Hello all of you American Idol fans and casual viewers. The audition rounds ended last week and this week we are in Hollywood. I’m going to concentrate more on show format and a couple of the judges than the contestants themselves. At this point, for this part of Hollywood, the contestants are kind of background in the show. I’ll explain that in a  moment.

Usually, Hollywood week begins with a sudden death type round where each contestant does a solo piece singing for their life. Then in groups, they are told their fate to stay or go home. This time around there is no such thing. They are told right after they sing whether they will move on to the group rounds. Then, they are allowed to separate themselves into groups for the group round. In fact, many of them did just that before they screeched a note. However, after the solo round is over, Nigel (Lithgow) informs them that the groups have been pre-chosen (twist number two). They have a list of 20 songs to chose from and have the night to prepare their performance. As I’ve said all along, they send people to Hollywood just so there is someone to send home. Once in Hollywood they keep some of them so there is somebody to send home in later rounds. 28 will finish out this week while the rest, will go home. In the solo and group round they whittle the group down to 40 and from there, 12 more will leave after another solo round. Group and second solo rounds, contestants will have the Idol band and can use an instrument. One other twist, All guys this week, all girls next week. There is no gender mixing among the group performances.

Now, everyone I said last week would probably make the live show only to be sent home early or because of something other than singing talent. After all, I’m a cynic and it many cases, I was wrong. Hey.. It happens 😉 There are a lot of repeat offenders here, a lot more than we saw at the auditions. Remember David Leathers? He’s back. Nick Boddington, also cut last year is back. I think I’ve mentioned Curtis Finch Jr as well as Johnny Keyser. All repeat offenders. Some are talented, some I think should have stayed home from the start.  If it were a 4 horse race with just these guys, my money would be on Curtis. With many of the rest, I found myself having to remember what I’ve said about why they are there to begin with. To go home and, that’s exactly what they did. They were there more for their hallmark moments than skill.

While I’m on the Hallmark moments, I’m going to restate that I absolutely hate them. I’ll get more into it later but for now, just accept that I couldn’t care less about them. I think many are embellished at best and at worse, complete bullshit. That isn’t just American Idol, it’s all of these types of stories.  Such as this one.. The Vet who was ‘sterile’ because of the meds he was taken after having a brain injury as a result of being blown up by an IED in Iraq. I’m sure he was in the mix and may have even made it through but I didn’t see him this week. He may have been sent home early or the producers of AI have also read the link above and cut him out of the show. Just as with all other programming of this sort, the producers think we’re all a bunch of fools.

Okay enough (for now) of that. Once the group performances start, the true flaws in each of these contestants shine through. Judges are telling them that the decision is based on overall during the entire season, not just that performance. For some (many) of the contestants, Thank Gawd for that. I really thought at least 90 percent of them sucked. So those who made it through to the group round, there were I think 11 or 12 groups. This was tragic at the very least. Only the first 4 groups were on point or as close as they could get in a 24 hour sleep deprived state. Every single one after that was as if I’d stepped on a cat’s tail and just stood there. People forgot words, showed the lack of talent with their 4 note range, and just in general were a hot mess. Harmonies were attempted that would have sounded better if they were 4 blood hounds howling at the moon as they pretended to be werewolves. In fact, I think the dogs would have sounded better. One of the groups tried to go acapella and the only one of that group that was sent home was the guy who suggested they do it. Personally, I think all 4 should have been sent home at that point. Contestants that were sent home probably should have stayed and those who stayed, should have been sent home. I can think of no other reason than a contrived demographic (PC) one for what I was seeing. One group that comes to mind was Country Queens. 2 straight and two queens. The queens were allowed to stay while the two straight guys were sent home. In reality, they all sucked, forgot words, and if their actual lives had depended on their performances, they would all be dead. That sort of thing. Others, I’m convinced were allowed to stay because of their hallmark moments. Okay, enough of my griping about that. At the end of the group round, there are 40 contestants left.

Now we get to the solo (with music) round. 12 of the remaining 40 will leave. For me, there weren’t very many stand out performances. There was more drama than anything else of you ask me.. The names I’ll mention here weren’t shown in this order so keep that in mind. The way this round works, again if I’ve already mentioned it is each will sing his song with the band (or without), judged, and in groups of 8 given an immediate decision. Everyone will know by the end of the night, their fate on the show. Now I’ll start menti0ning names.

A few notables, only because of judge’s comments, were Papa Peachez.. He was arguably in one of the worse groups. After his group song, Nicki told him she was on the border of still liking him. She didn’t like the fact that he didn’t fight for his own place in the group and just capitulated to what they wanted but she gave him another shot but told him to get it together. Whatever song he sang left Nicki confused as to why he chose it. She then tore him apart about and told him he’d been warned about being ‘complacent’. In other words, not seeming to take the whole thing seriously. He’s gone… On his way out he stated he wasn’t comfortable singing someone else’s songs. Umm, 12th season, that’s what they do on that show and he shouldn’t have been there to begin with if that is what he felt. Remember Mathais? The 4 foot tall dude? Remember what I said last week about his Sally Field moments? It was going to get old real fast.. Well, he didn’t listen to me and Nicki slapped him for it and choosing a song that mentions height. Both of them were sent packing. There was another on group day and solo day, Paul Jolly, that (I’m paraphrasing here) Nicki told she was tired of all the weepers and nervousness at this point in the game. In so many words (again mine, not hers) to grow a dick and some balls. Have I mentioned that I like Nicki Minaj on this show? Crazy wigs and all.

Also gone that you may remember, Micah Johnson (messed up speech from tonsil surgery gone wrong), Nick Mathis (he didn’t take it very well), Johnny Kiezer (repeat offender), Nate Tao (deaf parents), that Kayden kid (16yo with Cystic Fibrosis), Franki Ford (also didn’t take it well but says he’ll be back next year). It was about 60/40 bad to good reactions to being cut.

Next week, my favorite, the ladies. I’m kind of liking this gender twist in the show. We’ll see about it next week when we end up with 20 of each. I’m guessing three more weeks to the live shows when everything really starts to count. That’s the group of girls next week, I’m guessing Las Vegas the following week where the final 12 of each are determined based on yet another performance. Then, Live shows. At the end of tonight’s show, the fellas were informed that 8 more of them would be cut. Notice what’s missing in all of this? The bit where the contestants are left with hope, segregated into waiting rooms, waiting to hear whether they’ve made it to the next round. Hollywood this season is a bit of a complete sudden death type elimination.

See you next week fans. If you want to watch any of it online, you can probably find it here. Til then, Peace.