THIS... is American Idol

So, I have not written the past two days because something very important has been happening, and that something is called AMERICAN IDOL HOLLYWOOD WEEK.

I refuse to describe exactly what happens during this week. If you don’t know the basics of American Idol, odds are you live in a hut deep in the backwoods of some foreign land, and I don’t particularly feel the need to know you. Moving on.

American Idol Hollywood Week is very near and dear to my heart. For the past three years, after auditions are over and while Hollywood Week is going on, Miss Jennifer Leigh Greene and I begin to make our List. The List is compromised of who we believe should go to the Top 12: six boys and six girls. As we are separated this year, there is no doubt in my mind that this year’s list making will include numerous nightly screaming phone calls, many sheets of ripped papers covered in crossouts and permanent marker, and general squabbling back and forth from Los Angeles to Houston and vice versa.

Already, she and I have our favorites, and already, they are different from one another. As of Tuesday night, I had tentatively selected 9 contestants who I believed should be chosen to go on to the Top 24. (Greene could not participate in this exercise due to her Tivo’s unfortunate refusal to record and I will say no more on this subject lest she begin to cry. Again.) So, as of Tuesday night, this was who I liked (taken from an email I sent Greene Wednesday morning. This is also when I only knew a few last names):

1. Amanda
2. Danny Noriega
3. Ramiele
4. Carly Smithson
5. Michael Johns
6. David A
7. Asiah
8. Kyle
9. JOSIAH: MY FAVORITE. ADORABLE BLOND CHILD WHO LIVES IN HIS CAR AND SANG MIKA LAST NIGHT AND THEN EFFED EVERYTHING UP WHEN HE DISMISSED THE BAND BUT THEY PUT HIM THROUGH ANYWAYS AND HE IS MY AMERICAN IDOL OR I WILL DIE.

(I am including the bit that I wrote about Josiah so that I can show that I had true and undying love for him BEFORE they CUT HIM UNFAIRLY Wednesday night. I was so angry. Upon further research, I have discovered his mother is dying of cancer. I am even angrier.)

Anyways, for those of you who watched, you will see that 7 of the 9 I selected have made it to the Top 24. Of course, the list has changed slightly to reflect new favorites. So, without further ado, here is my tentative list for the Final 12, with some brief notes on each. This is not necessarily my FAVORITE 12 finalists. It is who I believe will be left after half are eliminated during the next three weeks.

1. Joanne Borgella – gorgeous black plus sized model from New Jersey
2. Carly Smithson – tried out Season 5 and made it to Hollywood, then got busted for not having the appropriate work visa (she’s Irish). She has had more screen time than anyone else I think.
3. Amanda Overmyer – insane looking motorcycle riding nurse who scream/sings and sounds exactly like Janis Joplin
4. Ramiele Malubay – tiny cute Asian girl with a huge voice
5. Asia’h Epperson – her dad died like 15 minutes before her original audition and she still rocked it out… pretty impressive
6. Brooke White/Syesha Mercado – right now Brooke White has gotten a ton of screen time. I like her, don’t love her. She’s blond and fragile looking and has never seen an R rated movie. However, I can’t see only one black girl in the final 12, and Syesha is pretty talented, so she might get the 6th slot if Brooke doesn’t.
7. David Archuleta – fun fact: David is MY American Idol. LOVE HIM. He’s like 16, insanely talented, adorable, and seems SO normal. The anti-Sanjaya.
8. Chikeze Eze – his name rhymes. He’s a cute black guy with a sick voice. He’s totally in.
9. David Cook – has strange hair that Simon hates, but is kind of cute. He’s got the “rocker” edit but he wore a pink tie onstage… I am ambivalent right now.
10. Michael Johns – insanely hot Australian who is delicious and plays guitar. Will go very far.
11. Danny Noriega – I read something that said Danny Noriega swallowed a black woman. I agree. He is possibly the gayest thing I’ve seen on TV (and that includes Christian from Project Runway) but he has a DAMN big voice for a scrawny little girl. I mean boy.
12. Jason Castro – I actually have not heard this guy sing one note (stupid AI producers) but from researching online, he is supposed to be incredible. And he’s white with long ass dreadlocks. I’m already fascinated.

I should note that generally, I am not far-off. I believe there’s been a maximum of three I’ve gotten wrong in past years. Other than that I have a pretty good prediction rate. (You should see my list for the Oscars. I’ll be posting that soon, also… last year I got every single one right except for two.) I am not posting Greene’s List because she did not follow directions and picked like 10 girls and 2 boys. Not cool Greene. You know the rules.

Anyways, that is the first of my Idol predictions. But on to more important things: tomorrow I am off to Houston for a mini UofA reunion, and I CANNOT WAIT! I will be seeing Houston residents/eternal besties Julie, Greene, Bragman, and Jill, and Gerrick is driving in with Danny, and Jeremy is driving in from San Antonio! AHHHHH. I NEED IT TO BE TOMORROW ASAP. I should note that the original reason I was going to Houston was for Julie’s birthday, which is TODAY! So, happy birthday to my Julie Ann, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

So I’ll be in Houston til Sunday night and probably won’t have a chance to blog, so I hope you all have a great weekend!