American Idol, Season 5 **Official Discussion Thread** Part 2

[JESW]

I think Lisa Tucker is a class act! I have liked her from the beginning but knew she wouldn't be the next AI. I loved how her personality showed through when she was on the stage. If she was my daughter I would be so proud - watching her parents in the audience made me tear up as you could tell how proud they were of her.

This is my first year watching so it's all new to me. Does Lisa get to go on tour? Isn't that for the top 10? I felt bad for Paris as you could tell she was sad for her friend. I remember when Lisa was crying when Will left. I can only imagine that some of these contestants form strong friendships and it's sad when it ends.

Ace just totally annoys me. Maybe because I am older and I am not falling for the "smoldering looks" he gives the camera all the time... I am also not crazy about his singing. Bucky looked SO surprised when he wasn't chosen! I think he is truly genuine. Katherine? Well, I don't know her personally, but she gives off vibes that she's used to being treated well and she looked VERY surprised that she was in the bottom 3! Time for a reality check! I can't get into her. I still like Taylor the best as the music is a part of him. I think Chris has gotten arrogant - don't you think he'll have a music carreer afterwards no matter what happens on AI? I love Mandissa but wish she wouldn't scream as much. Anyone else...eh.

Jill

 

[Nancy]

That is who I was thinking of! LaToya deserved to win it that year. She was IMO heads and shoulders above the others. Thisis the perfect example of people being voted off that are better than those that stay!

LaToya was the best of the bunch but she never connected to those that make the phone calls. She was older than the other two, (I believe she was married) and she seemed a bit stand-offish...but man could she sing!

I know it's a singing contest, but it is also a huge popularity contest. Those people that vote for their favorites every week no matter how yucky they sound will help carry them through on a down week. I have always voted in previous years based on performance alone...singing voice, not stage presence or whether or not they were my favorite. So far this year since the top 12 started I have not voted once. I will only vote for one person a night and this year there have been too many I want to stay.

 

[MrsMud]

Lisa is gone as we all predicted nut I was pretty shocked to see Katherine as second to last. She was NOT second worst of the evening. Hopefully next week will be *shudder* better (ewwwwwwww...country.)

I said this last season and I still believe it's true. Every results show, Ryan will pick out the bottom 3. We can assume (unless Simon and Nigel are lying to us) that these were the 3 with the lowest number of votes. HOWEVER, Ryan will then say "I am going to send one of you back safe now (or something like that), he NEVER says that that person got the highest votes of the bottom 3. He NEVER says that the 2 left standing got the lowest number of votes, just that the one who goes home got the lowest. So there is a definite strategy on which of the 3 gets to sit back down. It is not necessarily the one who was 3rd from the bottom, but the one who would result in the most (interesting? shocking?) 2 left standing. Does that make sense?
Last night it was likely (IMO) Ace who was 2nd from bottom and Katherine who was 3rd, but it would not have been any surprise to see Ace and Lisa up there. Therefore, they sent Ace to sit down and most people ASSUMED that Katherine and Lisa were the bottom 2, generating surprise, shock, outrage, and lots of talk at the water cooler!

 

[Nancy]

Oh, and one word on the guest singers last night.

MUTE!!!!

I told my kids that if either of them on been on AI they would have been voted off already!

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

Oh man I love Shakira! I've loved her since she was still in Columbia singing only in Spanish!

 

[Pluto's Honey]

I vote for Bucky, because I like him. I actually think he had one of the better performaces this week. And I was very happy that he did not make it to the bottom three. And I look foward to his performance next week. As well as Chris, Taylor and Mandisa.

Ditto!!!

 

[dturner]

Lisa and Ace in the bottom three was correct. Katherine should not have been there. People are voting for favorites over talent. Ace in my view is horrible. He should be gone next week. Paris could go next. She does nothing for me. I like Bucky but he is another one that gets sympathy votes. So does Kelly. I guess next week I will have to focus on Katherine. Her and Chris are my pick for the last two.

