Oh look, it isn't just me who thought those guy's singing sucked.
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'American Idol' Top 10 Results: What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted Didi
Posted Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:44pm PDT by Lyndsey Parker in
http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11ike2d8g/**http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/realityrocks
On Wednesday night's "Clash of the Titans" infomercial--oops, I mean Wednesday night's "American Idol" results show--in between blatant plugs for the CGI flick, there was a whole lot of clashing of another sort. For instance, Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell engaged in a clash of the titanic egos. ("You are really getting on my nerves," Simon barked at Ryan at one point.) Also, Michael Lynche clipped a clashing pink ponytail hair extension to his bald head in some sort of odd display of allegiance to at-risk contestant Siobhan Magnus. And then there were apparently a few clashing opinions behind the judging table, as the panelists went through the miming motions, pretending to argue over whether to grant the all-important Judges' Save to troubled contestant Didi Benami.
See, while Siobhan was safe despite her shaky performance this week--and she sobbed with relief upon hearing the good news--in the end it was Didi who was sobbing (as usual), when she learned she was in the bottom three with usual suspects Tim Urban and Katie Stevens. And the thin-skinned, heart-sleeved songstress became even more emotional once she found out she in fact had received the fewest votes of the week.
Didi was probably the first eliminated Season 9 contestant who had a real shot at earning the Judges' Save. (Earlier in the season, the judges absolutely adored her--especially Kara DioGuardi, who co-penned Didi's Hollywood Week audition song "Terrified.") So Didi took her challenge seriously and wisely avoided reprising Tuesday's disastrous "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" performance; instead, she crooned Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon," her best song of this season. And she gave it her all. Simon rightfully told her it was "a million times better than what you did last night," but his kind words were quickly accompanied by his trademark eyeroll and the cut-to-the-chase quip, "Didi, it's bad news, sweetheart. We're not going to save you."
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Then poor Didi exited the show exactly the same way she came in: crying buckets upon buckets of tears. The girl made Brooke White look stoic. It was a bummer end to a somewhat bummer week in an overall bummer season, but it wasn't exactly a surprise, since Didi had been floundering ever since Season 9's live shows began.
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As for the other 57 minutes of filler Wednesday evening, there was no opening AutoTuned singalong number this week. (Don't worry, there was still plenty of group cheese in the form of the weekly Ford music video, this time soundtracked by "Kung ** Fighting" and featuring the top 10 in unflattering Chinese-restaurant-waitstaff uniforms.) But Season 2 champ Ruben Studdard was back, reminding all of the top 10 just where their careers might be headed in seven or so years. After Roooooben sang some song from his (not-released by-BMG-Records) latest album, he met his doppelganger and natural successor Michael Lynche, at which point Ryan awkwardly solicited diet and fitness tips from Michael (a personal trainer) for the portly Velvet Teddy Bear. (Ruben has, granted, lost a lot of weight, but he still has a ways to go.) No, that wasn't awkward at all.
Then Ruben announced he's hitting the road this summer with his former rival, Clay Aiken, on what will somewhat misleadingly be titled The Timeless Tour. Gulp. Yes, that trek will probably be more entertaining than the Idols Live Tour at this rate, but
still.
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Big Mike, consider this your warning: This could be your future. You could very well be touring with Casey James in 2017. Or Didi, you may be teaming with Katie Stevens on a tour of what will tactfully be described as "midsize venues." Enjoy your "Idol" ride while it lasts, kids. Showbiz is tough.
Anyway, then
Usher performed his non-hit "OMG" with will.i.am, and Diddy performed with his new group Dirty Money, and both sadly revealed that their non-AutoTuned live voices ain't much better than, say, Haeley Vaughn's. Which begs the question...when is "American Idol" just going to have the theme AutoTune Night, already? T-Pain could be the mentor and everyone, even Tim Urban, would sound amazing talkboxing their way through robot-pop songs like "Believe" by Cher and "One More Time" by Daft Punk. After all, "American Idol" is already employing AutoTune to hilarious effect on all those group songs, so why shouldn't the producers really go for it?
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Actually, it turns out next week's theme will be tunes from the Lennon/McCartney songbook--which strikes fear deep into my heart, since I am still waking up in nightsweats after witnessing Kristy Lee Cook's mangling of "Eight Days a Week" two seasons ago. It's too bad Didi didn't stick around another week; she's one of the contestants this year who I think could have done a fab job with a Fab Four song like "Blackbird" or "Norwegian Wood." Oh well.
Parker out.
