Tamyra and Mary Murphy? How random.

Casey/1991/Smells Like Teen Spirit/Nirvana – The parents are awesome. Love them. Love him. Love them and him. Why would people not get Nirvana? Jimmy IV, you mystify me. I think he’ll do well with Nirvana. Kurt Cobain had a really nice voice, quiet as it’s kept. The first part was good but the “Hellos” were painfully out of pitch. And he’s just taking advantage of the fact that people think rock and roll is just screaming on the back half of this song because all he did was just scream. But rock and roll is not just screaming. Thank goodness, JLo. Thank you for calling this fool out on screaming through the entire back half of this song. The judges can’t even front. He’s fearless? Try being a good singer for a change or else I can’t keep on liking you.

Lauren/1995/I’m the Only One/Melissa Etheridge – That flu she has? I have had that flu. That flu is nothing nice. I thought I was going to die. I damn sure couldn’t have gotten up and sung on a TV show. Props to her, because that flu is really, really nothing to play with. This is a great song, but I’m sure this kid has no idea what it’s about, so even if she technically sings it well, it won’t be good. This song worked so well for Melissa Etheridge because she infused it with pain and passion and longing so that it reached out of the radio and ripped your throat out. And she sounds like ass, but given that she has the flu, she sounds amazing. I kind of can’t believe she’s even up there singing. And as I thought, she’s clueless as to what the song is actually about. I wonder if she even knows she’s singing this song about another woman? The song would normally suit her voice if her voice wasn’t chewed up from the flu. And given what she was working with, she actually did a good job. Not as good as the judges made out, but overall, it was well done.

I am so scared that Jacob got the pimp slot.

Jacob/1987/Alone/Heart – Is he the oldest in the competition? Jacob’s mom is better than great. She’s great great. And he chose this song? Alone? Oh, no he di’in’t. In the footsteps of giants. Forget living up to Carrie. I doubt he can even live up to Allison’s version in the semi-final round. And right from the jump? Under the pitch. And up there in his purple shirt and doing that gospel bounce? He looks ridonkulous. And he’s off. So sharp and off off off off. How do I get you to stop singing? How about that? Y’all, you know it’s been a bad week when this crap gets the pimp slot. That was terrible. What a horrible way to end the night. It was just bad. Dawg, no one can be “genius” when he or she goes that sharp all the way through the middle of a song. The judges tried to pump this fool up, but just no.

Great this week:

Nobody

Very good this week:

Pia, Stefano

Good this week:

James, Haley, Scotty

Not that Great this Week but will get by on their fan bases:

Naima, Casey, Lauren

Bad this week but will get by on their fan bases:

Thia, Jacob

Just Plain Bad and in danger of going home:

Karen, Paul

I think Karen will go home this week even though she wasn’t actually the worst. That would be Paul or Thia.

And Lee as the former Idol guest tomorrow? Well, let’s just make sure that the entire week’s worth of Idol shows are shitty then, why don’t we?

Did you skip Stefano in the writeup?

My Tivo awaits. But probably until Saturday.

Okay, rickey.org based AI report:
I like Naima's energy. Her singing needs a little work.
Paul needs to stop dancing. I can stand him if I don't have to look at him. I am curious as to what his actual own musical style might be, because I am sure it is not Elton John.
Thia has a lovely tone to her voice. MY GOD has she no personality, though?
James is no Jon Bon Jovi (heartfelt sigh...) but he did alright, dawg.
Haley, the whine does not work for me. At all. Neither does the growl. No.
I am getting a little tired of Stefano's right hand. Also, glow-in-the-dark sneakers?
Pia is consistently good, but I am not wild about her voice, and I don't actually like her vibe. Also, WHITE SATIN JUMPSUIT????
Scotty is sure a one-note kinda guy, eh? But at least he's never pitchy.
I still think Karen is adorable, even with the hair puff. She was on the notes, mostly, but had no power.
Casey I had to stop watching, and I usually love Casey.
Lauren was okay - a little low energy - but that song is so tied to the original performance for me, and Lauren is no Melissa Etheridge.
Jacob was pitchy and I don't like his voice or his drama. I did think the song choice worked, though.

TAR fans - you can win the Cowboys' favorite boots.

You guys will be excited to know, I'm sure, that I am picking teams for the basketball championships bracket thingy and I did one bracket based solely on intuition and one I copied from Flight Time's bracket! It seems like he'd know basketball stuff. Plus, adorable!

You'll have to keep us updated on your brackets do.

I will, Sumi!

flea, I did skip Stefano which I didn't even realize last night and is sad for this show on many levels since I think he was the only other one besides Pia who was even decent last night. Anyway, I thought he was fine. A little sharp in places and biffed the last note something fierce, but he choose a great song that was suited to his voice (which so many of these kids fail to do week in and week out and really they should be able to do it even more so this year than last since they have Jimmy IV and all those guest super star producers) and he's a cutie and his dad was weepy and adorable and he got to give his mom a hug so on a so so night, that makes him all good.

Survivor-- Rob switching out the clue to the HII while still making Grant think he was helping him 100%--brilliant. I mean, that is playing the motherfucking game.

Totally. I was laughing my ass off when he was doing that.