American Idol!

dxwwf3

dxwwf3

Well-Known Member
TurnipHead said:
Sorry for the double post, but does anyone actually think Chris will be successful in the world of rock music? I don't think so.....
Click to expand...

Well I'll actually agree with you on this, somewhat. IMO, his best performances on the show were "What A Wonderful World" and "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman". I think he's at his best when he can really show off his vocal range. But I thought his "Walk The Line" was really good too, so he definitely can do rock. But I don't think it's his strong point personally.
 
SpongeScott

SpongeScott

Well-Known Member
We Get the Idols We Deserve

[SIZE=-1]By Robin Givhan
Friday, May 12, 2006; C02
[/SIZE]
The departure of rocker Chris Daughtry from "American Idol" means that the squishy middle has won once again. Daughtry was voted off the show this week, leaving behind three uninspired performers who may appeal to the masses but lack any distinctive personal style.
After weeks of patiently watching, obsessing and praying for Elliott Yamin, Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks to reveal some sense of personal aesthetics, there has been nothing but disappointment. McPhee lacks zest and stage presence and the capacity to distinguish style from an assemblage of unedited trends. Yamin and Hicks lack Daughtry's supremely fine bald head and ability to wear a thick, macho wallet chain and not look as though he should be bicycling across K Street making a super-rush delivery.
Daughtry glared. He glowered. He did the rock-star growl during which he looked to be at risk of popping his jugular. He wore cool shades. Oh sure, he was cocky. But he should have been. He was the best. America, have you no soul?
Yamin seems like a nice guy. He has a nice voice and he wears a lot of tasteful blazers, which should serve him well should he ever find himself sitting in the human resources office of an insurance agency. McPhee seems like a pleasant girl. She has a pleasant voice. She's a brunette beauty with long legs and nice cleavage -- that she has amiably displayed -- which should all serve her well . . . no matter what. Last month, when Hicks wore that ice-blue Costume National suit, it seemed he had style possibilities. He refused to dye his gray hair and he has an interesting gravelly voice. But then he wore a paisley shirt, sang Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" and writhed on the floor like a Joe Cocker impersonator. He wore paisley, people. He cannot win and he will be discussed no further.
In Daughtry, America had the opportunity to choose distinctiveness, confidence and cool. Instead, it chose bland and boring. Blech and blech.
All one can do now is savor the memories of Daughtry. There was the week that he embraced the cleaned-up-rocker look with his black trousers and matching vest. He wore one of those short-sleeve shirts with the cuffs that cut tightly across the biceps. Their sole purpose is to make a man's upper arms look Paul Bunyan big, as though he has spent his entire adult life chopping wood, hunting and gathering just for you. That was a very good week for Mr. Daughtry and his fans.
He sometimes wore a blazer, usually when he was planning to stand calmly behind the microphone -- rather than prowl the stage -- while yelling his lungs out. Typically Daughtry wore those blazers with a pair of jeans that were loose, but not baggy. He wore expertly faded T-shirts and macho silver jewelry. And he always looked like the same guy from one week to the next. He looked as though he had been groomed, but not dressed.
Daughtry had a cocksure style that might have irritated some voters. But he was the only contestant who seemed to understand that a pop idol needs an indelible image, swagger and self-confidence. While successful pop singers often have imperfect voices, they have something else that makes up the difference: a look, a sensibility, a point of view. They know who they are and they know how to communicate that in songs and through their stage images.
It may be that Daughtry was done in by the system. To attract voters, the contestants must be desperately humble. Aw shucks, pick me! Love me! They must display a freeze-frame grin for the camera and then flail their fingers around like they're practicing Chisanbop to remind viewers of which number to call to cast their vote. Winning "American Idol" requires the perfect balance of mediocrity and humility. The better the voice, the style, the package, the more self-effacing the performer must be. Whoever heard of a humble rocker? Daughtry was doomed.
Now that he's gone, there is a choice of nice Elliott, pleasant Katharine and the paisley karaoke king who shall not be named. As so often is the case, the quality of the candidates makes it hard to go to the polls.
© 2006 The Washington Post Company​
 
