Disenchanted with the Queen of Whatever

This week our contestants got inflicted with the songs of Queen. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some Queen, it's just that the music of these icons simply is never really kind to the kids that end up on this show. Thankfully not all of them chose songs that had been done by previous contestants and as such, avoided the inevitable comparisons.

We had a bit of a surprise this week as Randy narrated the intro package that was put together for our guests. Seems that Ryan had come down ill, and although he made it to show time (albeit alot less energetic than usual), it's evident he wasn't available for voice-over work when this segment was shot.

Styx Pick(s) for the week:
No one. Not a single one. Not even my favorite.

There's only 6 now so I'll just go through them all right in performance order. Well that and I'm a bit pressed for time today.

We saw 2/3 of the kids on the Loser Map this week with a couple of them losing more than one state. There was only one listed in GREEN on the Chart although all are listed as a B3 possibility (DI hedging the bets again). At this point, it's really anybody's game and as it's been pointed out, it's all going to come down to song choice because most of them are talented in their own special way.  A favorite regained the lead in the odds after the "shocking" ouster of a fan favorite (obviously not THAT much of a fan favorite..), while another plummeted like a 10 ton weight pushed out of a cargo-bay door.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Jessica: This week she picked 2 of the most over done songs on Idol. One of them had actually not only been done but been DONE already. There hasn't been another contestant that's even come close, and this is coming from a gal who didn't particularly like the dude at all. Sad thing is, although Constantine did a great job with the song (one of the best of the night) he was sent packing 2 weeks later. BoRap was actually attempted in Season 5 as well, by Kellie Pickler. She avoided the B3 (even with that awful performance) but she, too, was voted off  in two weeks time. I can only hope that this will be the case here, but it would be even better is if this week is her last. Okay okay, I will admit she's got some talent and will more than likely go far in the manner of Mariah, Beyonce, Celine et all. However, I don't particularly care for much of the work that any of them put out and I am guessing Jessica will be the same way. I liked her second song better than than her first. Her odds went up after last week's performance but had a small slip coming into this week. Her final value was still above last week, but it's lower than it had been. A first singing position worked against her this week. The Chart rated her a 1-6 and listed her in 4th place. She had a 2 state win but she also lost 2 for a goose egg on the Maps. She's more than likely in danger this week, again, and there's no more net to protect her.

Skylar: I like the second song over the first. Not sure what everyone else was seeing because I've been seeing that most people really enjoyed the Queen number. Well, to each his/her own I suppose. This one had been done a couple times on the show already, but usually there's enough time in between each performance (that and it's not really well known) that no one really thinks to compare. The first time it was done was in Season 5 by Paris Bennett (can't find the video for her, sorry) and then again in the 7th Season by  Carly Smithson (a better interpretation than we got this season imho). If you don't remember it from there, then maybe the version from Moulin Rouge (can't remember if it was before or after her illness was discovered)? Nothing comes quite close to Freddy Mercury's version  though. Then again, it was written by Brian May for Freddie Mercury as a chronicling of Freddie's fight to keep performing in spite of the fact that his life was coming to an end and rather quickly. That last link will take you to the Wiki entry regarding the song. Until you've had to face a disease of that magnitude or a heartbreak of similar quality, you simply can't portray the angst necessary for this song. Skylar just didn't have that. She had an increase over last week with a minor dip coming into the show this week, staying ahead of last week's numbers. A second singing position did her no real favors either. The Chart ranked her 1-6 and listed her in 5th. She lost a state this week but managed to offset it with a 4 state win  to give her a total of 3 on the Maps. She's on shaky ground this time around.

Joshua: I didn't like either of his songs this week, but what's new, right? Last time we saw this song on the Idol stage was in Season 5, but it was a group number done by Fantasia, Taylor Hicks, Tim Urban and someone else so it really doesn't count towards comparisons. The SUTA blasts this week were enough to evaporate my tv viewin' buddy's super duper ass protecting heat shield by Mantasia's second number (which means she was totally unprotected by the SUTA that showed up in the pimp spot). Poor gal was so bad off she foresaw many ice cold enemas in her near future to make herself feel better. Maybe we'll get lucky though. He's not the only male left. He might be an AAM (and the only one in the show at the moment) but he doesn't have the backing of that nefarious site (that goes to WGWG#5). He saw a minor increase in odds from last week but the Maps and the Chart are in disagreement. The Chart rates him (an overly generous) 1-6 and lists him in 3rd place. However, even with the obnoxious amounts of standing Os, nice Chart listing and SUTA blasts weekly, he STILL was the only one to show up in the negatives on the Maps. No wins and 2 losses give him a -2 for the week. I will not be surprised to see him in the B3 this week (or do we go to B2s now?). I'd be happy to see BebeChez go, but happier still if the BDND is shown the door.

