All About
American Idol
Sometimes, but not very often, I wish EW.com wasn't a family website. Because after an American Idol results show like tonight's, only a torrent of four-letter words can express my anger and frustration.
Mandisa? Really? America actually gave the lowest number of votes to the woman who brought so much joy to the season 5 stage with her soulful renditions of ''I'm Every Woman'' and ''I Don't Hurt Anymore''? The woman who had the capacity to open people's minds (if just a little) to the idea of a plus-size sex symbol? The woman whose country-night rendition of ''Any Man of Mine'' was flawed, but hardly horrendous?
Or, to put it another way (a more infuriating way), more Idol viewers preferred the note-swallowing, karaoke stylings of Bucky Covington and the limited lung capacity of dewy-eyed Ace Young to the powerful (if not entirely on-key) pipes of 'Disa, not to mention her fellow bottom-three dwellers, Elliott Yamin and Paris Bennett. This show should be rated R — for Ridunculous!
Not that I didn't see it coming, though. As I pointed out in my TV Watch for Tuesday night's show, I was expecting there would be ''one, or more likely two, shocking first-timers in the bottom three,'' chosen from a pool that included Mandisa, Elliott, Paris, and Taylor Hicks. What's more, I had a sinking feeling that Mandisa was ''about to learn the harsh reality of not having a Melissa McGhee or a Kevin Covais to cushion your fall from atop the Idol heap.'' I just guessed wrong that the inclusion of either Ace or Bucky would provide a little bit of logic to the trio of lowest vote-getters.
A lot of EW.com readers proved astute prognosticators, too. Although Bucky was the contestant who was most often mentioned as likely to leave, there were plenty of Mandisa fans and detractors who felt her middling Shania Twain cover left her vulnerable this week. Sylvia predicted Mandisa, Paris, and Bucky in the bottom three, while Shane called it: ''My money is on Mandisa leaving.''
Still, while readers like Craig H mocked Bucky's lost lower-register notes — ''I'm sure Bucky would have a great job with Verizon: 'Can you hear me now?' '' — not everybody was down on this season's countrified dude. ''Bucky did not do as badly as Mandisa, Paris or even Elliott last night,'' wrote Nic. ''Why is everyone so down on him?''
Meanwhile, fans of Paris and Elliott will have to hope their pardoned contestants raise their game next week when they're asked to perform hits by Queen, and maybe their close calls with elimination will prompt them to do just that. As reader Kari noted after Tuesday's performances, ''I think Paris's time has come to get a jolt in the bottom three, but she's got an amazing voice and energy that'll carry her through.''
And the Grendler pretty much summed up my not-so-hidden feelings about the week in Idol: ''It will break my heart if Elliot goes home. He is the only one who gets me to the phone. And I hate country week.''
Now that Mandisa! (yeah, let's give her one last exclamation point) has fallen victim to said theme, so do I. Anyhow, here's hoping this season's previous guest vocal coach, Barry Manilow, makes good on his promise to give the plus-size belter some much-deserved work.
What do you think? Was the bottom-three selection way off or just right? Who's your pick for the next undeserved elimination? And who will outstay his or her welcome the longest?
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