Well, you were the closest on both Carly & Kristy Lee out of anyone so you gained ground on everybody! 

We now have a new game plan: When in doubt about who'll get eliminated--go with Nancy's (Vadia's) pick. Well, despite us not doing that the last few weeks like we should have, I'm going to go with a different answer, even though I also get just a slight feeling Jason could finally be going once and for all based on complacency by his screaming and dreadlock-obsessed fans. Perhaps that's a weakness I have with this pool each year: Never going with my gut feeling and sticking with logic instead. I constantly get knocked over the head by the "AI" hammer that the show has NO logic at all and pretty much proves that Chaos Theory is a real scientific concept.

Well, there was one piece of interesting logic and Chaos Theory combination last week: Carly Smithson going home...possibly because she sang a song with religious overtones. While I thought she did a great job on "Jesus Christ Superstar"--the famous chant of "Jesus Christ" in the song might have offended some people out there, however unfortunate that is. It makes for an interesting debate about how singing religious (or even semi-religious) songs can alienate some teens out there on such a secular show. It's hard to believe that would happen when I know millions of American teenagers love Christian-oriented music. But then, who's to say if any of the teenybops watching this year have any sense of religion in their lives. Right after Carly sang the above song, I wondered immediately if it would be a detriment to her.

Nobody's mentioned that probable cause for her departure last week, so it'd be interesting to see what other people think about how religious (or spiritual) songs and "AI" mix. After all, Dolly Parton sang a religious song on "Idol Gives Back" several weeks ago...seemingly bringing Simon to near tears. The difference is that Dolly isn't competing.

Anyway, I'm going to go with Syesha this week--because her Broadway sensibility will probably alienate the teens. That type of persona almost did Kat in, though she proved her diversity. At least Syesha finally found her niche--and I figured all along that she'd succeed in anything else but being a mere pop singer. She's too talented to just make assembly line pop albums to please Clive Davis and Simon.

Bring on all the Neil Diamond impersonations...

Player 10:  Gregoriancant
Weekly Elimination Selection (Fabulous Five): Syesha Mercado
Performance Show Date 4/29/08

Wouldn't this be so much better if it was the Davids, Syesha, Michael and Carly this week?  So disappointing.  I like Brooke, she's a sweet girl but the fact is she shouldn't finish ahead of those five I mentioned.  And that Jason is still around...ugh.  I guess this happens to some degree every season and it's part of the "charm" of the show.

I've thought about how different the show would be if you voted against people instead of for them but how would that sound.  Archuleta sings...the judges give comments...then Ryan says, "If you'd like to eliminate David...call 1-866-IDOLS-01"  It wouldn't feel very good, would it?  Beyond that how would it impact the season?  Well, I think we know Katharine wouldn't have made the finale if they had people vote against instead of vote for.  All it would do is lead to unremarkable contestants lasting longer than they should because they wouldn't bring the people out to vote against them.  Only the really bad & really good would get votes in that scenario.  Hmm...back to this week's pick...

Well, America has already sent home two of the best singers this season...wait a second...that story about not releasing the vote totals doesn't make any sense.  Maybe I get why they don't want to do it DURING THE SEASON because they think it might influence how people vote from week to week if they knew how close it really was.  But why can't they release all the totals after the season is over?  What's that going to hurt?  Unless they are hiding something...

I'm supposed to make a pick for this week, right?  OK...um, given the theme of the week and the fact that it just seems like Jason & Brooke will stick around to stand in the Top 4 next to the Davids it's gotta be and I don't want this to happen because I like her a lot but...if Carly can go home....Syesha definitely can this week. 

Then we'll be in the position of facing the possibility of nothing but guys in the Top 3 singing three songs each.  I hope Brooke beats Jason.  Plus, I think I had Brooke for third on my Top 12 ballot anyway...

Player 7:  sjwolves
Weekly Elimination Selection (Fabulous Five):  Syesha Mercado
Performance Show Date 4/29/08

double darn, i forgot again.......

If anyone had the notion that the American Idol voting is rigged, then Paula Abdul gave us a new shock treatment last night with her review of 2 songs rather than 1. SOMETHING IS PHONY?!.Don't be surprised if the only way that Americn Idol might keep the ratings up over the next few weeks would be to eliminate David Archueleta tonightAlso last night was even more indication that AI5 had a much better talent crop than this year

Jess - I'm gonna go ahead and allow this, this time, since your Top 12 Default Selection (Ramiele) was already eliminated; however, this will be the last exception.  Please, try to get your selections in on Tuesdays by 4 p.m. PDT / 7 p.m. EDT.  Thanks, sweet stuff. 

Hey Maddie, here's something that could make you remember. Sure thing! LOL.

