American Idol 6 is Long Over or Is It

In the past, for those of us who live. hate and love American Idol, the end of the season and of subsequent tour videso on youtube mark the beginning of the desert days waiting for the next season. Enter the fox reality channel with each AI of the prior season running on the same days of the week as they wree originally show. It's enough to make you grab that cell phone and hold it for the full hour poised and ready to vote. (of course voting lines are long closed) The difference is your hand is not trembling from the fear of having your favorite singer fall off the stage, hit a super sour or be voted off (at least until his or her designated week.)

I supported two singers this year...neither of them won. As I watch the playback weekly, I have every confidence in solid careers for both of my vote recipents. Even Simon was dejected when brilliant Melinda was bumped to third place. As for Haley...the world will hear alot more from this young lady (who took 8th) in the country music industry whre she will undeniabley make her mark. Those of us who have seen her performance on youtube of Yearwood's "I Don't Paint Myself In Corners Anymore" know without a doubt that she was born to sing country...who kows what would have been the outcome had she chosen that genre on AI and stayed with it...

How Do You Like That Idol?

Last year at this time I was a casual observer of the American Idol phenomenon... well actually I had already picked the one I thought should win (hint: she came in second.) I was rooting but not voting as much. This year beginning with the top 24 I found myself voting and caught up in the ecstasy and frustration that makes AI what it is... And this year, folks it seems we have a major unseen competitor... the Vote for the Worst website. Already it seems the majority of the voters are coming from a group of fellow Americans who do not share the same vision and loyalty to our favorite reality show as the rest of us (and I assume of the creators of the show.) What appears to be happening is that the weaker and ultimately less desirable contestants are being pushed to the top by the likes of vftw. Bottom line is...if you can get in to the top 24 and be really really really bad, you have a better chance of going through than some of the better contestants who may be a bit lacking in klutz or tone deafness. How American is that guys? Truly terrorists do come in all forms.
I have considered being part of the song writing contest this year but I am not sure I could allow myself to write something remedial enough to win.
Do the producers of American Idol really want this kind of credibility killing or do they think it makes great TV? If they don't want the wrong person to win (again)...perhaps they should do what any of their devoted AI dialers are suggesting...revamp the voting system. Why cant we just vote for the one we think should leave.....cruel sounding, but then again...so are some of the judges comments. Reality hurts....but it shouldn't hurt the ones who are watching and supporting it.

Where I have been

Well folks I have been gone for a bit due to what I thought was a minor auto accident which consisted of some kid bumping me from the rear as I sat at a stop sign. Apparently the jolt affected my ankle ligament which days later subsequently failed me miserably. I am now on crutches and wearing one of those boots that people with fractured ankles wear. Anyway, as Mardi Gras is upon us here in the Nola area, I hobbled over to the new Family Gras concert series today to hear the Little River Band followed by AI's Kellie Pickler. LRB took me and my husband back to our courting days circa 1977 with their string of songs from Cool Change (very weather appropriate for this sunny but chilly outdoor extravaganza) to Hold On (which I did quite a bit to my husband and my daughter to keep balance.) My only complaint is with Ms Pickler's management. My daughter is a reporter and copy editor for the University of New Orleans Driftwood News. She contacted Ms. Pickler's people over two weeks ago about an interview for a review of the Small Town Girl CD. After a second attempt, she received an email that the request would be forwarded to her publicist who for one reason or another...ignored it. Was a circulation of 12000 not big enough for them? Is publicity not important to rising stars these days? Incidentally she got a better response from Jennifer Hudson's management.


More later....

Katharine McPhee Recap

In honor of Katharine McPhee (Idol 5 Runner Up)'s new CD which debuts tommorrow January 30, 2007... I will reprint the review posted by yours truly on the Katsconcerts site from last September's Houston AI performance...

On September 9, 2006 The Reliant Arena in Houston was a packed house of enthusiastic Idol-ites all waiting to see their favorite...and they were not disappointed as each of the AI Top 10 shone in his/her own element. But this website is really about only one of those brilliant young people: Katharine Mc Phee.

So what can be said about her that has not already been said.
From our third row floor seats we could see her visual beauty. With her now shorter flat ironed hair, long black gown and rosy cheeks she appeared more like a fresh faced teen girl carefully and gracefully groomed for her first school dance than the polished performer we had come to admire. Her voice, angelic and strong, soared like the bluebird beyond that rainbow... her movements energetic as she joyfully charged across the stage and past the front row during her first two numbers. There were no signs of that fractured foot or the bruised vocal cords now...those seemed to have passed as quickly as her three song set.

But what did we who have been privileged to be in any of the Idol Concert audiences really learn from Katharine? How many other young artists today are like Katharine who is completely at ease with performing barefoot (whether by necessity or preference)... who is unashamed of the occasional tears that she might shed before an audience of thousands during a song that echoes what she is truly feeling that moment? And who never fails to thank her supporters and make them feel a part of her life if only for a short while? Katharine Mc Phee's message to us was (is) not just about how dreams can come true, but about being comfortable with who we are. In the end we stood in awe with her beyond that rainbow... for we saw what we could all become...true to our dreams, yes. But more importantly...true to ourselves.

So.. This is Blogging

Welcome to my blog...the musing s and unburdenings of a post Katrina mom approaching her golden anniversary...(this June for those of you who wish to send cards and other useful "wished fors").
To commemorate my 50th ( or to make myself feel better about my world contributions) I have started...my own BLOG.
Ever wonder how so many people one has never heard of seem to have their expert opinions pop up on your screen when you are searching for facts on a celebrity, health or a legal issue ? No they are not hackers or even secretly campaigning politicians to be....they are just us bloggers.

For about 6 months I got a taste of writing to the world via American Idol message boards which I joined with my daughter to keep up with the reality drama of these talented young people who
stir within us 40 plus folks the desire to revisit the dreams from our own youth. ( Or is that what they call mid life crisis?) A future blog will be devoted to such message boards and those message board participants.

Other topics I would like to present will be as wide spread as my pc time allows and since I continue to watch AI and the careers of its graduates, you will also find Idol to be a big "blog blurb" at this URL. Until next time...