I beg to differ - Bucky is NOT getting symphathy votes - people actually like him - I do - I hate country music but I like Bucky - he's genuine.

I vote as many times as possible within that two hour period and this week all votes went to Bucky as I think he ROCKED!!!

 

[tarmand]

I like Bucky. Would I vote for him because I thought he was the best singer? No. Would I throw votes his way because I just like him? Yes. I guess that would be more sympathy than," Bucky is going to be the next American Idol." Yes the sympathy vote does make sense. Katherine was far from terrible. She is one of the best singers on the show. I forgot something. This is a popularity contest not a true singing competition.

I don't usually vote, but Bucky compels me to do so. I spent 1 1/2 hours voting for him Tuesday night because I do like his entire package. I think he sings great when he sings the right genre. That country song was a great pick. I don't think I'm voting for him out of sympathy. I'm voting for him because I think he deserves to be there more than some of the others and want to help him go as far as I think he deserves to go. Would I vote for him to win over Chris, Katharine or Taylor? - probably not. He's just not in their league, but I would, without hesitation, vote for him over Paris, Elliott, Mandisa, Kellie, and Ace. He just appeals to my taste more than those do. His singing ability might not be technically as good as Paris or Mandisa, but to me, it's all about the total package. I want to be entertained and I am as excited to see Bucky on stage every week as I am to see Taylor.

 

[vivilasvegas]

Katherine is suffering from the same thing that affected Ayla. Too pretty, too talented, too cosmopolitan. She might sell more records, but that's only because many folks who buy records wouldn't be watching AI.

I completely agree about that. People think they have too much already (or something like that ) and feel they don't "deserve" anything else.

Or just plain old jealousy!

 

[kdibattista]

For all of those who didn't "get" Bucky's performance this week, I encourage you to listen to the version by Tim McGraw. Bucky's performance was "spot on" as they say .

 

[SC Minnie]

Oh, and one word on the guest singers last night.

MUTE!!!!

I so agree. Simon told Bucky he couldn't understand a word of his song the other night. Did Simon understand any of what these people were singing??? I didn't.


Did Katharine deserve to be in the bottom 3 last night. Maybe. She wasn't that good Tuesday but neither were most of the others.

Hopefully everyone will do a better job of picking songs for next week.

 

[beattyfamily]

I said this last season and I still believe it's true. Every results show, Ryan will pick out the bottom 3. We can assume (unless Simon and Nigel are lying to us) that these were the 3 with the lowest number of votes. HOWEVER, Ryan will then say "I am going to send one of you back safe now (or something like that), he NEVER says that that person got the highest votes of the bottom 3. He NEVER says that the 2 left standing got the lowest number of votes, just that the one who goes home got the lowest. So there is a definite strategy on which of the 3 gets to sit back down. It is not necessarily the one who was 3rd from the bottom, but the one who would result in the most (interesting? shocking?) 2 left standing. Does that make sense?
Last night it was likely (IMO) Ace who was 2nd from bottom and Katherine who was 3rd, but it would not have been any surprise to see Ace and Lisa up there. Therefore, they sent Ace to sit down and most people ASSUMED that Katherine and Lisa were the bottom 2, generating surprise, shock, outrage, and lots of talk at the water cooler!

I disagree. I'm (99%) sure I've heard Ryan say that the bottom 3 are in the order of lowest to highest votes and when he sends the first one back, it's because they got the highest number of votes of the bottom 3.

I have last night's still on Tivo so I'm going to see what he said last night.

 

[Nancyg56]

LaToya was the best of the bunch but she never connected to those that make the phone calls. She was older than the other two, (I believe she was married) and she seemed a bit stand-offish...but man could she sing!

I know it's a singing contest, but it is also a huge popularity contest. Those people that vote for their favorites every week no matter how yucky they sound will help carry them through on a down week. I have always voted in previous years based on performance alone...singing voice, not stage presence or whether or not they were my favorite. So far this year since the top 12 started I have not voted once. I will only vote for one person a night and this year there have been too many I want to stay.

