BuzzSugar

Which "Idol" Contestant Would You Bring Back?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 May 2007 13:32:00 -0700

Seeing all the booted "American Idol" finalists cheering on Jordin and Blake from the audience last night made me wonder: If you could have brought back one of them for the finale, who would it be? (You can let me know in the comments if you would rather have replaced Jordin or Blake.)

Photo courtesy of Fox

Having Already Conquered the World, "Idol" Takes on McDonald's

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:28:35 -0700

Mamas, if you don't want your babies to grow up to be "American Idol" worshipers, you might want to steer clear of McDonald's for a while. Starting tomorrow, "Idol"-themed toys will be showing up in the kiddos' Happy Meals.

Among the options: a teensy microphone, a non-functional fake iPod, a rockin' star-shaped guitar, and sunglasses - because obviously, the "Idol" hopefuls are too bright to look at without shades. Oh, and that weird thing at the far right? That's the applause-o-matic, which, frankly, explains a lot. Not pictured: a Madonna-style pop star headset.

My favorite is the microphone, which is officially called the "judgmental mic" and issues one of three verdicts on your singing: "Off da hook," "You're going to Hollywood," or "You're the next American Idol!" Apparently, "pitchy" didn't make the cut.

For a better food-related "Idol" fix, check out Yum's "Idol" baking contest. I can't wait to see your Sanjaya cakes!

Source

"American Idol" Elimination: See Ya, Sanjaya!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:06:09 -0700

Y'all, what are we going to talk about now?

Sanjaya - he of the ponyhawk, the creepy smile and the possible deal with the devil - ended his "American Idol" reign of terror on Wednesday after giving one of the only truly boring performances of his "Idol" career. No, I'm not kidding. That sound you heard was America gasping, then cheering. His tears at the end were oddly reassuring; I think he really did want to win and wasn't just treating the whole thing as a joke. He also gets points for changing the chorus of his farewell song to: "Let's give 'em something to talk about - other than hair."

Now I suppose the biggest question is which contestant Vote for the Worst will pick next.

Joining Sanjaya in the bottom three were LaKisha and Blake, each I believe making their first appearance there. I'm not too worried about Blake yet; he has devoted fans, and I believe they'll turn out even more in force next week. But I do sense the tide turning against LaKisha somewhat - especially since Jordin stepped it up - and she's certainly not a lock for the final anymore. For the rest of my thoughts on the show - including a possible resolution to EyeRollGate - read more

Seacrest asked Simon to explain his side of EyeRollGate, and he repeated basically what the producers said earlier Wednesday: "I may not be the nicest person in the world but I would never, ever, ever disrespect those families or those victims." They also played back a cut of the judges' table that showed Simon indeed talking to Paula about the "nasally" comment all through Chris' Virgina Tech shoutout. Here's my feeling: 1) I do believe Chris was sincere in what he said, 2) I think it looked bad because he said it only after getting slammed by the judges and sniping at Simon, and 3) no matter how mean Simon has been, I truly don't think he would roll his eyes at a tragic shooting.
Seacrest's intro was almost exactly the same as last week, complete with pregnant pause and meaningful glance at Sanjaya.
What, exactly, was that thing on Randy's head?
The "Idol" challenge hit a new low tonight: The question was about this season's finalists, and one who got voted off just a couple of weeks ago at that.
In one of the better segments of the hour-long results show, Seacrest asked the Idols what they listened to this week. If you were wondering, Melinda's been "getting my Jesus on," while Sanjaya listened to country, Blake to Incubus, Jordin to Fergie, Chris to Jason Mraz (and, at least a little jokingly, Herman's Hermits), Phil to Willie Nelson, and LaKisha to Yolanda Adams.
My boyfriend, upon Fergie taking the stage: "She's gonna wet her pants!" Also, that girl who got called on stage during her performance apparently forgot to take her dose of Ashley Ferl Crying Powder; she just looked stoic.
The Pimpomercial was heist-themed and set to "I Ran" with some cool black-and-white special effects. Meanwhile, the group sing might have actually been one of my favorite group sings ever; I'm aware that this kills my street cred, but I'd download it.
For the elimination, Seacrest did the divide-into-two-groups trick, with Sanjaya, LaKisha and Blake on one side and Chris, Phil and Jordin on the other. Melinda was the "lucky" one to get to choose between the two, and she elected to just sit down in the middle of the stage - totally appropriate for her.
Anyone catch Seacrest saying after his chat with Antonio Banderas that they were short on time? Yeah, that two-minute-results-show-with-58-minutes-of-padding totally isn't long enough.
Martina McBride's performance of "Anyway" was simple and straightforward, quite a contrast to J. Lo's flashy outing. Her little girl appeared on stage with her and told Seacrest he thought all the singers were good, to which Seacrest responded: "Thanks, Paula."
Ratings be damned: 38 million votes were cast this week, the highest ever for a Top 7 week.
Next week: A little thing we like to call Idol Gives Back. Apparently, two superstars will be singing an improbable duet together. Who's it going to be?