Elise: Okies, so how is this fair? She gets ripped into for doing a song that was perfectly suited for her simply because it's not a common song, yet the very next contestant got minorly praised because his was seen as artsy? Say what??? Have the double standards always been this bad?  Personally, I thought her performances this week were some of the best that hit the stage (not saying they were great, but just better than most). She's slowly growing on me, what can I say. She's actually edging Skylar out. I don't want to get too attached though because I see those odds on the one site and they are the worst I've seen this year. She dropped nearly 3,000 points over the course of a week. Yeah, THAT bad. The Chart rated her with a 2-6 and listed her in 6th. The Maps were a tad more generous. She won 5 and lost 1 for a total of  4 states this week. Not sure how much a later sing spot is going to help this under-appreciated, yet perpetual bottom dweller. She may make yet another trip to the Stools of Shame.

Phillip: *chuckles* When the set list got leaked and I saw the one Queen song listed, I knew that only Phillip would be able to do the song justice. I mean, I didn't see any of the gals touching it (except ~maybe~ Elise) and as for Joshua? Puh-LEEEEEEEEEEZ! Ok.. I will admit to a very minor, but no panty throwing, squwee fit and I will admit that I have the studio version (thank you YouTube) on repeat right now (PP, darlin', you need to learn to complete your words...  tonighT , firelighT and arounD... oh and while we're at it, she's a lady not a manny... just sayin'). That aside, I'm a bit worried. Why? Because the last time this song was performed on the Idol stage, the singer (Bucky Covington) was sent home (Freemantle blocked his performance video and I no longer have the blog entry I wrote on his performance).  The second song I didn't know (not a fan of the band) so I listened back. He seemed to do a decent cover of the song, but I liked his first performance better. I do, however, see where the comparison comes in and as a result I will be checking out The DMB to see if there's something I like enough to put on my mp3 player. Phillip's odds have risen so high that he's no longer a good bet because he's in the negative numbers (last check he was at -129). Thanks to Colton's ouster last week, he's regained the rating of Favored on the site. However, we saw what happened last week. Colton had just taken that spot and was looking as if he'd be a shoe-in to win and then he got voted off (something I don't EVER recall happening before). The Chart has PP rated a 1-6 and listed in 2nd position. Even though he was in the next to last singing spot (this dude's NEVER had the pimp spot!!), and got luke-warm reviews from the judges (although they found him very "artsy"), he managed to get the most states of all of them (you can thank VFTW for that) with a whopping 11 state win on the Maps. Even though he very well could hit the B3, I don't really see that happening this week (it doesn't make me any less worried, though). Not with the odds as high as they are and the number of states won. We've never seen a kid get double digits on the Maps and then get sent home. It's far more likely to have a contestant go home in the pimp spot (and that's happened ONCE) than to have one with a double digit get booted.

Hollie: I wasn't fond of either performance. The Queen number was rather meh and we've already heard her do the Miley Cyrus song once so it seriously shouldn't have been done again. "Redeemed herself" my fat, lily white gluteus maximus. Her odds have been dropping like that other blonde's, but not as bad. I half expect that they'll have a minor boost this week with all that SUTA she got on her last performance. The Chart rated her with a 1-5/ GREEN and listed her in 1st place this week, but they still popped up the B3 "just in case". She won 10 states on the Maps this time around, coming in just behind PP. I don't really see her with a B3 appearance this week, but anything's possible this season. Her odds should have had her gone a few weeks back.

So who goes?
The B3 according to:

The Maps: Joshua, Jessica and either Elise or Skylar rounding out the B3 with Joshua gone.
The Chart: Jessica, Elise and Skylar with Elise gone
Rickey's exit poll: Elise, Hollie and Joshua with Elise gone
Vegas: Elise, Hollie and Joshua with Elise gone

I find it interesting that the poll and the odds seem to agree.

I'd love to see one of the J's gone, but won't be surprised if Elise is sent packing. She just doesn't seem to have the fan base to keep her afloat. In any case, they'll try to pawn it off as a "shocker" when at this point, nothing should be seen as such. The only real shocker will be if we lose Phillip this week. If that happens, I may have to wear black the rest of the season and put the panties back into storage.

