Lucky 7

My apologies to Mariah Carey --- apparently I totally missed her performance on this year’s Idol Gives Back show. . . not my favorite performer, but I didn't leave her out of the last blog just because I can't stand her!!

Idol Gives Back donations were totalling $60million last night --- phone lines and web site is still open for further donations.

The show opened with what I thought was an odd choice of songs: “Shout to the Lord”. I guess if this was an individual song choice from a contestant it wouldn’t have seem strange to me, but it seemed a little peculiar to pretty much require the contestants to sing it. For me, it brought a religious aspect to the show that I thought might be off-putting to some of the American public. Just my opinion!

Pleas for further donations continued through last night’s show with appearances by: Zack & Cody, Dr. Phil, Ricki Lake and Jim Carrey.

Their was a repeat of last year’s musical montage; this year’s song was “I’m a Believer” and included these celebrities as well as others I didn’t recognize: Rob Schneider, George Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Kobe Bryant, Dr. Phil, Kyra Sedgwick, Mary Murphy, Camryn Manheim, Ricki Lake, Selma Blair. I always like this segment, as the people who appear seem to be letting their guard down a little and just having a lot of fun. Sort of like the photos from Sundance!

No time was wasted in bringing out the first of the contestants and giving results:

Brooke - safe (really??)
David - safe (even though he thought he might be in the bottom 3)
Lil’ David - safe (quaking in his shoes waiting for his dad’s reaction)

More film footage of Forest Whitaker and his wife Keisha in Angola visiting children who struggle every day to survive --- both orphaned and not. I’m not sure how they managed to come home without 20-30 Angolan orphans. These segments have been particularly heart wrenching for me to watch.

Jordin Sparks and Cris Brown sang “No Air” --- great song, but Jordin is either a better actor or she was just way more into it that Cris. He eventually just looked a little uncomfortable, but sang great!! Jordin seemed a little awkward with all the “ain’ts” in the song, but she managed to pull it off.

More contestants:

Jason - safe
Kristy Lee - safe (now I’m starting to get worried)

This leaves Syesha, Carly and Michael backstage, knowing that they are the Bottom 3. Although the stools are set up onstage, they are spared with having to sit in them.

Bono stumps for One.org, then equal airtime is given to: Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Barack Obama. John McCain’s attempt at humor was just painful!!

Then came the “Daughtry” moment --- Syesha and Carly were declared safe and, with all three of them in shock, Michael was told his journey was done.

With Michael’s face showing obvious shock and Carly’s “no, no, no” in the background, Ryan starts talking as if MAYBE they’re going to ignore the voting and not send anyone home, then quickly tells Michael he is, indeed, going home.

In my shock, I had to force myself to remember last year and that moment when Daughtry was told he was leaving and think about how much airplay his music has gotten since then, how he not only appeared on Idol Gives Back the night before, but they sent him and his band to Africa. Where was Taylor Hicks?

So, now that the shock has worn off, I’m assured that Michael Johns WILL get a contract; we’ll be hearing his songs on the radio this time next year. . . maybe even more than the person who walks away with the title.

I had to wonder, though, what it might have been like when the contestants arrived at their home away from home. Did they commiserate about how much they would miss Michael? Or did the accusations start to flow (“It should have been you!”, “You suck, you should have been gone 3 weeks ago?” “I can’t believe you’re still here and Michael’s gone?”).

You have to wonder. . .