Oh yeah, a ton. The saved one from Christina's team put it on tonight, when I don't think she usually does?

I AM STUNNED. I can't believe Blake's finalists are both full-grown adults.

Hahaha, yeah, she was all omg I got bieb germs on me!

I was okay with tonight's elims. I continue to have mad respect for Adam because he consistently gives solid musical critique to singers that will help them in their off show careers. He was right in what he told RaeLyn, because I think she does have a decent straight voice under all that, but nobody's ever made her use it. Blake tried, pulling her off the growl some, but in her own uncoached piece she went right back to it, and Adam was right to call her on it.

Christina, I think, is too tied up in her image and the contest aspects of it all to really be that great a mentor. Her whole demeanor shifted when the format changed, and I dislike it.

On an odd note, I finally realized today a funky performance note. When I'm onstage, I both raise and lower my level, by going on my toes or down, and male vocalists do this too sometimes. But the female vocalists never do, which on this show translates into this weird bent knee stompy thing when they want effect. And I finally realized it's because of their heels...they have no up to give. Apropos of nothing, I know, just an odd thing I finally understood.

Liese,

I think I might disagree with you there. I think Christina seems to give pretty good advice to her team, but perhaps not to the other contestants. In fact, she seems to be the top 2 of mentors to her own team (with Adam). She demonstrates what she is talking about in terms of how to sing.

It seems to me, that she does not want to be seen slamming other contestants, so she chooses her words very carefully when she does not like a performance. It's almost like she has made a decision not to look like the "bad guy." Given she is the only woman on the panel, I can only assume that producers, etc. likely told her how she comes off when she says "mean" things.

I was shocked that Christina voted off Jesse, but I couldn't argue that his performance was by far the worst of the night from her group. That said, she picked a terrible song for him. Halo? Really? If I were him, I'd be pissed.

So glad RaeLynn is gone.

AI

Hollie – Rolling in the Deep. Seriously, famewhores, stay away from Adele. So, so tired of her. If I saw Adele on the streets somewhere, I’d run up and smack her just for all the residual badness she’s unleashed on the world. And this little girl sounds good . . . better than she ever has. But she also sounds like an Adele impersonator and not like anyone whose album I would want to buy because really? If I wanted to hear Adele, I’d just listen to Adele or something. And she’s still dressed like a Boca housewife. What is that necklace? Christmas lights? See through dildos? Just . . . no. I can’t even start with J-Lo. I’ll have to catch her outfit on the flip side.

Colton – Bad Romance. I have no interest in this performance. Let’s chat instead about the ridiculousness of the red streak in the hair. It looks like he did it with a crayola marker. Also, I don’t care about his sister and Nigel should understand that AI is not SYTYCD and Colton and equally annoying sister will never be like the Schwimmers or Danny and Peanut. And good god, y’all, this song is so long. Is it always this long? This is not one of my Gaga favorites. In fact, I don’t think I have Gaga favorites other than Just Dance because that song is awesome. But anyway, this song is just kinda boring even when Gaga does it but when this fool does it in his whiny emo way it just became this interminable thing. And Good lord, he’s still singing. And now the judges are on the whole “It doesn’t matter if you sing well because you are awesome” tip. Umm, no. You still must sing well. Poor hairboy. Your box does not expand enough to include me ever.

Elise – No One. Why are you always in the B3? Because you’re old, mama. You’re old. And bad song choice, btw. The pre-teens who vote for this show were in Pre-K when this song was big on the charts in 05-06. And then she proceeded to do not much interesting with it. It was fine. It was not memorable. Steven is trying not to say it was monotonous, but it was. The judges are so trying to get her to go home. Damning with faint praise. Awwww. Dead doggie stories are not gonna get it done, though.

Phillip + Usher? Hmmmm. I’m cautiously intrigued.

Phillip – You Got It Bad. I love this song. Hats off to you, sir. I think I might actually like this Phil Phillips performance. And yup. I really liked it. Really, really liked it. He kinda shut it down on that one. I have to give it up to him. It just worked – the whole . . . wait, did Steven just say “No chump love, sucka”? I love it. I will use that tomorrow on somebody. Oh, Randy. The show still is not about you.

On the real, this is a seriously talented top 7. Even the ones I don’t care for.

Jessica – Fallin. Hmm, another really bad song choice. Not that I dislike this song. Well, yeah. Maybe I kind of dislike this song. And is that a white jumpsuit? A white, gaucho pants jumpsuit? A white, gaucho pants jumpsuit with a gold chain with an Aztec mask on it? Just no and wrong and no. And she sounds amazing because she always does but she is still hella robotic. She has no clue what this song is about. I don’t believe she has ever been in love and lost it and then kept getting pulled back into a crazy, co-dependent relationship. In a few years, this girl is gonna be nothing nice. Right now, she’s 16. And look at that. I’m back to hating 16 year olds on this show. Who knew?

Skylar – Born This Way. I had no idea Gaga made a country version of this song. She’s really scraping along that lower register, isn’t she? Once the chorus kicks in, she’s much better and really wailing it out with the country nasally thing she does in full effect. And she gets down on the second bridge. (continued...)

( continues...) I’m enjoying Skylar, but then again I usually do. Just as cute as a button. I don’t know what the outfit is doing but it’s bad.

