Althouse: Grotesque favoritism tonight...

May 18, 2010

Grotesque favoritism tonight...

... don't you think?

22 comments:

former law student said...: Idol's just starting on the West Coast.

Not that we watch it.; 5/18/10, 10:04 PM
Penny said...: "Grotesque"?

haha...No worries!

One of those gurls with a curl who can find the beauty in ANYTHING! *on the right night*

On the left night? Not so much. ;0; 5/18/10, 10:16 PM
Wince said...: I thought this post would be about Obama's Aunt Zeituni being awarded asylum today.

President Obama’s “Auntie Zeituni”, who was discovered by The Times living illegally in Boston, was granted asylum in America yesterday in a controversial decision that will fuel the already charged debate on illegal immigrants.

A judge ruled that Zeituni Onyango, 57, the Kenyan half-sister of President Obama’s late father, would be allowed to stay in the country despite ignoring a 2004 deportation order.

Ms Onyango received the notification by mail three months after she turned up in a wheelchair to testify before an immigration judge at a closed-door hearing in Boston. The rationale for the judge’s decision was not made public.

She made a previous unsuccessful application for asylum, based on violence in her native Kenya, after which she was ordered out of the US.

There had been speculation that her relationship to the President could put her at greater risk in her homeland in the eyes of an immigration judge. “The asylum process is confidential and she wants to keep it that way, so we can’t get into details on why the judge granted asylum or the exact basis for her claim,” Scott Bratton, her lawyer, said.; 5/18/10, 10:26 PM
Daniel12 said...: Lee's totally screwed up the Simple Man chorus. Major bummer, I love that song. As for his Hallelujah, ever notice that no one -- not Jason Castro, not Tim Urban (!) -- has ever sung that song poorly on American Idol? The grotesque favoritism for Lee's second performance was in the song choice, not the praise. I actually really liked it. Particularly when the chorus came out. Cheesy, like the bagpiper, but entertaining.; 5/18/10, 10:28 PM
Wince said...: Derbyshire:

Barack Obama’s aunt Zeituni Onyango has gamed the immigration system. This follows her decade-long gaming of the municipal welfare system in Boston. (She has been living in public housing since 2003, and has done part-time work for the Housing Authority, in spite of having been living in the country unlawfully since 2002, and having actually been ordered deported in 2004.)

Plainly U.S. immigration laws mean nothing. Plainly a deportation order carries no risk of actual deportation. Plainly Boston welfare rules favor well-connected foreigners — even ones living here illegally — over needy citizens.

Plainly we Americans are the fools of the world.; 5/18/10, 10:32 PM
Joe said...: Grotesque describes Crystal's voice.; 5/18/10, 10:59 PM
michaele said...: I'm a voter...what the heck, I'm watching the show so I figure I might as well go whole hog and vote. Throughout the season, I voted for Crystal, Lee and Casy and last night, I went all in for Lee. He did the best job (if I'm being honest, the most commercial and radio play worthy).
Aside observation...he has a big head like David Cook but better hair.; 5/19/10, 8:24 AM
Ann Althouse said...: When Lee was next to Ryan, I was like "Wow! Lee's head is twice the size of Ryan's."; 5/19/10, 11:32 AM
Omaha1 said...: I noticed the giant head thing too and wondered if it was just the camera angle or if Seacrest was sitting slightly behind Lee Dewyze. That was weird!

I agree that Crystal was disadvantaged by having to sing over and over again, "I'm a man." I found it very distracting, my brain kept saying, "no you're not" while she was singing it, but those lyrics could not have been changed easily to match her gender (or sex, whichever you prefer).

Lee is an OK singer but the judges are obviously in the tank for him. He was off key at times & kind of shouty in the "big" parts of the song. For me dawg it was not the best performance evah. This whole show seemed designed to pump up Lee.

I am rooting for Crystal who I think has the most natural talent of this year's contestants but I think if Casey gets booted his former fans will vote for Lee, probably giving him the win. Yay, a less charismatic, less talented David Cook clone.; 5/19/10, 11:50 AM
Trooper York said...: People with the biggest heads have an unfair advantage. Just sayn'; 5/19/10, 1:04 PM
Trooper York said...: Cyrstal only gets into it when she sings Tracy Chapman or Melissa Etheridge songs.

