DjaugheOld

This article sums up the show.



'Idol' viewers dispatch diva favorite
DANIEL FIENBERG

Zap2it.com

Barry's back, baby.



It's impossible to lament the absence of Tuesday (April 20) night's "American Idol" guest judge Barry Manilow, because when Wednesday night (April 21) rolls around, B. Manny is still in the house and ready to raise the roof.

A particularly restrained (or Manilow-ized) Ryan Seacrest moves quickly, skipping the opportunity to mock and deride the inevitable losers, while introducing the judges. Simon rolls his eyes. Randy plays to the crowd. Paula, apparently recovered from her near-death manicure, is looking smiley and sling-free.

The Final Seven hit the stage for a patriotic rendition of "Let Freedom Ring." They're soon joined by merry Barry. The "Idol" singers are swiftly reduced to glorified background singers, doing awkward dance steps (Diana DeGarmo nearly levels Manilow in one clumsy maneuver) as the man who writes the songs, also sings the song. With the audience waving glo-sticks and swaying to five or six different beats, it feels like an elementary school talent night mixed with a really lame rave.

Ryan mixes things up by segregating the Finalists into two groups. Fantasia Barrino is sent off to Group A. The crowd whoops in appreciation. Diana goes to Group B. The crowd whoops in appreciation. Jennifer Hudson is added to Group A. The crowd, beginning to detect a trend, roars in appreciation. Jasmine Trias gets sent off to Group B. The crowd, believing it has caught on, claps a little bit more quietly in sympathy. John Stevens, looking exhausted, also heads off to Group B. The crowd, after the squealing has died down, pays restrained respect. LaToya London makes Group A a Diva Trio and the crowd is content. That leaves George Huff sitting waiting patiently.

For some reason Ryan attempts to put the pressure on George, but unless there's been a rule shift, Mr. Huff will be the fourth member of which group he's assigned to and will be safe. It seems to be a matter of time before George joins the competition's three best singers in what everybody assumes will be the top group. That will leave the exact Bottom Three predicted in last night's recap.

Before that can happen, though, it's time for a Ford mini-movie. This time, the gang finds itself on Mars, safely contained in their Ford SUV. First they discover that the Red Planet has a shockingly hospitable atmosphere, but they're even more baffled to discover that the Mars Rover has been replaced by "Short Circuit" star Number Five (who apparently devoured "Short Circuit" co-star Fisher Stevens long ago). They're dismayed when the robot steals their Ford, proving once and for all that Number Five is, indeed, alive.

Back after more commercials, Ryan tells George that he's through to next week, which prompts an unsettling jig. Ryan instructs George to take his place with the top group. George looks confused, but he meanders over to where Fantasia, LaToya and Jennifer are standing.

Not so fast, Ryan declares, twirling his metaphorical moustache. The group with Jasmine, Diana and John is actually the lucky one. The crowd gasps at a volume not heard since Ruben Studdard made his lone appearance in the Bottom Three last season. Jasmine makes "Home Alone" hands to express her bewilderment. George keeps shaking his head. John just gets pale. Fantasia laughs at the twist and claps, joined by LaToya. Jennifer doesn't clap. She stands with her mouth agape.

The judges are stone-faced.

"This is definitely not a popularity contest," Randy says, unclear on the concept. "This is the greatest talent show ever in American history. As a proud American, I hope that America's out there looking and watching. Listen, we want to be proud of whoever wins this."

Thus, Randy announces that voting for John Stevens is letting the terrorists win.

Paula, still on painkillers, slurs her words and tries to rationalize the voting.

"Tongue. Floor," Simon pantomimes. Then, in a surprisingly gracious gesture, he adds that Diana and Jasmine had been excellent the night before.

LaToya is the first performer sent back to the main group. Ryan reveals that this was the tightest vote ever as the camera pushes into a tight tableau with Seacrest in the foreground right and Jennifer and Fantasia, terrified, in the background left. Nice framing, guys.

After a suspenseful few minutes discovering which allergy medicine can cure my sniffles and which evil department store chain can give me extra color prints, Ryan returns to announce that Jennifer Hudson has been eliminated.

"You are my American Idol," Fantasia tells her, clearly moved.

Diana's crying. George has his head in his hands. And because the director won't let us go without catching John's reaction, we see that he's agog.

There's little to say about this week's results. Jennifer was one of the three strongest singers in the competition. Even though she made faces like an NFL linebacker rushing in for a sack, she was one of the competition's strongest personalities. When the three best singers on the show receive the fewest votes, it doesn't necessarily spur viewers to vote for those gifted individuals. Instead, when the skilled singers head home and leave the game in the hands of overmatched performers, it causes viewers to turn away.

Sensing that very danger, Ryan, arm around Jennifer, basically tells the American people that if they don't vote for the good contestants, nobody is safe. Jennifer doesn't even get the dignity of a full send-off, getting cut off before her final song reaches its crescendo.

MadCardDisease

Personally I didn't like Jennifer. There was something about her that didn't set well with me. I didn't think Fantasia's rendition on Tuesday was that great. Latoya in the bottem three was a shock to me. She is the best one out of the final group.

Probably George and John should have been in the lower three.

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Pariah

My wife was pissed. But, here's my theory, and so far it's held true:

Little old ladies are voting, not hip teeny-boppers. That's why John is still there, he's a wholesome crooner who loves his grandparents. So far, all of the contestants that seem to have a little bit of a bad attitude or that surly "I'm a teenager and I don't give a damn" attitude have been voted off.

Jennifer was the last of "bad apples." She's talented, but her smugness doesn't sit well with the little old lady crowd.

MadCardDisease

Wait a second, did you just call me a little old lady?

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DbaxJ

Yes, I think that was the implication....

DjaugheOld

Wow have you been talkin to my wife?? She's been saying the same stuff!

Personally I loved watchin jennifer's smug look get washed away with shock! Listening to the judges call her a diva and stuff was kinda annoying throughout the show.

It also looked like she was choking up there on her good bye song!

Mike Olbinski

It was a joke last night...I think John Stevens should have grown a pair, and walked up to Ryan saying he wants to go home, because no one else deserved to go before him.

Still, Diana, Jasmine and George are all good, it's just John being in the top 4 that's a joke.

Mike

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Pariah

Our lips were moving, but we weren't talking!


...you keep settin' 'em up, and I'll keep knockin' 'em down.

DjaugheOld

Damn!

Brian in Mesa

I think what happened is obvious.

People are supposed to vote for their favorite(s), but instead people are voting for whomever they think is in trouble and about to go.

That would explain why the 3 divas were in the bottom 3. People assumed "they're safe," and proceeded to call in for the other four...all who, except for Diana DeGarmo, got mediocre responses from the judges (with the exception of Barry, but then again the artist's never say anything bad...)...



And, for those that have never seen the show...this sums it up pretty well...

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DjaugheOld

uhmm....all I see is a box with a red "x"

schel

So people vote for their favorites... don't they see a flaw in that? They should instead make it so you vote someone off rather than vote to keep them alive. It's so easy to pick out the worst of the bunch rather than the best. All these people are locked on to their favorites and would never vote against them even if they had a bad performance. Instead they think, "Oh no, I have to vote for him or else he/she might be in trouble!" Dream Job did it right, the panel had a say in the vote and the fans would vote for the worst (I believe that's the way it was).

Brian in Mesa

Fixed!!

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