Reality Bytes

About Reality Bytes

About Reality Bytes

We watch all the best "unscripted" television shows so you don't have to. We'll keep you updated on "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," " Top Chef," "Project Runway" and many other reality shows and reality stars.

Find things to do

In a hurry? ActiveDayton.com's twice-a-week e-mail newsletter lets you know the top five things to do in the area twice a week. Sign up

February 2012

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29

RSS Syndication

XML Reality Bytes
XML More 'DDN' feeds

More recent entries

• 'Top Chef: The Tour' coming to Cincinnati
• Area teens to make prime time debut in 'The Sing-Off'
• Area teen competing on 'So You Think You Can Dance 7'
• A new reality TV series you'll be talking about - 'The Choir' BBC America
• Santino Rice & Austin Scarlett to star in 'Project Runway' Spin-off‎
• 'Another Idol' upset: Dewyze beats Bowersox for Season 9 crown
• American Idol's final showdown: Why Ohio just might get this one
• Governor asks Ohioans to vote tonight ... for Idol
• No surprise, Bowersox and Dewyze to battle for Idol gold
• Was there ever any doubt who should be in "idol" finale?
• More entries...

Archives

• April 30, 2011
• December 5, 2010
• July 7, 2010
• July 5, 2010
• July 4, 2010
• May 26, 2010
• May 25, 2010
• More archives...

Home > Blogs > Reality Bytes > Archives > 2009 > January > 14 > Entry

American Idol judges too easy this year?

By Kelle' J. Fraser | Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 10:29 PM

Since last night I’ve discovered a couple more things that are new with the show this year. As I suspected, they are purposely showing fewer “train wrecks” and have decided to focus on character development instead. In a new wild-card round the judges will get to choose three contestants for the final 12. That should be interesting. I’m also quite pleased about the news that the results shows are only going to be ½ hour instead of an hour. Yeah! Less useless fluff.

So what do you think? I’m cool with all of them myself. I’m quite curious about how this new wild card round will work.

19-year-old Chelsea Marquardt begins the show tonight with all the sweetness of many contestants from last night, but oh my goodness…this girl cannot seriously think she can sing? Simon being Simon he says she sounded like a cat falling off the Empire State building. After the official no, she tells Ryan that she just chose the wrong song. Totally delusional some of these people.

Ashley Anderson was a smart cookie by singing a Leona Lewis song that Simon Cowell co-wrote, Footprints in the Sand. After stumbling on the first line, she starts again and I figured she’s toast but she had a beautiful big voice. I’m not sure if it’s unique enough for the long run, but it won’t hurt to have Simon’s ego in her corner.

Before we get back to the show…the David Cook commercial was neat. Wow, he’s always had the voice but it can’t hurt that the Idol stylists made him look like a star. Did you catch his audition tape? What a transformation. Hey David Cook fans, has he always had that tattoo on his wrist and what is it?

20-year-old Casey Carlson is just darling as she belts out Vanessa Carlton’s A Thousand Miles. Casey is another fresh-freshed cover girl who appears quite comfortable on the stage and in her own boots. She slides right through with a yes from all four judges. I can’t wait to see what genre’s she can sing. Really good.

Brian Hettler compares himself to Josh Groban which instantly raises expectations in my mind. I’m expecting Groban but he tries Think by Aretha Franklin. Awful. Just awful. So of course, not accepting the judges opinion, he asks if he can sing a Josh Groban song. After Simon denies the request, like so many others before him, he decides to sing You Raise Me Up anyway. There’s no doubt it’s a NO and after he walks out of the audition room he is followed by a camera man poised to catch the tears. An angry Brian won’t let it happen but this set’s up a crying montage that ends with a ridiculous woman screaming, and crying, and pounding on the floor. I really have a hard time believing adults can act this way…even if they are just trying to get on national TV.

Hey, do you folks remember so much footage of the past year’s Idol highlighted during the audition weeks? Not that I have a problem with looking and listening to David Cook, but I find it odd. Maybe they are hoping it pulls in a younger audience? What are your thoughts?

Returning to tonight’s show, we are on to slightly quirky Von Smith. Well, okay, he’s more than slightly quirky but I like him. He busts out Over the Rainbow after a “flemmy” start. He sounds a bit like he is shouting and I’m surprised the judges are a bit harder on him with all their recent generosity, but even they admit he can sing and there is just “something” about him that intrigues me.

Oh wow. Another Castro is trying to be an American Idol. Jason Castro’s 20-year-old pink-haired brother, Michael, is giving it a shot. After he Jason “girly” and admits to the judges that he’s only been singing for 20 days, he runs through Gavin DeGraw’s I’m In Love with a Girl. He can carry a tune but nothing special. I can’t believe the judges put him through but it’s probably more for the attention as Jason’s brother than any real talent.

