Birmingham, the Recap

And this, my friends, is the point in the season where I say to myself, "Holy Mary Mother of God, can we get to fucking Hollywood already?"

Birmingham, blah. Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, Bo Bice, blah. Why does Birmingham have to hog all of the American Idols?

Anyway, let's go. First up was Erika Skye, who bears more than your passing resemblance to Stephanie Klein and sang a screamy rendition of "Unchained Melody" that made my brain hurt. I'm not going to go into everyone else -- just the ones I feel like talking about.

Jamie Lynn Ward. Now, her father shot her mother and then himself, leaving him paralyzed in a wheelchair. We weren't told the mother's fate, but she doesn't live in the house so I'm guessing it's not good. It's a sad story, and it makes her this season's Kellie Pickler. But here's the thing. I may hate The Pickler now, but I really liked her after the audition. Why? Because she had a sad story and she sang the crap out of "Since U Been Gone." Jamie Lynn Ward did not sing the crap out of "Reflection." Had she been a regular girl without a good backstory, we wouldn't have even seen her audition, and she certainly wouldn't have made it to Hollywood.

Now, Chris Sligh. He also didn't sing the shit out of "Kiss From a Rose," but he said he was there to make David Hasselhoff cry, and for that he should be the next American Idol. Let's review: Dad shoots mom, self. Go home. Snarky comment about David Hasselhoff. You're the next American Idol. My heart is black and my soul is cold.

Last but now least, Brandy Patterson. Delusional and with an attitude up to here, she poured kerosene on "Like a Virgin," lit it on fire and then danced on the ashes. I mean, just, wow. The best part was Simon's reaction to her. I love it when Simon, who is so reserved, bursts into laughter. And when he said, "Call me," and she said, "I don't want to call you," and he said, "Yes you do," and they went on and on, I burst out laughing. I love me some Simon Cowell.

Paula was mysteriously absent on Day 2 of Birmingham. Did she really have "family business"? Was she too drunk to go on? Did the lack of talent in Birmingham send her over the edge? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this year's American Idol will not be from Alabama.

Link it up, baby:

Death by Camera has the Memphis contestant's MySpace Profiles.

EW has the full recap

As does TWoP

News Roundup

Greetings! One-fifth of your favorite "pseudo-intellectual satirist" team has just returned from Ireland, where I dutifully watched a little bit of the Memphis auditions during football half-time (soccer for you Americans). I still have a couple of hours to catch up on, so I'll stick with the news until I've done so. I do, however, love Sean Michel, the homeless-looking hippie dude who sang Johnny Cash. I want to do bong hits with him. Anyway, the news:

Simon Cowell hates technology, music, often rubs two sticks together to make fire. Guess that means he'll never read American Midol. (AZ Central)

Katharine McPhee releases her highly-anticipated (couldn't even type that with a straight face) debut album. If you're curious to hear what all the fuss is about, but loathe to shell out the big bucks to do so, it's your lucky day, because AOL Music is streaming that bitch for free. (WTOP)

Armed & Famous cancelled due to poor ratings, leading TV execs and the media to the shocking conclusion that if you want a new show, an old show or any show, really, to succeed, you might not want to air it opposite American Idol. (Canada.com)

Chris Daughtry's debut album hits #1. In related news, Americans have really shitty taste in music. (93X Rocks)

Everything you never wanted to know about what went on behind the scenes at the Birmingham auditions. (MyFox Birmingham)

When drunk and incoherent, it's always best to blame Simon Cowell. Riiiight, Paula. (Access Hollywood)

And there you have it. I'd also like to address a couple of search terms that have recently brought visitors to the site. First, to the person who got here by searching for "mean american idol bloggers suck," I'm terribly sorry you feel that way. And for the individual searching for Ryan Seacrest's height, the official party line is 5'8", but since short guys always add an inch or two, I'm guess he's actually around 5'6" or 5'7". Has anyone stood next to him? If so, kindly weigh in.

Your Monday Newsbrief

Think American Idol is growing old and a bit stale? Oh yeah, fussy pants?!? Well what, pray tell, would YOU do to improve it? No really, I'm not picking a fight with y'all. MTV wants to know. In fact, they asked a variety of types including Taylor "The Tard" Hicks, Randy Jackson and some radio personalities I never heard of that very question. Do people even listen to regular radio anymore? Beyond Howard Stern and I guess Casey Kasem, I have no retention of radio dee-jays or their names. I mean, why would I?

But that's neither here nor there. If you have an opinion, and I know you do, head on over to MTV and leave suggestions. Or you can comment here while staying within the safe and comfy confines of your favorite bitchy blog. Mind you, we can't and won't pass them along to the powers-that-be at MTV but that still shouldn't stop you from flexing your free speech muscles here.