ITA, that girl could sing!

It is a popularity contest, but when people like a certain singer, I really doubt that all of the technical merits of that persons voice are factored into that thought. I think that Katherine has a beautiful voice, but I get antsy listening to her, and I think I would change the station on the radio. I like country, and I like Bucky, bit I don't think he is the most talented, I just like him. I think Paris can sing, but I know I am not going to buy any of her music. I am not one of her fans. I don't think it is wrong, just that I may not agree with the results.

Music is like art, it is subjective. Iagree tht a rusted metal sculpture may be art, but I'm not hanging it in my house, and I may like that pretty picture I bought at the art fair in town, but a critic may not think that artist was in the same league as Picasso.

 

[Jennasis]

Bucky will make lovely country albums someday whether he wins AI (not likely AT ALL) or noy. What he has going for himself though is a totally OUTSTANDING country music singer's name....I mean "Bucky Covington"...it just screams COUNTRY!!!!!! We all know that country is very popular in much of the country (and by now you all know that in my version of Hades, it's what will be playing on the AP system 24 hours a day). So I think that even after Bucky gets voted out (and he WILL get voted out) he will likely become one of this decades most popular country singers. For that I'm excited for him.

Somebody asked how many votes does each person make? I vote once for the people I like. So far (with the exception of the final vote between Clay/Reuben and Bo/Carrie) nobody I've ever voted FOR has been voted OFF the show. So I guess my one little bitty vote does count for something. However it looks like I may have to step it up in that final vote in the future.

 

[ShuisFan584]

I'm puzzled that Bucky seems to have so many fans. I just don't get it. I would have thought he would have gone home weeks ago.

I just don't get it either. To me he's like the Scott Savol of this season. I wouldn't be surprised if he snuck his way into the top 5 just like Scott. But whatever, I know he's not going to win. I just hate seeing other people I like going before him.

Somebody asked how many votes does each person make? I vote once for the people I like. So far (with the exception of the final vote between Clay/Reuben and Bo/Carrie) nobody I've ever voted FOR has been voted OFF the show. So I guess my one little bitty vote does count for something. However it looks like I may have to step it up in that final vote in the future.

Oh believe me I've tried that. Season 2 was the first season I started watching, and Clay is the only contestant I've actually been obsessed with (and I still don't think anyone else compares to him). In that final vote, I spent the whole 3 hours trying to vote for him! I finally got through for the first time after an hour and a half of voting, and got through a total of 11 times for him in that whole 3 hours! I know a lot of people had the same problem (and many couldn't even get through once). I knew he had to have won because it was impossible to get through on his phone line. He lost, and obviously there was nothing anyone could have done because it was all just a matter of the phone lines being jammed.

 

[dturner]

I don't usually vote, but Bucky compels me to do so. I spent 1 1/2 hours voting for him Tuesday night because I do like his entire package. I think he sings great when he sings the right genre. That country song was a great pick. I don't think I'm voting for him out of sympathy. I'm voting for him because I think he deserves to be there more than some of the others and want to help him go as far as I think he deserves to go. Would I vote for him to win over Chris, Katharine or Taylor? - probably not. He's just not in their league, but I would, without hesitation, vote for him over Paris, Elliott, Mandisa, Kellie, and Ace. He just appeals to my taste more than those do. His singing ability might not be technically as good as Paris or Mandisa, but to me, it's all about the total package. I want to be entertained and I am as excited to see Bucky on stage every week as I am to see Taylor.

I absolutely agree with you. I also don't think Bucky would win this thing but he's good and deserves to go as far as his fans can get him.

