Michael Giltz: American Idol -- Top 36 Wild Card Winners! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_172382.html [4/2/2009 9:28:08 PM] APRIL 2, 2009 HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING STYLE GREEN WORLD CHICAGO COMEDY 23/6 VIDEO BLOGGER INDEX ARCHIVE Make HuffPost Your HomePage Get Email Alerts Twitter: Follow Us BIG NEWS: Madonna | Celebrity Skin | Sex and the City | Brad Pitt | More...</p><p> LOG IN | SIGN UP Michael Giltz Freelance writer and raconteur Posted March 5, 2009 | 09:19 PM (EST) BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index American Idol -- Top 36 Wild Card Winners! Read More: American Idol , Kara DioGuardi , Paula Abdul, Pop Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV , Simon Cowell , Entertainment News OK, so the wild card round was tonight and four more people got through: Jasmine, Megan, Mattand Anoop.</p><p> Yep, it's a Top 13! Jesse -- Singing "Tell Me Something Good" with a little too much makeup but otherwise looking cute, Jesse was working too hard to be a soulmama.</p><p> When you've got it, it comes effortlesslyand you NEVER look like you're trying.</p><p> Randywas mixed but the other three were stronger, with Simon saying she was indulgent but still glad he put her through.</p><p> At least she learned to shut hermouth when the judges were talking.</p><p> Matt -- Sang the Jackson Five while dressed like Justin Timberlake.</p><p> All the judges thought he was a thousand times better though Simon did not like his look.</p><p> I thought he was better too but wasn't that enthusiastic.</p><p> Megan -- Sang the unlikely KT Tunstall gem "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree," an odd choice for someone who claims to be a country gal.</p><p> Katharine McPhee was a revelation when she did it but I felt Megan was reaching for the bluesiness and flat in places.</p><p> Paula gave the half-hearted "I enjoyedwatching you," Kara gave her a huge plug to go through while Simon and Randy liked her despitethe vocal weaknesses.</p><p> Huh? Von -- Von kept the hair towering high while singing "Sorry Seems To The Hardest Word" at a key that was even higher.</p><p> Just the key he chose was dreadful and probably ruined his chances because it caused him to sing in a strange falsetto.</p><p> He did get better in the lower register but not enough.Simon put the kibosh right away and the other judges agreed.</p><p> Serious Paula showed up here: "I'vebeen studying the way you perform...." Kara really has allowed her to become unexpectedly sober.Simon even referenced Paula as the house expert by saying he asked Paula what Von originallyperformed.</p><p> Bye Von, come back next year.</p><p> Jasmine -- Singing "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera and looking lovely but not too dressed up, Be the First to Submit This Story to Digg Get Breaking News Alerts Share Print Comments never spam Popular Stories on HuffPost Stephen Colbert Rips Apart Glenn Beck: Building His Career On 9/11 (VIDEO) Stephen Colbert rippedapart Fox News host (andNew York...</p><p> Sarah Palin Disinvited,Newt Gingrich In For Major GOP Dinner WASHINGTON -- Alaska Gov.</p><p> Sarah Palin is out, and former House Speaker Newt... "Real Housewives" Countess Dumped By Her Count Luann de Lesseps, thecountess from "The RealHousewives of New York," is single....</p><p> Alex McCord Laid off? Update Your Resume and Take Time toAdmire the Gold Sparkly Drag Queen I thought I'd gotten out.</p><p> Alittle over...</p><p> Bob Cesca Insane Republicans Reveal AnInsane Budget Plan It only makes sense that a party currently being wagged by fringe crazy Michael Giltz: American Idol -- Top 36 Wild Card Winners! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_172382.html [4/2/2009 9:28:08 PM] Lee Stranahan: Watch: 5 Benefits To Legal Weed (& The1 Big Thing Stopping It) "BRUNO" TRAILER! Calamity,African Babies, Chase ScenesAnd More (NSFW VIDEO) Alaska Republicans Want RedoElection For Stevens Obama Chia Pet Held Up BehindSantelli On CNBC (VIDEO) Looking For Work with a Knot in...</p><p> SPOILER: 'American Idol' Boots Another `Idol' Judges Distracted By Iraheta's Outfit, Given...