Saturday, March 31, 2007

movies and letters

To my utmost disgust, my non-regional dvd player is toying with me. It breaks. I fix it. It works. It works again. It stops working. Blah. Fortunately, I have someone else's dvd player in the meantime. "Uptown Girls," though girly and silly, is one of the cutest movies of all time. It has some really classic lines, too. Dakota is an amazing actress. Obviously.

I have to write a letter to my landlord and my apartment manager about my hot water, which still smells of sulfur. Not the end of the world, you say? No, it's not. But it's been two months. TWO. I wrote two months ago to say I wanted it to stop smelling so bad. Nothing has changed.

Actually, when he (my apartment manager) last stopped by, he informed me that he noticed a "slight" hint when he checked it out (as I'd asked) over the weekend. Slight, my butt. However, somehow when stopping in my apartment the fact that my apartment door blew open unless it was dead-bolted escaped him. I gave him my best, "I know when people are lying to me," look and smiled sweetly, before asking him to fix it.

Two days later, my door was fixed. And despite my hoping that he had actually fixed the water heater, too, the water still smells of sulfur. Of course. And yesterday, as I was leaving for work, someone (never seen him before) asked me if I was the young woman whose door was broken. I said it was fixed. Evidently, my apartment manager didn't fix my door, either. The door is amazing, and fixed itself. Though I must admit I'm quite pleased with the door, I'm much more pissed with my landlord.

Is it extreme to inform them (the landlord and apartment manager) that they won't be receiving my rent check until my water stops smelling like sulfur? I hope not. Mostly because they will not see it until then. I may be young, and I may be ditzy, but I'm not a fun person to tick off. I play games with people who tick me off. I'm good at games. I usually win them.

Incompetence bothers me.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Who's Voting?

How is it that Chris S, who has not only an amazing voice, but a great sense of humor, is sent home?

And to add insult to injury, somehow Sanjaya is still on the show. Yes, he has big, puppy-like eyes, but this is a singing contest, and I've heard puppies sing better.

And if we're not talking about singing, we're talking about style. His clothing is a wreck and his hair is an assault on the eyes. Truly, it is a tragedy of errors.

So, who's voting for Sanjaya? I mean, really. It can't all be "votefortheworst.com," can it? I'd say it's junior highers, but they have taste. They do. They appreciate a good sense of style. Friends and families? It's possible, loyalty creates strong ties, after all. It has to be people who feel bad for him.

Somehow, this young man, who has NO TALENT, and has been hurting the ears of Americans across the country, is STILL ON THE SHOW. What does it say about a nation who repeatedly votes for the worst person? Somehow, despite his severe lack of talent, he has repeatedly beaten out a number of people who are good.

I only have one thing left to say. "Go home, Sanjaya."

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Done jiggling our boobs, let's show some leg

I still can't decide what's worse, Sanjaya's need to rely on his hair for votes, or Haley's need to rely on jiggling boobs and long legs. Either way, I can't remember what Haley sang, or how well she sang it. I've arleady forgotten. Most unfortunately, the memory of Sanjaya's hair done up as it was is likely to haunt my nightmares. Both of those things should be bad for both Haley and Sanjaya, but with the way American Idol has been going, it could keep them alive.

The majority of this weeks outfits were slightly less than amazing, but that's okay. Most of the contestants sang very well. And, unlike Sanjaya, most did their hair well, too. Sanjaya, continues to amaze me simply by the number of things that he can't do. Sanjaya however, adds insult to injury in almost every aspect of Tuesday night television. I don't see how someone who sings as terribly as he, has continued in a singing contest.

It's obvious that votefortheworst.com has done its job. So what can the rest of us do? I say we vote for everyone at least once, and then vote for the people we actually liked.

Truth is, no matter how far he gets in this contest, no one is going to give Sanjaya record deal at the end of this. I hope his cocky attitude is ready for that.


Sunday, March 25, 2007

Looking Back

I suppose we all want to know how each of our decisions will affect what happens in the future; which were the wrong ones, and which were right.