U Got It So Bad in the Midnight Hour that U Squweeee!

So here we are, back at the Top 7 again because the judges (in a very predictable and not so well acted fashion) used The Save last week. I mean seriously, who didn't see that coming? Seriously? Come here so I can slap ya. Anyone but Joshua, Jessica and possibly Phillip or Colton (those two to a lesser degree) would have been tossed under the tour bus. Those of us who have watched several seasons could have said as much. Honestly? I think the producers wanted a certain someone saved and when they couldn't rally the judges, decided to pull a switcheroo to make damned well certain that save WOULD be used.

This week we had the theme of Then and Now. Who the hell's coming up with these themes? I mean, really. Yes, it's nice that they're finally allowing the kids to sing stuff from this generation... but they're still saddling them with the same ol' same ol'. The latter being in the wheelhouses of Phillip "WGWG5" Phillips and Elise Testosterone Testone. Even with the more current stuff being allowed, we're still getting some of the same over-used songs. Please kids, remember that the charts aren't only populated by the likes of Adele, Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Lady Gaga. This does NOT mean I really want to hear that earworm by Goyte again this week though. (now watch them sing it as the group number anyhow....)

We ended up with so much SUTA blasting that my dearest Chicagolady was fearing that her industrial strength heatshield wasn't going to hold up for the entire show. I think it was starting to crack before the pimping of Mr Melisma in the first Act and by his last performance was showing signs of a colossal  nuclear failure. As for mine, it totally melted down and I'll be filing a report with the BBB the minute I can sit up properly.

This week we had 3 of the contestants go into the GREEN, however DI is hedging their bets and has 2 of them listed as B3 anyhow.

And after last week's FUBAR, who can blame them, really?

We saw 5 of the kids end up on the LOSER Map this week. Some will profess it's because the group really IS all that good this year. Personally, I doubt it. Then again, I'm partial.

Styx Pick for the Week won't be any surprise to those that have been reading this season:

Phillip: I've been reading some of the other blogs out there and a couple have said that they felt his version of U Got It Bad was his Heartless moment (and I agree!). He took a song clear outta his genre, spun it around and had me on the border of The Squweeee. I listened back (no video, just audio, just to be certain) and damned if they're right. (squweee!) After 2 weeks of pretty crapola performances, he pulled this out and did a fine job of it. Some worry that the moment may have been missed by many, thanks to the SUTA blasts that came afterwards. By the time he hit the stage the second time with In the Midnight Hour, I was in full SQUWEEE mode. AND NO GUITAR!! Oh, I'm so proud of him. He still needs to figure out what to do with himself when he doesn't have an instrument in his hands.  2 panty flings just for that one performance. Coming out of last week he had been up slightly but lost traction after a couple days and went into this week a bit lower than he had been. I fully expect that those numbers will start moving up again after this week's showing (and especially since the one other that he could possibly be splitting votes with sang earlier in the evening and dropped a dud performance in the second half). The Chart rated him with a 1-6/ 3rd place listing in GREEN but hedged their bets with a B3. So it's possible to see him in the B3, but I think it's highly unlikely. He got 8 states this week on the Maps.

Who more than likely is going to be safe:

Joshua: After last week's pimping with Fantasia, it wasn't any surprise that he chose one of her songs for his Now pick. Ryan had introduced it as one of her biggest hits. Try like it was her ONLY real hit and only because it was her coronation song. Wait... don't they usually advise the kids to NOT attempt a previous winner's music and most especially their coronation number? We received a double shot of SUTA blast for him this week. I doubt that they're going to let up until he gets booted because obviously the Idol Makers don't want another WGWG winner for the 5th year in a row. Who cares if he's actually better than most of the year's "talent", including Mr. Histrionics here. His odds were down coming out of last week's show (mostly due to that B3 visit that was so not deserved)but saw a steady increase over the weekend. He won 4 states on the Maps this week. In the pimp spot and only received half the states that PP got. If anything, THIS week he deserves a B3 trip, but that's just my 2 Cents. The Chart rated him 1-4 in first/ GREEN and has deemed him safe. However, we saw what happened last week (see graphic above).

So who deserves a trip to the Stools of Shame?

