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Michael Giltz
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Posted: February 18, 2010 04:37 AM
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Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyAmerican Idol Season 9: Top 24
Named, Part 2
What's Your Reaction:
Read More: American Idol , Ellen Degeneres , Kara DioGuardi , Pop Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV ,
Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell , Entertainment News
RATINGS UPDATE: Shaun White kicks American
Idol's ass. Yep, for the first time in six years,
American Idol has not won its time period. According
to the Hollywood Reporter, it took the Olympics and a
young adult-appealing snowboard halfpipe
competition in which Shaun White snagged his second
gold to do it, but it's finally happened. Given theunique nature of the programming that ended Idol 's
222 week consecutive winning streak (yesterday was
arguably the greatest day for US athletes in Winter
Olympic history, with women snagging a gold in the
downhill for the first time in history and the US earning six medals overall), this is a testament to the
remarkable stamina of Idol as much as anything else. But no doubt about it: Shaun White pulled away
some Idol viewers. The Olympics snagged 29.4 million viewers while Idol plummeted to 18.4 million
viewers, which the Hollywood Reporter pegged as its smallest audience since April of 2004. Hollywood
Week is traditionally the lowest rated segment of Idol . Next week begins live performances and Ellen
Degeneres's first chance to really shine, so look for ratings to bounce right back up.
SHOW COVERAGE: One storyline is clear in this season of American Idol: happy thoughts. In the
midst of a recession, the producers clearly believe people want to hear good news. So during two nights
of choosing the Top 24, we heard a lot more "You're going through" than "This is the end of the road."
On Wednesday, Idol went half an hour and gave smiles to eight people before we finally saw someone
sent home with a tearful "no" followed by a montage of goodbyes. Then a slew of more "yes's." The best
tweak is they ended the godawful practice of bringing in the last two contestants together. Both were
guaranteed to be miserable since the winner could hardly rejoice without looking like a complete jerk.
Finally, everyone has a Twitter/Facebook/MySpace account this season so it'll be interesting to see who
makes the smartest use of social media to garner fans. Most of the Idols have maybe a couple dozen
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOSTBIG NEWS: James Franco | Celebrity Body | TWILIGHT FEVER | Gwyneth Paltrow | Smarter Ideas | More...
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followers on Twitter as of early Thursday morning. One or two have a hundred or so. But Garcia has
more than 2500, about ten times as the next closest Idol . On Facebook, John Park more than doubles his
closest competitor with 700+ fans. Does this mean anything? It certainly can't hurt when they get to the
voting stage.
Here's a rundown of the people going through Wednesday (plus two rejections) and whether I agreed.
JANELL WHEELER -- She messed up two out of three times during Hollywood Week so it's hard to
see why she's going through.
TYLER GRADY -- The lanky dude with the Seventies vibe, Tyler is right up Idol 's alley. An obvious
distinctive choice because at least he fits a type. I don't actually have a good sense for his talent.LACEY BROWN -- Really didn't hear her enough to form an opinion. But they used her rendition of
"What A Wonderful World" to montage more winners and frankly, I thought it went off the track a bit at
the end.
ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ/ALEX LAMBERT/JOE MUNOZ - Fittingly, montaged together when told
yes since they didn't get enough airtime.
CRYSTAL BOWERSOX -- Duh. A ringer.
KATIE STEVENS -- Seems quite young so this appears an iffy choice.
ANGELA MARTIN -- Sent home. We were set up to believe in Martin even though they knew she was
going home. Strong backstory and some good performances made this one of their sneaky surprises. But
here's a question. Why do Kara and Randy and the other judges urge her to keep going? This is her third
season. She may be improved but if she really had star potential, wouldn't they have put her in the Top24 by now? If they won't even do that, obviously they wouldn't give her a record deal. Either she's got itor she doesn't so unless they think she has some style that just doesn't suit the show (which isn't the
case), they are sending her some seriously mixed signals.