I can't decide what's worse, though. Seeing something I did wrong, and wishing I had done it differently so that things would possibly turn out differently... Or seeing something I did wrong, and knowing that even if I could go back and change it, I would probably make exactly the same decision all over again. Even knowing how it would turn out. Even knowing it would turn out crappily.

I don't think 20/20 hindsight is all it's cracked up to be.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

The Top 12

Though some avid viewers disagree, it seems that America has done a fairly good job of deciding who should go on, and who needs to leave. Unfortunately, this week, the majority of the contestants did worse than normal. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was the new stage, maybe it was because all of the contestants had to sing a Diana Ross song. As Simon said, "This stage changes everybody," and so far, it seems to be true.

The first contestant, Brandon, singing, "You Can't Hurry Love," didn't do his best work, and his dancing was terrible. He was off-key, probably flat, and he forgot his words. Randy said that Brandon seemed to go back to being a background singer, though the last two notes were better. Paula gave a standard encouraging response, and Simon told the truth: that he was a complete letdown, the dancing was bad, the song was predictable and unoriginal, and that it wasn't good enough. When it was all said and done, even Brandon acknowledged that he hadn't done very well, "I felt like it was going my way until I forgot the words."

Contestant number two, Melinda, came onto the stage looking very cute. Though still good, it's likely that her nerves were affecting her, as her voice was not nearly as powerful as usual. The judges disagreed. Randy said, "That was hot, Baby!" Paula said, "It's exciting, this is it for you." Is Paula predicting that Melinda will be the new American Idol? Even Simon agreed, and said, "You made a very boring song fantastic." Melinda, however, was completely overwhelmed and couldn't remember her performance at all. Paula spoke for her, with a push from Ryan.

To my disappointment, contestant number three, Chris S, started out rocky. However, by the time he got to the chorus of, "Endless Love," he'd stepped it up a notch. He has a powerful voice, but he fell short of making the song more contemporary. Randy agreed, saying that it was a weird way to do the song. Paula encouraged him saying he had a beautiful voice, but that she didn't like the melody. Simon said that he murdered the arrangement. Chris, while grateful for the Judge's advice, still told Ryan, "I went with my gut."

Gina, contestant number 4, sang, "Love Child." Gina looked both cute and comfortable, and seemed confident. She made good use of the stage, unlike the three contestants before her, but she needed to enunciate more. She sang well, but at times it was very difficult to understand her. Randy said it was boring, and that she was pitchy in spots. Paula said she didn't think she did well. And Simon said it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't fantastic, though he liked her image.

Contestant number 5, Sanjaya, was predictably terrible with his rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Sanjaya doesn't seem able to find an image that suits him. In fact, he can't seem to find anything that suits him. His crimped hair made him look like a poodle, and his earrings and clothing made him look like a cross dresser. And, to make it even worse, he mumbled for a good part of the song, and we couldn't hear him. That wasn't actually a bad thing. As Randy said, "Thank God for the background singers." Paula fell back on a sweet response, and Simon said, "When you hear a wail in Beverly Hills, that is Diana Ross." Unfortunately, Sanjaya didn't quite catch what he was trying to say, and his big, confused, puppy dog eyes only made him look stupid.

Contestant number 6, Hailey, sang "I'm Missing You" well, but she sang too quietly. At first, I was glad she stood up, by way of involving the audience, but only until I saw what she was wearing. Randy said she made a valiant effort, but that she sounded nervous, forgot her words, and added his standard, "pitchy." Paula agreed with Randy about Hailey's pitch, but reminded her to remember the words. And Simon surprised me by disagreeing with both of them. "I don't think it was that bad," and he complimented her stage presence. Hailey told Ryan, "I messed up my words, and I feel like a shmuck."

The seventh contestant, Phil, did much better this week, singing, "I'm going to Make You Love Me," than he did last week. However, though he did all righ on the chorus, he did terribly on the verses. Randy said that his vocals were good, but that his performance was boring. Paula said more or less the same thing, and added tha the song should have been more up-tempo. Simon said that he chose the right tempo, but that he shouts when trying to hit his big notes. He agreed, though, that he did better than last week.