Welder Matt Brietzke looks a bit like our Chef Gary at work (doesn’t he my work friends?) so he makes me smile right from the start. I was hoping after the touching back story of how being a Dad is his priority, he would be able to sing and I was not disappointed with his version of Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine . He obviously is dealing with some nerves but there is no doubt he can sing. Randy thinks he sounds like an “okay bar singer” followed by a no. The girls like him and Simon, after a long pause for dramatic effect, puts him through. Actually, Simon likes his heart. Do we have a kinder, gentler Simon this year?

There’s a little boring story about the city’s jazz history and a painful rendition of Over the Rainbow from a nice, but bad high-school singer.

I’m always hopeful for great voices when the person gets back story footage and I was thrilled that Jessica Furney was not just another Grandmother loving teenager. There is certainly nothing ostentatious about this girl. Small town girl sings Janis Joplin. One would hope she wouldn’t try Janis unless she can actually sing and boy can she. Another very natural sweet kid that the judges really like and off to Hollywood she goes.

India Morrison has no problem telling the judges that she is better than her sister Asia McClain who was auditioning with her. And she was right! Asia was pretty poor and shouldn’t be there but it was obvious she only came to support her sister India who was pretty darn good. They leave the audition room with sad, long faces only to reveal India’s yellow ticket to Hollywood.

Next, the cheek pierced Jamar Rogers belts out California Dreamin.’ He’s good but a bit over the top. Actually, Kara says “overdone.” In fact, I think all of them made a similar comment; nevertheless, they send him to Hollywood anyway. Does it seem like they are being rather easy on folks this year?

28-year-old music teacher Danny Gokey is Jamar’s best friend. He tells a very tearful story of losing his wife just four weeks earlier. Kick-me if you want to, but he kind of seems like he’s acting when talks about it. Am I the only one who thinks so? But anyway, he sings Heard It Through the Grapevine and was surprisingly good. Better than his friend Jamar in fact. All four judges give him an enthusiastic yes with Randy telling Danny he is one of the best they’ve seen. I feel horrible about the acting comment because he seems pretty sincere for the rest of his appearance, but I watched it again and felt the same way. Go figure.

Montage of bad girl singers.

It is painfully obvious that Anoop Desai is geek (he did his Master’s thesis on Southern myth by studying BBQ - which Simon couldn’t let go without a crack.), a really smart geek. I have to giggle because he could easily fit in with the cast of one of my favorite TV shows The Big Bang Theory. But then he opens his mouth to sing Boyz to Men and WOW. This kid has more than enough soul to make up for his lack of fashion sense. All four judges say yes to Hollywood but Simon warns him that he needs to work on his “look.”

Couple minutes of bad singers doing Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered. After the break, another brief montage. This one of attention craving and dumb “gimmicks.”

Speaking of gimmicks, a couple wacky and ridiculous girls dressed as cheerleaders introduce Andrew Lang who is another over-the-top “theatrical” type. The judges all said no, as they should have, but they have let others through so far who were far worse. I have to wonder if the now crying cheerleaders hurt Andrew more then helped him.

At the top of the age range, 28 year old Asa Barnes is a band director and father of an adorable four-year-old girl. Another sweet all-american type. He sings Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel, despite Simon’s warning that he only gets one song. Asa does a great job and off to Hollywood he goes.

Oh no. Michael Nicewonder’s mother doesn’t think he can sing. there are several others in his life who are not supportive either. That’s a bad sign. He looks to be one of the mentally challenged people that I don’t think Idol should be putting on the show. It’s cruel. This kid had a good heart and the courage to write music and sing it on TV and the producers allowed it. Bad form guys.

Dennis Brigham’s family is crying outside the audition room before he even comes out. He sings Chris Brown’s With You and I thought he was pretty bad. He tried hard and had plenty of confidence in himself. Simon obviously doesn’t like him and Dennis sings another song that is a little better. Then begins the begging and it works on everyone other than Simon. Come on guys. Does this mean the talent pool is this shallow in America this year? I sure hope not. I have to remember that all we need is 12 really good ones for a great season.

Mia Conley “peacefully” awaits her turn says Ryan as they show clips of her falling asleep at various times during the day. She comes in the audition room and I figure it is the end of the show, we’ve had a couple bad ones, and she has got to be dynamite. But no. Choosing one of my favorite songs Minnie Riperton’s Loving You she butchers it. After singing through and over the judges bad comments, she finally leaves cursing them and warning that God is going to get them.

Thank goodness for Lil Rounds, an adorable mother of three who has endured a tornado that tore through her apartment complex recently. She auditions with Stevie Wonder’s All I Do and the judges can’t say enough good about her. In fact, Randy said she is a “mixture of Fantasia and Mary J. Blige.” High praise indeed and I agree wholeheartedly.

To end the show tonight we get clips of Hollywood week and it looks like great drama! I can’t wait. Can we just skip the next few weeks and go straight to Hollywood?

Permalink

Tweet