How would I improve the show, you ask? Well, for one, I'd condense the best and the worst of the auditions into four episodes (aired over two weeks) and then bring that shit to Hollywood tout de suite. Oh, and the production assistants should be tasked with making sure there's always some sort of mind-altering substance in Paula Abdul's Coke cup. At all times. Because it's just funnier when she's shit-faced. Thoughts? (MTV.com)

Despite her obvious fondness for the drink, some people do in fact think Paula is worthy of praise. The lush even managed to snag herself one of them there Women of the Year Awards. The honor was bestowed by the Nevada Ballet Theatre, not Apple Boones as I originally assumed. They're holding out to honor her with the Lifetime Achievement Award, methinks. (National Ledger)

People.com asked a rather random roster of celebrities which song they would sing if they were an American Idol contestant. Andy Roddick, that cute tennis player, mentions Menudo and Bananarama and honestly, I can't quite say for sure if he's being facetious or not. I hope so. Nelly Furtado, who is equally easy on the eyes, responded: "I would sing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' just to be different." Not sure if she's never watched the show or if that was a sly dig at Katharine McPhee. Frankly, I don't think Nelly's all that smart. Neither is Kat though. Whatever, I'd still bang both of them. And no, Andy Roddick, you cannot watch. (People.com)

Mark your calendars, Elliott Yamin fans. March 20 is a big day. Why, you ask? Well, it just so happens to be the anniversary of the publication of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. What does that have to do with Elliott?! No fucking clue! I'm just trying to fill space. Actually though, that theory may have in some way, shape or form paved the way for the orthodontics that helped fix Elliott's busted grill. You never know!

Ow, all this talk of scientific theory is making my head hurt. Enough of this smart shit. March 20 is the day Yamin's debut album hits stores. If you can't wait that long, Elliott's first single titled "Movin' On" will be available for illegal downlo... er, I mean, purchase on iTunes and other digital music providers on February 13. (AmericanIdol.com)

Photo: AmericanIdol.com

A Recap and a Roundup. Lucky Yous!

Okay, so I never quite got around to recapping the New York auditions when I said I would. My bad. What can I say? I suck and you should never ever date me.

But that's a story for another time and another blog. Oooh, shameless plug.

Anyhoo, I have to say that I was expecting to cringe through the entire two hours of this particular round because, prior to auditioning at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, the contestants were first vetted at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. See, I grew up a stone's throw from there and I was hoping against hope that the denizens of my home state wouldn't show me up... because, clearly, I am the bastion of class and propriety and shit.

But I'm happy to report that my fellow Garden Staters held their own. While cheesy and kind of annoying, Amanda Coluccio and Antonella Barba of Holmdel and Point Pleasant, respectively, didn't leave me wishing that I was born five months premature when my family still resided in Brooklyn, NY. Again, they were cheesy but not horrendous.

Do you know who was horrendous though? That Fania Tsakalakos. She's the one who treated us to the Big Fat Greek Audition and informed us that she's "from Athens, Greece and New Jersey."

I'm confused. Did her mother go into labor on the way from Greece to Newark Airport? Enlighten me, Fania. Oh and since I'm on this kick where I make questionable comparisons between contestants and celebrities in my recpas, I'm going to go ahead and say that Fania looks like the end result if Lainie Kazan and Nia Vardalos mated. Opa!

Since Mejack did such a bang-up job of summarizing the show, I'm going to shut up and move on into the most recent American Idol headlines.

Never let it be said that I have not mastered the smooth segue...

Katharine McPhee gives a lovely interview to People Magazine this week. Shut up, Mejack. It's true! Among other things, she acknowledges that she came across as "aloof" and "dry" on the program. Self-critique is hot. My crush is restored. Again, shut up Mejack! (AmericanIdol.com)

Kat can also be found in a guest-starring role in the hit sitcom "Ugly Betty" on February 1 (ABC, 8PM EST). That is quite possibly, the one and only time the words "ugly" and "Katharine McPhee" were ever uttered in the same sentence. I'm so serious, Mejack. Zip it. (Blogcritics)

Chris Daughtry's first album bearing the oh-so-original name of Daughtry is currently No. 1 on The Billboard 200. I can't say I'm shocked. After all, this is a nation where the likes of Applebees and the Olive Garden thrive. We have an isatiable appetite for the bland, tasteless and ultimately unsatisfying. It's a wonder plain rice cakes are not the number one snack food. (AmericanIdol.com)

But, if Daughtry is your sort of thing and you happen to live in the Greensboro, North Carolina area, well, we just can never be friends. Oh, I kid. While I do think Chris is a tool, I have no beef with The Tar Heel State. Y'all will be the envy of many a geographically-challenged Daughtry fan when the chrome-domed singer treats his homestate to a free concert on March 23, 2007. Uh, yeah... have fun with that. (Monsters and Critics.com)

Lastly, those of you equipped with a PlayStation 2 -- and a desire to humiliate yourself in the privacy of your own home -- can "audition" for Idol courtesy of Konami's Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol. OMG. I don't have PlayStation but between this game and Guitar Hero, I think I really need to get myself one. Donations gladly accepted. I don't rule out the odd sexual favor in exchange. (A+E Interactive)

Photo: AmericanIdol.com

Katharine McPhee Has Really Scary Boobs

I think the title says it all.

