chose a great song, delivered a great vocal. Glad to have you back, Anoop." Randy says Anoop really showed his vocals skills and that he liked the arrangement. Kara calls it the best performance of the night, because it was the biggest surprise.
Megan Joy Corkrey had the flu this week, did, in fact, go to the hospital, and even missed the dress rehearsal. So we must be forgiving in that respect. But she knew what to do to support a flagging voice -- she brought the girls out, big time. Were they really that big every other week, or was it that the halter dress with side embroidery that gave the appearance of hands holding up those boobs made them look so big? Either way, sorry, we still didn't like her rendition of another iconic song, Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight." Talk about quirky. For us it was flat, sharp and everything in between. Kellie Pickler's version of the song ran rings around Megan's and Kellie's not that great a singer. The judges, however, thought Megan sounded even better than usual! Maybe it's that sensation where things sound different in the studio than they do on TV. In any event, most of America agreed with us. Megan placed third from last on DialIdol.com. Randy tells her he thought it would be a trainwreck (it was), but it was actually quite good (it wasn't), that it all really worked (it didn't) and was the perfect choice for her (it wasn't). Kara says, "perfect song, perfect look," then praises her inordinately for performing with the flu. Apparently Kara didn't watch last season when half the contestants performed with the flu. Paula continues with Kara's praise, calling Megan a fighter and a consummate professional. Simon tells her, "You should have flu every week, because you were better this week than you were last week. And you look gorgeous."
Matt Giraud captured the pimp spot, and other than Anoop, probably deserved it. His was our second favorite performance of the night. Again, a guy chose to sing a song popularized by a woman, in this case Carrie Underwood's "So Small." Even Randy Travis was a bit disconcerted by the choice, but got with the program after listening to Matt's bluesy version of the song. It wasn't a perfect performance -- Matt doesn't have a perfect voice and there were pitchy parts. Yet, there was something so appealing about the arrangement, the piano playing and, yes, his falsetto, that we really enjoyed it. Kara said, "Matt, there ain't nothing small about you." (Why does everything she says sound so suggestive?) "You're an artist, you're a true talent, your heart pours on that piano, you work the dynamics of that song. Amazing. I love you. I just do." Paula then had trouble trying to spit out the word authenticity. Nevertheless, she applauds the authenticity and honesty Matt brings to his delivery and tells him he has pierced her heart (hope it's not fatal). Simon says, "I don't think you've had enough credit, actually, for your vocals in this competition so far because everyone's been talking about Danny and Adam. I think you're quite similar to Danny. Tonight, I think you outsang him. I genuinely do. It was a great performance. You remind me of Michael Bublé. So I thought that was a terrific performance. One of the best tonight. Well done." Randy calls it his favorite performance of the night because he loves Matt's vocals and says he has mad skillz, ending with, "You got it goin' on, baby."
Our Bottom 3: Megan Joy Corkrey Michael Sarver Scott MacIntyre
Who should be eliminated: Megan Joy Corkrey Who will be eliminated: Allison Iraheta
Tonight, Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood sing "I Told You So" (previously a hit for Travis and now a hit single for Underwood), and Brad Paisley performs his new single, "Then."
DANNY GOKEY'S GLASSES
Want to know where Danny Gokey gets his glasses? Watch this video:
Bottom Three:
Raise your hand if you think this list is total B.S.
For example, last season Syesha Mercado didn't appear in the Bottom 3 on weeks when she should have clearly been there, yet on the week when five contestants remained, and when according to DialIdol Mercado scored the highest amount of votes -- even more than David Cook and David Archuleta -- she was placed in the Bottom 2 with Brooke White, who was eliminated. Ryan actually confirmed this two weeks later when he said that the remaining three finalists (Cook, Archuleta and Mercado) had all come in first at some time during the season. There was no other week that Syesha even came close to being the top vote getter.
This leads us to believe that the producers are hanging Megan Joy -- who, according to DialIdol, had the second lowest vote total this week -- out to dry next week, while trying to keep Matt -- who the judges now consider a front-runner, but who placed fifth according to DialIdol -- in the competition. As for Scott, his number will probably be up a week or two after Megan departs. And we bet that the 
when "Idol" didn't have to compete directly against CBS' "The Mentalist," which tends to attract the same 40ish female audience as "Idol" does. ("The Mentalist" aired out of its normal time slot, at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m., on Tuesday night, while "Idol" aired on Wednesday and Thursday instead of Tuesday and Wednesday because of President Obama's Tuesday press conference).
The first of three guest performances features Ruben Studdard in the ugliest navy suit -- the jacket is ridiculously long, has big white buttons and seriously wide white piping around the collar and down both sides of the front -- we've ever seen. It looks like something you'd put on a 2-year-old. It's hard to take him seriously in that getup. He's here to sing his new single, "Together." Studdard's still got great pipes, but the song is boring. He's sweating profusely by the end.
Matt wasn't a front runner. But Ryan also never says that Matt got one of the three lowest vote totals. He just says, "You are in the Bottom Three tonight." Matt takes a stool onstage. Ryan then plays a cruel trick on Kris Allen. He reads the judges critiques, then tells him, "America voted, Kris, and, wow, you, too (pause) (as Kris starts walking to the stage) are safe." What a nasty fake out. Lil and Michael are asked to stand. 
It's time for more producer cruelty. Ryan tells Lil, "You sang 'Heatwave' ... Now in past seasons, Jennifer Hudson and Kimberley Locke sang that exact song and they ended up in the Bottom 3. Tonight, after that vote, believe or not, you, also, (pause) sang 'Heatwave" (pause) and are safe." Michael, who knew Lil was being played, kept saying to her through all of this, "Sit down, sit down." He is then sent to the stage.
We cut away from the sadism for some "entertainment." Joss Stone and Smokey Robinson duet on "You're the One for Me." Frankly, we've never understood the appeal of Joss Stone. Her vocals are little better than Megan Joy's as far as we're concerned, and the coupling of her voice with Smokey's just doesn't work. Besides, it was downright creepy having a 21-year-old sing that song to a 69-year-old. Smokey still has it, however, and listening to his high voice, we realize why "Tracks of My Tears" was a perfect choice for Adam.
That leaves Scott and Megan. Megan seems shocked when Ryan tells her the judges called her performance a "horrible trainwreck" (was she not listening Wednesday night?). Who is safe, who isn't? It's a toss-up, but we guess wrong, and Scott is assisted to the stage. Ryan is going to release someone back to safety. Randy Jackson says it should be Matt, while Michael, who no doubt peeked at DialIdol and seems to know he's a goner, keeps pointing at Matt. But it is Scott who is returned to the bleachers.
Before the ax is dropped, Stevie Wonder gives the only musical performance of the night worth listening to, doing a medley of his Motown hits, including "My Cherie Amour," "Superstition" and "Overjoyed." He even slips in an "I love you, Barack Obama." Stevie was incredible then, he still is now. Why couldn't he have been given the time spent on Ruben and Joss Stone/Smokey Robinson? We could have listened to him all night.
Simon tells Paula to make the decision. She says, "You're not doing that to me." Simon then "valiantly" steps up to the plate and says, "I'm going to make a decision. Michael, you're going home. Sorry." Cut to journey video. Who cares?
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