Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine American Idol

SPOILER WARNING!!!

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE RESULTS SHOW YET!!

I AM NOT KIDDING!!

Back out of the thread and come back after you've seen the results!

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Well.

That was unexpected.

I think I heard about 10 million AI veiwers let out a collective gasp when Melinda was announced to be going home.

I had certainly considered the idea that Melinda's perfection might border on boring for some younger voters, or that AI producers might have a marketing problem with her, but the idea that she wouldn't be in the finale never crossed my mind, really.

I'm happy for Blake and Jordin and am looking forward to next week.

I'm also happy for Melinda. She's gonna be NOVA hot and people are going to be lined UP to work with her. My family is already anticipating her album.

I have to say, I no longer care who wins. Melinda was so far beyond the other two finalists...they weren't on the same playing field!!!

That was a surprise. I'm disappointed more folks didn't vote for Melinda, but given the lack of screaming pre-teens shown during her visit home, perhaps I should have guessed it. I can still look forward to next week--partly because, for me, Melinda had already won a few weeks ago. I suppose I slightly favor Blake for next week if only so I won't have to hear "You're only 17" repeatedly, plus he's from the Northwest. But, they're both at about the same talent level IMO.

Dissapointed is not the word for the results last night!! Melinda was clearly the best this season and should have at least been in the finals. I do agree the producers probably wanted Blake and Jordin because of the marketability factor but, it was still so wrong!! This is exactley why votes should be limited. When you have a bunch of hormonal pre-pubescent teeny-boppers voting the results are gonna suck!! After Scary Underwear won season 4, I vowed to never watch again, ( how Bo did not win is beyond me) and I am glad I did not watch last years fiasco when Taylor Hicks won (should have been Chris D). I only tuned in this year when a friend showed me Lakisha's Dreamgirl performance and Melinda. Once again I was hooked. But, on the bright side, Melinda is going to be UBER HOT!!!! I have never bought a CD from an idol contestant (winner or loser) but will definitly buy Melinda's!! Congrats to Melinda and can't wait to hear from her soon. As far as the other 2 go...I don't care which one wins and will not tune in to watch. I can do with out the "only 17" and beat boxing on every song. Gets real old real fast! Sanjaya might as well have won!

If any of you have read any of my posts, you know that I like Blake and Jordin quite a bit, so I'm happy for both of them.

Melinda's departure was definitely a surprise! I've never considered that she wouldn't be in the finale.

Blake's a local, so I feel kinda obligated to back him, but I've been a Jordin fan for a long time.... I don't know who I want to win.

I've really enjoyed this season, especially more than last season. Yeah, some of the top ten weren't so hot, but the good ones have been good.

I'll be watching the finale, for sure!

...and posting about it.

If I can get all sappy for a sec...

Coming here to post and read others' posts about this show that has become such a big and fun part of my life is a HUGE part of the overall AI joy for me. I'm so glad this thread is here, as the AI MB and the Yahoo group are, at best, an insane hurricane of activity that I find it difficult to maintain any desire to keep up with.

So *hugs* to everyone who posts here, and especially Dean for starting the thread!

End sappiness. Let's all watch the finale pantsless!!!!

I watch -everything- pantsless...

I've felt since we got into the top ten that this year's American Idol might very well be Jordin. However, I was beginning to wonder about that since Bon Jovi night because Jordin's performances have been somewhat sub-par, at least for her, from that night on. Like Simon, after Tuesday, I believed Melinda was a shoo-in for the finale and that Jordin might be vulnerable.

Honestly, the last person I thought would be leaving as second runner-up after Tuesday's performances would be Melinda. She gave such a tour de force Tuesday that it's hard to believe. Honestly, I felt Jordin was third-best Tuesday.

Blake has been my personal favorite (second favorite was Phil ) since I started tuning in to AI the last three weeks of the all-boys and all-girls eliminations. I haven't loved every single performance from him as certain theme weeks didn't suit him, especially "Imagine" for Inspiration Week and last week's Bee Gees/Disco Week where the beat-boxing really felt forced. But the thing is, in general Blake's stuff is very hip and fresh and distinct from all the other contestants this season. And in addition to the beat-boxing, he's proven he can sing really well. For the perfect example, I never imagined he could do what he did with "You Give Love a Bad Name" on Bon Jovi Week. Even with the fun beat-boxing prominent in that performance, I was most surprised that his voice showed such power in the chorus. Wow!

But Jordin probably has the edge with voters. She can sing like all giddy-yup, and she's the perfect age for AI's core younger audience. I think she's the next American idol. If Blake has a chance to win, he'll have to be truly extraordinary and take more risks in the finale.

Either way, I'll be satisfied. Both have reams of talent, and I know Melinda will land on her feet. All three have bright futures!

Bum.

Although considering previous years and the age range of voters I'm not hugely surprised. I'd be perfectly happy if Jordin wins but I will be gutted if that hideous little turd Blake does.