Photos courtesy of Fox

"American Idol": Not Much Twang in Country Night

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 09:31:35 -0700

Country night is typically one of my least-favorite "American Idol" theme nights. It's not that I don't like country music - I just don't like bad country music, and amateur singers butchering the songs by attempting maximum twang certainly qualifies as bad country.

At the same time, it's always been a little awesome to watch, just because the potential for disaster is so high. So I couldn't help but be disappointed by Tuesday night's mostly boring performances. Nobody came out in a 10-gallon hat. Nobody tried Shania Twain. And the singers who wouldn't be good at singing country got around the rule by singing the least-country arrangements they could find.

Martina McBride - who amazed me with her ability to look both 25 and 55 over the course of that opening montage - proved herself an intelligent mentor, but the show itself was a little odd, with several awkward mentions of the tragedy at Virgina Tech. I suppose if there's any time for overwrought emotions, it's country night, though. And reality TV must soldier on. Don't forget to vote on the singer you think is heading home, and to see what I thought of the performances, read more

Phil Stacey (at left): I did not have Phil pegged as a country singer - in fact, I increasingly wasn't pegging him as a singer at all - but he sounded awesome on "Where the Blacktop Ends." He also took Martina's advice and loosened up, showing more personality in this one performance than in all his other final-round outings put together. The judges were fans, but I don't know how they formed their opinions, given that Paula and Simon were apparently playing "who's got your nose?" while he sang. Seriously, anyone else see that?

Jordin Sparks: I was worried Jordin was becoming forgettable: Before Tuesday's show, I was trying to name the Idols off the top of my head, and her name was the last I remembered. I have a feeling her "Broken Wing" performance will change that. She sounded so awesome, she even made herself cry. She was also wearing what appeared to be a duct-tape dress, but I'll let that go under the circumstances. Simon said he can see Jordin winning "Idol."

Sanjaya Malakar: I had my fingers crossed for a cowboy hat and chaps, but I just got a red bandanna. He sang "Something to Talk About," and it was weird, because maybe for the first time, he didn't really give us much to talk about. No weird hair, no faux-Sinatra, no bilingual choruses - just lots of dull, bad singing. Maybe his lack of freakiness will finally spell the end for him? Hey, a girl can hope.

LaKisha Jones (at right): I am way biased here, because I hate "Jesus Take the Wheel" with a deep and all-consuming passion, but I seriously despised this performance. I will limit my "Jesus should have taken the wheel there" jokes to one and just say that I think she lost the song completely on the chorus. It didn't help that the styling department let her down bigtime (bad hair! big gold boots!). The judges were harsh, but I think accurately so.

Chris Richardson: Martina McBride called Chris "versatile," which made me question her taste severely, because I didn't realize "versatile" meant "everything sounds the same." Timberfake is bringing monotone back. Usually he can perform his way out of a bad song, but he seemed totally bored on Tuesday. Minus five points for sniping back to Simon that "nasally is a form of singing - I don't know if you knew that." Minus a million points for mentioning Virgina Tech - no matter how honest a sentiment, it comes off like a dig for votes.

Melinda Doolittle (at left): I'm against fake hair generally, but extensions were a good choice for her - she looks at least five years younger, and her neck issue (shall we say, neckless issue?) is less apparent. Her "Trouble is a Woman" sounded more soul than country, but that's such a blurry line anyway, and when Simon compares you to Tina Turner, you must be doing something right. This week I finally started believing that she'd be a great "Idol" winner - and I loved Simon telling her to ditch the humility.

Blake Lewis: He covered a Tim McGraw song, but it wasn't very country-sounding. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily. The trouble is that it sounded a lot like his Keane song from earlier in the competition, and like a lot of his other performances, and I'm getting worried that we're losing what made him Blake to begin with. Meanwhile, Simon picked Blake's critique to give his own Virgina Tech shoutout, which was just awkward.

Who's safe: Jordin and Melinda. After that, anything's possible, though - and I never thought I'd say this - I hope Phil makes it through this time.

Who should be in the bottom three: Sanjaya, LaKisha and Chris

Who will be in the bottom three: LaKisha, Phil and Chris

Who's going home: Chris

Photos courtesy of Fox

Link Time! 4/17

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:39:07 -0700

Pop Candy has Will Ferrell's brilliant viral-video debut starring a toddler landlord, which you simply must see.
Then check out Defamer's "behind the scenes" post about the video.
TV with MeeVee kicks off its "Be Hiroic" week by interviewing Hiro himself, Masi Oka.
Idolator's super-sweet leak of the day, Timbaland, Timberlake, and Jay Z.
BuddyTV has a pretty spot-on list of reasons not to marry "The Bachelor," Andy Baldwin.
Radiohead's OK Computer wins Merry Swankster's '90s album showdown.
TV Squad tells us where to find all the slogans on Frank's "30 Rock" hats, organized by episode, color, and frequency.
Earvolution has the latest on the sad state of Rock Star Supernova.
The TV Addict loves "Drive" so much, he's made his own bumper stickers.
Speaking of "Drive," TV Filter has an interview with creator Tim Minear.
I was just caught salivating over Film Experience's Top Ten Most Lovable Movie Cads.
Popwatch tells us that even Hilary Clinton is weighing in on the Sanjaya phenomenon.
The Watcher checks out the first chapter of Tim Gunn's book - and shows you how you can, too - while Daniel Vosovic blogs from the NYC "Project Runway" auditions.
DearSugar asks: Which celeb would you want as your "Amazing Race" partner?

Source

"American Idol" Elimination: Haley Heads Home

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:29:07 -0700

It was going to happen sooner or later, but this week turned out to be Haley's time to go on "American Idol.". Good thing, too, or she might have come out naked next time around. She seemed prepared - after all, she'd been in the bottom three almost every week - and I was happy that she kept her composure enough to have fun with her final song. Well, as much fun as you can have when you've just been booted off the biggest TV show in America, I suppose. It bears mentioning that Haley was was wearing her most covered-up look yet for her elimination, with long sleeves and long pants.

Joining Haley in the bottom three were Phil and Chris, which really didn't surprise me. Phil hasn't been clicking these past few weeks, and he was my pick to go home. I didn't think Chris was very good this week (though the judges praised him effusively), and since this is his second appearance near the bottom, I'm starting to think his fan base isn't very strong.

I still wish "Idol" hadn't expanded the results show to an hour - even at its most drawn out, the actual elimination takes maybe five minutes - but they did make a good attempt to keep our attention on Wednesday. Among the added features: bonus footage with the singers chatting with J.Lo (Sanjaya: "Maybe I'll get her number later"), a man-on-the-street segment where Seacrest asked people in LA what they thought of the contestants, and a jokey fake audition bit with Tony Bennett. To see what I thought were some of the best - and most ridiculous - moments, read more

Here's when I knew Sanjaya was safe: During the intro, Ryan stood next to him as he solemnly said one of the contestants would be going home. "Who will it be?" he said, sending a faux-meaningful glance Sanjaya's way.
Group sing is back, full of flubbed words and awkward duets. It's so cheesy and awful, yet I kind of love it.
"That's nothing to you, is it, rich boy?" - Seacrest to Simon, on the topic of the $10,000 "Idol" challenge jackpot. Of course, the challenge question was once again too dumb to discuss.
The songwriting contest has already gotten 5,000 entries, Seacrest said. This week brought in 35 million votes, the highest so far (even though the ratings are fading).

J.Lo's never done much for me as a singer, but her performance had all the passion and energy she kept telling the contestants Latin songs need. I'm not sure what was going on with the bottom half of her outfit, though, and I was surprised she left most of the dancing to her backup crew.
The pimpomercial used that technology from Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video to morph one "Idol" contestant into the next. The freakiest part: realizing how much the new shorter-haired Sanjaya looks like Melinda.
J.Lo said she comes from "the Paula school of criticism." I assume she meant accentuating the positive, not acting drunk and incoherent on national television.

We got a sneak peak of Idol Gives Back tonight, with footage from the crew's trip to Africa. Some little girl put man-boobs on the picture she drew of Simon. She's my favorite person in the world right now.
Next week: country week with Martina McBride.

Photos courtesy of Fox

"American Idol": The Top Ocho Salsa (Sorta)

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:48:29 -0700

Can we all agree that Latin Night was a terrible idea for an "American Idol" theme? While I enjoyed seeing J. Lo as the guest coach, the rhythms of Latin music aren't terribly easy to pick up on short notice. The result: performances that sounded like good cabaret singing at best - and terrible karaoke at worst.

I think we've reached the worst part of every "Idol" competition: The good but unpopular contestants were voted off before their time, the bad contestants have developed fan bases (whether legitimate or ironic) that keep them around, and the front-runners are perpetually safe, so we have to suffer while the mediocre middle gets voted off one by one. A memo to the top eight, or at least the seven who will still be around after tonight: It's time to really go for it. Attack your songs, perform, set yourself apart. The worst that can happen is that you're over-the-top bad, and that seems to be working out fine this year.

Be sure to vote on you think is going home, and to hear what I thought about the performances, read more

Melinda Doolittle (at right): She said her biggest fear this week was not being able to seem sexy, but her hot black dress took care of that (though I wasn't loving the granny 'do). I agree with Simon, though, that she sounded like a cabaret singer - albeit a great one - and "Sway" was yet another classic song that won't doing anything to help her slightly-too-old-for-"Idol" image.

LaKisha Jones: I started worrying when J.Lo had to teach LaKisha how to pronounce "conga." She didn't look comfortable on stage and sounded a half-beat behind the band most of the time. Even Paula, who dances in her chair through almost every song, could only sort of jiggle. Randy thought it was great, but Simon and Paula thought LaKisha was too reserved.

Chris Richardson: I have a feeling his performance of "Smooth" will be one of the night's most divisive. I thought all his weird vocal runs were even more annoying than usual (every syllable does not need to have two or more notes in it, OK?) and instead of being sexy, he just kind of bobbed up and down. The judges, meanwhile, thought it was hot, smooth, and contemporary. I agree he sounded more modern than the other two, but that doesn't mean much.

Haley Scarnato (at left): Do you think she's made some kind of deal that for every week she remains on the show, she'll knock another inch off her hemline? Also, who gave all the girls the memo that Latin night = red-red lipstick? Anyway, the good news is that her "Turn the Beat Around" didn't make me as uncomfortable as her "Queen of the Night" performance a few weeks ago, but she kept losing the rhythm and making campy, musical theater-style faces.

Phil Stacey: Let's get one thing straight: Phil is not sexy. In fact, he's looking a little Buster Bluth-ish these days, and picturing Buster singing "Maria Maria" just killed any appeal it might have had for me. His voice cracked at least twice, and the whole performance was pretty lackluster. But Phil gets points for talking about his daughter's new stuffed animal: Simon Cow. Hee.

Jordin Sparks: I had a brief Gloria Estefan fangirl phase in my youth, so I was excited to hear Jordin try "The Rhythm is Gonna Get You." Her voice sounded great, but the tempo seemed sluggish, and she wasn't as loose on stage as she typically is. Maybe it was those super-high-waisted pants. Regardless, Randy said she had "the yo factor on blast."

Blake Lewis (at right): With that hat, he looked a little like Nate Fischer Sr. from "Six Feet Under." Which is to say: not a good look. Still, he got closer to hitting the rhythms of his song (Marc Anthony's "Need to Know") than anyone else all night. And he's Blake, so I'll forgive him the hat. (This time, Blake. Only this time.)

Sanjaya Malakar: My boyfriend said, bluntly, "He looks disgusting with facial hair." Truer words were never spoken. Still, props to him for being the only one of the night to attempt to sing in Spanish (which he's probably studying in, you know, high school). He sounded sort of sweet singing "Besame Mucho," and much as it pains me to say so, it was his best night so far. His attempt at bedroom eyes was just sad, though.

Who should be in the bottom three: Haley, Phil, and Chris

Who will be in the bottom three: Haley, Phil, and LaKisha. I know, I know, but this wasn't her best night, and I worry that her fans are getting complacent.

Who's going home: Phil. Maybe if I just say it over and over again, it will come true.

Photos courtesy of Fox

"American Idol": The Final Nine Try the Classics

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 09:52:50 -0700

Seacrest called Tuesday's "American Idol" the night of legends: Tony Bennett and Sanjaya Malakar. Personally, I feel dirty even having to say those two names in the same sentence.

"American classics" night was a lot like the songs themselves: sweet, but a little dull. It's going to be an interesting elimination tonight, though. While the classics aren't easy to sing well, they're also hard to completely screw up, and for the most part everyone tried songs that suited their personality and vocal range. Except for the people who consistently flounder, of course, but that hasn't cost them so far. Be sure to vote on who you think is going home. To hear what I thought of the performances and who I think is gone, read more

Blake Lewis (at right): Blake rocked the grandpa pants again, which seemed particularly appropriate for classics night. Also: Who knew this guy could swing? His "Mack the Knife" was surprisingly straightforward, and he worked an awesome jazzy-lounge vibe. The judges generally praised him, though Simon said he liked the band more.

Phil Stacey: Why does Phil consistently pick songs with lots of tricky low notes that require more control than he has? He sounded really wobbly on the early parts of "Night and Day," but - per usual - his belting of the chorus almost redeemed it for me. The man lacks any semblance of charisma, though, and Simon said the gloomy performance belonged in a funeral home.

Melinda Doolittle (at left): Classics night was pretty much made for her, huh? Kudos to the person who arranged this version of "I've Got Rhythm," because it played to all of her strengths - a slow, sweet beginning; a jazzy, bopping middle; and a big, growling ending. Simon whined that he's never going to be able to criticize Melinda, which is a shame because he likes being mean to people.

Chris Richardson: Now that the comparison's been made between Chris and "Family Ties" felon Brian Bonsall, I can barely even watch him. I'm also not a big fan of the suspenders-dangling-from-jeans look. On the other hand, I wasn't sure how he'd handle a standard, but "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" suited him surprisingly well.

Jordin Sparks (at right): I still cannot believe this girl is 17. I expected her to have a little more fun with her performance, though, and I'm starting to wonder if she's just very good at imitating a lot of different styles without making any of them her own. Still, her voice and presence should keep her safe long enough to find her niche.

Gina Glocksen: Sheesh, her skirt was slit up to there. "Smile" was really different for her, and I thought she pulled it off well, but I don't think it will win her any new fans - especially because, as Simon said, Jordin and Melinda could outsing her any day.

Sanjaya Malakar (at left): Tony Bennett told Sanjaya he's a huge fan: "What I like about him is that he dares to be different." Oh, Tony. I'm worried you've gone senile. The judges are apparently following the "if you don't have anything nice to say" rule at this point, focusing on how great he is as an entertainer. I wish he'd done "Send in the Clowns."

Haley Scarnato: It's weird how much I'm rooting for Haley these days. I'm even willing to overlook the sequined pageant dress. If she's going to get through any week, it should be this one - "Ain't Misbehaving" totally played to her (albeit limited) vocal range. The judges failed to say anything constructive; apparently the sight of her legs rendered them speechless.

LaKisha Jones (at right): I think she should have listened to Tony and gone for a simpler arrangement of "Ain't No Sunshine When He's Gone," but that's the meanest thing I can say about her, because she was on her game this week.

Who's safe: Blake, Melinda, LaKisha, and - if I'm going to be honest about the sad state of the world - probably Sanjaya

Who should be in the bottom three: Sanjaya, Haley, and Phil

Who will be in the bottom three: Haley, Gina, and Phil

Who's going home: Phil. A good performance last week landed him near the bottom, and this week's iffy one won't help. Haley's in trouble, though, too.

Source

"American Idol" Elimination: It's Curtains for Chris S.

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:22:27 -0700

Our 'fro-headed wisecracker is gone! Chris Sligh was voted off "American Idol" on Wednesday after he failed to really nail a performance in the finals. As much as I hate to agree with Seacrest, his assessment of Chris as one of the most clever "Idol" contestants was dead-on, and I'm sorry he won't be around to lighten the mood during performance shows anymore. I'm also sorry my DVR cut out before he told Phil that Phil owed him fifty bucks.

Phil and Haley joined Chris in the bottom three, and I was actually surprised to see Phil there. I'm really not a fan of his, but I can think of a lot of times he deserved to be in the bottom three, and this wasn't one of them. Haley, meanwhile, has to know her number's up soon; she just looks terrified all the time now, poor thing.

And yes, that means Sanjaya wasn't even in any danger. Dear America: What are you smoking? For more thoughts on Wednesday's elimination show, read more

Maybe I should have seen it coming, but Seacrest coming out in the Sanjaya ponyhawk wig was pretty amazing.
We got a Wild West pimpomercial - I'm sorry, "music video" - featuring Chris Richardson as an outlaw and Jordin as the sheriff trying to put him in his place.
"So that means either Chris or Gina will be joining Phil and Stacey in the bottom three," quoth Seacrest. Wow, I guess when Simon said he didn't know Haley's name, he wasn't alone.
The "Idol" challenge was about which finalist had been nicknamed "the velvet teddy bear," and Bo Bice was an option. I think he's one of the least teddy bear-ish contestants in Idol's history, actually.

Gwen's performance was so much better than what we usually see on "Idol" (read: washed-up stars in wildly inappropriate outfits attempting songs their voices gave up on years ago). So refreshing.
Was Paula trying to dress like Gwen? Both were wearing white button-down shirts, neckties and bib tops. Gwen, of course, looked awesome, while Paula looked ... well, kind of like a pirate. I think it was the fluttery sleeves.
Simon on who was going home: "I think it's bye-bye, Curly." I think he meant Chris, but Haley's hair was curly too.
If my coin had only come up tails on Tuesday, I'd be three-for-three in predicting eliminations
I'm glad Chris got a singout. I wish I could have just heard him crack jokes for two minutes, but I'll take the singout.

