The Dramatic Demise of 'American Idol'
Today in show business news: Not many people watched the American Idol finale, The Voice is still going strong, and Pete Campbell takes to the stage.
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The latest wacky plan is to hire former contestants to judge the competition. And while Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jennifer Hudson might be worth tuning in for, Fox should accept the natural death of a show that had a long and fabulous life and let Idol die gracefully.
Today in show business news: Not many people watched the American Idol finale, The Voice is still going strong, and Pete Campbell takes to the stage.
It's over. After all of that pain and struggle, all that we have endured, it's done. Randy Jackson has left the show. Ha, mean. I'm just kidding, Randy. But yes, the twelfth American Idol competition came to a close last night, a surprisingly rousing and spirited finale to a season that's been anything but.
Candice beat Kree last night on the penultimate episode of this, our 109th season of American Idol. But can she win?
Everyone was pretty certain that Thursday night's Final 3 results would play out a certain way. But no! A real humdinger of a shocker came bouncing through the Idoldome, briefly reinvigorating a tiresome season. Well played, American Idol.
Today in show business news: NBC remains in the Amy Poehler business, Randy Jackson is getting out of the Idol business, and Adam Brody is a gay best friend.
The annual Top 3 of American Idol is always such a big episode, crowded as it is with the home visits and the producers' choice song and, of course, that ever-present feeling of the season being almost over. It's a good episode, and a lot of the singing last night was quite good, too, if you can believe. Let's discuss.
Today in celebrity gossip: A One Direction star gets frisky in Norway, the Vampire Diaries love affair is over, and Kim Kardashian really might move to Paris.
Well that's more like it. After last week's lamesville no-elimination cop out, Ryan Seacrest finally got to satisfy his insatiable bloodlust last night as a competitor was eliminated and the field was winnowed down to just three surviving souls.
Well, here we are again in the Final Four. It feels like we were just here. Oh, that's right, because we were. Because last week's dumdum elimination episode wasn't an elimination episode at all.
As far as useless episodes of American Idol go, and there is at least one a week, an elimination episode in which no one is eliminated ranks pretty high at the top of the list. Let's re-live the utter waste of everyone's time, shall we?
The final four! We've finally made it. How are your brackets doing? Since there are only four gals left, let's just go gal-by-gal.
Sure, there would have been a little ratings spike had the dramatic coup worked, if Jennifer Lopez had really returned to replace Mariah Carey. But judges on these competition shows are silly distractions — the real problem is Idol
Will we miss Janelle? Probably not. It's hard to miss something that was barely there to begin with. What was Janelle, really?
Something was in the air on American Idol last night, some spirit of Idol seasons past that gave some of the contestants a little extra oomph, maybe even genuinely good, likable performances. Well, two, anyway. From the same person. But still.
Last night, after trotting out Carrie Underwood in some misguided attempt to remind us why we watch Idol in the first place, the awful, terrible, vain and aggravating Lazaro survived — either to keep us watching before he gets bumped off next week, or because this is really where America's at right now. Voting for dreadful Lazaro.
Of the many silly ways that Fox and the show's producers have tried to shake up this season of American Idol, last night's was maybe the silliest. But we must press on, so let's do just that.
Top 8? More like Bottom... everything. I'm afraid it happened last night, folks. The point that comes in every American Idol season, but usually arrives a little bit later. This is typically a Top 5 problem. But this year, it came at eight.
A dark day dawned on DisneyWorld, because its beloved son was dead, tossed carelessly into a Hollywood dumpster, left to molder amid the skeletons of so many singtestants before him. What I am saying to you, dear readers, is that Paul Jolley is gone.
So there are plenty of reasons for Idol to give up its Beatles-night theme. But they keep doing it. Because it's easy and somewhere a light snow of money falls on Paul McCartney. Oh, well. Let's talk about who did what.
And then there were nine. Only nine! We have miraculously reached the single-digits phase of America's longest and most punishing singing competition, and that is something to celebrate.
Last night America's top ten sang their goopy guts out on American Idol, the last place in America where cheesy is champion. Sure, Nicki Minaj was late, but who's really looking good in the race to who will probably, maybe, definitely win?
