Eliminations and a Few Loose Ends: What Becomes of the Brokenhearted

So I promised you all (by you all, I mean anyone who reads this blog at all) a post reacting to last week's eliminations on both "Dancing With The Stars" and "American Idol," and also what I thought of "Idol" contestants Crystal Bowersox and Aaron Kelly's performances on Top 10 night on Tuesday. So here we go, in what should be a quick and painless manner. Anger and frustration is bound to be involved. (You didn't save Didi, America! Ultimate fail. :( )

• Crystal Bowersox: I've quite enjoyed Crystal's performances the past few weeks (especially last week's electric "Me and Bobby McGee"), but for some reason this week's "Midnight Train to Georgia" finally sold me on Crystal's high degree of excellence. With Siobhan (sniff, sniff) slipping up and Didi getting the boot (more on that below), methinks Crystal is by a nose my favorite. Her take on the classic Gladys Knight & the Pips tune was, to me, a step up from her usual goodness...it was full of soul, emotion, and was just plain beautiful. OK, it had piano in it, and I'm a major, major sucker for any number with piano, but she just really nailed it. Those high notes at the end were top-notch. Crystal once again failed to hit a wrong note (both figuratively and literally). She hasn't given a bad performance yet, but they haven't just been OK....they've all been excellent. Viva la Crystal!
• Aaron Kelly: Now, I'm not usually in the "someone had a 'moment' with this song! It should never be sung on 'American Idol' ever again!" camp...after all, "Idol"'s long and storied history has taught us that once a song has been knocked out of the park on the show's stage (example: Carrie Underwood's powerhouse, star-making performance of "Alone"), that doesn't mean it can't be brilliantly performed again (example: Allison Iraheta's grippingly delicious take on "Alone" during last season's semifinals). But there's always an exception to the rule, and that exception last Tuesday was Aaron. Kris Allen's soulful, stripped-down performance of "Ain't No Sunshine" last season was a turning point for the eventual champ. Last season, mind you. Not season 2, not season 4, the season RIGHT BEFORE THIS ONE. Sure, if Aaron had delivered a terrific version of the tune, I wouldn't be having this discussion, but really, can we say that that's what he gave? It was weak, flat, and devoid of much soul or energy. Usher's counsel to Aaron to vary his "I know"s for maximum impact was wisely heeded in the mentoring session, but when Aaron got onto the stage, his "I know"s were just as repetitive and bland as he had originally done them. Blegh. I have the sinking feeling that Aaron will be here for awhile thanks to the "teen girls who love cute guys" vote (its maddening effect on keeping Tim Effing Urban in the competition shall be discussed below)...if there's ever a time I wanted to have to eat my words, it would be now.
• The "Idol" Elimination: Didi over Tim? DIDI GOING HOME OVER BLEEPING TIM?!?!?! Do the Idol voters of America know how to get ANYTHING right anymore?!?!?! First, last season Allison Iraheta got a scandalously premature ouster and ended up in 4th place. (Don't you dare say she deserved that finish.) Then, this time around, Katelyn, Lilly, and Alex went home all at once in the last week of the semifinals, rather than with a recording contract a few months after they finished in or near the Final 3. And now, three women in a row (two of them very good--Lacey and Didi--and one of them at least somewhat OK...Paige) have fallen victim to the ruthless, idiotic, horrible machine of suckitude that is Tim Urban. Is he single-handedly the reason they've all gone home? Well, when he's been in the Bottom 3 for three weeks running (and the Bottom 2 for the past two weeks), I would say yes. His performances are dismal. His deer-in-the-headlights looks are nauseating. His flippant laughing in the face of the judges' deservedly harsh commentary is grating. All that's keeping him in the competition is his good looks. And that is wrong. I know "Idol" often isn't anything close to a true singing competition. I know people are shallow, and I know the "look" is a key part of recording success in today's world. But honestly...it is time for Tim to go. It has been time for him to go, in fact, since the first week of the semifinals. If America does not make the correct choice next week, and even worse, if another female goes home (Crystal & Siobhan are stellar, and Katie isn't that great at all, but she's better than Tim, and her departure would leave only 2 dang women left), I am seriously considering revolting against this show. As for Didi, I eagerly await her album and to hear more from her. She deserves a heck of a lot more than she got from the "Idol" experience, and I hope to goodness that she gets it all, and more.
• The "DWTS" Elimination: This first cut of the season definitely wasn't as frustrating as Didi's elimination from "Idol," but it still wasn't that great. Shannen Doherty gave solid dances her first two weeks of competition, and she by far was not the worst of either night of dancing. I was excited to see more of her, but I guess now I won't get the chance. That is really disappointing. On the bright side, I still have quite a few dancers to love (Niecy, Chad, Erin, and even Buzz), and Kate Gosselin's time on the dancefloor is not likely to be long (I've rarely heard a good word about the reality-TV mom, for good reason...her dances were dismal, and even though you indeed can't vote against a contestant, as EW columnist Annie Barrett astutely pointed out, I highly doubt that she'll be able to hold out vote-wise for much longer with all that negative feeling). There is hope for "DWTS" Season 10 yet.

And there you go. This was rather heavy on the ranting and venting, but with the depressing eliminations that went down this past week, that's what was in order. See y'all soon with a (probably a bit late, since I can't catch "DWTS" live tonight) new "Dancing" recap.