"American Idol" Recap & Review - "Top 9 Perform Dolly Parton Songs"

American Idol
Top 9 Perform Dolly Parton Songs

Original Air Date: April 1, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

Due to industrial action by the league of American vocal coaches, tonight’s episode will be replaced with a special celebrity edition of The Moment of Truth with Simon Cowell. We will see you next week.

APRIL FOOLS'! This is American Idol.

(Yes, Ryan really did say that. I promise, I did not make that joke up, I swear!)

Tonight we are promised nine great performances and Dolly Parton is our celebrity guest for the evening. I really like Dolly. I think she is a fun person. I don’t really know her, but I think she is fun. She is very down to earth and anybody that can laugh at herself like she does gets an A in my book.

Continue reading...

"American Idol" Recap & Review - "Lennon/McCartney Night"

American Idol - Top 12
"Beatles (Lennon/McCartney) Theme Night"

Original Air Date: March 11, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

Hello fellow American Idol fans!

I must start off this post letting you know that my DVR must not like American Idol as much as I do. It decided it wanted me to watch The Biggest Loser more than American Idol. I caught this tricky move my DVR was making a little late- an hour and 8 minutes late to be exact. This means of course I missed the entire first hour- but I didn’t miss much, but we will get to that a little later.

So, let's join American Idol already in progress…

Continue reading...

"American Idol" Recap & Review - "The Results Are In, America Voted"

American Idol
"The Results Are In, America Voted"

Original Air Date: February 28, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

Tonight is doomsday night on American Idol.

This show lasted an hour - funny, thanks to my DVR I can watch it in about 5 minutes. Yay! For DVR’s!!!

We start out with the “Ending of Grease” moment, you know when all the contestants sing that group song. Do you want to know the song? No? You sure??....come on, you know you want to know the song they all sang. It was …oh man! I forgot. I will try harder next week.

Continue reading...

"American Idol" Recap & Review - "Top 10 Girls"

American Idol
Top 10 Girls - "70's Theme"

Original Air Date: February 27, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

Welcome to Ladies Night on American Idol! Ryan is standing there with all the girls and reminds us and the ladies behind him that millions of families are watching. Well if the girls weren’t nervous before surely they are now!

We find out that thanks to Ryan watching Regis and Kelly, Randy wears a 13.5 shoe. Ryan thought it was important enough to tell us so I am telling you…I really don’t find that information useful, but you might?

Before we get started, let me remind you dear readers of my scoring system. The more I listen to a song the more I like the song. If I fast forward straight away- the song was no good. If I listened to the song the entire way- it rocked. Ok, now onto the show…

Continue reading...

"American Idol" Recap & Review - "Top 10 Boys"

American Idol
Top 10 Boys - "70's Theme"

Original Air Date: February 26, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

Sorry for being MIA the last few weeks. I would tell you the full story, but I know you are only here for one thing and that is how it went on American Idol tonight so without further ado, here we go…

Oh! Before we start, I must tell you about “Janelle’s AI Meter.” It goes like this: if I fast forward through a song, it sucks- plain and simple. If I listen to all of a song, it totally rocked. If I listen to just a bit of a song and then fast forward, the song was alright. The more I listen, the more I like. Ok, got the rules down? Once again…here we go! (Are any of you E! News watchers? If so, then you know that in the beginning they always show a clip of Ryan saying that when the show starts. Ok, I know, back to AI- shees you guys are pushy aren’t you?)

Continue reading...

"American Idol" Recap & Review - "Best & Worse Auditions"

American Idol
"Best & Worse of the Auditions" (Season 7)

Original Air Date: February 6, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

Tonight is the final audition. All I can say is, “Thank God!” I am always excited with AI starts back up, but they could cut the audition rounds to about 2 or 3 episodes and I think we would still get the point, do you think?

We are promised tonight will give us the best and worst of AI Season 7 auditions.

First up is Luke. Luke is wearing a HUGE white t-shirt that goes down to his knees. He sings, “Faith.” Luke is horrible with a capital H!