Even Barbie has more personality

Hollie: Sang early in the night and didn't even get the benefit of the producers mixing up the order in the 2nd half. The judges liked her fine for the first number but when inflicted with a song older than she is, she received a luke-warm judging. Both songs have been so over done that it's pathetic and she came across as dull and uninspired. The "Career Barbie" look in her second performance didn't help much either. To be honest, that's all I remember of her all night.  Her odds fell after last week's performance and kept slip sliding away. I don't see them recovering in enough time to win this show. It's just a matter of time now. If not this week, then maybe in the next couple. She won 5 states and lost 1 on the Maps for a total of 4 states this week. If she hadn't lost that one state, she'd be slightly edging Mantasia out instead of just tied. The Chart put her at 1-7 with a 4th place listing. No green, just a B3.

Jessica: Ok... who let the rabid chihuahua out? *UGH* I am so ready to have her gone already. The constant SUTA blasts don't exactly endear me to her either. I won't be surprised if she makes it farther though. It seems every year there's one contestant that is as irritating as nails on a chalk board (not that that sound bothers me any but it gets the point across) and they seem to last until the Top 3 or 4 at least. All I could think of when she got to her second song was Donkey from Shrek. I find him annoying too. Her odds slipped a bit coming out of last week's show but have crept back up again a bit. She won 4 states and lost 1 for a 3 on the Maps. The Chart rated her 1-6 listing her in 2nd place/ GREEN but hedged their bets with a B3.

Sorry, it was either this
or a pic with the cat's ass in the air.
I felt this conveyed the idea nicely.

Elise: Hated the first song choice (it's not a fav of mine), but it was better than her second choice. Of those on the show, her and PP are the only ones I could see pulling this one off. However, this song's been done... repeatedly. In some cases, like Matt Giraud (and you all know how I felt about him and Doug..) and Nikko Smith (sorry the video doesn't seem to be available anywhere!), this song was DONE.  The judges were *meh* towards her the first song and down right tossed her under the bus the second. To be honest, I could have done without some of the cat in heat vocalizing she did.  Her odds have been in a downward slide since late March. She won 4 states but lost 2 for a total of 2 on the Maps. The Chart rated her a 2-7 and listed her in 5th. Won't be surprised if the bottom dweller makes the trip to the chairs tonight. Looking at the numbers from the Maps and Chart as well as the poll on Rickey's site, the only surprise will be if she avoids the chairs entirely this week.

Skylar: I thought her first song was better than the second, although I felt it was a very odd choice for her. Then again, until last night I never realized that The Mother Monster did a "country" version of this song. Surprise, she did .... although with the exception of the violins all it sounds like is that she slowed it down a bit. Country-girl's odds were going up coming out of last week's show and are still moving up a bit. However, the Maps and the Chart weren't too kind to her this week. She won one and lost one for a big huge goose-egg on the Maps this week. The Chart rated her 2-7 with a 6th place listing. Things didn't look to good for her on Rickey's site either. I am afraid that she's going to be another that isn't going to last more than a small handful of weeks. Unless, of course, my favorite has another bad night or two. I don't really see that happening though.

Colton: You know that constipated strain I harped on regarding Jacob 2.0 a few weeks ago ? Well it seems that CM #2 has developed it. I swore last night he was going to turn his colon inside out with the way his eyes and neck veins were bulging. Must be something contagious there in the Idol world. Dude, seriously, relax a bit (okay, more than a bit) and for heaven's sake, work on your diction and complete all words.  That said, his first choice wasn't bad. It wasn't really SUTA-worthy, but it was decent enough to make the second song sound like crap. A big, steaming lump of it. It was so bad that he received the ATUS treatment. Damn, now I gotta figure out the words for a new acronym. His odds were up a little after last week's show and slipped a tad over the week. They didn't slip enough to take him back out of the favorite's position, but after this week's performances, I won't be surprised if they slip back down to where they were. He won one state and lost as many for a big ol' zero, just like Skylar. This wasn't a good week for him, especially since the only other WG in the show performed circles around him this time. The Chart rated him with a 4-7 and listed him in dead last. If this is his week, I bet the judges are going to regret that save they used last week. Especially since they insisted he audition and have been blowing some minor SUTA all season to keep him in the show. Then again, maybe they won't since they quite obviously are trying their damnedest to make sure a WGWG doesn't win this time too. If that was the case, why bother asking him to audition in the first place?

The B3 as seen by:

Rickey's site: Hollie, Elise and either Colton or Josh (more likely the former) with Elise gone

Maps: Skylar, Elise and Colton  with any of them gone although the last two are more than likely

Chart: Elise, Skylar and Colton with Colton listed in last but any of the 3 as likely

Pinnacle (odds site): Hollie, Elise and Joshua with the girls having the worst odds

I find odd that 3 agree somewhat while Vegas tells another story and THEY'VE been alot more accurate this year than those other sources. It's also why I call shenanigans on last week's results because of all of my resources, the odds have been closer to correct. With Jessica's odds where they are, she should NEVER have made it to the B3 no matter how much I complain about not liking her.