Photo: Us Online

Hollywood is New Jersey with Celebrities

NYC Represent!!

First of all, the NYC auditions happened at Chelsea Piers -- which I CAN SEE FROM MY OFFICE WINDOW!!! How did I not know that this was happening?? I could have had an EXCLUSIVE of the auditions after I went and gawked at everyone and ran back to my PC at work and wrote a bit of a draft then leftit there for hours while I frantically IM'd Jess and Curly in ALL CAPITALS to emphasize (and probably exaggerate if not out and out lie about) what I just saw. Then I would have stayed late at work to finish my masterpiece of a post and it would probably have turned out to a run-on grammatical calamity as they all are (I am, after all an ACCOUNTANT) -- and then I would have gone home squawking about the injustices of working late. Or something. But I digress.

So NYC auditions. The extra judge -- Carol something or other. I seem to remember Ryan SeaQuest rambling on about her resume -- I think she wrote some songs and stuff and she knew Dionne Warwick or something but I was too transfixed by her Alexis Carrington hairdo to remember what he said.

The trouble with trying to recap the auditions is that there are so many people to talk about. I suppose I can't get through this without mentioning that MORON Ian Benardo who actually was on the local news following the show as well as on the cover of the fricken NY Post. There is NO WAY this guy was for real. The whole "Gloria" thing? Yeah, Pawl Bawldwin called and wants his accent back but Thanks For Playing! I did, however, find it uproariously funny when he demanded to see Simon's working visa and that he called Hollywood "New Jersey with celebrities." But again, NO WAY this is for real. Gawker has splendid coverage of it here.

Now, call me callous, but I wanted to smack of the girl who lied to her parents and went to NYC to audition and was sobbing about how she j-j-just wanted her d-d-daddy to be pr-pr-proud of her. Boo hoo. Of course she makes it to Hollywood and she calls her dad -- with SeaQuest in tow -- and everything is just GROOVY and the dad says -- on speakerphone -- how proud he is and then the girl hugs SeaQuest and all is right with the world again. Right. If I EVER did that -- if I made the show or not -- I would have never even got to Hollywood because my dad would have KICKED THE CRAP out of me and would have probably beat up SeaQuest too.

Aside from that, the rest of the show was a blur. I did enjoy the crazy bitch, Sarah Goldberg, who thought she was a perfect choice as the next American Idol because she COULD NOT sing. Outstanding. She went on this maniacal rant at how the judges were rude for being judgmental of her singing. As if they were judges in a singing competition. Oh wait.

There was also the equally outstanding Isadora "Don't Call Me Julie" crazy palm reader at the end who said she sounded like Janis. AND Led Zeppelin -- who she seemed to think was a Person. That Led Zeppelin guy. Right.

There's more. There was the balls out chick from Queens who likened herself to Rocky, the Jersey Shore twits (who reminded me way too much of my cousin Carmella) who were definitely judged by Simon's weiner, the drama mama Ashanti who had a nervous breakdown in front of millions of viewers, and the fucking excellent Rachel Zevits. I love that she sang a Jeff Buckley song. I loved how she appeared to be some lunatic cracked out tweaker but instead ended up being ENORMOUSLY talented. So far, she is my favorite. It's still early though.

Delayed New York Recap

My New York recap is coming soon, I promise. I had an emergency dental visit so I've been out of commission since last night. Fear not, the episode is stored on my DVR and I'm going to watch and then log in and bitch a blue streak about it. Stay tuned.

Memphis Shmemphis

Like Curly said, I found last night's American Idol to be... lackluster... lukewarm, if you will. I wonder if they went and frantically re-edited this week's auditions so they don't appear as cruel as they did last week. Think about it. Simon said "sweetheart" -- but not in a "it's just my weiner talking" kind of way -- at an alarming rate. Paula was also unusually coherent. Randy has gone from Mean Randy Guy to "GOOD LOOKIN OUT PROVE THE DAWG WRONG" Randy Guy that we are used to. There was also the montage of hearing the judges snarky remarks but not seeing to whom they were directed. Interesting. I did rather enjoy the "Amaya. A Mayor? Amaya. A Mayor?" exchange between Simon and Timika Sims, who was that chick with the demonic freaky deaky eyes who talked like Farmer Fran from The Waterboy.

