March 25, 2010

Idol Inferno: Worst Season Ever? Calm the H- Down People

Filed under: American Idol — Tags: , — Richard Rushfield @ 12:08 pm

Panic is gripping Idol Nation like it has never since…well, since last season.

This is now my fourth season covering American Idol, and my fourth consecutive season in which I’ve watched the world declare it the worst season ever; the harbinger of the show’s imminent cancellation.

We of Idol Nation are passionate folk, but perspective and chilling-the-f-out are not are strong suits. All this, however, we have seen before and likely will see again. A show however, such as this week’s sends heads exploding across the Idol punditry. Here then are your AM talking points on this Worst Season Ever talk, which I hope can help screw some of those heads back on:

• First of all, to get it straight, I am not saying this is not the worst season ever. It may in fact be. It definitely at this point seems a far lower median than the last couple seasons. However, if you go back to the first few years of Idol, I think you’ll find there is precedent.

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March 23, 2010

Idol Inferno: The Meaning of the Miley Mentorship

Filed under: American Idol — Tags: , , — Richard Rushfield @ 2:44 am

Some quick reactions to the stunning news that none other than herself, Miley Cyrus (not Smiley Virus) will be mentoring the Idol contestants this week.  Some out there have been mocking this news.  I however am all for it. Here are my reasons, and my ruminations on the fallout to come when Miley visits the Idoldome :

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March 16, 2010

Idol Inferno: The Magnus Militia Counts Down to Victory

Filed under: American Idol, TV — Tags: — Richard Rushfield @ 11:04 am

According to the the spoiler lists floating around, tonight Siobhan Magnus will make history singing either Paint It Black or Midnight Rambler on Rolling Stones night.

Although we vastly prefer Paint It Black to, pretty much to any song ever written, from a purely tactical perspective, we’d have to advise that Rambler would be a better direction for this campaign.  While privately, you can’t go too goth for us, playing the goth card too heavily has not been a winning strategy for any Idol gal.  Adam  Lambert can get away with such things (or at least get to second place) but the tweens are unforgiving of gothiness in a lady…and the wrath of the cougars is of course, ferocious.

We need only point to the fate of the last Idol contestant to take on Paint It Black, the pioneer of Idol rocker ladies, the great Gina Glocksen.

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March 13, 2010

Idol Inferno: Notes on the Top 12 Party on the Top 12

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — Richard Rushfield @ 12:03 pm

Last night was the second holiest night on the American Idol calendar; the declaration of the Top 12 and, perhaps, more importantly, the Top 12 party.

Top 12 night is as previously mentioned, that magic threshold from where humble dreamers emerge as titans, warriors of song whose names will resound through our annals forevermore.

The party, for its part, has traditionally been one of the better buffets in entertainment. And last night was no exception. Coming in late as I am, I will skip the complete report other than to say, the short ribs were not the very best I’ve ever had but far above the Hollywood event Short Rib Median, and that the salted butterscotch parfait was magnificent.

Both of which auger very well for a perfectly workable season ahead.

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March 10, 2010

Idol Inferno: Siobhan 4 Ever!

Filed under: American Idol — Tags: — Richard Rushfield @ 12:10 am

What do we talk about when we talk about Siobhan Magnus? Let us turn to history for guidance.,,

“St. Agnes’ Eve – Ah, bitter chill it was!

The Owl, for all his feathers, was a-cold”

So wrote the poet Keats of the traditional night when young virgins dream that their lovers will come to them in their dreams and feast with them in a festival of otherworldly delights.  But while he told of fair Madeline and Porphyro’s enchanted flight from the rigid strictures of their medieval society under the guise of fairy magic, he could just have easily been writing about these final stages of the Idol pre-season, when young dreamers teeter on the very cusp between transcending the bonds of their lives into immortality, or being tossed back into the abyss from whence they came.

Here they stand at this moment on the brink of becoming something more than mortals; of becoming stars.

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March 4, 2010

Idol in Review: Siobhan for President

Filed under: American Idol, TV — Tags: — Richard Rushfield @ 2:35 am

It’s been a long, cold trek through the wilderness for Idol Nation. After last year’s verdict, we were left a house divided, the vote split along the most contentious partisan lines in our history. Conservative vs, liberal.  Young vs old.  Devout vs. atheist. Cougar vs tween.  Such wounds do not heal overnight and indeed, out there in the bush, many warriors of Season 8 continue to re-fight the No Boundaries campaign.

This hasn’t always been the way for Idol Nation.  Throughout most of recent history, we have arrived at consensus choices. Carrie and Jordin were vastly seen as the favorites of their year and the David Cook victory, while bitter to some, did not open Pandora’s box.

So as we entered a new season the question loomed; would season nine be the year when we healed the wounds that had torn our house asunder or would this season only pour salt into the rift and rub it in deeper, with the war of brother against brother raging on till the dying of the light where the sedge has withered and no birds sing.

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