Why am I up at 2am? WHY? Because I could not stop having psycho weird dreams about Juggling American Idol contestants. And maybe a few about Paula Abdul being totally wasted and offering to babysit for me. And then there was the one dream that I got fired for showing up to work in an American Flag top hat.
What was up with tonight’s premiere? Did you notice that it was on for 45 minutes before anyone even “made it to Hollywood”? I really don’t like this part of the show at all because it makes me uncomfortable to watch people’s hopes and dreams broken before my eyes. BUT - I feel like if I don’t watch it - I’m missing out on some cultural phenomenon. So, I turn it on and plug my ears when it gets sad and/or ugly. Or maybe I bake brownies. Which is what I did last night. I felt like some of those kids needed the brownies to cheer them up. So, I baked them. And then ate them myself. I’m supportive like that.
Did you watch it? Did you feel sorry for Jewel and wonder if sitting at that table with those wackjobs and being a part of humiliating some clueless kids for ratings was really better than living out of her van before she became a star? I wondered that. I also spent a lot of time ignoring the main scene and watching Paula Abdul. I don’t care how many times she defends her behavior, she has something weird going on with her. I don’t think she’s showing up to work drunk, but she’s showing up in some condition miles from sober. She was super-fidgety and seemed to just be zoned out a lot and was often times not even paying attention to the contestants. It was weird. But also entertaining. I’d much prefer to watch her act loony than poor kids cry on my television. I HATE THE CRYING.
So I’m up now. Working a little bit. Typing a little bit. Emailing a little bit. Anything to try to clear my head of the horrible visions of American Idol auditions in Minneapolis. How long until the next episode? Please tell me we have at least a month to recover from last night’s. Please?
Um…the next episode is tonight.
As audition shows go, that one sucked the big one. They always suck, just not always the BIG ONE.
I guess I am immune to Paula these days, but I didn’t think she seemed half as whacked out as usual.
Poor Jewell.
If the ones they let through to Hollywood is any indication, this is going to be a bad year for talent.
I already miss Chris and Taylor. *sigh*
I used to find the auditions mildly entertaining. Now I just think they are mean. There is no point to them except to drag the season out longer and longer. And to be mean and humiliate people on national tv. I refuse to watch. Of couse I think this show jumped the shark 3 seasons ago…I wish it would just go away!
I kept switching back and forth to a basketball game when it got too painful (go Huskies!).
I have to turn away when they show Paula because she looks like a character from Planet of the Apes, a movie which still gives ME nightmares.
I had to leave the room a few times because the judges were just so mean! I can’t stand anyone getting their feelings hurt.
Jewel was definetly the nicest one there - you could tell she was trying to be a buffer for the whacked out 3.
And tonight? I don’t know how much I will be able to sit through after watching the previews. The poor boy with bug eyes - the refered to him as a lemur!!!!! How horrible! Yes, people get on there who can’t sing and it is entertaining at times to watch because some of them just can’t believe that they didn’t make it to Hollywood. But sometimes it’s just overkill to me.
And really? If I told one of my friends that I wanted to audition for AI and I totally sucked? Wouldn’t it be that friend’s obligation to say “No way - you suck - you will NEVER make it.” Because I would much rather hear that from a friend than from Simon, Paula, and Randy.
I’ve given up on those episodes. I feel so embarassed for them, it’s unbearable to watch.
i turned it on about half way into the show. how sad was that? oh but i couldn’t stop laughing at the lion roaring girl….i am suprised i didn’t have dreams about that…..especially when they showed the clip of her singing prince like that!!!
onto Seattle tonight. I lived there for 8 years so I wonder if I will know anyone!!
It was like a train wreck … I kept flipping the channel but I would peek back and watch until I felt so bad for the poor people I had to turn it off again! I did love the guy who called his mom(who refused to come to the audition because she thought he was wasting his life in entertainment) to tell her he made it …
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who was watching Paula closely. Did you notice that the camera wasn’t on her nearly as much as usual? There were some segments that didn’t even show her saying yes or no. Like they were edited out or something. There is definitely something wrong with her.
Another reason why I’ve never watched American Idol…wierd psycho dreams that make you lose sleep!
I was made so uncomfortable by the whole thing that I changed the station after the first hour. I just couldn’t handle any more.
And yes, Paula is weird. I’m sure you’ve watched that Seattle News interview where she was clearly out of it. I couldn’t watch that either. Basically I can’t handle watching anyone make a fool out of themselves or be embarrassed. It’s physically painful.