Still, being shackled with the AI winner title can be as much a curse as a blessing, especially for someone like Melinda who isn't standard teen pop material, so she should still be assured of a career. She just needs to make sure she picks the right songs and aims for a market where she's likely to get long term sucess (ie: not the here-today-gone-tomorrow pop market).

The New York Times gave Fantasia a great review of her role in The Color Purple.

Jordin was pretty good, Blake was absolutely bloody appaling, Melinda was absolutely stunning. I choose to believe that she went simply because everyone assumed she was safe and so voted for whichever of the other two they wanted to be in the final and she lost out. That or the majority of Americans are stupid.

No. Just the majority that watch AI or voted for Duh-bya.

HEY!

There's a big debate here amongst my AI-watching friends about exactly WHAT musical genre should Melinda release her first album in.

Me, I say... COUNTRY.

Why? She ruled country week, plus she has the experience (backup singer for country group Alabama) plus country fans would totally embrace her (Nashville-area native), plus Country music is the one genre that has suffered the least from the downloading explosion.

Just my opinion, what do YOU think?

Let's hear from my mega-hot BF Greg first....

I was appalled that Melinda was booted. Not to say that I am totally upset about it. I personally think that it is the best for her. She is not tied into the AI contract so she can record as she wishes. I am pleased with the final 2 how it turned out regardless.

I will agree, she should probably release a country album. Being from Nashville she would definately have an in.

Not that I meant to lump the two groups together, sorry...

'Sfunny, all these kids coming up through AI to become country recording artists... Carrie, "French Pickler", Bevis's boy Bucky . I thought country had their own AI-- Nashville Star, or somesuch. To be fair, that show is sorta "preaching to the choir", whereas they're all reaching a larger fanbase with Idol.

And the Country music fan community is alot more generous to Idol contestants; Even non-winners like Kelly and Bucky are having multiple hits. What've Ruben, Clay, Justin, Bo or Taylor done? Some have had some initial success, but fleeting. Even Kelly Clarkson, arguably the most successful AI contestant outside that genre, seems to be testing the Country waters-- she was a performer on the CMT's tribute to Reba McEntire, and is slated to do a CMT Crossroads special with her.

K-Pickles' CD was a ton of fun, I still listen to it and am glad I bought it.

I've seen Bucky's video, it seemed okay, wasn't able to pay enough attention to it.

And Carrie... every song I've heard off her album (five songs, I think) has been really good.

re: country music, I've also heard that Bon jovi's upcoming album will be very southern-tinged, and that Sheryl Crow and Jewel's next albums will be full-blown country albums.

Jewel in particular seemed put out with the state of top 40 these days in an article I read, preferring country as a genre that still appreciates the singer/songwriter.

Yeah... Michelle Branch left the pop scene to start up The Wreckers with Jessica Harp.

My double-take of the day... I was watching The Tube, an all-music video network and the video for "I'm Feeling You" by Michelle and Carlos Santana had Jess as Michelle's backup singer. I had to google it to find out she was Michelle's regular backup.

Kell-P's I Wonder is a tearjerker, and I really like Bucky's A Different World. Finally found a Carrie song I could get into with Wasted!

And Bon Jovi did a CMT Crossroads with Sugarland that I loved, after Jennifer Nettles did backing vocals on BJ's You Can't Go Home.

Sounds like alot of established artists are getting sick of the fickle top 40 pop scene, not just the up-and-comers. Say what you will about country, but the fans are longterm... unless you piss 'em off like the Dixie Chicks. (-I- still 'em... )

Melinda's songs have to be bluesy and sassy and have a kick, for her to be at her best. I don't really think of her as a contemporary R&B artist and she's not straight pop (like Jordin), so I suppose country would be a pretty dang good fit for her!

I wish there didn't have to be categories, but I understand their neccessity.

Well, I'm glad Jordin didn't get cut last week, as I imagined she might, because she was really good. She sounded great on each of the songs she did, and I totally fell for the way she kinda choked with emotion at the end of the new song.

Blake put on a great show, too, but his vocals did seem thinner, overall. He'll still get a big career out of this, I'm sure.

Jordin certainly got to highlight her vocals. I'm not sure what Blake was up to, but none of his performances really had the impact they should have. With just the two of them, the show fell a bit on the entertainment register. Tonight's is supposed to be the blow-out, but I don't think I can bring myself to watch two hours built around a forgone conclusion (Jordin) or a saddling of recrimination (Blake).

How Randy can parrot the "It's a singing contest" line over and over the week after Melinda was eliminated is beyond me.

Peter Noonan said it best when he corrected Cowell in saying that this was "a voting contest", not necessarily a singing contest. I concur.

Congratulations to <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">JORDIN</span></span> who will make a very sweet, classy and talented Idol.

And of course I'll be watching for news re: the workings of our runners-up <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">BLAKE and MELINDA!</span></span>

I kinda thought tonight's finale kicked ass. I especially liked that there were SOOOOO many past AI folk performing. As it should be, I think!

I really enjoyed the show and I'm happy for the winner.

They've started airing commercials....