SpongeScott

SpongeScott

Well-Known Member
'IDOL' SPECULATION


CHRIS DAUGHTRY'S LOSS HOLDS A LESSON IN AMERICAN POLITICS



May 12, 2006 -- AS a seasoned political observer with more than two decades of experience analyzing voting patterns and the like, I would now like to explain to you one of the greatest mysteries in the history of balloting - a mystery so profound that people have sobbed and scratched their heads, gasped and cried out in anger, and insisted they would never again participate in the voting process.
Am I talking about the Florida election in 2000? The 1984 controversy over the victor in the race for Indiana's Eighth Congressional District? The race for president in 1876?
No, I'm talking about the elimination on Wednesday night of rocker Chris Daughtry from the list of contenders for the title of "American Idol."
There was universal dismay when Ryan Seacrest announced on the air that the gravelly-voiced Daughtry - who was said to be the odds-on favorite to win this year's competition - had been booted out rather than sultry songstress Katharine McPhee.
The previous night, McPhee and Daughtry had both performed Elvis Presley songs. McPhee, talented but erratic, clearly stunk up the joint, while Daughtry, as always, did well. And yet, after the 40 million (or more) phone calls were tallied, McPhee got more votes than Daughtry and he was out. How could this happen?
Here's how. If you want to understand "Idol," you need to understand American politics. And if you want to understand the workings of American politics, "Idol" isn't a bad introduction to the way political coalitions are formed and elections are won.
After the "American Idol" field narrows to 12 finalists, the show kicks one contestant off every week - the one who gets the lowest number of votes.
The number of votes seems to remain remarkably constant (this year, somewhere north of 40 million) week to week. This indicates the same people continue to vote each week. It also means that the people who voted for the contestant who was kicked off go ahead and just choose somebody new to vote for.
This is a direct parallel to the presidential primary process. In the early primaries, candidates who do poorly usually drop out of the race, leaving those who would have supported them in other states high and dry. Those supporters then have to pick somebody else among the surviving candidates to vote for.
This winnowing process allows the most appealing candidates to pick up steam by adding new voters to their cadre of supporters. And as they do so, the field continues to be winnowed, until finally there are only one or two candidates left standing. The single-issue candidate, the flash-in-the-pan, the guy who has one fantastic debate - they may all have their moments, but in the end, the candidate with the most broad-based appeal will usually win.
And this is what explains Chris Daughtry's stunning loss this week on "American Idol." He has a distinctive voice and distinctive appeal. The problem is that he never broadened his base very much. If you liked him from the start, you stayed with him - which is why he remained solidly among the top contenders through most of the show's run.
But if you didn't much like his sound when there were still 9 contestants remaining, you weren't suddenly going to decide you liked his sound when there were only 4 remaining.
The key to winning "American Idol" isn't being overwhelmingly popular in the early stages. The key is having a sound that makes it possible for you to pick up votes from people whose favorites have gotten booted off the show. Because if you don't get those votes, somebody else is going to get them.
That is almost certainly what happened on Wednesday night. Chris Daughtry lost out to Katharine McPhee because the young female singer Paris Bennett was sent home the previous week.
If you loved Paris, you probably weren't going to move into Chris's camp. It's likely that the Paris voters went both to McPhee and to underdog Elliot Yamin, the sweet-sounding guy with the odd teeth who is a balladeer like Paris.
Elliot has been gaining strength both because his performances have been good, and because he's clearly picked up support from the fans of eliminated contestants Paris, Kellie Pickler and Ace Young. So where does this leave the final three in "American Idol"? It's likely that McPhee will be the odd person out next week, leaving front-runner Taylor Hicks and under-the-radar Elliot left to duke it out for the title.
Taylor Hicks has a distinctive sound and style that are clearly very pleasing to millions. But I think he's a little like Daughtry. If he's your favorite, he's been your favorite for a long time - and he needs to be the second favorite for McPhee's fans to win.
But McPhee's sound is probably closer to Elliot Yamin's. Thus, according to the logic of coalition-building that is at the heart of both American politics and Fox's pop-culture phenomenon, Elliot Yamin will be the next "American Idol." It's just good politics.
 
SpongeScott

SpongeScott

Well-Known Member
Paula’s Perspective

American Idol’s friendliest judge talks about her shock at Chris Daughtry’s departure, and who she thinks will take the Idol crown

By Shirley Halperin
May 11, 2006 04:00PM EDT

Did you think that American Idol judge Paula Abdul was upset when frontrunner Chris Daughtry was voted off the show on Tuesday night? Well, you should have seen her after the cameras were off. A devastated Paula was hysterically crying about Chris’ ouster in her dressing room after Idol ended, but she took the time to sit down with TEEN PEOPLE to dish on her shock about Chris, her love of Elliott and Taylor and what she shares in common with Katharine.