My favorite from last night's show was Sundance Head. YOU GO SUNDANCE HEAD!

In other news, Katherine McPhee hates on American Idol and name drops "Tom and Katie" like they are her BFFs Seriously. I wish this biotch would shut her damn piehole already. She should be bowing down and THANKING American Idol for catapulting her skanky ass into the spotlight. No one would GIVE A SHIT about her if she was not on the damn show.

Memphis Recap

Is it just me or was tonight's episode rather lackluster? I scribbled down some notes while watching but looking over them now, I realize I'm low on both original thoughts and sufficient bile to soak them in.

But I'll give it a whirl anyway...

Jason "Sundance" Head shows promise in the vocal department. He also shows a striking resemblance to Meatloaf. Oh and his chin looks like it's covered in pubic hair. There's something obscene and unkempt about it. He needs to go at that thing with a Personal Touch trimmer and a bottle of Nair.

Timika Sims. Yeah, I'm not going there. Not because I think she's an easy target and I'm trying to take the high road here. Oh no. It's mostly because, like Simon, I couldn't understand a goddamn word she said.

Wandera Hitchye treated us to the evening's first meltdown. She's the broad who stormed out of the room, covered up the camera lens and yelled, "Get that shit out my face. I don't want to see that." Funny, I was thinking the same thing about her hair. It was like a series of bright red stalagmites. The more I think about it, the more I want to go spelunking.

Christopher "Topher" McCain. He's the poor schlub who looked like a more zaftig Dave Barry and was recently dumped by his wife. This audition was supposed to be the ex's comeuppance but well... no, Topher, it wasn't. If anything, it just strengthened her case for divorce.

And lastly, Robert Lee Holmes. Here's a guy I would actually feel bad picking on, believe it or not. So I won't. But I do have to share this exchange between Robert and Simon:

Robert: "I sing, dance, act and I write stories."

Simon: "What kind of stories do you write?"

Robert: "I write the story about the music of Robert."

Simon: "... How does the current part end?"

Robert: "With a period. It ends with a period."

Brilliant, Robert, just brilliant.

Photos: AmericanIdol.com

The Official Paula Abdul Scattergram

It's here, boys and girls. We at American Midol have been hard at work and foaming at the mouths to present to you our latest mean-spirited endeavor. The wait is over! It's finally here! Without further ado and uncharacteristic use of exclamation points, I proudly present to you The Official Paula Abdul Scattergram!

Each week, your intrepid team of bitchy beavers will monitor Paula's behavior and then rate her level of sanity on a scale of one to ten, with one being normal (relatively speaking) and 10 being batshit crazy.

Because I know that fancy-schmancy Excel program, I'll be averaging and plotting Paula's scores on a chart each week for the rest of the season. Here's the results for Season Six, so far:

Click to enlarge

I have to say that after her drunken pre-show publicity tour, Paula's kind of kept it together during the first few episodes. Again, relatively speaking. I expect lots of spikes on the season-long chart. In fact, here's a rendering of what the chart might look like by the finale:

Click to enlarge

Please note that additional color-coded data lines may be added to track Paula's level of sobriety, blood alcohol content and any other histrionics she may throw our way. I fully expect to be adding an intricate legend to this chart by next week. Mark my words.

Better Late Than Never Newsbrief

As if I needed an excuse to be even crankier on this blog (and in real life, if I'm being honest), I've been engaged in a frustrating battle with my Internet connection for the past several hours and I.am.not.happy.about.it. The error pages and slow page loads have left me feeling extra salty. But it's your lucky day because I'm funneling my inner bitch into today's daily news digest. So, buckle up, bitches.

"We're no crueler this year," claim the Idol judges and producers in response to criticism that they've been too aggressive in the new asshole-tearing they've been doing this season. In other words, they've always been skewering Special Olympians from day one. Oh, I see. It's just that us assmunches didn't notice until now. Gotcha. (People.com; Reality Blurred)

If you're feeling a tad nosy, fire up your iTunes and check out the playlists of Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice and even Randy Jackson.

Surprisingly, no Journey was included in the latter's list. You tricked me, dawg! I was totally expecting some "Wheel in the Sky." Actually, no... that's not true. How silly of me. Randy didn't play bass on that track so why would he include it? I guess I meant to say that I was totally expecting some latter-day Journey that Randy played bass on. Um, I'd cite specific song titles and albums but really, do you even care? I sure as hell don't.

Once again Pickler proves that she's a dumb ass of monumental proportions. See, she first earned this distinction with her (albeit short-lived) dalliance with Constantine "My Chin Looks Just Like My Ass" Maroulis. She's now firmly cemented on my shit list thanks to the inclusion of one of her own tracks in her iTunes playlist.

So, to put this in perspective, no one else in that self-absorbed roster committed this crime. Just Kellie.

