Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Giant Filler Show: Best of the Rest

I really do like the audition episodes, and mostly because I enjoy watching and waiting for that moment when we first meet the potential eventual winner....and the other finalists we fall in love with over the course of the season. Remember Carrie Underwood's audition (third nipple, anyone?) Here are the stories of all eight Idol winner's auditions, for your reading pleasure! Good Stuff!

And I am certain we've met our eventual Season 9 winner, but I can't even begin to tell you who that might be! Other than it being a girl I think...but I am ready for Hollywood week!

Tonight was a virtual high and low of auditions over the season, but it was stacked in favor of talent....they wanted to squeeze in notables before next week. Clearly they had reserved some pretty great talent for tonight's show across all 7 audition cities. I jotted down the names of 12 people I thought were great....and that wasn't every one....so it was a talent-heavy episode. In total, 181 hopefuls got tickets to Hollywood and from that we will get our Top 50 and then our Top 24. Even my 7th grader could calculate the odds on someone making it....not that great! Tough road ahead. I can already feel hopes being dashed....

But that is for next week! For tonight, I picked my top 3, in order of their appearance. I really liked Lee Dewyze who crooned "Ain't No Sunshine" like nobody's business. Maybe it's because he auditioned in Chicago, or maybe it's that Kris Allen vibe but I liked him. I also really dug father-to-be Micheal Lynche, the personal trainer with the Big Guns. Smooth, smokey voice that surprised me. And no, it was his voice and not his muscles that got my attention!

Finally, I really am crossing my fingers for Hope Johnson, who appeared at the end of tonight's show (which bodes well for her prospects, me thinks). Yes, speaking of back story, the producers totally exploited her poverty-stricken upbringing, even having her recount how she had to bring lunch items home from school to feed her hungry little brother at dinner. But as a professional who studies poverty and hunger, this was a tangible example of how many families do struggle. You don't read about them in the paper and you don't know them at school. It's easy to forget this in our country full of obesity and self indulgence of every kind. I thought she was talented and beautiful and humble and I hope we see more of her.

(BTW, there were a slew of 16-year-olds tonight, many of whom were just downright good. Rachael Hubbard, Thaddeus, Genesis and Aaron were all worthy of their golden tickets. I hesitate to crown any of them the David Archuleta of S9 but we'll have to see!)

Let the Hollywood games begin!

2 comments:

SandraG said...

Totally agree about Wednesday's show...thanks so much for the auditions footage...that was great!

Unknown said...

Hope is probably the great hope... Her backstory was almost unfair to the other contestants, wouldn't you say??