Photos courtesy of Fox

"American Idol" Top 10: Rockin' With Gwen Stefani

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:42:03 -0700

You'll never hear me say this again, but I actually wish "American Idol" had been a little longer last night. Gwen Stefani dropped by to get the crew to sing songs by No Doubt and artists who had inspired her, and she seemed like a great guest coach. Unfortunately, since they were powering to get through 10 performances (plus banter) in 67 minutes, we didn't get to hear much of Gwen working with the singers. It would have been cool to see more of that, a la Peter and Lulu from last week.

Most of the performances seemed a little lackluster, though, which made way for Sanjaya's hair to make a big splash yet again. Seriously, there's no stopping him, is there? To see what I thought of the singers, and my prediction for who's going home, read more

LaKisha Jones (at left): First of all, she looked awesome. Second, it was nice to hear her do something upbeat and come out of her shell a little bit. Her "Last Dance" was fun, and the judges loved it. Man, it's rough to start with someone I can't make fun of.

Chris Sligh: Gwen picked on his troubles keeping up the tempo of "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" in the rehearsal, and the problem definitely carried over into the live performance. I love his personality, but all his high notes sounded yelpy. Simon just called it a mess.

Gina Glocksen: Don't you get the feeling that Gina sat in her room singing Pretenders songs through her teenage years? I thought she totally rocked "I'll Stand By You," so I've got to pick on that metallic rubber band she was wearing. I assume she stayed by the microphone the whole time because she couldn't move without showing us things we didn't need to see.

Sanjaya Malakar (at right): This was a joke, right? His hair - oh, his hair - was up in a kind of mohawk-y thing make up of a lot of little ponytails along the top of his head, and then he kept flopping his head to make it sway. He tried No Doubt's "Bathwater" and didn't sound gut-wrenchingly terrible, but I cannot possibly sanction anything the kid does at this point.

Haley Scarnato: I thought "True Colors" was the kind of soft, sweet song she would actually have a fighting chance of doing well, and at least it wasn't cringe-inducing. The judges weren't thrilled, though, and Simon went back to calling her forgettable - presumably because she didn't shake her boobs in his face this week.

Phil Stacey: Phil picked "Every Breath You Take," which instantly made me think of him as a creepy bald stalker. Way to go, Phil. But this performance made me remember what's good about him, because it was right in his range. Again: Don't sing verses, Phil, just choruses.

Melinda Doolittle (at left): Melinda, honey, can you pick a song from this generation just once? I'm being picky, because I think she has the best voice and stage presence in this competition by far, and she did the disco queen thing well on Tuesday, but I'm afraid she's making herself seem too old to be an "Idol."

Blake Lewis: I got nervous about him doing a Cure song, but it was nice to hear him try something slow and simple (even though I'm not sure he got all the notes). He also toned down the fauxhawk, probably because he knew it couldn't compete with Sanjaya's. I'm surprised that the judges chose to criticize him for being boring, because I think it was the most out-of-character song he's done.

Jordin Sparks: I don't think there's anything she can't sing. (I typed that before Randy said it, I swear!) So far we've heard her do goopy Disney songs, Pat Benatar, and now No Doubt. I'm not sure I know who she is as a performer, but hey, she's 17.

Chris Richardson: Are there only two notes in "Don't Speak"? Because I think he sang the same two notes for most of the song. He just doesn't do anything for me. Paula and Randy liked his performance, but I side with Simon, who said it wasn't great.

Who's safe: LaKisha, Melinda, Blake, and Phil

Who should be in the bottom three: Chris S., Chris R., and Sanjaya

Who will be in the bottom three: Chris S., Haley, and someone totally surprising like Gina or Jordin. Chris R. had a scare last week, so his fans will be out in force, and Sanjaya's not going anywhere for a while.

Who's going home: It's a dead heat between Chris S. and Haley for me, so I flipped a coin, and the coin said Haley.

Photos courtesy of Fox