In case you're a little slow on the uptake, what I'm trying to say is that Pickler managed to make Randy "When I'm in the Studio with Mariah" Jackson look the model of humble restraint. Someone give me a billy-club, a darkened alley and five minutes alone with Pickler. Please? (iTunes Store; software download required for you Amish readers who don't have iTunes installed already.)

Citizens of Texas, you can go ahead and get your knickers out of that a knot they're in. Contrary to popular belief, Carrie Underwood and Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, are NOT sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. So, y'all can stop blaming her for distracting the QB and causing an early playoff exit. The real reason you're not going to the Super Bowl is because... uh... oh, fuck it. I hate football and I can't even pretend to give a shit. So let's just dispense with the trash talk and say that your team sucks and that'll be the end of it, okay? Move on. (National Ledger)

Photo: AmericanIdol.com

All McPhee, All the Time

To promote her new "album," Katharine Mcphee will be making the TV rounds. Here's her schedule if you'd like to set the DVR:

01.29: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

01.31: The Today Show

02.01: Live with Regis and Kelly

02.05: TRL

02.06: The Early Show

02.07: Jimmy Kimmell Live

02.08: Larry King Live

Good thing McPhee's agent gets the whole "overexposure" concept. Also, Ms. McPhee tortures puppies. Best. Pic. Ever.

More News:

• Paris Bennet's debut album "Princess P." is in the works, and will feature Kevin Covais and Lisa Tucker. Kevin will be rapping. If that's not the first sign of the apocalypse, I don't know what is. (United Press International)



• Steven Thoen, the redhead in Seattle who sang "Bohemian Rhapsody," is apparently mildly mentally challenged. Says his pissed-off mother. Which makes that whole segment way less amusing, incidentally. ( West Central Tribune)

Newsbrief

Kelly Clarkson is the new face of NASCAR, y'all. If I actually gave a rat's ass, I'd take the time to find out who the old face of NASCAR was. But I really, really don't. I cannot stress that enough. (Reality TV World)

Season 6 wasted no time producing its first convict. Thomas Daniels, the dude I think looks like Lionel from The Jeffersons, was nabbed for a DUI in 2004 as well as a hit-and-run the following year.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that if Tommy does make it to the finals, he will NOT be featured in any of those retarded Ford Focus commercials. All his costars will have to prance around and make asses of themselves and he'll be spared. Not the way I would have gone about it, but well done just the same, Tommy! (TMZ)

Speaking of oppressive product placement, Dreyer's Ice Cream is running an Idol-style contest for its Slow Churned Lite line of ice cream. Idol viewers and anyone bored enough are invited to vote for one of five new flavors (Hollywood Cheesecake, Soulful Sundae Cone, Choc 'n Roll Caramel, Take the Cake or Triple Talent). Gawd, those names! The favorite flavor will be sent to the "finals" and then forced to sing sappy ballads while legally bound to an iron-clad, soul-crushing contract, no doubt.

You know, part of me wants to slap this campaign with a big ol' "DUH!" but I won't because, well, I'm kind of hoping Dreyer's hooks me up with some free ice cream. Yes, I can be bought. Cheap. (Slashfood)

Photo: AmericanIdol.com

Hello Pot? This is Kettle.

Now you have gone and done it, Simon. Rosie is pissed.

So before I get into it- Yes, I know the sole purpose of this thing is to make fun of everyone on that show. I do think, however, that there is a fine line between good natured fun and outright cruelty. I think that line was crossed over and over last night. I mean, it's one thing to show brief clips of bad singers- that's funny. Showing a backstory that just set up someone's embarrassing downfall? Not so much. I agree with Jess on the whole ringer thing- I think a lot of that was rigged- but what was the point of humiliating the one chick who cried about her kid and her husband? All that did was make me hate the show a little bit and consider watching the "Friday Night Lights" rerun instead.

Onwards.

So I got all swoony over Tommy Daniels. I think he is going to go really far. I would say that he could be my boyfriend but I would not want to say something so early in the season that could possibly bite me in the ass later on. (Like how last February Jess said she wanted to be in an Ace Young/Chris Daughtry sandwich. I am sure she regrets that. I keep bringing it up to make sure.)

I thought the beat box guy was great. I also liked the guy who sang "Faithfully" - but I suspect he will piss me off Ace Young style before long. Who was really great was the 16 year old girl at the end who, apparently, already has a wikipedia page. It was so ridiculous how you heard Simon murmuring how she was one of the best singers while she was performing and when she finished he squawked "UNoriginal NOT unique...bla bla bla" Did she did not appeal to Simon's weiner? The ones who DID appeal to Simon's weiner got sent through with a winky wink. This chick did not get a winky wink. Simon agreed to send her through after he found out her dad was in the NFL. As I suspected all along, Simon is a big sissypants.