Contestant number 8, Lakisha, really shone this week. She has a great voice, and she sang powerfully. She was confident and completely in-control. Randy told her she has unbelievable volume, and that she did a sensational job. Paula said something characteristically sweet, and Simon said, "You've either got it or you haven't got it. You've got it."

Blake, contestant number 9, my standard favorite and current crush, sang, "You Keep Me Hanging On," with a much more contemporary style, and I have to admit that he fell short. To make it worse, he danced like Michael Jackson, who is not my favorite. He has a good voice, but he didn't sing as well tonight. Randy agreed, and told him, "You sing better than that. You were modern, hip, and cool, but let the classics be classic." Paula said there was a difference between what he and Chris did, though she didn't expound on that, which would have been nice, because I didn't see a difference - I thought they were both pretty bad. And Simon, Simon says he didn't get it at all. He understands why he wanted to do it differently, but changing the melody didn't work.

To my utmost surprise, contestant number 10, Stephanie, did a great job. She sang "Disco Diva," and she sang very, very well. However, I disliked her outfit, and agreed with Meoldoy who called it, "Odd and distracting." Randy said that the vocal was good, but not her best. I disagree. Paula and Simon didn't like the part of the song she chose. I don't know the song, but according to them, she cut out the best part.

Contestant 11, Chris R, sang "The Boss," and I'm pretty sure it was one of his best. He did a good job including the audience, which has been one of his shortcomings in the past. He sang well, but he still sounded a bit nasally in parts. Randy didn't like it, and that it was overdone. Paula said he nailed making the song contemporary, and Simon said his vocals were dreadful.

Jordin, the twelfth and final contestant, sang, "Belong Together," and did what was probably her best performance. She sang very well, and did a great job. She mumbled a little towards the end, and should have enunciated more, but it was was still a good job. The judges agreed, Randy was impressed by her, Paula said she felt like "a breath of fresh air," and Simon said, "Very very good vocal."

So, the question is: who's going to go home? Personally, I hope it's Sanjaya. But, I guess the fun with this, is you never really know.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

And the results are in:

Jared was sent home. I'm surprised, becasue he did do a good job. I didn't vote for him, because I didn't remember him. (Both the guys I voted for went on, by the way.) I guess the danger of something like this is in not standing out... it's all about the votes, and if you are not memorable, you're overlooked.

Antonella is also going home. She sang much better tonight. I can only imagine it's because the pressure is off.

Sabrina is headed home as well. I spent a good deal of time trying to figure out who she was. Guess that's why she's going home. At least I remembered Jared.

And... saving the best for last? SUNDANCE IS GOING HOME! (The judges are surprised. In your face, Judges.) Thing is: he did a BAD job. And he's not doing any better tonight.

Melody and I quite literally cheered.

Going down to the top 12

My American Idol Review:

The guys:


#1. Blake
-Soooo Hot. (Will you marry me?")
-Did an excellent job; original and fun, and clearly in line with what we know of his personality
-Dressed well, good smile (I think I have a bit of a crush)
-In all honesty (crush aside), I think he was the best of the contestants
-All three American Idol judges also thought he did a good job

#2. Sanjaya
-I think he chose a song that was bad for him, that he didn't do a good job,
-Memorable, but that's not always a good thing
-he looked like a girl - with his done as it was and his glisteningearrings.
-The three American Idol judges weren't terribly fond of his choice either
-The crowd didn't boo the judges. That's bad for Sanjaya

#3. Sundance.
-I think he's done a terrible job, and I don't know how he got this far. Today was no exception
-In addition to his less than amazing song and song choice, he tried to make a joke. It was highly unsuccessful.
-The American Idol judges seemed to like him.

