Idol Thoughts: Joanne Borgella

Showing posts with label Joanne Borgella. Show all posts

Friday, February 22, 2008

American Idol: America Gets It (Mostly) Right, as the Producers and Simon Lay it on Thick

Oh, American Idol elimination episodes, how I have missed thee.

I say that with only a little bit of sarcasm. The beauty of four eliminations, however, is there isn't too much time for padding, so the show didn't feel overly bloated this evening. In addition, America got it (mostly) right, eliminating Garrett Haley, Amy Davis, Joanne Borgella and, ahem, Colton Berry.

I'm consciously choosing to focus on the postivie, since the elimination of Haley means the closest thing this season had to a Sanjaya is now gone, and the ouster of Davis and Borgella means America is actually voting with their ears and not their eyeballs (the pretty Davis, who so could have become this season's Haley Scarnato) or hearts (the lovable Borgella, whose early exit proves America likes it's plus-size black girls to be able to wail -- or at least sing on key).

Then there's Colton. The kid wasn't gonna win the competition -- I get that. But I'm still gonna miss him just a little bit, and I'd certainly rather see him perform next week than either Luke Menard or Jason Yaegar. The truth is, he wasn't either good enough or bad enough to make a solid impression Tuesday night, and that was his downfall. Ah well.

But why did Simon have to go and be such an as*hole? The kid's not going to be the next Justin Timberlake, fine, but he could have a career in musical theater. In regional musical theater, but still! Did Simon have to be so mean?

Speaking of hearts of darkness, what's with the spotlight on the eliminated contestant's parent? Does it get any more tragic than watching parents experience their child's dream being crushed in extreme close-up? This device has got to go.

Amongst other notable moments from tonight's show:

-We got our first "group sing" of the season. 24 people is a lot of people to work into a number, and this one goes right up there with most awkward ever. Congrats Season 7!

-The tears! My goodness these contestants are starting early. During the clip packages this week it was all "This is the biggest opportunity of my life" and "I can't believe how lucky I am to be here" BS, and now they are already weeping for each other? What's going to happen by the Top 12 -- seizures?

-Finally, we got to watch the "world premiere" of Paula Abdul's new video for "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow." Shockingly enough, she didn't embarrass herself, and the song is actually pretty catchy. I could have used a little more dancing, and Simon and Ryan's "cameos" at the end couldn't have been any more cheesy, but all in all I'm a little impressed she was able to get herself together like that. Is America ready for a 21st century dancin' and "singin" Paula Abdul?

Read: Ten Best Semifinal Performances of All Time

Read: Ranking the Top 12 Girls

Read: Ranking the Top 12 Guys

Read: David and Ramiele are This Week's Idol Thoughts Readers' Favorites

Thursday, February 21, 2008

American Idol Top 24 Elimination Prediction: Amy, Joanne, Luke and Jason in the Danger Zone

I've ranked the contestants (click for the BOYS and for the GIRLS) -- now it's time to figure out who's going home!

Years of Idol history have shown that, especially during the first few weeks of the show, having the worst performance doesn't necessarily mean you're getting the boot. In fact, it's often better to get lambasted by the judges than to fall somewhere in the middle of the pack. Keeping that in mind, here's my take on where the Top 24 stands:

Green Zone - Safe by a mile!
Boys: David Archuleta, Michael Johns, Jason Castro
Girls: Carly Smithson, Ramiele Malubay, Brooke White, Syesha Mercado, Asiah Epperson

The members of this group has either large existing fanbase (Archuleta, Johns, Smithson, White) or gave stand-out debut performances -- none of these folks are going anywhere.

Yellow Zone - On Shaky Ground!
Boys: David Cook, David Hernandez, Robbie Carrico, Danny Noriega
Girls: Alaina Whitaker, Alex Lushington, Amanda Overmyer

Not good enough for shoo-in status, but not in extreme danger of imminent elimination, expect this group to last for at least one more week. (Whitaker is an exception here- she was excellent last night, but may suffer from lack of screen time.)

Red Zone - Danger, Danger, Danger!
Boys: Garrett Haley, Luke Menard, Jason Yaegar, Chekezie Eze, Colton Berry
Girls: Amy Davis, Kristy Lee Cook, Joanne Borgella, Cady Malloy

Garrett Haley was definitely the weakest of the boys, but his wispy looks (and Simon's harsh comments) probably earned him some sympathy votes. Chekezie talked back to Simon (never a good idea, especially this early in the game), but he's different enough from the other contestants I think he'll stick around. I'm worried about Colton -- his middle-of-the-road showing may spell doomsday. However, I'm predicting bland and boring Jason Yaegar and Luke Menard will be the first two to go.