Howdy? Well, just a respite from everything. Cobaby, please allow me to wander off a little bit. I promise I'm not talking about hair colors, Keefir, but another thing related.

Just want to point out once more an observation that in IDOL, no talented true "hot" girl has ever won and perhaps will never win only because they are always stereotyped as anything but. They get all the bashings and intrigues. They're looked upon as beauties and not singing talents. They get ridiculous comments, and they don't get the majority's support because people are jealous that they are already so beautiful and pretty and do not need to become successfull through singing. 

With all due respect to Katharine McPhee, the beautiful and talented brunette star of season 5, may I discuss something worth noting about. You see, with this idol thing, it's seems as though a beautiful girl cannot possibly be the best singer too! It's unfair, really. But that's the culture we live in. We tend to sympathize with those that are more inadequate than reward the obviously equipped. So, I almost died when Katharine didn't win. Even Carrie Underwood, the other seeming reigning idol hot girl was shocked, and I empathize.

Now, another talented, great looking KM comes to us in Kady Malloy, but she wasn't even given the chance to flourish. I just wonder if she had made it to top 10, would she have gotten the same kind of bashings (that Kat and Kristy suffered) as well? Now, she's free from that, at least, and her site is full of fans and great sounding music. Greg, it does seem better to just get out of idol as fast as you can, huh?

REMEMBERING KIMBERLY CALDWELL ON IDOL SEASON 2 (2003)

Talking about hotties in idol,  Kelly Clarkson of season 1 was good looking but she didn't come across as really hot, but purely talented. However, Kimberly Caldwell of season 2 (photo below), IMO, is the first official talented hot idol contestant. She finished  7th place in 2003. I'm just musing here and thinking that she's been a succesful TV personality - interviewing movie stars and celebrities since her boot from idol. Plus, she has a cd coming out. I remember liking her very much. She's the blonde with a big voice from Katy, TX, the same place where Kady Malloy and Rene Zellwegger are from. Well, in season 2, Kimberly Caldwell was my favorite. She's only 26 now, if she had only joined AI this year, she would have fought well and I would have been torn between her and Kristy Lee (LOL), or if she had joined season 4, she would have fought good with Carrie. In season 2, you see, she had to fight against Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke, and Josh Gracin.

Joe, it's another KC for you there. Now, officially, there are 3 KC's in idol - Kelly Clarkson, Kimberly Caldwell, and Kristy Cook, all hot, and, 2 are originally from TX, and one lived and worked there. What's with TEXAS? I think great talented and great looking singers come from or live there!!

Kelly, Kimberly, and Kristy can sing both country and pop. Kim actually preferred pop-rock to country but back then rock was not hot for girls yet winning idol. She came to idol a little bit too early, IMO, she would have really shined so well in music. But what if Katharine went country instead like Carrie? Talking about this year's 7th placer, Kristy Lee Cook, no doubt, will have a great future in country. How about the 6th placer Carly Smithson? I hope she gets her music career going inspite of the unexpected turnout at idol. Wait, in Carly's baby pictures, she had really curly blonde locks!! Is she coloring her hair black? (I promised not to talk about hair color, didn't I?, geez! sorry, keefir, can't help it. Love to talk about beauties, you know, and that includes hair!) Till next time, america.

Have a nice day, you'all. - mattsie

Fact: Kimberly Caldwell is a 5-time junior vocalist winner on "Star Search". She, like David Archuleta and Kristy Lee Cook, is also a singing child prodigy. Kimberly is the first idol to pose for Maxim (a men's magazine).

Kimberly Caldwell - Knock On Wood (Top 9 Performance AI-2)

Check out the May/June 2008 Issue of Supermodels Unlimited where Kimberly Caldwell is featured and on the cover. On newstands on May 3rd!

About last night's 2 songs of Neil Diamond Performances- I could only ask "where are the talents?" To be more frank or brutally honest about it, though, I'd say "reboot from top 24"

Why don't the judges ever mention this?  Many of us have said it.  I'll give him some credit for doing "Sweet Caroline" because it was a little out of his usual zone.  I didn't think it was that great though.  Anyway...I hope somehow, someway Archuleta gets tripped up before the finale.  I'd really like a Cook/Syesha finale at this point.  Although I fear that Syesha has gotten it together too late but you never know.

Speaking of Syesha...anyone think that Cowell may have been trying to get her some extra votes by saying she's in trouble this week?  I seriously doubt he really believes she deserves to go more than Brooke or Jason.  I think he knows how the voting public reacts to the judges comments now and that was emphasized the prior week when Carly went away.  Jason or Brooke should have gone and the judges said so...instead we got Carly & Syesha in the bottom and I thought they were the two best that week.