In any case, there's no net this week and we just may see a "favorite" go.

Disappointed

... in my favorites and in myself as well. This week the Idol Machine actually decided to see how current this crop of contestants are and set them loose on the most recent music there is, anything from 2010 to 2012. This theme had some real potential to be awesome or a really awful trainwreck. It would, however, show if this batch has what it takes to be able to sell NOW and compete with the likes of Kelly, Carrie, Beyonce, Lady Gaga et al. Some did very well, some not so much. One actually fell to the wolves of a rabid fan base and even though I thought she did very well, I think the original artist's fans voted against her just because she attempted the song. That group is absolutely super possessive of their artist's work. If it wasn't them then it was the fans of the contestant from last year. Possibly both.

Three of the kids were in the green this week, but two of them were still listed with a B3 in the ranking.

Three of them lost states with one of these three losing 2.

VFTW has a new poster child and although I really hate the fact this choice was made, I will agree that according to last night's performance he deserves to be there. ~sigh~

I actually had to listen back this week to make absolutely certain I heard it the way I did because I didn't wanna believe my toes were tapping to the one.....

Author now recommends that the reader sit on the floor with a glass of alcohol and prop themselves up with a few pillows because it's gonna be a rough ride this week.

Styx Picks for the week: (and God help me, I cannot BELIEVE I'm typing some of these)

Joshua:  I'll wait for you to pick your jaw up off of the floor. Go ahead, I can wait. Honestly, this was one of his better performances. I actually (you ARE sitting down, right???) listened to it more than once. I had to, just to be sure I heard it right the first few times. I was beginning to think I was overly pickled last night (only one glass, HONEST!) when I found (to my great dismay) that my feet were tapping to this one. For once he didn't overly Joshua-ize it. Yeah, he added a touch of flavor on the end, but it wasn't all the way through like usual. The Chart has him at a 1-4 GREEN, first place listing. His odds dropped this last week in Vegas, but I suspect they'll be on the rise coming out of this week's show.  He won 4 states on the Maps. SUTA blast notwithstanding, I have to admit this is one of the better performances of the night and he deserved the praise he got.

Jessica: Although a bit more dramatic than my tastes generally care for, this was my second favorite of the night. I also hate to admit that this one performance was enough to convince me that she has the star power to keep up with the divas of this day and age. Props for not going clear out of character and giggling when she nearly fell. The look on her face was enough to say that she almost did just that. She's probably thanking someone up there for that long hair right now because it gave her just that split moment to compose herself before she looked up. All this said, I still don't much like her and she annoys the crap outta me. Based upon past experience with this show, if this is any indication, she's going to go clear to the Top 4 at least or higher. I still say if the finale comes down between her and Joshua, I won't be watching the final showdown, just the results so I can see my favs sing again. Her's was the first big SUTA blast of the night and it was pretty much deserved *this week*. Her odds have crept up a bit since her last performance. The Chart rates her at a 2-7/B3, listed in 5th. She lost one state but won 5 so the Maps give her a 4 for the week. This may be enough to see her in the B3 this week. If she is, it's just because VFTW has a new poster child and/or she did so well that people forgot to vote for her figuring that she'd be safe.

Elise: She's slowly becoming a favorite of mine. Kinda growing on me, like Haley has. This was a great choice for her and I can't wait to at least hear the studio version. Even though she was in the pimp spot AGAIN this week (she was there just 2 weeks ago!), she had a few things working against her. First, VFTW has a new poster child and it ain't her. They're a bit miffed DeAndre was sent packing last week and I feel that they've decided to knuckle-down and really put the press down on the votes to make sure Idol gets what they got the last few years. They're looking to pick off everyone else in the field, which makes her fodder in their eyes. Second, she had Mother Monster's little monsters to contend with. They're a very vicious bunch and are overly protective of Momma's music. So you can be sure they didn't enjoy that and any that WERE voting for her didn't last night, just to make a point. Third, you can damned well bet she got compared to Haley's performance from last year and that's another group that's fiercely loyal to their gal. I'm really not certain that the pimp spot did her any favors this week. Usually, the one in the pimp spot has really high numbers in all the places I normally look and can be deemed safe. However, we HAVE had the occasional odd year where that hasn't been the case and I'm afraid it might be one of those years. Her odds fell quite a bit this last week, by more than 2000 points. This poor gal simply cannot catch a break and get her footing in regards to her odds. The Chart rates her at a 4-7/B3, with a listing in dead LAST. Not to put any stock in that, but it's been right more often than not this year. She won 4 states but lost 2 this week giving her a 2 on the Maps. Sadly, I won't be surprised to see her in the bottom again and if she is, I doubt they'll use the save because she's been down there far too often to  be worth keeping around.