Congratulations, America. You have arrived at base camp two of your ascent to the top of Ryan Seacrest's Magic Mystery Mountain.
Welcome to the top 20! Well, OK, last night was the second night of the Top 20, but I was out sick yesterday so I didn't get a chance to write about the girls. Now, to paraphrase Ryan Seacrest, let's get to the boys!
Last night the second group of boys had their turn, opening their song holes and letting mellifluous sound come pouring out like gravy.
Round three of SUDDEN DEATH, the Idol brain trust's leanest, meanest invention since Clay Aiken with a hangover.
Like the girls before them, ten of the top twenty boys were brought before the judges last night, five of them to be raised up to the gleaming Valhalla of the semifinals stage, the other five to be cast into the gloomy oblivion of Tartarus.
Sudden death hits the Strip, and it's not so revolutionary as sad and wonderful — mostly sad, but still: We're getting to know everyone before the real competition begins.
Goodbye Hollywood! Idol's grueling second round of auditions ended last night, with twenty men and twenty women being chosen to march bravely to the front lines, where all but one of them will be shot to shreds and blown to smithereens.
We may all hate lists, but sometimes they are necessary. Here's a list of things from last night's Idol that we observed.
Finally we've arrived back in Hollywood, city of dreams and possibility. Yes, American Idol has entered the second phase of the season, when all the golden ticketed people descend on California like singing bugs.
In which Hollywood awaits, but not before puppets and ailments and bear hugs and — oh, yeah — a guest appearance by the ancient burl-witch Steven Tyler.
Oh, Idol! We are almost to the good part. Yes, last night we were gloriously informed that this week is the last of the auditions episodes, that long and frustrating Idol stretch when it feels like we are running in place.
Last night Ryan Seacrest got on his big, bejeweled fanboat and whirred on down to the bayou. American Idol was headed to Louisiana!
Today in celebrity gossip: The Clintons are looking to buy in New York's vacationland, Natalie Portman is moving to France, and American Idol faces some serious accusations.
Last night the Idol wagon headed to Charlotte, bringing that sleepy Bank of America town its first bit of joy since the Hornets packed up and flew off. Though, sadly, it wasn't much joy.
Today we recap American Idol's second episode, a Chicago auditions installment that featured, among others, a terrible stutterer who sings like a dream.
Today in show business news: American Idol's premiere ratings were significantly lower than hoped, a good actress gets a good gig, and Karl Rove will be back for more.
American Idol is back on! Join us as we recap this season in song-based competition.
American Idol returns with its new, potentially volatile judging team, and there will be Mariah. And fighting. And maybe some singing, too.
Today in celebrity gossip: An old couple got hot and heavy at a New York club, tempers flare at American Idol, and Amanda Bynes really does not like Lindsay Lohan.
American Idol auditions begin tonight in New York City so you would think the show would have its judging panel locked in before the weekend, but no. According to the New York Times' Bill Carter, the ink on the contracts with Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban is fresh.
Former Today show star and CBS News anchor Katie Couric premiered her new talk show yesterday to high numbers. Elsewhere in showbiz news: Yet another remake is in the works that should not be in the works, Randy Jackson is back on Idol, and Joan Allen is just back in general.
An '80s and '90s queen is getting back into the business, American Idol makes a big offer, and Nicolas Cage books a promising new movie.
Oh no, dawg. For me, for you? It's bad news. Hooting, catchphrase-mangling judge Randy Jackson is leaving American Idol.
Fox moves ever closer to shoring up their judging team for next year's twelfth season of American Idol. Elsewhere in today's showbiz news, that spinoff of The Office really seems to be happening, and Benedict Cumberbatch heads to Oklahoma.
Today in show business news: September 4th will see Kelly Ripa betrothed to another man, an '80s sitcom icon heads to Survivor, and more Game of Thrones casting.
Today in showbiz news: A Jonas Brother wants on American Idol, Jennifer Lawrence gets into a kinky relationship, and Lindsay Lohan to further debase herself.
Today in showbiz news: A graphic and too-soon scene is excised from an upcoming movie, the script is flipped on romantic otherness, and welcome two new guys to the world of Glee.
Fox has officially confirmed today what has long been rumored: Pop diva extraordinaire Mariah Carey will be a judge on the next season of American Idol.
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