The most cringe-worthy moment of the night for me was when that freako who went by "Carlene" busted into that demented bunny-hop when she started singng Baby Got Back. I actually changed the channel. I also cringed when the Really Tall Chick stood next to Ryan Seacrest. The editors of that show seem hell bent on proving that Seacrest is, in fact, short.

Randy- WTF DAWG? You are not the mean one. Simon is the mean one. You are the "yo dawg I am not feeling you bro" guy. Stop being mean. It makes me feel icky.

In conclusion, I did learn two very important things last night:

1. Hot pink stirrup arm tights are ALWAYS a good idea.

2. If you give yourself the moniker "The Hotness" then perhaps others will follow suit.

Poll Time

So the general consensus, as it applies to the mainstream media, is that the judges' assessments of the people auditioning is, in technical terms, way harsh. What do you think?

Are the Judges Too Mean This Season?
	Yes, they've gone from simply dashing hopes and dreams to making people suicidal.
	No. Someone has to tell these people they suck.
	Randy is.
	Randy and Paula are.
	Simon is.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

I Call Bullshit

That's right, folks. Every now and then, I see a contestant on American Idol who I think may be someone playing a character. Call me cynical, but I'm pretty sure the following contestants are full of shit:

Jonathan Jayne: Robust kid in the Hawaiian shirt


Nicholas Zitzmann: Awkward computer programmer

Kenneth Briggs: Bush baby

Darwin "Misha" Reedy and her "mother"

Seriously. Don't feel bad for any of these people. They are all improv comics who are hoping this character will get them on SNL. I have a theory, too, that the people that Simon really unleashes on are the people who he suspects are not who they claim to be.

Here's who you should feel bad for: Amy Salgado. AI has a formula for auditions. Only the hilariously bad and awesomely good get back stories. Don't trot out some chick with a kid and a crap husband and let her tell us her story in her own words, and CRY on camera, and then humiliate her after her bad audition. I mean, how is that not the cruelest thing ever?

See? I may be a cynic, but my heart isn't entirely black.

Links:

• Death by Camera does the leg work finding all the contestants' MySpace profiles so we don't have to. See them here.


• Television Without Pity's recaplet


• EW's recap

Seattle: A Partial Recap

I slacked last night, boys and girls. I can't even lie. I got home later than expected and didn't finish watching "American Idol." I did catch the beginning and I even scribbled a few thoughts on a legal pad. I'll give the episode the proper treatment later but for now, here are a few of the notes I took:

Jennifer "The Hotness" Chapton: Looks like Sy Snootles, the lead singer of The Max Rebo Band. Um, for you non-nerds, that would be the group that sings in Jabba's palace in "Return of the Jedi." Oh, shut up. You know you loved that movie, Ewoks and all.

Amy Salgado: The chick who needed water and complained "I have a really dry throat." Simon's reply: "Amy, you could like down in a bath with your mouth open and you still couldn't sing." Quite possibly his best comeback ever.

Darwin "Misha" Reedy: "Daria" meets "Working Girl." Dry, lifeless tone coupled with white sneakers and black tights. Did she commute to her audition? Her mother is dressed like The Church Lady. Or that weird chick with the bun played by Ruth Buzzy on "Laugh In."

Thomas "Tommy" Daniels: Looks like the first Lionel from "The Jeffersons."

Melissa Stavros: Hippo.

That's as far as I got, folks. More to come later. Promise. Mean it.

Photo: Galactic News

6 Things I Learned From The American Idol Premiere

1. It might not be a good idea to have Burt Lahr as your Muse. Gutteral lion showtunes does not an idol make.

2. Simon and Randy make a lot of decisions based on their Weiners.

3. I know all the words to Prince's song "Kiss". In fact, EVERYONE knows the words to that song except for that weird girl wearing the tie. I was so embarrassed for her I was actually prompting her. Through the TV.

4. Don't sing a Jewel song to Jewel. Just don't. If you don't understand why you should not do that, you should probably just go and kill yourself.

(Incidentally,Sheila and I shouting "SNAGGLETOOTH" in unison was one of my favorite moments of the evening.)

5. Crack babies can sing good, yo. Word.

6. The old "using the wrong door" bit never gets old.

Diamond Vision

There were moments last night when I glanced around and we all were watching the show with our hands over our eyes, peeking out through our fingers. We couldn't bear direct viewing. We needed to hide. A friend of mine refers to this as "diamond vision". There was much diamond vision going on last night.

I am continuously baffled at those who truly BELIEVE that they can sing. Not even that they could be the next American Idol. But that they can actually carry a tune. I don't get it. They cannot hear themselves. They sing and they hear Maria Callas ... but what's coming out is a horrific wolf-howl. How are they SO off in their assessment of their abilities?