Joshua – I Believe. OK. So only Fantasia can sing this song because it’s a terrible, terrible song but she made it good just by the sheer force of her will. And it definitely doesn’t work without the full on gospel choir in the background. And I say that as someone who has ‘Tasia’s version of this terrible, terrible song on her iPod and listens to it frequently. And he tried to get down with it. I suppose it was good. But nothing will ever be as good as watching Fantasia destroy this song on the finale with the confetti falling down and the whole all of it all. I hope he sticks around because I do enjoy him but this was iffy. Thank you, Ry Ry. Nobody will ever top that moment with Fantasia. Why even try? And for the love of god, someone get this boy a jacket that fits.

Wait. They are doubling up tonight? I’m so out of the loop. Sadly, I don't want to see most of these kids sing soul classics.

Hollie – Son of A Preacher Man. Hello, pitch problems, my old friend. Oh, well. One out of two ain’t bad. She was all over and under and around the key. She was sometimes even on it. And while I do think she’s less deer in the headlights this week, she’s still frikkin’ boring. And dressed like a 60’s housewife. And wearing bad jewelry. Sad for her.

Colton singing Earth, Wind and Fire? Definitely do not want.

Colton – Emoing the hell out of September. Bitch, please. Phillip Bailey should run out on stage and throttle you. I hate this. I hate everything about it. I want to strangle this fool with the fake leaves falling on that damn piano. Awful. Bad. Bad and awful. Awful and bad. Thank you for hating on him for me , Steven. Judges, just come real with it. That sucked ass. America, please send this boy home. He has committed a crime against funk.

Elise – Let’s Get It On. Oh, Elise. Honey, no. Unless you are actually Marvin Gaye, this song is never not cheesy. I mean, she sounds great, but standing up on that stage with her old lady pants suit and her woman’s body and her Mall hair and crooning a song that is the epitome of chees-tasticness? This is not the way to move the crowd. If Simon were here (Miss him so much) he’d comment on how cabaret it all was. And for once, the judges don’t sugar coat it with her. Of course, they hate her and want to get her off the show, but still . . . they are not wrong. Randy, especially, was spot on with the oversinging, especially on a song like this. And now I gotta go wash my mouth out with soap for saying Randy was right.

Phillip – Midnight Hour. Wilson Pickett. What? Go ‘head, little funky white boy. He’s got a little Joe Cocker feel on this one. That’s new and fun. The back end of the song got away from him and he fell a little bit too far off the melody for my tastes, but that was fun. And after the crazy over the top perfection of the first song, fun is likely more than enough to get him over the hump this week. Ryan refusing to dance because it doesn’t go with his look? I love that wee man!

Aww. It’s the Honey Dip. Did he just say he was going to be singing Vision of Love on the show tomorrow? Because that would be completely and utterly wrong on every level and yet all kinds of amazing.

Jessica – Try a Little Tenderness. She’s wearing some kind of weird jodhpur/gaucho pants again. AGAIN. Make it stop. But her voice sounds amazing. I mean tear the roof off the mother amazing. I love the grit here. I still don’t think she knows anything about what this song is about, but she did do a lot better. And the judges basically tell her not to be such a robot. I concur. Agreeing with the judges once more? My world is all torn asunder.

Skylar – Heard it Through the Grapevine. With fiddle. And way too much cleavage. Good heavens, girl. Put those away. And it’s fun and funky. Well sung. Full of the Skylar-ness of it all. Agreed that she is an amazing performer. She sucks you in. If I ever felt assed enough to vote, I’d toss a few texts her way.

Joshua – A Change Is Gonna Come. Oh, he should tear it up on this song. He’s actually really nicely restrained on the front end of the song. And the little growly, Al Green moment on that “sometimes”? Just stop it. Boy, you better work. That was very nice from him. Not too over the top. That song didn’t get away from him. Wow. Good night of singing. I really don’t know what’s going to happen. Everybody sang well tonight in their way, so it’s really just a question of taste. I feel pretty sure that Elise will go home this week, but as for the other B3 dwellers? You got me. I think only Skylar and Phillip are definitely safe. If forced to call it, I’d say:

Phillip

Skylar

Joshua

Jessica

Colton

Hollie

Elise

But we’ll see what the unwashed masses do.

And she’s still dressed like a Boca housewife.

I kept thinking that Hollie looked like Kelly Ripa. Freakishly alike.

I kept thinking that Hollie looked like Kelly Ripa

Totally can see the Kelly Ripa vibe - minus all the crazy former soap star mannerisms.

Things I liked about tonight’s Idol:

Hok dancing on Idol while they do bad things to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas makes it all worth it. And at least they are singing live this year. These kids really must be good.

Honey Dip!! And he’s singing something called THE Vision of Love, not Vision of Love. Well, that’s disappointing. But he’s still the cutest thing ever. I wonder if the monkey face wife is still around. This song is total lite FM crap. Somebody get this fool some better material because he is hotter than the sun. So much better than this. This is like a song that the fake band the teens form on like Saved by the Bell or something.

The right B3. For a change. And hairboy goes home. Well done, America. Let’s hope they choose as wisely in the Presidential elections.

Things I didn’t like about tonight’s Idol:

Taylor Hicks, OG tool

JLo’s high waisted kelly green pants. Ewww.

Tiny teens in hooker heels. Make it stop.

LMFAO. I refuse.

ANTM news -- Miss J, Mr. Jay, AND noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker are OUT. [link]