As for the girls, Amy was easily the weakest of the Top 24 -- it's a no-brainer that she'll be sent packin'. Cady Malloy and Kristy Lee Cook made terrible song choices and may end up joining her, but I think it's more likely to be Joanne Borgella, who threw away the good will she'd engendered over the past few weeks with a totally off-key (and off-base) performance.

Thus...

Elimination Prediction
Boys: Luke Menard and Jason Yaegar
Girls: Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella

Who do you think will get the boot tonight? Take the polls now!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Eight Burning Questions About American Idol 7 Top 24

American Idol 7's Top 24 has been announced (click here to see photos of the Top 12 Girl and Guys), and I've been left with some burning questions:

1. Are they ever going to mention the fact that David Archuleta won Star Search? (Watch video of David on Star Search here) I mean, I love this kid -- he's freakin' adorable and he's got a great, pure voice, but at the moment we're being led to believe he's never set foot on a stage before, and that's very much not the case. I'm just saying.

2. By the same token, how 'bout the whole deal with Carly Smithson? They are painting her Visa problem and subsequent earlier ineligibility from Idol as the biggest setback of her life, but how about that record deal several years back that crumbled all around her? Like David, I love this girl (she's probably my pick to win the whole thing at this point), but it'd be nice if Idol gave us the whole story.

3. Where's the love for Chekeieze Eze, Alex Lushington and Kady Malloy? All three were shown in their initial auditions, and they made it to the Top 24, so how about giving us a glimpse of how they did in Hollywood? We got a few moments of Colton Berry and Robbie Carrico, but certainly not enough to gage what they're going to bring to the table.

4. Speaking of, who the heck are Alaina Whitaker, Amy Davis, Garrett Haley, Jason Castro, Jason Yeager and Luke Menard? If we've seen them before, I don't remember!Menard and Davis are adorable, and Jason Castro's dreadlocks certainly set him apart from the crowd, so how come we weren't given even the slightest hint as to what these people sound like durng this week's episodes?

5. Is Brooke White too much of a hot mess to survive in this competition?

6. Is Danny Noriega too sassy for this competition?

7. How adorable is Joanne Borgello? Love her!

And finally...

8. How happy am I that we avoided two potential Sanjaya's? Josiah Leming and Kyle Ensley both had the potential to wreak havoc on the competition, and I am not sorry to see them sent home. Better luck next time, guys!

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Thursday, February 07, 2008

Wacky Judges and the Best Male Voice of the Season on American Idol's "Best of the Rest"

SPOILER: Top 24 Finalists Revealed!

Yippeeeeeeeeee!!

That's the sound of glee that escaped from my mouth the minute last night's American Idol ended. No more bad auditions!!

Yes, the beginning of Hollywood week marks the beginning of what Idol purists (like myself) consider the real start of the competition. Of course, due to the spoiler list that was leaked, the surprise of who will make it and who will not is not as present this year -- still, there's much more fun to be had in Hollywood than there is with a costumed Santa in Dallas. I'm just saying.

As for last night's episode, labeled "the best of the rest," we did get some glimpses of real talent, along with, of course, more annoying people and wacky judges behavior. Simon can't pronounce people's names -- it's crazy! I do have to admit, though, that his reaction to Alicia Stelzl's performance of "Islands in the Stream," after having been given a second chance by Paula and Randy ("I hate to admit it, but you were right!") was pretty classic. In fact, next to the guy who sang "Go Down Moses," it may have been the funniest moment so far this season.)

While Cardin McKinney is so musical theater, and Amy Davis is nothin' special, plus-size model Joanne Borgella is gorgeous, totally charming and has a sick voice, and the presence to match. Mandisa and LaKisha have spoiled us -- we gotta have a big black girl in the finals!

Chikeze Eze may have the best male voice I've heard this season. Yeah, I said it. His version of "All The Woman I Need" was flawless! While the judges seemed less than enthused, I was blown away by this guy.

And what to make of Danny Noriega? His voice is fierce, and there was something endearing about his desire to overcome his meltdown from last year. I also love that he's "trying to be myself this year." Is that his way of saying he's gay? (It did appear to be his boyfriend who accompanied him to the audition). Perhaps I'm being presumptuous, but I think it'd be awesome to have an openly gay contestant on the show.

So, that's it for the Season 7 audition tour. See ya in Hollywood!

SPOILER: Top 24 Finalists Revealed!