TEEN PEOPLE: You seem quite surprised by Chris’ departure.
Paula Abdul: I didn’t see this coming at all. At this point, people forget that nobody’s safe. Every little girl and boy who loves Katharine knew that she was in trouble, and [their] votes went to her. Based on the competition, I thought that three boys would be left.

TEEN PEOPLE: What do you think the future holds for Chris?
Paula Abdul: If there is anyone who doesn’t have to worry, it’s Chris Daughtry. As much as I’m crying [right now], I believe with conviction that he has no worries whatsoever. Earlier, I whispered in his ear, “Now, you go get on with your life and do whatever you want to do, because everyone would die to have you on their label.” I think this the first season where there might be more than two signings [of non-winners] - I have a feeling that there will be four.

TEEN PEOPLE: Who do you think will ultimately win?
Paula Abdul: I am going to be honest with you – I want Elliott to win. I feel like I changed the face of the competition by making America wake up and see the talent that Elliott possesses. [But] I believe that Taylor and Elliott both want to win with every ounce of their souls. I’m really grateful that Taylor is still here, because I love him so much, and he really deserves to be up there. And Katharine is so primed to be the next Kelly Clarkson. It doesn’t matter [who wins] – they’re all going to succeed!

TEEN PEOPLE: Well said, in between the tears.
Paula Abdul: People can make fun of me all they want, but I care so much about all these kids. They’re the most humble, grounded, amazing group. I think they all deserve [to win]. I would be happy to have any one of them as my kids.

TEEN PEOPLE: Do you think there’s a lot of pressure on Katharine, being the only girl?
Paula Abdul: Yeah, there is, but Katharine is a beautiful being with a magnificent voice. And she’s relatable to every teen girl. Don’t count her out, because teen girls love her. And she lives, like, two blocks away from me! I don’t know any other [San Fernando] Valley girls who have become famous, besides myself.

Gotta love that last line....:rolleyes:
 
Lil'mermaid

Lil'mermaid

New Member
Some callers claim ‘Idol’ votes were misdirected


"American Idol" sent rocker Chris Daughtry home Wednesday night, but Daughtry's fans aren't quite ready to let him go. At least one online petition, with more than 16,000 names attached, is calling for a recount of the "American Idol" votes.
MSNBC.com has received numerous e-mails and bulletin board posts claiming that voters who dialed the first of Daughtry's two phone numbers were greeted by a recorded message from "Idol" singer Katharine McPhee, thanking the caller for voting for her. According to Wednesday night's show, McPhee received the second-lowest number of votes, after Daughtry. The Associated Press cited Tracey Adams, a family friend of Daughtry's, saying that fans from his North Carolina hometown were among those who heard another contestant's voice when calling for Daughtry.
One fan who wrote to MSNBC.com said: "They had another voting mess-up. When I called to vote for Chris, Katharine says Thanks for voting for me. I thought I dialed the wrong number, so I tried again to hear Katharine, again. People were trying to vote for Chris...not Katharine! That's why Chris went home......GRRRR...REDO please!”
Other voters claimed that they were able to get through on both of Daughtry's numbers and heard his voice, not McPhee's. Still others said that despite calling solidly for two hours, they were never able to get through and place a vote for Daughtry.
As of Friday afternoon, FOX had not responded to several requests for comment.
Bulletin boards, of course, also offer up their share of inaccurate information. Some Thursday and Friday postings claimed that Ryan Seacrest had made an announcement that he had read incorrect phone numbers, and that because of this, Daughtry would be returned to the show. A replay of the Tuesday-night show does not appear to show any incorrect numbers given, nor has Daughtry been returned to the show as of late Thursday.
The news wasn't all bad for Daughtry this week. Thursday night he was offered a job with the band Fuel. Bass player Jeff Abercrombie and guitarist Carl Bell made their pitch on the TV show “Extra.”
“Chris, if you are watching, we’ve talked about this before, and if you want to entertain it again we’ll take it and go,” Abercrombie said. The buzz around Daughtry for weeks has been that he could end up the band’s lead singer. He performed the band’s song “Hemorrhage” on a recent “Idol” show. “Daughtry did not appear to respond to the band’s offer. His wife, Deanna, has been quoted as saying she’s not sure what her husband will decide. He’s got a lot on him and hopefully he’ll have a lot of wisdom there,” she told the AP. “The public forgets so fast about those idols once they get off the show. I just hope they don’t forget about Chris.”
"American Idol" has faced complaints about its phone lines before. In March of last year, incorrect phone numbers were listed for contestants Anwar Robinson, Mikalah Gordon, and Jessica Sierra. The phone numbers are always listed twice for each contestant, once as a number and once in a kind of shorthand, incorporating the letters on the phone that spell out IDOLS.
For Robinson, Gordon and Sierra, the numbers spelled out using letters were correct, but the complete phone numbers printed below those numbers were incorrect. Viewers who called the second numbers intending to vote for Robinson, Gordon or Sierra would be instead casting votes for contestants Anthony Fedorov, Carrie Underwood or Scott Savol. The errors were not corrected before the show aired on the West Coast.
A FOX representative blamed the errors on an outside contractor and said that person had been reprimanded. The network then aired a new performance show the night after the incorrect numbers were shown, reopened the voting, and moved the results show from Wednesday to Thursday.
 