LILLY SCOTT -- Sang a pretty good "Rich Girl" and a nice jazzy number. Makes sense but if she's really
determined to make it she better lose her lucky earrings.PAIGE MILES/SIOBHAN MAGNUS/MICHELLE DELAMOR/JERMAINE SELLERS/JOHN
PARK -- Most of them didn't have enough airtime to make an impression but seem reasonable choices
from the brief snippets we heard.
HAELEY VAUGHN -- Sweet kid but frankly she seemed too inconsistent to go through.
THADDEUS JOHNSON -- Sent home. He was another one we were set up to believe in. Seems the
obvious choice to replace Michael Lynche if Lynche is indeed eliminated because family members leaked
his getting into the Top 24 to the media. Johnson has a nice combination of confidence and vulnerability
that could work in his favor.
ANDREW GARCIA -- Still hoping to see that his cool rendition of "Straight Up" wasn't a fluke, but an
obvious choice.
Now unquestionably there will be surprises since a fair number of people in the Top 24 haven't had a
chance to score any airtime. But taking that into account, the likely front-runners among the people
we've heard are: Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus, Andrew Garcia, Todrick Hall and Casey James.
So what did you think of the picks? Who didn't deserve to go through and who got shafted?
Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of
celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture
podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and
gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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Engaged To
Frederic Thiebaud
I liked this 2nd batch better although that group that hardly got any airtime I am not sure why we
didn't get a chance to see. There was too much filler when as usually I would prefer to actually seethe auditions. I loved Bowsersox voice but all I heard at work were complaints about her teeth, so I
am not so sure she is a shoe-in based on aesthetics (silly).
I also agree not sure why Janell got through.
Here is my Angela Martin theory: She is too much of a liabilitiy with her high percentage of bad
luck.
As good as her voice is, her life has too many distractio ns that could derail her career.
This group of producers/ investors just need to look at an actuarial table to see if they can afford to
back her.Somewhere it was reported that her now mother is missing?
My take, too. Good analysis.TOP VIDEO PICKS
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Permalink | Share it
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Permalink | Share itRyan Reynolds Says
Scarlett Johansson
'Treated Him Badly':
Report
302 Comments
PHOTOS: Heidi Montag's
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Bald Spots, Uneven
Boobs, Lumpy Legs
483 Comments
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Before & After PHOTOS
663 Comments
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Dons Leather Bodysuit
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View All
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Michael Giltz
Freelance writer and raconteur
Posted: February 18, 2010 04:37 AM
BIO
Become a Fan
Get Email Alerts
Bloggers' Index
0
0
views
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyAmerican Idol Season 9: Top 24
Named, Part 2
What's Your Reaction:
Read More: American Idol , Ellen Degeneres , Kara DioGuardi , Pop Music , Randy Jackson , Reality TV ,
Ryan Seacrest , Simon Cowell , Entertainment News
RATINGS UPDATE: Shaun White kicks American
Idol's ass. Yep, for the first time in six years,
American Idol has not won its time period. According
to the Hollywood Reporter, it took the Olympics and a
young adult-appealing snowboard halfpipe
competition in which Shaun White snagged his second
gold to do it, but it's finally happened. Given theunique nature of the programming that ended Idol 's
222 week consecutive winning streak (yesterday was
arguably the greatest day for US athletes in Winter
Olympic history, with women snagging a gold in the
downhill for the first time in history and the US earning six medals overall), this is a testament to the
remarkable stamina of Idol as much as anything else. But no doubt about it: Shaun White pulled away
some Idol viewers. The Olympics snagged 29.4 million viewers while Idol plummeted to 18.4 million
viewers, which the Hollywood Reporter pegged as its smallest audience since April of 2004. Hollywood
Week is traditionally the lowest rated segment of Idol . Next week begins live performances and Ellen
Degeneres's first chance to really shine, so look for ratings to bounce right back up.
SHOW COVERAGE: One storyline is clear in this season of American Idol: happy thoughts. In the
midst of a recession, the producers clearly believe people want to hear good news. So during two nights
of choosing the Top 24, we heard a lot more "You're going through" than "This is the end of the road."