Also worth mentioning:
Skylar: She did well, but it was a rather predictable choice. If she gets through the week, she needs to shake it up a bit. Working against her is that stinkin first spot singing position. Although she's a bit more memorable than a couple of the others, singing first on a 2 hour show definitely didn't do her any favors. Vegas has her odds falling from last week and the Maps only gave her a 2 this week. The Chart rated her 1-4 GREEN/B3, listed in 3rd. As much as I want to call her safe simply for the position she's in the Chart, I have to also acknowledge that there's a B3 mixed in there. DI thinks she's safe but they're hedging their bets.

Who may make a trip to the B3?
Colton: I won't harp that he's at the piano again because my fav's been dragging out his guitar every friggin week now. I will complain about the arrangement. Yes, it's a slow song but damned if this didn't feel like it was dragging. Then there are those high notes that he really doesn't have. Everytime he attempts them, they come off nasally and down right whiny. A second singing position on a night that had Jessica and Joshua following him didn't help matters either. Bland, whiny and just about forgotten by the time the 2nd hour ended. The only thing that would have helped is if VFTW had chosen him as their poster child, but they didn't, they went with the other Caucasian dude. His odds have risen over the week, but I doubt by enough to call him safe. The Maps weren't generous either, only giving him a 1 for the week. On the Chart he was rated a 3-7/B3, listed in 6th. A trip to the B3 would be the kick in the pants he needs to get him to see that he actually NEEDS to be working at this and he really isn't God's gift to the show.

Hollie: She's no P!nk, that's for damned sure (and no, I didn't mistype that, it's how she spells her stage name). Stripped down does not mean to slow the tempo even farther. The judges didn't like her. Listening back, they're right. I'm really surprised her numbers were as good as they were, to be honest. The Chart places her at 1-7/B3 with a 4th place listing.  Her odds have dropped (again or still, I can't remember) and with a 5 state win/1 state loss, the Maps have her with a 4. This might be enough to keep her out of the B3, but considering one of the polls I've seen.... it might not.

Skylar, Elise & Jessica: Skylar's only really listed because of that B3 on her rating. I really don't think she'll make an appearance there, but there is that possibility. Both Jessica's and Elise's numbers both dictate that either or both could make that trip to the stools this week. With Elise, this seems to be a common thing and I don't really see the judges using the save. If it's Jessica, it's possible they will. I mean after the SUTA of nuclear proportions last night it wouldn't surprise me at all.

Phillip: I really didn't much like this one. Nope, not at all. It's not his best, by far. Certainly not even close to his performance of Still Rainin' (which still has me going me into fits of SQUWEEE! when I hear it). I have a bad feeling that since his good buddy Heejun was booted off on the results show right after  that particular performance,  Phillip's just not been feelin it there in the competition. It's kinda like his sunshine is gone and he's just going through the motions. These last 2 performances definitely feel phoned in, that's for sure. I hope he gets out of this funk because he's got a real shot at this. His odds have slipped a bit in Vegas. The Chart rates him with a 1-5/GREEN/B3, 2nd place listing. He can send his thank you letter to the fine folks at VFTW who are determined to get another WGWG winner and really screw over the Idol Machine. Although listed fairly high on the Chart, we can't ignore that it neither was his best nor that B3 that's hanging out in the green dot. The Maps gave him a generous 5 state win. Maybe that's where the bulk of the Worsters live? A visit to the B3 will give him the kick in the khakis he needs to decide whether he wants to be here in the show or not.

So who makes a trip to the Stools of Shame?

According to the Poll on Rickey.org : Hollie (with 52.31% of the vote), Elise, and a tie between Skylar and Joshua with Hollie leaving.

Chart: Elise, Colton, Jessica and Hollie (all are in the yellow and the latter 2 are pretty close in rating) with Elise in LAST place.