I may be a cold, mean person, but after this many seasons of Idol, I just don’t feel sorry for the sucky ones. Somehow, I think most of them know that they suck, but they just want that minute on tv. Besides, we ALL know that the judges don’t sit there and listen to every single person that shows up at auditions. The producers let them through just so they can have 4 freakin’ weeks of auditions before they even get to the decent singing!
I’ll be happier once they get to the top 24.
This is my favorite part of the AI season. Yes, I’m a horrible person. Look, I’d feel bad if these kids didn’t know what they were getting themselves into, but I think it’s safe to say, THEY’VE SEEN THE SHOW. They know what happens when you don’t make the cut in this round.
Sometimes I feel a little bad for the ones who are (for whatever reason) completely naive and clueless or the ones who are actually heartbroken and crying … but mostly I’m laughing my ass off.
I agree that Paula is definitely … off. I also think Randy’s extra-mean this season. Maybe all The Suck just wore him out.
sheesh. minneapolis was brutal. 10,000 people and only..17? 18? made it to hollywood??!! sad, really.
also…the episode was SO slow. too much time on each person.
Did you notice that Paula is WAY more mean this season, too? SHE used to be the buffer, but not last night! Lucky for those kids that Jewel was there. And even SIMON was nicer than Paula sometimes!
Watched, live blogged, drank and fell in love with Jewel’s snarkyness. I need a very large bottle of wine to get through tonight’s Seattle auditions though. Heaven help us all.
Did you see the girl who “dressed to impress” in a giant green tie, then mumbled/sang the same five words over and over, sometimes mouthing the words to herself while staring at the ceiling? And then at the end she seemed to be singing a completely different song while doing that weird dance. It was sad and embarassing.
And Randy was extra MEAN last night too.
As I was watching it, I wondered why in the world I was! The juggling crying kid? I nearly cried with him. And then I also had to bite back a laugh because the teenage angst was just so strong and obvious. “But juggling isn’t my life!” Good thing, my boy, good thing.
Yes! I felt the same way about Jewel. She seemed so nice and diplomatic — and she looked so taken aback and even embarrassed by the way they talked to some of those people. We watched it only for a few minutes last night; the babysitter had it on the tv when we came home. My husband insisted we turn the channel after they made the poor juggling/dancing/singing guy cry.
On the radio this morning, my favorite radio show was talking about how Paula actually looked sober for once…I do not agree. She was all slouchy and weird, kind of like she couldn’t keep her eyes open. It always took her awhile to respond to anything, sort of like her brain is in slo-mo.
I still have a headache…either from the singing or all the alcohol consumed to ‘make it stop already!’
Oh, I can’t watch. My husband loves this part of the season, but I cringe and feel horrible… I’ve been embarassed enough times in my life, I don’t need to watch other people being humiliated on national tv. It’s why I don’t like many comedies either (so many of them revolve around someone being “different” or doing something stupid and embarassing!)
The AI contestants that I feel the worst for are the ones that genuinely, truly believe they can sing. They’ve been taking lessons for years - Mom, Dad, Grandma and the neighbours have all told them what a wonderful voice they have and now, after the panel crushes their hopes, they’re completely devastated! So sad. Why didn’t someone tell them the truth BEFORE?!
I feel bad when the judges are mean, but really - these people had no idea they couldn’t sing?? Some of them had decent (but not star-quality) voices but some were really, really horrible! I would hope that if I had an ambition to do something that I had NO ability to do, my friends and family would be truthful with me, in a tactful way of course!
I was really dissapointed with the episode. I don’t mind seeing the REALLY horrible people who are so horrible that they HAVE to know that they suck. I hate watching the people who really aren’t all that bad, especially the ones who they follow to work or home and do little side interviews with. You know they thought that they had made it through if they were taking the time to follow them into their regular lives to interview them.
Something is up with Paula. She hardly made any comments at all, but they all seem pretty over the whole audition process at this point.
I think you know how I feel about the show. I’m sorry the horrid singing keeps you up at night. Now, bring on Seattle.
I watched it and thought that it was odd that they didn’t show hardly any of the audtions of the people that they put through….hmm, can we say ratings?
I thought Randy was being pretty mean last night compared to how he usually is, and well Paula. She’s not wrapped too tight.
The whole segment on the girl that was there with her boss, totally amusing!
Can’t wait for Seattle tonight. I’ll be paying close attention to Paula when she goes and stands next to the very tall person (they showed it in the preview) Maybe she’ll give her secret away and stagger and fall…