American Idol: I hate disco.

I'm not going to say a whole lot about American Idol this week, unlike last week. Maybe I'm sad that all the male singers are gone, but much more basically, I hate disco. I hated it when it took over the airwaves in the 1970s, and I don't usually have it imposed on me anymore, but tonight I was plunged back into the nightmare of disco. I'm vaguely impressed that anyone can sing their way through such unsingable things. And it doesn't help to start off by shouting "Come on!" My view of that is: you come on--let people respond to your performance, not your orders. I'll say one thing nice: Donna Summer was a decent enough celebrity panelist (I like that she didn't preen like all the others). And I'll make one comment about one song that I particularly hate: "It's Raining Men." To me, the image of many human beings falling from raincloud level is one of mass carnage, a horrible bloodbath. Don't lyricists have to think at all about what they are saying? Apparently not, because audiences seem to buy into the fabulous celebratory attitude of it all. How I hate disco!

Who will leave tomorrow night? I'd say La Toya, possibly Fantasia. Fantasia knew that second song was horrible (to her credit). La Toya--they keep reminding us she's boring. I'm sure if the contest were open to all ages, there would be scores of women who could sing that well, but I don't think the show is about picking a mature, technically proficient performer. You've got to inspire the kids with pop style. Jasmine, of course, is the one who deserves to leave, but she cried! It's funny how no one else has ever just up and cried about how bad they were and how harsh the criticism was, but good old Jasmine pulled out the last desperate move and just cried. Between that and the fact that she rules Hawaii, she will survive. (Hmmm... a disco song not sung.) Of course, Diana is the safest of the safe. (And didn't she look like Kate Hudson tonight? Kate Hudson with baby fat.)

UPDATE: One more reason why Jasmine will survive: that dress! I mean that sheet of black rubber she was daringly swathed in.

FURTHER UPDATE: Diana reminds Tonya of Tracy Flick. Prof. Yin's comments about the show seem to reveal that he is a disco fan.