Territorial Bloggings

Blahhhhhh…

That’s the feeling that I had as the 2 hours of 12 guys singing played out. At first listen, I was overall quite disappointed. That was mitigated somewhat during the recap at the end of the show, although I now am completely convinced that the girls have a much deeper talent pool than the guys — The guys have a definite star or two, but they’re just not as talented from top to bottom (not to mention tops & bottoms! :wink:) as the girls.

Having said that, let’s see if I can’t put some order on the chaos…

Ace is THE place:  Oh my. He certainly lived up to the hype, didn’t he? Maybe now even TK will admit that Constantine was/is a poseur! Ace dominated the stage. Ace dominated the night. Ace dominated this first week of performances — including the girls! Barring any unforseen horrific meltdowns, Ace is solid all the way to the Top 3, IMO. All the elements are there:  Women and girls will swoon, guys will admire (and, more importantly, not be threatened — Ace is pretty, but in an undeniably manly way…), and everyone will enjoy his singing talent because it’s not forced or affected. Honestly, he’s the kind of good-looking that, when my wife states repeatedly how good looking & attractive he is, I can’t get mad about, because it’s just true. I “get” it, and there’s no way I can protest or feel threatened by it. (for example, Dean Cain’s always been in that category, but I digress…).

Unfortunately, at this point I must state that the many of the performances last night forced me to fire up the Crankinalysis(tm) machine. Here’s the one that almost caused it to overheat…

Sway must GO!:  The guy I cannot stand for this season is definitely Sway. His falsetto just annoyed the living bejeebers out of me — I didn’t like it, I don’t “get” it, and I don’t want it on my TV ever again. Send him on tour with Brenna. I don’t care. Just don’t make me endure him again. (Of course, you know this just means that Sway is probably a safe bet to make it through to the finals… :mad:)

Safe, safe, SAFE!:  Ace, Chris, Taylor, & Elliot. These four were head & shoulders above the other 8. Ace, well, just see above. Chris made a great song choice & performed it well. I, personally, wasn’t thrilled by it, but I respect it — just as I respect the fanbase he seems to be building to carry him through to the finals. Taylor is, well, Taylor. He’s unique. He’s got oodles of character. He’s genuine. He’s likable. And he can sing, as he put it, his buns off. He makes me sit up & listen, and that’s a good thing. Elliot was, all things considered, the biggest pleasant surprise for me last night. I wouldn’t go quite as far as Simon did (annointing and/or potentially cursing him as the best male voice ever in AI) but he was still really, really good. Great song choice, great performance, & great personality.

At this point, let me digress a little & talk about the judges. Last night, as is most often the case, I thought Simon was right far more than were the other two. He’s a pompous, oft mean spirited, windbag, but Simon is usually right more often than he is wrong. And, at least, he doesn’t fall into cheerleader mode like Randy & (especially) Paula are wont to do. And which they did last night. Having said all that, it was certainly nice, and very entertaining, to see Ryan call B.S. on Simon last night and call him out on the necessity for some constructive criticism once in a while. (I also thought the “happy place” stuff was kinda funny too… :wink:)

Middling & lucky there are 12:  Patrick, Gedeon, Will, Kevin, Bucky. Patrick was pleasant & solid. Nothing spectacular, but there’s certainly potential for improvement, and so I still think he’ll make it through to the finals. Gedeon, I must say, impressed me far more than I thought he would. I still don’t like his speaking style, and I must say that I agree with Simon about his smile; however, he made a great song choice, and performed the heck out of it. He was entertaining, and the vocal was smooth. Will is safe, despite the so-so song choice (and the fact that he performed it like a white boy…) & vocals, because he’s just so darned cute. My 16 y/o niece has already picked him as her favorite, and I think that is certainly indicative of the fanbase that will keep Will safe, possibly all the way to the finals. Kevin, in a similar vein, is also most likely safe this week because of his niche & developing fanbase. He’s the underdog — cute & nerdy, but undeniably likable. However, I did  not like his performance all that much, as the song didn’t suit him, and there’s always been a little something about his vocals that just hasn’t sat quite right with me (my sister said that she detected a lisp, which could well be what’s bugging me…). Kevin, however, while probably being safe this week, will certainly not make it to the finals. Bucky is also someone I don’t see making it to the finals. But, because of his great song choice (he’s got a great voice for Skynyrd), he’ll most likely be safe this week. Bucky is also quite genuine & likable, which will serve him well.

Most at risk to go hasta la bye-bye:  Sway, Bobby, David. Sway because, well, because I have decreed it to be so! :!:  Bobby, while being likable (who doesn’t like fat, jolly guys?), just isn’t right for AI. His song choice was suspect (though I do like Copa! :grin:), and the performance was so affected as to be distracting. Reasonably entertaining, but still distracting, and definitely not great. David’s performance was abysmal. I had hoped for so much more from him, but I still had great fears because I still remember the horrors of the last time there was a young crooner (Big Red, aka John Stevens in AI:3). I like the crooners/crooning style, but I just don’t think it can (or should) carry the day in AI. That said, it’s possible that David’s obvious looks & charisma could keep him safe, but it’s just as likely that he’ll be hurt by the presence of Will, as they appeal to a similar demographic.

As I’ve reflected on the peformances since last night, I’ve started to feel a bit (just a bit) better about them. The girls are still much better as a whole, but the guys still have Ace, Elliot, & Taylor to carry the banner for the boys, and they ain’t too shabby!

Predicted Eliminations:
I Want:  Bobby & Sway
I Think:  Bobby & David

It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out tonight. I’ve got a hunch (though not a strong one) that mainstream America just might not be as enamored of Sway as were Randy & Paula. It’s also quite possible that Kevin & Bucky could be in greater danger tonight that I think — I would be surprised but not shocked if one of them were to go.

I’ll be back tomorrow to take my lumps (most likely) or to receive kudos (hopefully) on my prognosticative proclivities.

-ghp

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