So singing a song where she is a man in no big thing.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

She should be free to be who she wants to be.

I still think they submarined the best singer in the competition for these three mooks.; 5/19/10, 1:07 PM
GV said...: Crystal does Etheridge. Who would have guessed. As shocking as picking a Joplin song. Changes song to be different, but the arrangement is worse than the original.

Maybe I'm Amazed she was forced to sing this song. Worst McCartney cover since Guns N Roses.

I guess I'm the only one that notices Lee sings quite a few notes off key.

Obviously the judges can't criticize the other judges' selections.; 5/19/10, 1:07 PM
Trooper York said...: Lee is the constipated Bruce Springsteen.

Just as boring and a one trick pony.; 5/19/10, 1:07 PM
Trooper York said...: As somebody said on Television Without Pity, Casey was toast when he let Kara make him a boy toy.

He is a great guitar player. He should of blasted out a quitar song from Clapton or Jimi Hendrix or some such shit.; 5/19/10, 1:14 PM
Trooper York said...: It would be damn funny if Casey and Lee are the final two.

All the pimping of Lee might take away votes from Crystal since all the little girls will vote for Casey. Everybody might think that Cyrstal was safe.; 5/19/10, 1:16 PM
Daniel12 said...: Lee < Gokie <<<<<<<<<<< David Cook.

I miss David Cook.; 5/19/10, 1:32 PM
Omaha1 said...: Lee is not only < Danny Gokey,
he is also < Adam Lambert,
and even < David Archuleta.

...so I can't quite figure out why the judges are pimping him so much! I understand why they want Casey (goat-boy) to go but I don't understand why they seem to want Lee to beat Crystal.; 5/19/10, 1:47 PM
Omaha1 said...: ...and he really does have a giant head, how can it be that I have never noticed this before? No wonder he wears hats and weird do-rag thingies.; 5/19/10, 1:53 PM
Trooper York said...: They are pimping him because he is a one trick pony and should not be able to beat the chosen one: Crystal.

They want the credit for an indie-folkie-chick that they can market.

But they might get fooled. The favorite often falls short.

They were scared of Siobhan Magnus. She was a wild card. She could have easily blown Crystal right off the stage by pulling a great performance out of her ass.
Lee, not so much.; 5/19/10, 2:03 PM
Daniel12 said...: I wanted to like Siobhan. But she ended up being really disappointing (like everyone this year). Nothing other than the high notes, and not 1/10th the creativity of Lambert (other than the clothes).

The favorite does fall short -- against the judges wishes too. Simon criticized David Cook so much during the last episode that he actually apologized for it the next night -- and Cook still won.

Did I mention I miss David Cook?; 5/19/10, 2:10 PM
Mary Christine said...: They tried to set Adam Lambert up to win last year and it didn't work. I like Mr. DeWyze the best - just because I would actually buy his music. I think Casey is cute. I think Crystal can sing, but does anyone actually want to buy anything she sings? I think she might be going home tonight. If little girls are the voters, she maybe isn't going to be the winner. The cute boys are.. maybe.; 5/19/10, 7:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Favoritism...I dunno. What would they have to gain by that? What do they care?

The reason I like AI, I have decided, is that it's the opposite of Glee, which I cannot force myself to watch anymore. In AI, the contestants are as in awe of the joy and power of music as we are. In its own imperfect way, AI encourages the sort of performance, like Lee's last night, that sometimes is just beautiful--and AI leaves it at that.

Glee, OTOH, sees life and music through the filter of ironic detachment and self-loathing. Glee has beaten its innocence into the ground. Only Mr. Shuster is allowed to participate fully in his artistry but he is so good I don't think he could be "edgy" as required. I hope he gives it up and goes back to Broadway. And I hope the AI singers have great careers and lives after they come down from their incredible AI high.; 5/19/10, 8:49 PM