So Long Hollywood

And so we finished up Hollywood week with perhaps the most boring five hours of television in AI history.

Out was the ever-so-exciting "drama" from last year when two contestants were placed in front of the judges and only one walked away a victor.  America (well okay, me) thrives on seeing people suffer and that was sorely missed this year.  There was nothing more exciting last year than watching two people walk in as friends and then walk out as bitter people (well one of them at least).

Also out was the painfully excruciating elevator ride where we got to see contestants break down because they simply were not good enough to move into the top 24.  A walk up the aisle simply was not the same.

Instead, we were left with poorly acted/scripted speeches by the judges that failed to trick most contestants and instead created silly drama that most likely made viewers at home laugh.

As for the final 24, outside of Michael Lynche not getting kicked off because of his blabber mouth father, Chris Golightly's surprise disqualification, and the absence of Benjamin Honeycutt, the leaked list was accurate which makes me wonder why I even wasted time watching the hokey and music-less Hollywood weeks.  Out of five hours, we were lucky to get 45 minutes worth of actual music.

Speaking of Golightly, it sounds like AI may soon be meeting his lawyers for their seemingly unfair disqualification of this cheesy Justin Guarini lookalike.

And to add insult to injury, AI lost out to the Olympics for the first time since 2004.  Are Idol's best days really that far behind them?

I cannot imagine what will happen when Simon Cowell leaves.  I sure as hell hope that they do not replace him with someone like Perez Hilton as Cowell jokes(?) is a possibility. Whoever replaces Cowell, he/she will not be anywhere near as entertaining nor as truthful.

With Cowell thinking a woman will win this year, I leave you with my three favorites: Didi Benami, Lilly Scott, and Crystal Bowersox.  While I hope one of the three will win (Benami being my favorite at the moment), I still fear that the same country that voted for George Bush to be our President (twice!) will find these women not of the caliber of (pathetic) past winners like Kris Allen and Ruben Studdard. 

Final AI thoughts:
Who is dirtier? Crystal Bowersox or Jason Castro?

Can life get much worse for Angela Martin?  Father killed her first year trying out, in jail the second time, and her mother went missing her third time...and she gets kicked off for the 3rd year in a row!  I am afraid of what baggage she brings with her in year four!

The top three from season 8 covered Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" in NY recently, check it out.  While Iraheta was solid, I couldn't help but feel as if I were watching a high school talent show.