Jessica Rhode - the first girl to sing - with her strange thin lips, her protruding apple cheeks, and her disturbing skirt made of 1/4 denim and 3/4s ... billowy sheer curtains ... was blown AWAY that she was rejected. She could not get her mind around the fact that they had said No. Her response to the judges when it was a unanimous "No" was: "Are you serious???" She was gobsmacked. It had never even occurred to her that she would be turned down.

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? She's seen the show. She knows that a bazillion people are auditioning. Putting aside the fact that she could not sing - how could she have not been aware of the fact that the answer might be "No"? How does one hide from reality so successfully?

So for me, it's not only the terrible singing that brings about the diamond vision. It is also the shocking lack of self-awareness.

My favorite quote of the night was from Simon (big surprise):

"You're singing opera, and you're dressed as Apollo Creed. What do you want me to say to you?"

He had had it.

Oh, and Paula had a moment where I think what she said was, "I'm gonna pass", but it came out sounding like, "Mmmonna pss."

Come again?

Newsbreak

Katharine "Tits" McPhee will star on "Lonelygirl15" Friday. Jess' head explodes from thinking too hard about fake reality vs. semi-fake reality vs. actual reality. We'll post the video, natch. (Pantagraph)

A buttload of people watched last night's premiere. 37.3 million, to be exact. That's even more than last year. And it breaks some kind of record or something. Dateline? Boston Legal? In yo face, suckas. (TV Week)

Sexy recappers whose American Idol wrap-ups I've been eagerly awaiting return: Michael Slezak from Entertainment Weekly and Joe R (and Jacob?) from Television Without Pity. Here's my favorite excerpt, from the TWoP recap:

Tashawn Moore is "dressed to impress" in a men's shirt and tie and is generally the most fantastic person on this entire show. She can't sing, nor can she remember any of the words to Prince's "Kiss," but she keeps snapping and shimmy-shaking and closing her eyes, picking out lyrics from the ether as she passes. She's utterly hysterical and cute and terrible, and it goes on forever and is totally worth it.

TMZ thinks Paula Abdul was downing whisky in her Coca-Cola cup (Sponsor alert! Product placement!) like there was no tomorrow to numb the pain of the performers. Can't say I blame her -- I did the same. (TMZ)

Diana Ross to share her special brand of batshit crazy with Idol hopefuls. Also, she's too busy to see Beyonce unconvincingly (so I've heard) try to emulate her in Dreamgirls (ABC-7 Chicago)

More Thoughts on the Season Premiere

The Lovely Jess was good enough to record our quips and color commentary during last night's season premiere. Now that I've had some time to chew on the scenes that unfolded before our horrified eyes last night, I would like to contribute a few more items:

1) In retrospect, it wasn't all that funny to watch Jason Anderson, a pimply 16-year-old boy, have an emotional breakdown after his audition went sour. And by "went sour," I mean sucked ass from the get-go.

I blame his family and friends though, not the judges. This is what happens when a whipped parent blows smoke up a child's ass -- the kid is reduced to tears before millions of people and will probably receive a daily wedgie from classmates from now until he graduates. Unless, of course, he cracks under the pressure of the relentless taunts and ridicule and drops out of school and ends up turning tricks and huffing spray paint in a dumpster behind the Mall of America.

What's even more tragic is that we, the audience, were assaulted with this "triple threat" of screeching, clod-hopping and Devil Stick... er, juggling? Sticking? I don't know even know what to properly call that shit. Why did he even bring them? Last I checked, this was an "American Idol" audition, not the parking lot at a Phish show. Speaking of which, mmm... nitrous.

2) You can pretty much rescue the most painful of insults by attaching a "sweetheart" or a "darling" to the end of it. Simon Cowell excels at this. "You were absolutely dreadful and have not a stitch of talent. Now off you go, sweetheart." See, it starts out cold and harsh but softens ever-so-slightly when that term of an endearment is tacked on at the end. It's sort of brilliant. The next time I call someone's mama a fat whore, I'll be sure to use this tactic.

3) Josh Flom is yet another misguided "rocker" who fancies himself the next Chris Daughtry and has mistaken phlegm-clearing for singing. Initially, I did not enjoy his audition, but dear Lord, my anticipation of his singing an ABBA song was quite possibly the best part of the whole show. While I waited patiently for him to select and subsequently butcher a beloved pop confection, I took it upon myself to apply his singing style to a medley of every ABBA song I know. FYI, "Fernando" and "Winner Takes It All" were the funniest of the sad lot. Well, to me, at least. Jess, Sheila and Mejack might not agree.