</p><p> Angie Harmon: Republicans "Don't Point Fingers" And...Jasmine was a bit beauty pageant by which the judges usually mean powering through the big notes without any subtlety.</p><p> She had a lot of rough notes and most everything she tried was rough around the edges at best, if not a complete disaster.</p><p> With faint praise, the judges said she was better than before, with Paula saying she was "determined," and Simon saying she sounded at times like a young girl trying to sound grown up but then changed paces by saying she was in the running.</p><p> Ricky -- Also looking like Timberlake, Ricky sang the Stevie Wonder classic "Superstitious," which Stevie sang on the Grammys alongside the Jonas Brothers (who were cool, but still suitably thrilled).</p><p> I could have done without the Justin Guarini camera smile but except for one brief bad low note and a high pitched squeal, he was pretty darn funky.</p><p> The two gals loved him but Simon put the kibosh on and randy weighed in by saying "Superstitious" sounded too indulgent to him.</p><p> Tatiana - Just her intro speech annoyed me.</p><p> Please, put her on a reality show where she belongs, but I won't watch it.</p><p> Singing "Saving All My Love For You" in a classy dress that worked for her, Tatiana just trudged through the mellow beginning and powered it up whenever she got thechance.</p><p> Virtually no personality (as a singer; she's got loads as a person), she just sang likeWhitney's version (for the third time on this song!) as much as possible and then had a dreadfulriff at the end.</p><p> Why they even discuss her, I don't know.</p><p> She's not a good singer and Simon wasbest when he skewered her lie about singing the song again because she couldn't get any other songcleared.</p><p> Anoop -- Singing "My Perogative" and looking fine, Anoop began goofily, getting all sexy and growly, then got a little better but started shouting and except for the trademarked big Idol note toward the end, it was pure karaoke.</p><p> The audience went berzerk for him and Simon said he's not much of a singer but people like him, admitted they weigh personality as well as singing ability andbasically said his winning charm would get him through.</p><p> So who did you think did the best? Did the judges make the right choice? Personally, none of them blew me away at all.</p><p> But the live, immediate decisions by the judges made it a fun hour of TV.</p><p> Tatiana kneeling down in front of the judges while Paula told her she was going to go places and even be an actress (duh!) almost made dealing with the girl worthwhile.</p><p> And Anoop's stunned double take when he knew he was gone only to find out there'd be a Top 13 was priceless.</p><p> More in Entertainment...</p><p> HuffPost Stories Surging Right Now Ads by Google Watch Idol Performances Get Clips From The Idol Results Show w/the Free Videos Toolbar people like...</p><p> Bonnie Fuller Michelle Obama's Lost Her Mind! 3 Reasons She's Suddenly A Fashion Disaster Touching the Queenwasn't the only...</p><p> April Fools 2009! 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Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to View Comments: Newest First Expand All You must be logged in to reply to this comment.</p><p> Log in or Ads by Google Watch Idol Performances Get Clips From The Idol Results Show w/the Free Videos Toolbar Videos.alottoolbars.com Funny Videos Madonna Celebrity Skin David Letterman Newspapers Health Rod Blagojevich Real Estate G-20 Summit MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » Books by this author A cabin of one's own: New England's MacDowellColony celebrates 100years of artistic utopia.And the gay and lesbianartists who prosperedthere celebrate ... (Thenational gay & lesbiannewsmagazine) by Michael Giltz Affairs to remember:Farley Granger beddedAva Gardner, ShelleyWinters, and LeonardBernstein.</p><p> In hisautobiography, IncludeMe Out, Hitchcock's muse... (The national gay &lesbian newsmagazine) by Michael GiltzHUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES This Blogger's Books from Michael Giltz: American Idol -- Top 36 Wild Card Winners! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/emamerican-idolem----top_b_172382.html [4/2/2009 9:28:08 PM]