Oh, one other thing about Syesha...at times she does remind me a little of Katharine.  It's probably the musical theatre background.  I think if you combined the best of Syesha with the best of Carly...then you've got this year's Katharine.    Last year it was probably Jordin mixed with Melinda to get it.  See...one female Idol cannot match the greatness of McPhee. 

(I took notes on what I wanted to say here since I can only quote one post at a time).

Opera!  I think that would be unfair to the contestants.  Very few have ever been trained to do something like that.  It could lead to some really bad performances.  So that's probably a no go.

Castro being this year's Elliott.  That's awful harsh on Elliott, isn't it?  Now, I say this and I freely admit that if we were doing a pool like this for Season 5 that I would have picked Elliott to go home many, many weeks.  I was surprised he made it as far as he did even though looking back now, I don't have a problem with his 3rd place finish at all.  I think that was correct.  The wrong part was #1 & #4 but whatever...

OK and lastly...Mattsie's theory about the hot girls.  I don't think Carrie was really considered to be all that hot when she won, was she?  She was cute but I don't think she's really hot.  I still don't think she's all that hot.  I'm speaking on a celebrity scale here.  Haha!  In the "real world", yes Carrie is very attractive.

Anyway...*thinking*...and no Kelly C wouldn't be considered that at all.  Especially in her Idol days.  I don't think many would say that now either even though at times I find her attractive.

Season 2 & Kimberly Caldwell...I was surprised she only finished seventh.  I'm nearing the end of watching the Idol Rewind episodes for Season 2 and I'm not sure how Carmen Rasmussen finished ahead of Kim C.  I can see the other five beating her...well Josh probably didn't deserve to on vocals but I understand how he made it as far as he did with the whole Marine, father kind of thing he had going.

But I agree...the better looking the contestant (and it can apply to the guys too although I'm not sure Idol has ever really had a title contender that was also "hot"...although I think some find Chris D that...um, I don't know)....as I was saying before I interrupted myself...the better looking the contestant, I do think it is more difficult for them to get credit for how good they are vocally.  It's almost like people think it's unfair so they cannot get themselves to say that, "Yes, you are a very good singer & you are beautiful" at the same time. 

I wasn't following along as closely as I know some of you did when Katharine was on but did the comments get worse as the weight started to fall off and the clothes Kat started to wear got a little hotter?  It's just so petty!  Because the girl that sang SIFFY was cute & bubbly...far from the typical "hot girl".  Then later in the competition, particularly after IHN, I know it got worse and we heard how she "really isn't that good...she's getting by on looks...blah, blah, blah."

Anyway...DialIdol has SYESHA in first place this week!  So maybe Cowell's plan worked!  They say Syesha & Cook are definitely safe.  Archie third but not totally safe...then Jason & Brooke in the real danger zone with Brooke on the bottom (but that's not always right of course).

OK...I've babbled enough and I have to go anyway.

One more thing real fast...I think Paula revealed to everyone that they don't pay any attention to the live performances and they base their opinions on the dress rehearsals.  I think we know pretty well that's what happened to Katharine when she sang IHN.  And it's why "when I watched it back on TV" is an excuse from the judges.

And yes...I agree that week by week, we've seen that this group isn't really the BEST EVER!  Although last night would have been much better with Michael & Carly still around instead of Jason & Brooke.

Fabulous Five Week Special Bonus . . . a Prize! 

As posted, earlier in this thread, I mentioned I may throw in some random prizes, so without further ado, I've added a prize for this week.  Whoever correctly picked who was eliminated this week will be entered in a drawing to win the following:

- $25 Gift Card for merchandise from www.americanidolgifts.com

- A Best of American Idol 7 CD (To Date) Compilation (Made Especially by DJ CoBaby)

Best of luck!  - The CoJo Pool

I think the issue here is that most of the girls this year didn't appeal to the preteens/tweens the way that Kat did, or Jordin did last year. Think about it. None of them would ever be mistaken for the Disney  Princess type that the kids love. Syesha has actually started to play that role to some extent, and that may be partly responsible for her late surge. Don't let the results show order tonight fool you...Ryan never said Syesha was in the bottom 2, that's just an assumption. Dialidol actually had Syesha as #1 this week.

It's no paradox at all keefir. The tweens were very instrumental in getting Kat into second place 2 years ago! These young girls are more than willing to vote their fingers off for a pretty female assuming: 1. that she fits into the sweet, lovable Disney Princess mold, and 2. that there are no especially cute teen guys, Chicken Little not withstanding. Of course most of them can't be counted to become long term die-hard fans like us, it's more of a fleeting passion with them I think.