Victor is up next and he isn’t any better than Luke. I see how this is going to start out…

Continue reading...

"American Idol" Recap & Review - Omaha Auditions

American Idol Season 7
Omaha, NB Auditions (Round 5)

Original Air Date: January 29, 2008

Janelle- TwoCents Staff Writer

Hello again AI fans! Tonight we get to visit Omaha, NB. This is our 1st time here in all of the AI seasons and there are 10,000 hopefuls.

I feel the need to put a disclaimer on tonight’s commentary. I am recuperating from the flu and the doctor gave me some sweet cough syrup and by “sweet” I think it makes me a little high. So, if parts of tonight’s commentary do not make sense to you just imagine that to me, it’s probably the funniest thing I have ever written. Ok, let’s move on…

Continue Reading...

[Photo: Michael Becker / FOX]

"American Idol" Recap & Review - South Carolina

American Idol
South Carolina Auditions

Original Air Date: January 23rd, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

In the key of Ryan Seacrest, This is American Idol! We are in South Carolina tonight and Mr. Seacrest tells us that there are 10,000 contestants. We are treated to the Black Eyed Peas, “Let’s Get It Started In Here.”

We first meet Oliver and he would be our 1st contestant, but his wife’s water just broke and they are off to the hospital hoping this won’t take too long so that he can be back to audition. Ummm, Oliver, you won’t be back today I can promise you that! I hope they have auditions tomorrow.

Continue Reading...

[Photo: Michael Becker / FOX]

"American Idol" Recap & Review - San Diego Auditions

American Idol
Auditions Round 3 (San Diego)

Original Air Date: January 22, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

Tonight, American Idol brings us to San Diego. It looks like a nice vacation at the beach. Ryan Seacrest tells us that there are 12,000 hopefuls there to audition.

1st up is Tetiana and she sings, “Someone to Watch Over Me.” My little mini me gives her a 4.5, but she is putting my mini me to sleep – my daughters words, not mine. Simon says she is good, not great and not near as good as she thinks she is. However, she pleads with Simon to give her one more chance in Hollywood and he does.

Continue Reading...

"American Idol" Recap & Review - Dallas Auditions

American Idol Season 7
Dallas, TX Auditions (Round 2)

Original Air Date: January 16, 2008

Janelle - TwoCents Staff Writer

Hello again AI fans! Tonight we are in Dallas, TX and we start the show off being reminded that this is the home state of AI's 1st season winner, Kelly Clarkson. While we see all the pretty Texas flags waving about and different attractions that really only mean something to hometown Texans, we hear the theme from the show “Dallas” playing in the background. How fitting. We are also told that it is very hot in Texas during these auditions AND we have our first AI baby. Yes, a girl went into labor during the auditions, but if you are a tabloid junkie like me, you probably already knew that.

Continue Reading...

[Photo: Michael Becker / FOX]

"American Idol" Recap & Review - Philadelphia Auditions

American Idol Season 7
Auditions Round 1 - Philadelphia

Original Air Date: January 15, 2008

Janelle F - TwoCents Staff Writer

Excuse me for a second; let me clear my throat to sound more like Ryan Seacrest....
Welcome to American Idol (AI) Season 7…did I sound like Ryan at all??

Well, let’s get to the good stuff.

We start off Season 7 in Philadelphia. We are treated to a tour of Philly and a brief history as well. Did you know Ben Franklin was from Philly? Neither did I.
We are told this is a record setting crowd for AI and then we meet our 1st contestant of the season, Joey. Joey has lost 200lbs and that is his story. He sings Maroon 5’s Sunday Morning and does it justice. My daughter, aka my mini me, gives him a 5 out of 5 and I kinda agree though I don’t like Maroon 5. Therefore, I do have to knock a point off for that. But despite what I think, the judges love him and he’s not only our 1st contestant, he is the 1st one off to Hollywood.

Continue Reading...