And now for 3 I did enjoy quite a bit (at least vocally):

Pia Toscano/All By Myself/Celine Dion – Getting the Coca Cola stools of pimp-dom interview? She must’ve really gotten up there in the votes last week. Ron Fair. Damn. And this girl really wants to establish herself as a belter, no? This song is no joke. Alright, girly. Let’s see if you can bring it. Why did the tranny’s staple that sad piece of crème fabric to her back? She sounds really good here. She’s no Celine. Let’s be honest. But she has a pleasing tone. The “anymore” kind of got away from her, but that gets away from everyone who is not Celine. And she did much, much better with the last “anymore”. All around a good showing on a song that has swallowed lesser AI contestants whole. I’m impressed. Two weeks in a row she brings really solid vocals. I want her to not sing a ballad now. Oh, Steven Tyler. Don’t give away the dirty little secret that they are not doing the show live this year. (Hate that, btw. Hate. Hate. Haaaattteeee!)

James Durbin/Maybe I’m Amazed/Paul McCartney – I love this song. I loathe this kid. Huh. What a dilemma. Wallet chain = Douche. Learn it. Live it. Love it. Other than that, he sounds not terrible. I’m enjoying him more when I don’t have to look at him. And the scream works when he unleashes it strategically. That was lovely. I must give credit where it’s due. He was even less squinty this week. And the he ruins it all with the audience antics. Such a douche. But a really pretty voice. Truly, he’s a worthy successor to the Gokey throne.

Haley Reinhart/Blue/LeAnn Rhimes – Huh. Wouldn’t have pegged LeAnn Rhimes as her personal Idol. And do you really want to choose a song by a noted homewrecker as your first impression on the AI stage? And it’s such a stylized choice. I didn’t have this girl pegged country at all. She’s doing a great job with this song. It’s reigning her in a little bit and making her less of a note killer. Gorgeous dress, too. I don’t know what’s up with the shoulder duster earrings, but I can let that go if she keeps singing like that. That was absolutley gorgeous. Wow. I don’t think she’s ever sung that well. Randy’s full of shit. That wasn’t boring. It’s fine to just stand there and sing the hell out of a song provided you can deliver. And she delivered.

And now back to our regularly scheduled hating:

Jacob Lusk/I Believe I Can Fly/R. Kelly – And he also get’s the Coca Cola pimp-terview. It was cute until Ry Ry got uncomfy with the wet room. Sigh. This song choice is so expected. Cue pimp chorus in 3, 2, 1. This is about to be a festival of oversinging and gospel hand throwing up on that stage. I’m so tired of this one. The verse was beautiful. The key change into the chorus was so, so off. It sounded like ass. It got better when he was able to play off the totally predictable pimp chorus and really get into those falsetto glory notes. And of course it ends with the gospel hand. Of course it does. Just no. There’s nothing current about this kid. If this were the early 90’s and MJ were still making Space Jams, then maybe he could become a star, but who do you hear on the radio right now who’s sing music like this? Even on Urban Contemporary radio? And thank god for Randy for calling this fool out on falling completely off the melody when he attempted the key change into the chorus because that shit was foul and JLo and Steven Tyler acted like it didn’t even happen. Dammit. Do not make me agree with Randy. You know how angry that makes me.

Thia Megia/Smile/Michael Jackson – I don’t believe that MJ is really her Idol. I smell the SiNi all over this pick. And it’s a horrible pick for her. She’s been doing nothing but pageant girl songs and she really needs to stop. It’s creepy. This performance is so, so boring. I just do not get this girl at all. She’s such a cypher. Was there any excitement? Pizazz? Would anyone be motivated to pick up a phone for that? Where’s Simon with his cracks about lounge singers and cruise ships when you need him? And why is she wearing a prom dress? And the judges don’t want to bring it to this girl like it should be broughten. It was not good. And she’s so robotic. Family, is this girl on drugs? Is she just a little slow? What is it? Why is she so low energy? I hate her. No, you know what? I don’t even care enough about her to hate her. She can go home any time now.

Last batch:

I wouldn’t put it past Steven Tyler to be going through menopause and really need that fan.

Stefano Langone/Lately/Stevie Wonder – Polow Da Don. Again, I say wow. Big producers. Big names. Love this song. Five dollars this is more Jodeci than Stevie. He’s such a cute mini-person. He doesn’t have a round enough tone to carry this song off. Great decision to bring the song uptempo because now he can hide the fact that his voice is a little thin and just groove on it and on the fact that he’s really on key. Polow Da Don gave him a genius arrangement of that song. He avoided getting compared to Stevie or Jodeci who are obviously bettern singers than he is. He definitely justified his wildcard. I don’t think he has the voice to go all the way in this competition, but he certainly has enough to make the tour which would be a really good result for him.