nibblesandbits

nibblesandbits

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
SpongeScott said:
'IDOL' SPECULATION


CHRIS DAUGHTRY'S LOSS HOLDS A LESSON IN AMERICAN POLITICS



May 12, 2006 -- AS a seasoned political observer with more than two decades of experience analyzing voting patterns and the like, I would now like to explain to you one of the greatest mysteries in the history of balloting - a mystery so profound that people have sobbed and scratched their heads, gasped and cried out in anger, and insisted they would never again participate in the voting process.
Am I talking about the Florida election in 2000? The 1984 controversy over the victor in the race for Indiana's Eighth Congressional District? The race for president in 1876?
No, I'm talking about the elimination on Wednesday night of rocker Chris Daughtry from the list of contenders for the title of "American Idol."
There was universal dismay when Ryan Seacrest announced on the air that the gravelly-voiced Daughtry - who was said to be the odds-on favorite to win this year's competition - had been booted out rather than sultry songstress Katharine McPhee.
The previous night, McPhee and Daughtry had both performed Elvis Presley songs. McPhee, talented but erratic, clearly stunk up the joint, while Daughtry, as always, did well. And yet, after the 40 million (or more) phone calls were tallied, McPhee got more votes than Daughtry and he was out. How could this happen?
Here's how. If you want to understand "Idol," you need to understand American politics. And if you want to understand the workings of American politics, "Idol" isn't a bad introduction to the way political coalitions are formed and elections are won.
After the "American Idol" field narrows to 12 finalists, the show kicks one contestant off every week - the one who gets the lowest number of votes.
The number of votes seems to remain remarkably constant (this year, somewhere north of 40 million) week to week. This indicates the same people continue to vote each week. It also means that the people who voted for the contestant who was kicked off go ahead and just choose somebody new to vote for.
This is a direct parallel to the presidential primary process. In the early primaries, candidates who do poorly usually drop out of the race, leaving those who would have supported them in other states high and dry. Those supporters then have to pick somebody else among the surviving candidates to vote for.
This winnowing process allows the most appealing candidates to pick up steam by adding new voters to their cadre of supporters. And as they do so, the field continues to be winnowed, until finally there are only one or two candidates left standing. The single-issue candidate, the flash-in-the-pan, the guy who has one fantastic debate - they may all have their moments, but in the end, the candidate with the most broad-based appeal will usually win.
And this is what explains Chris Daughtry's stunning loss this week on "American Idol." He has a distinctive voice and distinctive appeal. The problem is that he never broadened his base very much. If you liked him from the start, you stayed with him - which is why he remained solidly among the top contenders through most of the show's run.
But if you didn't much like his sound when there were still 9 contestants remaining, you weren't suddenly going to decide you liked his sound when there were only 4 remaining.
The key to winning "American Idol" isn't being overwhelmingly popular in the early stages. The key is having a sound that makes it possible for you to pick up votes from people whose favorites have gotten booted off the show. Because if you don't get those votes, somebody else is going to get them.
That is almost certainly what happened on Wednesday night. Chris Daughtry lost out to Katharine McPhee because the young female singer Paris Bennett was sent home the previous week.
If you loved Paris, you probably weren't going to move into Chris's camp. It's likely that the Paris voters went both to McPhee and to underdog Elliot Yamin, the sweet-sounding guy with the odd teeth who is a balladeer like Paris.
Elliot has been gaining strength both because his performances have been good, and because he's clearly picked up support from the fans of eliminated contestants Paris, Kellie Pickler and Ace Young. So where does this leave the final three in "American Idol"? It's likely that McPhee will be the odd person out next week, leaving front-runner Taylor Hicks and under-the-radar Elliot left to duke it out for the title.
Taylor Hicks has a distinctive sound and style that are clearly very pleasing to millions. But I think he's a little like Daughtry. If he's your favorite, he's been your favorite for a long time - and he needs to be the second favorite for McPhee's fans to win.
But McPhee's sound is probably closer to Elliot Yamin's. Thus, according to the logic of coalition-building that is at the heart of both American politics and Fox's pop-culture phenomenon, Elliot Yamin will be the next "American Idol." It's just good politics.
Click to expand...
Hmmm...that article SpongeScott posted is very intriguing to say the least...guess we'll have to see it he's got it right.
 