#4. Chris.
-I also think he's cute, and that he has pretty eyes.
-Nice voice, but the song itself was boring. He didn't move around, and he didn't engage the audience. Not terribly impressed.
-I didn't write down what the American Idol judges said, but I believe they think he's "in it to win"

#5. Jared.
-Didn't sing badly, but it wasn't terribly memorable
-Energetic.
-Cute
-The Judges seemed to like him, but Simon said there was no "wow" factor

#6. Brandon.
-Got me moving.
-Good in some parts, bad in others.
-Soothing voice
-The song itself was good, but not memorable, kinda blah.
-The American Idol judges said he was good

#7. Phil.
-Cute (and married)
-Your hat is terrible.
-I like this song, but you made me forget why. As I told Melody and Alice, "I've only heard this song sung by a woman before. She hit all the notes." (One of them added, "That's right, little back up singers. You try to save him." The other said, "We're hurting inside at your song choice.")
-If I remember correctly, he has a good voice. This song was out of his range, or something. Whatever it was, it was bad.
-The American Idol Judges agreed. And to my great joy, Simon mentioned the hat.

#8. Chris S.
-Amazing voice.
-I'm always amazed by the voice that comes out of him. It's unexpected. Lindsay says, "I'm always stunned by his voice."
-Chooses song that fit his range.
-Did a good job, and he knew it.
-The American Idol judges trashed him. Said it wasn't his best.

The Ladies

#1. Jordin
-Did a great job, but got softer where should have BELTED it out (the chorus - Heart Breaker)
-looks cute, pretty smile, energetic
-good ending
-Judges say:
Randy - pitchy, but better than ALL the boys
Paula - says she keeps getting better, energetic, looks good
Simon - shrieky, manic, not strongest performance

#2. Sabrina
-Not bad, but not amazing --- not interesting. Keep my attention! (Get it, first)
-The ending was almost better
-Judges say:
Randy - not favorite song choice, but not enough melody
Paula - gorgeous voice, she can "sing sing sing," energetic
Simon - lacking emotion, a little robotic

#3. Antonella
-She kinda looks slutty
-That aside, doing a pretty good job... being different, making her own, but not keeping quite in line with what she's making it
-My problem: The judges are there to help her, not hurt her, and she's not taking their advice
-Judges say:
Randy - a little pitchy, only okay
Paula - right song choice, watcht the bottom notes
Simon - *speechless* and says others are better

#4. Sabrina
-She has a good voice
-She hit the majority of the notes
-Not wowed, the song's not interesting "It's the kind of thing that would come on the radio, and it would be fine, but I wouldn't remember hearing it
-The Judges say:
Randy - interesting song choice, no "pizzaz"
Paula - polite as usual, says she sang it well, but probably wasn't her favorite song
Simon - thought it was horrible, and ghastly; doesn't feel she's made enough of an impression on the competition

#5. Stephanie
-Strange dresses, not ladylike when wearing them. Please, for all our sakes, learn how to walk in a dress! (Doing better than last week, though)
-Good voice
-It's like she doesn't think she can rely on her voice, so she has to rely on her body, and she has a good voice, so that detracts from it
-Judges say:
Randy - doesn't think quite cuts it, has wow factor
Paula - great job, commanded stage
Simon - one of best, needs to find own individuality

#6. Lakisha
-Great voice, powerful, hit all the notes, beautiful voice
- Looks great, good outfit
-Judges:
Randy - great performance
Paula - loves her
Simon - passion, talent, believability, looks beautiful

#7. Gina
-This song fits her personality, but she doesn't seem to be doing as good a job on it
-Scratchy voice; screaming parts that should be
-
Ended well, but still not her best
-Judges:
Randy - real Gina comes out, some pitch problems
Paula - real personality, careful to not oversing, style that suits her best
Simon - looks comfortable, screamed at times, but really hope makes it through

#8. Melinda
-Amazing voice. (Just for the record, I love this song. It brings back amusing memories from high school choir, "I'm a Woman" for you other Cary-Grovers. Hah... Dana Floor.)
-Wow. Looks great and sounds great. Also really sweet.
-Hands down, best of the night. "The others did not even touch her."
-Judges
Randy - hottest one of the night
Paula - full of compliments, loves her
Simon - "You little tiger." Loves it. clearly enjoying herself

And I'll update later so we all know the results...

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is my American Idol Rundown.