4) Paula, while clearly strung out on something, was rather subdued last night. With the exception of a few erratic arm-waving and swatting gestures, she held it together. Maybe Jewel had a calming effect on her. I know from personal experience that if you sit me down with a Jewel song or, perish the thought, some of her poetry, I'll be sawing logs in no time. Jewel's not a singer, she's a sedative. For Paula's sake, they should become BFFs. But for my sake, and the sake of this blog, they most definitely should not. Paula's spaz-outs are the leading source of most of our material. Speaking of which, we'll be launching a new Paula feature this week. And it's a good one! Details to come.

Photo: AmericanIdol.com

Premiere: The Sort-of Recap

Sheila, Mejack and Curly came over last night to drink wine, eat pizza, hummus, pita chips and girl scout cookies, and howl with laughter at the bad contestants. I took notes. Here they are. And is it me, or are the "good" singers so far not all that good?

Mejack on Jessica Rhode (Jewel wannabe, disturbing skirt): She sounds like Pee-Wee Herman.

Jessica Rhode on Jessica Rhode (after being told she would most definitely NOT be going to Hollywood): I'm like waiting for them to come out here and be like 'psyche!'

Jess and Sheila, respectively, on Jesse Holloway (black dude, mumbler):

DisTAAANCE?

It's abusive!

Mejack on Charles Moody: If that doesn't say methamphetamine, I don't know what does. He's a gay, Uncle Sam tweaker.

Sheila on Tashawn Moore (when she "tuned in" to the imaginary sound coming through her imaginary headphones): Sweetie, there's no other sound in the room.

Mejack and Curly, respectively, on Perla Meneses:

Randy, your dick's talking.

She's like Shakira and Charo's love child.

Sheila on Jarrod Fowler (Navy Guy): Hun, I think you're hot and I want your cock, is what's happening.

Sheila and Mejack, respectively, on Michelle Steingas:

I like her.

I don't like her belt.

Mejack on Dayna Dooley (black chick whose boss wants to bang her): Randy's got a boner.

Curly and Sheila, respectively on Matt Sato (little gay boy with unfortunate mole who sang "California Dreamin"):

Uh oh, what's on your nose?

DON'T sex this song up.

Me? I'm not funny so I just take notes. Actually no, I have one:

Jess on Josh Flom (Chris Daughtry wannabe): You're not a rocker, you're a PUSSY.

We counted three "dawgs" from Randy. I guess he's trying to exercise a little restraint this season. Simon? Awesome. Paula? Drunk. Jewel? Wait, Jewel was there? I didn't notice. Also, TVgasm has a full recap. YouTube is letting me down in a big way, though. I want video of the juggler real bad.

UPDATE: Death by Camera has something truly awesome. The rejects' MySpace profiles. Of course, I don't know what Mejack is going to do with her afternoon now, but still. Amazing. Via Gawker.

Newsbreak

In case you didn't know, American Idol 6 starts tomorrow. Are you ready? We're having ourselves a little premiere party. I'd invite y'all, but my apartment is really tiny. Anyway, hopefully this will tide you over until tomorrow:

MSNBC takes an "interactive" look at the American Idol numbers. It's not terribly interactive. They also have a "blog this" option, which I initially got excited for, until I realized that you have to be on MSN spaces in order to use it. Two strikes, MSNBC. Count 'em. (MSNBC)

ABC is a bunch of pussies afraid to put Dancing with the Stars up against Idol. (EARTHtimes.org: Yeah, I don't know either.)

Paula Abdul does NOT drink. Ever. It must be all the Vicodin, then. (FOX6 San Diego)

Set the DVR! (Fuck TiVo) Katharine McPhee will play herself on Ugly Betty on February 1st. Mejack and Mr. Mejack will be watching, no doubt. (RTE)

The bad singers who audition are not Randy Jackson's dawgs. (OC Register)

Oh, Happy Day

I'm excited today, people. Really, really excited. See, Bravo just announced the creation of "Hey Paula," a TV show about the life and times of one Miss Paula Abdul, set to debut sometime this year. According to the Associated Press, cameras will roll as Paula toils away on "Idol" as well as the upcoming "Bratz: The Movie" and her perfume and cosmetics lines. (Yahoo News)

I'm not sure I've ever been this excited about anything. Ever. I am SO going to watch this program religiously. And, naturally, I will chronicle each and every delicious detail in Paula's downward spiral right here on "American Midol." Because rejoicing in someone else's pain and misfortune is so much fun.

Oh and can we discuss "Bratz: The Movie" for a second?! Wow, just when I thought those dolls couldn't get any creepier, along comes Paula Abdul to ratchet things up from simply scary to truly terrifying. Um, well done, Paula?

Sorry, friends, but I'm not going anywhere near that movie. As much as I'm committed to broadcasting Paula's failures (and let's face it, it will fail) in a very public fashion, there are certain things I do value, such as my ability to hold down food and get a good night's sleep without frequent bouts of night terrors. Call me selfish, but you're on your own with this one.