On Wednesday, Idol went half an hour and gave smiles to eight people before we finally saw someone
sent home with a tearful "no" followed by a montage of goodbyes. Then a slew of more "yes's." The best
tweak is they ended the godawful practice of bringing in the last two contestants together. Both were
guaranteed to be miserable since the winner could hardly rejoice without looking like a complete jerk.
Finally, everyone has a Twitter/Facebook/MySpace account this season so it'll be interesting to see who
makes the smartest use of social media to garner fans. Most of the Idols have maybe a couple dozen
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOSTBIG NEWS: James Franco | Celebrity Body | TWILIGHT FEVER | Gwyneth Paltrow | Smarter Ideas | More...
LOG IN | SIGN UP
Get Entertainment Alerts
Email Comments 3
VIDEO & PHOTOS: Rare
Lunar Eclipse On Winter
Solstice
Comments (912)
Stunning Eclipse Photos
Comments (449)
Sarah Palin Jabs Michelle
Obama's Anti-Obesity
Campaign
Comments (6,211)
Timothy Karr Obama FCC
Caves on Net Neutrality --
Tuesday...
Comments (4,934)
Al Franken The Most
Important Free Speech
Issue of Our Time
Comments (1,636)
Why Kate May Or May Not
Become 'Princess
Catherine'
Comments (339)
PHOTOS: Heidi Montag's
Plastic Surgery Scars: Bald
Spots, Uneven Boobs,
Lumpy Legs
Comments (491)
followers on Twitter as of early Thursday morning. One or two have a hundred or so. But Garcia has
more than 2500, about ten times as the next closest Idol . On Facebook, John Park more than doubles his
closest competitor with 700+ fans. Does this mean anything? It certainly can't hurt when they get to the
voting stage.
Here's a rundown of the people going through Wednesday (plus two rejections) and whether I agreed.
JANELL WHEELER -- She messed up two out of three times during Hollywood Week so it's hard to
see why she's going through.
TYLER GRADY -- The lanky dude with the Seventies vibe, Tyler is right up Idol 's alley. An obvious
distinctive choice because at least he fits a type. I don't actually have a good sense for his talent.LACEY BROWN -- Really didn't hear her enough to form an opinion. But they used her rendition of
"What A Wonderful World" to montage more winners and frankly, I thought it went off the track a bit at
the end.
ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ/ALEX LAMBERT/JOE MUNOZ - Fittingly, montaged together when told
yes since they didn't get enough airtime.
CRYSTAL BOWERSOX -- Duh. A ringer.
KATIE STEVENS -- Seems quite young so this appears an iffy choice.
ANGELA MARTIN -- Sent home. We were set up to believe in Martin even though they knew she was
going home. Strong backstory and some good performances made this one of their sneaky surprises. But
here's a question. Why do Kara and Randy and the other judges urge her to keep going? This is her third
season. She may be improved but if she really had star potential, wouldn't they have put her in the Top24 by now? If they won't even do that, obviously they wouldn't give her a record deal. Either she's got itor she doesn't so unless they think she has some style that just doesn't suit the show (which isn't the
case), they are sending her some seriously mixed signals.
LILLY SCOTT -- Sang a pretty good "Rich Girl" and a nice jazzy number. Makes sense but if she's really
determined to make it she better lose her lucky earrings.PAIGE MILES/SIOBHAN MAGNUS/MICHELLE DELAMOR/JERMAINE SELLERS/JOHN
PARK -- Most of them didn't have enough airtime to make an impression but seem reasonable choices
from the brief snippets we heard.
HAELEY VAUGHN -- Sweet kid but frankly she seemed too inconsistent to go through.
THADDEUS JOHNSON -- Sent home. He was another one we were set up to believe in. Seems the
obvious choice to replace Michael Lynche if Lynche is indeed eliminated because family members leaked
his getting into the Top 24 to the media. Johnson has a nice combination of confidence and vulnerability
that could work in his favor.
ANDREW GARCIA -- Still hoping to see that his cool rendition of "Straight Up" wasn't a fluke, but an
obvious choice.
