Territorial Bloggings

Eh, at least I’m getting these out before the 2nd semi-final performance show tonight…

In short, I think America got things pretty much right with who they put through into the finals from the first group of 12 semi-finalists.

Alexis & Danny were the only two who stood out as being good enough to have a viable shot at winning the whole shebang at this early stage. In fact, if I’m being reckless enough to tag someone as a winner this early, I’d say it’s Danny – he’s got the whole package: looks, presence, personality, likability, sincerity, backstory, maturity, and (oh, yeah) voice. He’s been a featured player because of the backstory of his wife dying, and that’s helped a lot in terms of building fan base; although there is a bit of a backlash starting to build (I don’t see that being a long-term problem, however — he’s too genuinely likable for it to grab hold & gain any real traction…). Alexiscould also be a good story, as she is cute as a button, has a good story, a cute kid, and can sing. I don’t quite buy the comparisons to Kelly Clarkson, though…

Michael Sarver is a feel good story, and a welcome third addition to the finals. I hope he makes the tour, and can make a viable career out of the music biz for himself and his family. Besides, he didn’t crumble under the spotlight & pressure of performing on the live stage…

Too many of the other 9, however, did. This semi-final structure that the producers have revisited (hearkening back to early seasons) is a fairly merciless one. It exposes these singers quickly and without a safety net, when compared to the more gradual elimination process of the past few seasons. It’s rather more brutal and representative of the “real world”. I wouldn’t say it’s cruel, necessarily, but it’s certainly not gentle. What it does do, however, is show us quite clearly who is ready and who is not ready for the rigors of the grind that awaits in the Bataan-like march that is the AI Finals. Spotlights. Pressure. Exposure.

What will be most interesting, then, I think, is to see who gets brought back for the “Wild Card” show, as well as just how the wild cards get chosen. Will the judges choose those brought back, and then America chooses the winners? The producers, then the judges? Some strange combo? And can we avoid prolonged exposure to Tatiana? (’cause you know we’re going to see her again — there’s just no way the producers will not make that bear dance again for our morbid enjoyment & the potential of a meltdown on live TV, no matter how much the poor girl might try to keep her dignity intact (and I actually think she really did try to keep her dignity intact on the results show…))

My last thought: I’m glad that they added Kara as the fourth judge. She’s added a nice dynamic to the festivities, even beyond some actual, you know, competent judging & contemporary credibility.

-ghp

Just a quick blurb to update about why I’ve not been updating…

I’m not, I don’t think, going to take the entire season off; however, neither do I think that I’m going to obsessively document & comment on each and every episode. “Well, duh!” You are probably thinking to yourself, that’s a pretty obvious statement, given that I only recapped two of the seven audition shows, and neither of the Hollywood week shows thus far.

Here’s the thing — I’ve had enough other stuff going on that I actually haven’t been able to watch any the shows on the nights that they’ve been broadcast. That doesn’t make for timely recaps.

Here’s the other thing — This season I’ve found that I just haven’t cared enough about the preliminaries to do more than just watch and be entertained. I don’t want to concentrate to the point that I need to in order to write cogently about what’s going on. That doesn’t make for interesting/entertaining recaps.

It might/could very well change once we get to the semi-finals (doubtful) and/or finals (probable). I think part of the “problem” is that I just don’t feel like speculating this year. It takes too much mental energy to do so, and I don’t have that to spare this year.

Here’s the ironic part — So far, this has been a much better and more enjoyable season than they’ve had in quite a few years. The addition of Kara to the judging panel has helped immeasurably, both in that she is right up there with Simon as a/the judge who actually knows what’s going on, as well as somehow causing the other judges to raise their game a bit from time to time. The editing of the shows, in terms of how they cut them together to tell the story thematically, has also been much better this season.

I’ve purposely tried not to get attached to any contestants, and/or choose any favorites (though there are some I can’t stand!), because I want to wait until the semis or even the finals until I begin caring on the personal level. So far, that’s been working out pretty well.

Anyway, that’s why I haven’t been posting regular, detailed recaps/writeups. I just don’t have it in me this year. Hopefully, it doesn’t bum anyone out too terribly much, or at least not enough to keep you from visiting/reading to see if/when I start writing a little more once we get closer to the finals.

-ghp

Time for some more stream of consciousness, from Kansas City, MO…

• Jason Castro? Yikes!
• Boy judges being mean. Girl judges being nice. This time, the boys were right. nameless-bad-singer-girl just picked the wrong song? Delusion knows no bounds.
• Casey Carlson – cute as a button. If she makes it through Hollywood in one piece, she could be a contender. She’s very, very likable.
• A classically trained, overweight, hairy, white boy auditions with Aretha? Schnikes! Dude. Is. Epic. Suck. And he seemed shocked by it.
• That’s the truly amazing thing about this show — it allows us to see that people truly are that deluded and self-unaware. Year after year, we see it. From fans of the show who should know better. The delusion is that strong. It’s sad & amazing, yet always entertaining. It’s a hardy perennial.
• Michael Castro – worthwhile putting him through, I think. At least we don’t have to worry about dealing with those silly dreds. I could do without the magenta coloring.
• Matt Breitzke – a nice Hollywood story. Potentially a darkhorse to make it into the finals – not likely, but possibly.
• Jessica Furney – very nice girl, nice voice, nice story, nice grandma. I’m not sure I see her making it past Hollywood, although I think I’d like to see it.
• Danny Gokey – Unbelievably moving story, and a good enough voice, that if he makes it past Hollywood, he could hang around for a while.
• I’m boycotting the rest of the show, after Danny, because, well, it just made me equal parts sad and angry. It took 30 minutes (thanks to Tivo) away from me that I’ll never get back. And that’s just wrong, ’cause nobody was good enough during that time to salvage or justify the viewing time.

Oddly enough, though, in the final wash I’m not feeling quite as cranky tonight, thanks to the first 2/3 of the show. The last 1/3 tried to do me in, but it didn’t. Almost, but not quite. So, much like Carl Spackler’s promise of comfort from the Dali Lama, at least I’ve got that going for me…

I’m off to dream of shoveling snow in the morning.

-ghp

Montage of good, bad, ugly, naughty, nice, phycho, normal, loser, & winner, ending with #1 Kelly Clarkson & #7 David Cook. My two favorites, I must say.

This is. This is. This is. This. This. This. This. Is. American. Idol.

Thank you, Ryan.

Let the delusion begin again.

The Grand Canyon, eh?

Is that a sign? Will the new season suck as hard as the Canyon is deep? Let’s keep that question in mind as we float down the stream of consciousness…

• Emily Wynne-Hughes – Rocker chick. I like her. Don’t like the tatts. Great voice. Nice attitude.
• “Rock Star in a Box”? Too bad he can’t sing like a rocker. More like a “Poseur in a Box” — There’s no crying in hard rock!
• I think Michael Gurr got sick because he heard himself sing, not because he was nervous or anything like that…
• I really can’t bring myself to document & write about all the freaks. I think it’s my self-preservation mechanism kicking in.
• 16 y/o Stevie? She’s got potential. I want her to be good when this gets to Hollywood…
• The Roughneck will garner some support, potentially serious support if he can make it past Hollywood…
• Bikini Girl? Her ass was better than either her face or her voice. But, then, I don’t think Simon didn’t care about that. Randy neither. Kara & Paula were right (I like the new judge – I think she’s going to kick some ass when and where necessary…), Randy & Simon were wrong.
• Sorry, Randy Watson is Sexual Chocolate, not the impostor that got a new car for failing (I want a comment from someone giving the reference – prove to me that I have readers, people…)
• I’ve seen a million auditions, and I’ve hated them all. Wanted, dead or alive.
• Scott Macintyre? Quite good. Hollywood week might not be so kind, but if he gets past that, he could be surprising.

And so it goes…

Tomorrow: Kansas City

-ghp

So, it’s back.

Tomorrow, it awakens from it’s slumber.

The Winter behemoth that devours all that dare enter its path.

American Idol

I’m ambivalent, I must confess. I’ve semi/sorta kept up during the off-season. I mean, how can you not keep up with Paula having near meltdowns & threatening to walk away from the franchise that rejuvenated her career? Or not learn that a 4th judge has been added to the menagerie, and react with a little bit of hope that perhaps (oh, hoping against hope!) the judging won’t suck in such a violently horrific fashion. But it will… *sigh*

Anywhoo, I’ll watch. I’ll blog. I’ll probably even end up blogging regularly & on a schedule. Although my preference is to not spend too much time & effort on caring, and thus on blogging, until after the Hollywood phase.

As you recall, I’ve long posited that AI is actually three shows in one:

1. The Train Wreck Auditions – wherein we all slake the thirst of our collective morbid curiosity on the refreshing nectar of the psychotically deluded, the bad, and the ugly…
2. Hollywood Week & most of the Semi-Finals – here, we begin the transformation from morbid, drive-by, TV, into an only slightly more respectable and/or of redeeming value entertainment product…
3. The Finals – finally, we get the Bataan-like death march of the AI Finals process, which gives us the veneer of presentability & respectability that we so desperately want after the first two phases of the competition. Unfortunately, we don’t truly trust it after so many years of AI, because we know that the judging is violently offensive, the themes are wantonly abusive, and the voting process makes an old Soviet-era election look trustworthy & legit.

Oh, who am I trying to fool? I’ll watch. I’ll rage. I’ll blog.

And I hope you’ll read.

-ghp

A moment of silence for the passing of the First Lady of the Star Trek universe, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, at the age of 76.

Not only the wife of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, she also was a major on-screen presence, playing the roles of Nurse Chapel in ST:TOS, and Lwaxana Troi in ST:TNG & ST:DS9. She also provided the voice of the Enterprise computer system in every ST series and movie.

Hopefully, Betazoid funerals aren’t as, shall we say, clothing-optional as their weddings, ’cause I don’t think even Lwaxana would want that…

She lived long & prospered.

-ghp

This time, Tears for Fears’ classic Head Over Heels (off of 1985′s Songs from the Big Chair) gets the literal remake treatment…

-ghp

Not that the original lyrics aren’t still classic (’cause they are, in a good cheezy way…); I still remember just how cool that animation was back in the day, 23 years ago (it was way cool…); that girl in the video is still cute as a button (rawr!); and the Ah-Ha! lead singer still looks too pretty & hits those high notes way too easily.

Despite all that being true, even a proud child of the 80′s like me has to admit that the new lyrics of this parody are just too darned funny to ignore! Enjoy…

-ghp

It’s been a while since I wrote anything about realitytv in general, and about SYTYCD:4 in particular. That’s been partly accidental, but mostly purposeful. I just enjoy this show so darned much that I didn’t want to spoil it by writing about it. For, if I were to have written about it, I would’ve analyzed it, and if I would’ve analyzed it, I would’ve over-analyzed it. And that would’ve sucked some (most?) of the joy out of it. And that’s what AI exists for, right?

Anyway, with last night’s final performance show, I figured I could risk a quick post about this, the best season of the best realitytv show currently on TV. SYTYCD gets almost everything right — it’s a magical mix of art, pop-culture, personality, beauty, lust, storytelling, judging, hosting, sincerity, cheeziness, viewer engagement, choreography, vocation, work/work-ethic, and (above all) talent. Others are good (Survivor, The Amazing Race, etc…), but none are better than SYTYCD. None!

And this season has been the very best of the four seasons of SYTYCD. Each of the elements have been at their very best, most significantly the dancers and the choreographers. There have been more magical performances this seasons than, I think, in all three previous seasons combined. Hyperbole? Perhaps. But not by much, if at all.

This was/is the right final four, that was gotten out of the right top ten (noting, of course, that Jessica is the rightful member of the top ten instead of Comfort, who only performed in the top 10 due to Jessica’s injuries…). Incredible as it seems, this is a no-compromise final four, in that they all bring talent, skill, entertainment, and likability to the stage. There is no need for the caveat, “…well, so-and-so is so talented, but they just lack that connection…” or “…so-and-so is popular, but just lacking in skill/technique…” with any of them. They have all proven over the course of the season that they are supremely talented, even outside their areas of specialty, to the point that they don’t need/expect special allowances.

Who do I like? I like them all. Who has surprised me the most? Well, at the start of the top 20, I didn’t have any of these four pegged to make it this far — the only two I had pegged for the finals at that point were Kherington & Will. I liked Twitch because, well, Twitch is so darned likable. Courtney is just so darned cute & hot in equal amounts (and has been a bit of a surprise in that she really did earn this spot over Chelsie of the magical legs & hips!).

The best & truest surprise(s), though, have been Joshua & Katee. Together and individually, they have been the story of this season. From Katee nearly un-making the top 20, to Joshua’s dearth of formal training (relative to everyone else), to their magical chemistry together and with their various choreographers, these two have been the face of SYTYCD:4. They deserve to be the final two dancers standing. In all truth, they deserve to be co-winners.

Alas, that will not be the case.

That being the case, I want Joshua to win. I think he can win. He would be a legitimate winner. He would be a deserving winner. As would Katee. (Courtney & Twitch just slightly less so…) Joshua, though is just my personal preference.

Unfortunately, I won’t get to see the results until tomorrow (Friday) because the FOX affiliate in Chicago is tape-delaying the finale until 11pm in order to show a Bears preseason game. A regular season game I could understand, but a preseason football? Spare me…

-ghp

I’m so glad this show is back. It’s up there with Survivor & The Amazing Race as the very best realitytv shows going. And yes, my goodness yes, it’s so far and away better than Idol that it,s not even funny. The format, the judges, the voting, the contestants, the host — all better!

This season is shaping up to another good one. I don’t really have any die-hard favorites (on the level of season 2′s Allison) yet, although I could easily see Will, Jessica, & maybe Chelsie H. emerge from the pack.

SYTYCD brings out a rather primal/visceral reaction from me, in terms of what I like in/from the dancers. I find that the less I intellectualize it & the more I just feel & enjoy it, the better it is. It’s almost the exact opposite of how I approach Idol, in terms of analysis and breaking it down. Combined with the overall superiority of the show (especially with the judges, who happen to be choreographers that have actual, you know, current credibility & chops in the profession, so they actually speak truth rather than risk spouting crap like the Idol judges do so regularly…)

A quick word here about the choreographers. I’m not sure I’d want to ever really see Mia Michaels do her work & practice her craft (after all, who really wants to see sausage get made?). But, my goodness does that woman get beautiful results! The routine that she created for Mark & Chelsie H. was amazing, as her routines usually are. I don’t pretend to understand the creative, artistic mind, but I do know enough to appreciate good art when I see it — and more often then not, Mia Michaels choreographed routines are good art.

So, that’s another reason SYTYCD is a superlative show – it produces good art & makes it accessible to many folks (like me) who wouldn’t normally consume it.

I like the girls attractive, but mere superficial looks aren’t enough. Thus, this year I’m leaning more towards Jessica the most, closely followed by Chelsie H., Courtney G., & Kherington. Susie may have learned a lesson, because she toned things down nicely in week 1, and was well served by putting on more clothes & less makeup – but I don’t think that it should keep her in for the long haul. Comfort & Chelsea T. are worthy finalists, if only because they have great character and obvious talent. Kourtni L. is on the border for me – I think she could emerge as a serious contender, but I could just as easily see her wash out pretty quickly. I think I’d prefer the former. Katee? In week 1 I thought she & Joshua gave the best, “most pleasant surprise” performance. But I don’t think I care if she stays much beyond this next week or two.

The guys must be graceful & powerful but still manly. If you’re too gay you can’t really butch it up & fake it — it shows through – you can be nice, pleasant, & engaging, but just not a great, manly dancer is all (witness Chris, Matt, & Thayne). But guys like Will, Joshua, & Twitch have got it in spades. That’s why they’re my favorite guys so far this season. Mark is right behind them, just because he’s such an engagingly quirky & unique dancer. Marquis & Gev? Meh. They do nothing for me, they’ve done nothing to really stand out that much so far, so I hope they don’t do anything to drag any of the girls down too far before they get eliminated.

Overall, I agreed with the week 1 eliminations (Jamie & Rayven), in that I didn’t disagree with them. Truth be told I might have sent Matt home instead of Jamie, but overall it was a machts nichts to me. I was more annoyed by America putting Will & Jessica into the bottom 3 instead of Gev & Courtney G. — that was inexplicable & uncalled for.

All in all, though, it’s enough that SYTYCD is back & we get to enjoy it for the rest of the summer.

Yay for us!

-ghp