hcswingfield

hcswingfield

Active Member
I thought Chris' performances on Elvis week were lackluster at best, and not up to his usual greatness. I think he planned to exit so he could plot his own career better.

Of the three that are left, I think each of them could win and be a great Idol. Kat wasn't as bad on Elvis night as everyone has been making out. Except for the slight lyric flub, she was quite entertaining. She also keeps trying new things and stretching herself in the competition. And she's the youngest one left. She's like a young Linda Ronstadt.

Taylor has been great all along, his only weak moments coming when the producers changed his song choices at the last minute. He's like a male Bette Midler. Not the greatest voice in the world, but a really good entertainer and showman, who knows how to sell a song.

Elliott is this year's Clay Aiken. What a transformation! He's always had the voice, but now he has the personality and is a lot less geeky looking.

Who am I rooting for at this point? I'm waiting to see how they do in the next round. I'm betting Taylor takes the prize though, unless he really flubs a performance.
 
MAF

MAF

Well-Known Member
hcswingfield said:
I think he planned to exit so he could plot his own career better.
.
Click to expand...

Ok that doesn't really make any sense, no offense. Even if he did purposely try to sabatoge himself by singing badly, what's to say that his rabid fans wouldn't still vote for him. I'm sick of people crying about how him getting voted off was either a scam or planned ahead. The fact is that his fans didn't vote because they thought he would win no matter what and that's why he left last week.
 
Monty

Monty

Brilliant...and Canadian
In the Parks
No
TurnipHead said:
Ok that doesn't really make any sense, no offense. Even if he did purposely try to sabatoge himself by singing badly, what's to say that his rabid fans wouldn't still vote for him. I'm sick of people crying about how him getting voted off was either a scam or planned ahead. The fact is that his fans didn't vote because they thought he would win no matter what and that's why he left last week.
Click to expand...

Respectfully, that doesn't make any more sense... The way people voted and their rationale for doing so is not something you can state as "fact". Unless you have interviewed each and every voter and potential voter [people who didn't vote], you can't say why they did or didn't vote the way they did or didn't. [OK, that hurt :p]

I'm certainly not crying about his being voted off, it's just a show. I have yet to buy any albums made by any of the previous years' contestants and am unlikely to in the future. I watch purely for the entertainment of it.
 
DDuckFan130

DDuckFan130

Well-Known Member
I knew I liked Simon...

Cowell Picks Hicks to Be Next 'Idol'
By Associated Press
1 hour ago


NEW YORK - Simon Cowell predicts that the gray-haired Taylor Hicks will be the next "American Idol."

"I'm going to say he's the favorite, but what do I know?" the "Idol" judge told Jay Leno on NBC's "Tonight Show" on Monday.

Cowell had earlier predicted that rocker Chris Daughtry, who was booted off "Idol" in an upset last week, would be among the show's three remaining finalists.

Instead, along with the 29-year-old Hicks, an Alabama native, the remaining contestants on the Fox program are sultry crooner Katharine McPhee and Elliot Yamin.

Cowell expects Yamin to be the next to go, resulting in a Hicks-McPhee finale on May 23-24. Though Cowell thought McPhee, 21, should have been voted off last week, he thinks she'll last one more round.

"Based on last week, absolutely she should have gone," said Cowell. "But, you know, she's got a fighting chance. I think she'll make the final, and I'll tell you why: because I'm choosing one of her songs this week."

The 27-year-old Yamin might not have Cowell's vote, but he has a fan in judge Paula Abdul.

Last week, Abdul told Teen People magazine, "I am going to be honest with you _ I want Elliot to win."

After performances Tuesday evening, the remaining "Idol" field of three was to be cut down to two on Wednesday (9 p.m. EDT). The winner will be crowned May 24.
Click to expand...
 
hcswingfield

hcswingfield

Active Member
The Birmingham Fox station is reporting that the song the judges chose for Taylor to do tonight is "You are So Beautiful" (Joe Cocker). He should do really well with that one!
 

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