 

[wvrevy]

A few random thoughts after last night:

- If people are going to criticize Katherine's wardrobe, why aren't they also criticizing Mandisa's? Can't we all agree that anyone with that much junk in the trunk probably should stay away from tight jeans? (Before you flame...I could care less about how she looks. I'm just saying that she looks MUCH better when dressing to flatter her...and tight jeans just are NOT flattering on a figure like hers).

- Speaking of my girl Katherine...while I don't think she deserved to be in the bottom 3, I'm kinda glad she was. For one thing, I think she mailed in that performance the other night (either that, or I've greatly overestimated her singing talent). For another, it will goad those of us who are fans of hers to vote so that she stays around a while.

- Shakira...um...no.

- I said it before and I'll say it again: Lisa has a great career ahead of her on the Great White Way should she choose to take that route. If Diana Degarmo can get a roll on Broadway (she is a supporting character in Hairspray), Lisa should be a star.

- Once Ace is gone, it's going to get real tough to see any of the others go. All of the others bring something unique to the table, so when they leave there will be a hole left in the show where they have been. All-in-all, I have to say I'm more impressed with this group as a whole than with any group of finalists to date.

- Upon further review, I don't think Bucky's performance was "one-of-the-best" on Tuesday. I think it was the best of the night, bar none. The guy is going to be a star in the country music world, no doubt about it. Does he have Vince Gill's purity of tone? Of course not, but then...neither do 95% of the other country music artists out there right now. What he does have is that certain "quality" (Simon would call it the X-Factor(TM) ) that makes someone fun to watch.

- I can see Ace, Mandisa, Paris, and Elliot really struggling this week, as I don't think any of their voices will meld well with the genre. I can also see: Katherine pulling a country Diva like Faith Hill or Martina McBride; Bucky doing just about anything he wants (within reason); Taylor finding something that fits his snow-white soul sound; Chris struggling a bit with a "harder" country anthem ; and Kellie impressing, as long as she stears well clear of the aforementioned country divas and picks something a little less challenging.

 

[jaimee1024]

Well...Bucky is my daughter's favorite (she is five)...she likes his ponytail (she liked Bo Bice last year too...guess she likes those long haired boys!). But I don't know that Bucky really should be there. He sings ok...but he looks...I don't know...almost silly on stage. You want to see some REAL country performers, watch Nashville Star! As for the bottom three last night...Katherine is my favorite girl on the show...has been from the beginning, but she was pretty bad this week, so I wasn't too surprised to see her there. In fact I was surprised by the positive comments she got, especially from Simon. He was right on when he said he watched it back and it wasn't nearly as good as he previously thought. But I think she will come back strong. My favorite guy by far is Taylor. He is original! And I can honestly say that I will buy his album when it comes out (and it will...whether he wins or not). Chris...he's very talented, but just like a thousand other guy singers already out there. Paris...very talented, but tries too hard...wouldn't buy her album. She's got a fabulous voice...I wish she would just sing.

 

[KristaTX]

What he has going for himself though is a totally OUTSTANDING country music singer's name....I mean "Bucky Covington"...it just screams COUNTRY!!!!!!

Yep. Even more than "Carrie Underwood", who I thought the same thing about last year.

Maybe this has been mentioned already, but I think Bucky occasionally sounds just like Bruce Springsteen . I'm not a huge fan of Bucky (and especially not of country music), but I hope he lasts a little longer and does a Springsteen song at some point.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

OK, as long as we are making predictions, I'll make mine.

Ace, Katharine,and Bucky will be the next to go.

Paris, Kellie and Elliot will go next (hoping my boy Elliot will hang on as long as he can, but since this seems more a popularity contest than a singing contest, IMO, I don't see him going the distance.)

Taylor, Mandisa, and Chris will be the last 3 and Chris will win.

None of this is based on who I like or don't like, but just how I think things will go.

If I got to do the eliminations all by myself week by week, I'd pick off Bucky, then Kellie, Ace, Taylor, Chris, Paris, Mandisa, and Katharine, and Elliot would win.

I just wanted to go in record so that when I'm right, I can say, "told you so!"