Maps: Colton, Elise and Skylar. Colton had the least amount of states with a 1, while Skylar and Elise squeaked out 2 states each (although Elsie lost states). All the other kids had 4 states or better.

Odds: Hollie, Elise, and either Joshua or Skylar. Hollie's got the worst odds of the bunch (although DeAndre sat just fine for a few weeks with the worst numbers). These numbers all reflect Rickey's poll.

Personal opinion:
Who should be: Phillip, Hollie and Colton with Hollie gone.
Who won't surprise me: Elise, Hollie and Colton with Hollie gone.

Could be any of the others for the reasons stated.

Will they use the save? Only if it's Joshua, Jessica or possibly Phillip. Maybe even Elise. But for anyone else, nah.

Reminder that this week is typically a Shocker vote. Rickey's already spazzing out about this. So... it's going to be an interesting night.

Can we vote on the duets instead?

I'm unexcited, and I just can't hide it.

It's a sad contest night when the Duets were more memorable than all of the performances. ALL of them. You heard me correctly.... ALL. Liked the Colton/Skylar pairing as well as Phillip/Elise. The performance with DeAndre/Hollie was meh with the latter looking so very uncomfortable with the song that was chosen. The Joshua/Jessica pairing was really predictable and only okay at best.

Gag moment of the night:
JLo (said after the SUTA twins duet): It's a dream pairing. I'm lookin' there and I'm lookin' like... final?

All I can say in response is that there isn't enough alcohol in the past, present and future that would make that particular finale even CLOSE to enjoyable to me. Infact, if that prediction comes true, I'll be skipping the last 2 shows entirely.

We only had 2 in the GREEN this week, all others are in  YELLOW and listed as B3 on the Chart.

The Loser Map had 2 contestants listed. Although the one had been considered in the running in previous weeks, however the spot on this particular Map was well deserved considering the performance that was given (even the Duet performance, which isn't voted on, was really weak).

On a minor note: JLo has gotten so she's just one seal clap away from becoming Paula 2.0; while Steven just needs a tight black T-shirt and a squared off haircut to be Simon 2.0.

This week's Styx Picks:
Skylar: Although I really didn't much like the way she presented her song this week (or maybe it was the song in general), I won't deny that she had an amazing night. Her duet with Colton was beautifully done, her solo was comparatively the best of the night, and she had the pimp spot. With all that going for her, there really isn't much chance of her being in danger this week. The Chart has her rated 1-6/GREEN and listed in 1st. The Maps gave her a 10 state win. Coming out of last weeks performance and going into this week's saw her odds drop due to poor performance in the Top 9.

Who else is more than likely safe but might actually be in danger:
Joshua: I really don't like this guy.... sorry. This week started out nicely enough but by the end it was like someone added a fleet of 18 wheelers packed to the hilt with pecks of ghost chilis into a broth that was meant for a person that needed mild foods. If the SUTA didn't kill me, the resulting heartburn would. Ryan said that Joshua really felt that song. Shoot... he didn't just FEEL it, that sucker got it drunk, copped a feel and then french-kissed it until it suffocated. A restraining order needs to be taken out against him for the protection of all music. He's the only other listed in the GREEN this week with a 1-7 rating and a listing in 2nd, BUT he had only a 2 state win so to say that he absolutely is safe is kinda iffy. He came out of last week's performance with some decent odds but they slipped a bit coming into this week.

Who's in danger this week:
Colton: This one is a hard one to figure. Either you really like him or you don't. Parts of his performance were almost squwee-worthy, but not quite. It was pointed out in one of the other blogs I follow that he'd either have to take a huge dump or kill a puppy on the stage in order to fail at this with as pimped as the Idol Machine has gotten him. He's on the Chart as a 1-8, listed in 6th. His odds coming out of last week have risen a bit over the course of the week. There was only a 3 state win though. Word of advice to him, learn to finish your words. It's not "Ti after time", just sayin'. He'll only be here because America felt he's so good and other favorites had such poor showings that they voted for those others instead in an effort to save them.

Hollie: Props for attempting to go uptempo. This was a rough one for her though. We all know she would have been dinked if she'd picked yet another ballad, but she was so very obviously NOT comfortable with this performance. She was pitchy and kind of all over the place with this one and then she lost track of where she was at the end. She had a 4 state win and a 1 state loss for a total of 3 states on the Maps. The Charts listed her 2-8 in 7th. Even the judges didn't much care for her and tossed her under the bus this week. With two other youngsters in the group, they can afford to lose one of them right about now. Coming out of last week's show and headed into this week, her odds have slipped quite a bit. A bet on her to win at this point (and assuming she wins) would afford me winnings enough to go on a fairly decent vacation somewhere within the continental 48. She'll be here because she peaked too early and isn't as versatile as some of the others. Either that or her fans are playing the "she's so YOUNG" shots game and were too drunk to vote.