Karen Rodriguez/I Could Fall In Love/Selena – I get and believe that she loves her, but wow, I think this is a horrible song choice for her. Way too much opportunity to take it to the pageant place. And right out the box, she is off. So so pitchy. She is searching for the right note and just not finding it at all. Is she sick? Because she was much, much better than this last week. The low notes are painful and she is just under the pitch in general. Crazy vibrato all over the place. And no. No power in the part of the song that needed power. And she had not breath support so it got all screechy. And JLo takes it to the you look beautiful place. And then basically tells her she sang like ass. Off on the low notes and off on the high notes, too. So that’s just off then? Everybody knows she’s going home tomorrow, right?

Scotty McCreery/The River/Garth Brooks – Great song choice! Oh, my word, do I love this song. And I think he will destroy it. He doesn’t even need the pimp-terview. Hmmm. He did an OK job with this song. I thought he’d actually crush it more than he did. He definitely got into more when the band dropped out, but his voice lacked a little support. He couldn’t really get up there and power it through. It was good but not great. And without a ton of producer manipulation, this is going to be the last week he can kind of rest in his comfort zone like he’s been doing. He’s going to have to do something different, so Randy’s whole don’t change it rant is ridiculous. I don’t even know what Steven Tyler said. It must’ve been stupid because it got a “Yeah, yeah, yeah” from the Dawg. And JLo is correct that he did have a little more showmanship this time.

Naima Adedapo/Umbrella/Rhianna – I do not get this as a song choice for her and ain’t no way in hell I buy that Rhianna is her musical Idol. What producer is up Rhianna’s ass? For real. Did she just sign with Interscope or something? Is Randy getting’ it in or something? Becaues they have been on her jock this season and I just . . . I’m struggling with it. Autotune Idol? Maybe. Tricky Stewart. Again, I say wow. Huge benefit to bringing in Jimmy IV. OK, the reggae break was weird. And she is just trying to do a little too much with all the dance breaks. She doesn’t have the breath control for all that just yet. I appreciate what she was going for, but she has yet to establish herself as a good enough singer for all that. The crowd booed him, but Steven Tyler was right, she had pitch problems. And JLo might want to discount that, but this is still a singing competition. You have to sing well to win. She has an adorable personality and her interveiw with Ryan was super cute. She can overstand y’all. But this was not a pimp slot worthy performance.

These folks are totally safe:

Lauren, Casey, Pia, James, Jacob, Scotty

These people are likely safe, but Ryan will fuck with them tomorrow:

Haley, Stefano Naima

These People should be in more trouble than I think they will be:

Paul, Thia

One of these people will likely be going home tomorrow:

Karen, Ashthon

Best Guess who will go:

Asththon

I couldn't believe that all three women were in the bottom three: that was just. . . grrr.

And yeah, I'm all for anyone but Mike. I'm hoping that this was the kick in the pants that Antonia needs to pull it together for the final challenge.

Yeah, Mike would really irk. I'm mentally preparing myself for his win though because hardly ever does anything work out for me on reality tv.

And Mike looked so giddy in his talking-head interviews, maybe beyond just having won that challenge? I'm scared. Although Richard seems to be setting himself up to "choke" "again," so at least there's that?

Has the person who won the challenge at the finale place that was just before the finale ever won the finale?

Sam Talbot (season 2) in the fashion section of the New York Times.

Survivor: So, Russell is really gone. I have to admit, I was kinda touched that he cried, even if he is a deeply damaged guy.

I loved Boston Rob making up a game just so he could find the idol. "Royal Treatment," my ass. He is one smart cookie.

I was severly underwhelmed by the ANTM make over episode. Nobody even cried all that much. Also, Tyra tried to re-brand the Louise Brooks bob as a Dutch Boy, but I'm not buying. Still, that was one of her best make overs ever.

The models continue to be dull and uninteresting. But ALT wore a scrub brush on his head, so there was that.

Nobody even cried all that much

I know! I kept expecting at least one of them to lose it, but no...even that bad weave didn't get a tear, just a little anger. They all seem so blah this cycle. ALT's hat has got to go, it's distracting to see it bobbing away when he's talking. What was up with Miss Jay's hair when they got to the salon!?

Oh, we cannot speak on Miss Jay's hair. That was a travesty.

These girls are all dull as dishwater. Even the one girl that they are trying to play up as the bitch of the house is only mostly kind of annoying.