My Idol Standards (Final 10)

America’s past-time and water-cooler talk in early spring seems to have transformed from Major League Baseball Opening Day and March Madness to American Idol. Of course, that may be because I now work in an office with about 15 women and 3 or 4 guys. It took betting, but a recent office pool (we don’t do NCAA brackets, but American Idol brackets in my office) has drug me into this world and I decided to tackle it head-on. Since it’s my first year, really only two and a half episodes, into my American Idol watching career, My Social Standards thought a chat with Jeff - who is much more in-tune (get it? Yeah, I’m channeling my inner Rocky and Bullwinkle there) with this world - would produce some entertaining thoughts and remarks. This will be the beginning of a weekly insight (in future weeks also including Danny) of the thoughts of a couple guys on America’s most popular reality TV show. This is an actual AIM chat transcript directly copied and pasted (we filled in the names to make it easier to read). Enjoy…

-Steve

Steve: u catch american idol tonight?
Jeff: as always
S: there are only 4 with a realistic chance of winning and that Cook guy was actually really good tonight
S: that Billie Jean cover was genius
J: Chris Cornell should get some of the credit for the actual rearrangement, but credit David Cook for choosing it and giving a great performance
S: For real, someone else had already done that?
J: yeah. chris cornell (lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave)
J: seacrest mentioned it, but he was drowned out by the fans
S: I didn't catch that. I thought it kinda had a Stone Temple Pilots sound too
J: definitely 90s alternative rock sound, which is always fine by me
S: Has there always been a couple guys with the more rock sound or is this a new development?
J: Bo Bice was sort of the first rocker a few years ago, but he had a more Southern vibe. There have been several pretenders like Constantine, and then Chris Daughtry has been the most successful of the "Idol rockers"
S: Is this Cook guy better?
S: Do you think he has a legit chance at winning?
S: Or is some teeny bopper going to take it again?
J: i think David Cook should get top 3 at least - he may have more creativity, but daughtry has the awards and platinum records. daughtry came in fourth, which is now considered a mistake
S: who won that year?
J: Taylor Hicks in first, Katharine McPhee second and Elliott Yamin in third. All ahead of Daughtry and the first two were dropped by their labels after one record
S: haha I can't remember, was Hicks a guy or a girl?
J: the gray-haired guy
S: OHHHH he was that 40 year old guy huh?
J: yeah
J: so as an Idol newbie, who do you see having the potential to win it all
S: I see Cook, Archuleta (I think his song choices suck but all the girls love him because he is 12 ), maybe Smithson, but more so Johns after the last two weeks, and that Syesha really has a chance now - between them it's a roll of the dice I guess.
S: I don't know how these things go usually
J: probably some good guesses. Syesha has come on strong after being on the bubble
J: she's got charisma, great voice and is quite pretty
J: only the last of which can be said about your girl Kristy Lee
S: Hot blond country girl is too boring but nice to look at, dreads guy reminds me of a good homeless singer that I should put $.50 in his guitar case, ramiele sounds like a girl at a karaoke bar, Chikeze or however you spell it, is too much like that past winner that flamed out and piano girl (I think Brooke) has no range and is too boring
S: they should save us time and cut those guys now
J: not sure about that. Jason Castro (the lucky recipient of your 50 cents) had the great performance of "Hallelujah"
J: but that was a few weeks back, and he hasn't changed his style whatsoever
S: Didn't see it, so I don't care. I didn't start until the vote off show for the top 12. Also, get a haircut!
J: i agree with that
S: What have you done for me lately?
J: Brooke also has potential, albeit limited. she was a disaster stepping away from her piano last week
S: I think that's why I don't like her. She was so awkward on stage. While a lot of these guys are good singers, only a couple have any stage presence at all and that is what is being seen, not the studio versions first (Britney wouldn't have had a chance had she had to go through this before making ...Baby One More Time and getting to pull the school girl act on MTV before actually performing)
J: Danny thinks she's totally fake, but she's grown on me thanks to "Let It Be" a couple weeks ago
S: Once again, only saw a snippit of that
S: Good song though
J: great song, even if most of the words are "let it be"
J: good point on the performances. on the big stage, you can really look awkward
S: haha, same could be said for a lot of our generation's top songs too...
J: very true. or even some all-time greats like bob dylan
S: But for every song like that Dylan had, he also had a Hurricane (BTW, How else would a white guy ever get away with saying the "n" word on a pop song?)
J: yeah
S: sorry, I'm off track here...back to idol
J: okay, seacrest
S: Hey, none of that...Who are your favorites?
J: david cook is the only person whose album or music i could see myself listening to. i could see enjoying brooke as like an opening act at a small club. syesha could have some likable radio songs. michael johns, who knows? he seems to have star quality, but only shows it on queen songs
S: what other queen song did he do? or just from tonight?
J: Bohemian Rhapsody in the Hollywood round
S: Ahhhh...he's obviously a fan - he's the one from Australia right? - They must be a little behind the times out there
J: probably. he could end up with an INXS-style of music eventually - really driving home the Australian aspect - but just don't think he'll go all the way on Idol
J: who are your favorites, as opposed to likely finalists?
S: Syesha and Cook, but for the most part I look for songs I like and idolist's that don't screw them up. Then I leave my guard down to let one or two an episode sneak up on me and say "Damn, you are good." - brings me to the last question here...who are your bottom 3 and who is going home?
J: Bottom 3 - Ramiele, Chikezie and Kristy Lee. I think the country crowd saves Kristy Lee another week, despite the cheese tonight. Ramiele leaves b/c her song choices never fit and despite the voice, she doesn't seem like a star
S: I agree with Kristy Lee and Ramiele, but I think Smithson. You're right Cook somehow is always the maid of honor, never the bride, and gets to stay, same with Smithson 2nd week in a row, and Ramiele is probably toast. I haven't seen a good performance by her yet.
J: nope
S: We'll see if we're right...until next week, same bat time, same bat channel...
S: Lata
J: That’s a wrap

Let us know what you think. Please leave your comments on our opinions, what you would like us to talk about, and if you think we are complete idiots in the “comments” link below. If we don’t think you’re an idiot, we will value your opinion – honest! Remember American Idol airs on both Tuesday and Wednesday Nights, check your local FOX listing for times if you want to know what we are talking about.