Jessica: Another one that typically picks some boring ballad to blast at us that chose to attempt an uptempo song. This one worked out a bit better than Hollie. Still doesn't mean that I liked it. Word of advice for her, control that finger bopping on the mic please because at this rate my tv viewing buddy of a sister in Chicago is going to need a couple years in a dry county to get sober again. Oh, and while you're at it? Lose the stupid BBChez act... or at least get a better name for your alter. You also don't need to keep bringing her up either. We got a blast of SUTA for her performance... yet again. She won only 1 state on the Maps this week. The Chart rated her with a 1-8/ 4th listing. Vegas saw her odds slip a bit from last week to this one. She'll only be here if America is sick and tired of having her crammed down their throats. Either that, or they were too drunk from taking shots at every finger bop and  playing the "she's so YOUNG" shots game that they got pickled and drunk dialed Joshua's line instead.

Joshua: see above. If he goes this week, it's because America is tired of the histrionics. I know I am. He seriously deserves to be in the B3. We've already had a Fantasia, we don't really need another.

Elise: Hallelujah that they convinced her not to do that over done Leonard Cohen song. Her second pick was the one they suggested she perform instead. It was actually the better choice and should have been so much better than it was. The judges weren't overly happy with her either. My biggest worry is her singing position. She'll be a hard one to figure out. Although the judges weren't overly complementary to her, she did well on the Maps garnering a 5 state win (second highest of the night). Her odds from last performance and going into this week's have risen a bit. They're still not great , but they're going in the right direction. The Chart rated her as a 1-8 with a 5th listing. There were much worse during the night, but she was singing in one of the 2 death spots in a competition (which is worse yet on a 2 hour show). If she goes, it'll be mostly because of the singing position.... unless my buddy's theory of AI not liking tall girls this season is correct. Then it'll be because she's the last tall girl around and Ryan complained that he was getting neck strain from interviewing her.

Phillip: Color me disappointed this week. Definitely wasn't feeling the arrangement and the background instrumentalists were over powering him. Very disappointed this week, young man. No squwee for you. He only had a 2 state win on the Maps and the Chart rated him at 1-8 with a 3rd placing on the list. Vegas still has his odds creeping up, but I won't be surprised if they slip a bit after this one. Word of advice, if you don't feel comfortable with the song... maybe that's a hint to not sing it and choose something else instead. While you're at it, figure how to deal with yourself when you're not allowed your guitar. That duet with Elise was definitely his better performance of the night but it was very uncomfortable because he had no clue what to do without his instrument. I won't be surprised if there's a B3 trip for him this week because he really did deserve it. The only disappointment for tonight will be if he gets voted off because there were at least 2 that were worse than him.

DeAndre: A falsetto needs to be used sparingly, like a spice. A little bit to enhance the performance is fine but when it's used every time, and in many cases the whole damned song, it becomes annoying. I'm beginning to think that the producers at Idol are ready to get rid of him (no matter how well the judges love him) because this is the second time in less than a month (try only 2 weeks ago during Billy Joel week) that he's had to sing in the first spot for the night. Certainly he's not that good to be able to last in that position, right? The VFTW poster child  saw an increase in his odds from last week's performance and going into this week's. However, the Chart has him rated at 3-8 and listed dead last. This isn't the first time he's been listed there though. The Maps registered a 1 state win and a 2 state loss for a total of -1 this week.


So who goes home?

According to the poll on Rickey's site: DeAndre, Elise and Hollie have the most votes to go. Speculation is that Elise is there for either singing position or maybe the song. DeAndre has the most votes to go.

Chart: Colton, Hollie and DeAndre are at the bottom with DeAndre in the last spot.

Maps: DeAndre, Jessica and the third spot being taken by Phil or Joshua with DeAndre leaving.

BUT DeAndre is the VFTW poster child right now. Yeah I know, they couldn't get Heejun that far but they did get him farther than he should have been.

My choices, personal likes aside: Hollie, DeAndre and the 3rd spot with Phillip or Elise (although any up there are possible and for the reasons stated).

Phillip, Jessica or Colton could be a "shocker" in the B3 in an effort to shake them up a bit to make them fight harder for the prize.