<p>Idol hasn’t come on yet on the west coast but I think I can say, with a pretty fair degree of certainty, that CJ is getting votes from both African American and country viewership. I think Jessica is also getting the “country” vote, which is keeping her in play. I don’t really care about her personality. I just really like her. Better than Jena…</p>
<p>Spoilers below…</p>
<p>CJ says goodbye. Jessica shares the bottom two with him.</p>
<p>I was SOOOO. Nervous!!! Not ready to lose Alex or Sam!! Caleb looks awfully confident. Never seems nervous . </p>
<p>Have you noticed how Randy seems to “predict” who will be in the bottom. Sounds like Randy has a deal with the idol producers to not look bad - it’s clearly rigged IMO !! ( meaning he must know the results before he gives his opinion).</p>
<p>Well, everyone but one will be sent home. This week they finally got it right.</p>
<p>I would like to add that I LOVE the grumpy cat. LOL. </p>
<p>I am not a cat lover, and I think that grumpy cat is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I would love to snuggle with that cat, if it would let me.</p>
<p>Even the grumpy cat should be happy about CJ going home!</p>
<p>I can’t imagine the show is rigged (though I think there’s a good chance the Voice has been). I think Randy repeats what viewers see: this guy was good and this guy not so good. With 70+ million votes, the way the acts are perceived should generally be reflected in the vote totals. Off this week’s performances, CJ was worst and Jess 2nd worst with the rest near pick 'em. </p>
<p>I’m not saying the show is rigged. Just that Randy is privy to the voting results before he records his video of how he thinks everyone has done. I can’t say for certain cause I didn’t keep firm statistics, but I think for several weeks he has loosely predicted the bottom people every week. Makes him look better in his analysis. </p>
<p>I wish we could trade the GrumpyCat for Randy.</p>
<p>I don’t find predicting the bottom group hard. And I’m biased toward Sam.</p>
<p>Sam is adorable. He has improved dramatically. If he keeps loosening up AND finds a couple of killer songs I think he could win!</p>
<p>It is amazing how much he has improved every single time. People love to see someone keep getting better. Some of the people start really well and keep at the same level, which doesn’t seem as impressive. I think he could win, easily, top two at the least. And I’m not biased in the least.</p>
<p>I think I would trade grumpy cat for anyone on Idol, except Sam, Alex, and maybe Ryan Seacrest.</p>
<p>Wow, I didn’t know an AI thread like this existed on College Confidential! Jena actually used to go to my school, but I didn’t really know her personally. Definitely rooting for her though. The first time I heard her sing at a middle school concert, I KNEW she would get on American Idol someday! </p>
<p>I don’t know how Idol works as a production, but I imagine it’s a really hard week for the production staff, especially considering they go live on Wednesday for 2 hours at a time. A half hour done on set show usually shoots on Th or F, with pick-ups and locations shot the day before. Hour shows have more days of shooting.</p>
<p>The kids shoot for Ford one day. They have rehearsal, which must include work on the arrangement as well as stage blocking. That has to take time, especially given these are amateurs - and have been doing 2 songs a show (including duets at times). They then have to run the show, including the brief setups with Seascrest (whether he’s there or not), so they can time it out and set the running order because they can’t go over. I suspect a key is they build a certain amount of slack in and that is closely monitored so Seacrest uses bits of it up. I have no idea how they cue the judges about time. </p>
<p>Both shows require all sorts of video packaging and the Thursday show vote only closes at 10AM LA time, though of course they can see who is going to lose before that. I wonder how often they have the kids rehearse their goodbye songs; they can’t trust the kid is going to remember the arrangement or the stage blocking from weeks before. </p>
<p>I’m not a fan of the show - would not normally watch - but I am impressed by the production. It’s really something to put on a 2 hour show each week with a bunch of amateurs. By contrast, Dancing with the Stars relies, I assume, more on rehearsal off set because each number has to be practiced to a time limit anyway and can be blocked for stage off set. They can then run it through knowing how the pieces fit. </p>
<p>Ryan Seacrest is really REALLY good at his job. It may not seem like it to some, but it’s likely not that easy to do. Ryan makes it look easy because he’s been doing it for so long.</p>
<p>He’s very natural. I think it helps that he’s a DJ and is used to making small talk fit tight spaces. </p>
<p>The guy must live on naps. His radio show is on 5AM-10AM M-F in LA. AI ends its long live show at 7PM each Wednesday and close to that on Thursday. </p>
<p>I missed tonight except for the last two (Jessica & Caleb). Anyone have a “moment?”</p>
<p>musicmom, I thought Alex came the closest to having a “moment” with Say Something, but also really enjoyed Caleb’s last performance. At the beginning of this season, Alex mentioned that he played something like 21 different instruments. If that’s so, why hasn’t he played any of them other than his guitar? I think it would have been really cool to do that song on the piano. I think Jessica and Sam will collect the fewest votes tonight and that, if I had to pick the person going home, it would be Sam. Jena needs to get behind the piano more in her home stretch. Thought she definitely had an off night, without the luxury of picking her own songs. Vocally, I still prefer Jessica over Jena. </p>
<p>So just watching it now. Really sick of the judges, they just love the camera too much and some of their comments are completely off.</p>
<p>As far as the first performances…Alex did okay, didn’t like him as much as usual, though he’s always good. This is the first time I’ve ever heard Caleb sing poorly for part of the song. Off key, surprising. Jessica, though I’ve never liked her was really, really good. I think her best performance ever. Sam, as usual, sounded great. Though I never heard the song and still hate the hats. Jena sounded decent, though I still can’t understand what the heck she is singing.</p>
<p>Second round. Really liked the duet with Caleb and Jessica.</p>
<p>Alex sounded amazing. Whoever dressed him, though, and that hair style looked particularly unattractive. Jena did really well. Interesting thing she always does with her arms waving around, reminds me of the opening of the James Bond movies, with the faceless women dancing in the shadows…if that makes any sense. Sam, wow! That was the best vocal of the night in my opinion, he is so good. He is not going home tomorrow, no way, and he’s going to sell a ton of records. Bizarre that they would bring up pitch issues with him (none) and not with Caleb on his first song. Jessica, meh, pretty useless song too. Caleb, sounded awesome, his type of music. I knew he’d kill Whitesnake.</p>
<p>My guess, it’s Jessica going home.</p>