Now unquestionably there will be surprises since a fair number of people in the Top 24 haven't had a
chance to score any airtime. But taking that into account, the likely front-runners among the people
we've heard are: Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus, Andrew Garcia, Todrick Hall and Casey James.
So what did you think of the picks? Who didn't deserve to go through and who got shafted?
Thanks for reading. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast of
celebrity interviews and his weekly music radio show at Popsurfing and enjoy the weekly pop culture
podcast he co-hosts at Showbiz Sandbox . Both available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and
gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
More in Entertainment...
1 of 5
Sinéad O'Connor
Some Burning Questions for the
Pope
Billie Jean King
Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Is a
Big DealDON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS
HOT TRENDS
heidi montag plastic surgery
heidi montag
sugery scars lindsay
lohan nude miley cyrus
lap dance video sarah
palin michelle obama
More Celebrity News at People.com
More Celebrity News at Popeater.com
John Boehner Strikes Back
Against Sarah Palin
Comments (2,661)
PHOTOS: Rare Lunar
Eclipse Seen From Around
The World
Comments (66)
Bus Fire Snuffs Out Kings
of Leon Show in London
READ MORE
Ryan Gosling and MichelleWilliams (Coyly) Deny
They're Dating
READ MORE
Paris Hilton's Flight
Evacuated After Knife
Found Onboard
READ MORE
Ginnifer Goodwin: I've Been
Dieting Since I Was 9
Eliza Dushku Helps Child
Soldiers
50 Cent's Home Burglarized
by Two Men
Comments 3 Pending Comments 0View FAQ
6 Fans
5 Fans
30 FansHeidi Montag
Reveals Plastic
Surgery Scars:
Bald...Jud 'Fabio' Birza
Wins 'Survivor:
Nicaragua''The Fighter' Star
Amy Adams Talks
Weight...Shania Twain
Engaged To
Frederic Thiebaud
I liked this 2nd batch better although that group that hardly got any airtime I am not sure why we
didn't get a chance to see. There was too much filler when as usually I would prefer to actually seethe auditions. I loved Bowsersox voice but all I heard at work were complaints about her teeth, so I
am not so sure she is a shoe-in based on aesthetics (silly).
I also agree not sure why Janell got through.
Here is my Angela Martin theory: She is too much of a liabilitiy with her high percentage of bad
luck.
As good as her voice is, her life has too many distractio ns that could derail her career.
This group of producers/ investors just need to look at an actuarial table to see if they can afford to
back her.Somewhere it was reported that her now mother is missing?
My take, too. Good analysis.TOP VIDEO PICKS
1 of 8
Lindsay Lohan in Battery
Investigation
Bret Michaels Engaged
Tracy Morgan's Life-Saving Surgery
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW
HOT ON FACEBOOK
HOT ON TWITTER
Royalty
Sarah Palin
Christmas
MSNBC
Civil Rights
HuffPost Hill
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGESRecency | Popularity
anonimost 01:14 PM on 2/21/2010
Permalink | Share it
gavottes 04:17 PM on 2/18/2010
Permalink | Share it
stratdude 10:51 AM on 2/19/2010
Permalink | Share itRyan Reynolds Says
Scarlett Johansson
'Treated Him Badly':
Report
302 Comments
PHOTOS: Heidi Montag's
Plastic Surgery Scars:
Bald Spots, Uneven
Boobs, Lumpy Legs
483 Comments
Heidi Montag's 10 Plastic
Surgery Procedures:
Before & After PHOTOS
663 Comments
Pantsless Chloe Sevigny
'Needs Therapy' For
Vincent Gallo Sex Scene
524 Comments
WATCH: Natalie Portman
Strips Down In Trailer For
Movie With James Franco
8 Comments
PHOTOS: Paris Hilton
Dons Leather Bodysuit
153 CommentsComments are closed for this entry
View All
Sex Bullying Barack Obama
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POST
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH
LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS
Advertise | Log In | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ | Contact Us
User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type
Copyright © 2010 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved.