Idol Elimination Night: The Girls Hug It Out
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Photo by: Frank Micelotta / FOX |
Episode 16
Eliminated this week: Alaina Alexander, Leslie Hunt, Nicholas Pedro and A.J. TabaldoThe departure of Alexander made for a great, touching moment of live television: Too torn up to actually perform much of her reprise of "Not Ready to Make Nice," she left most of the vocalizing to the backup singers while the other girls embraced her. It had already been clear she wasn't going to make a defiantly show-bizzy, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" kind of exit when Ryan Seacrest recapped the judges' coments from the night before. Her only response to Simon's was a smiling but curt "Clever." Ooch! Not ready to make nice is right.
Some surprise that AJ Tabaldo got voted off instead of Sanjaya Malakar – Sanjaya, in fact, seemed more shocked than anyone – but AJ and fellow reject Nick Pedro both suffered from a lack of star charisma. Sanjaya's performances have been disasters, but Simon had predicted (accurately, so far) that his long, coltish hair might keep him in the running. It was silly of Paula to get all solemn and baleful and act as if this (as well as Leslie Hunt going and Antonella Barba getting to stay) represented a miscarriage of justice. Sanjya has a talent. It's just not clear whether he has any taste or sense. And a solemn and baleful Paula is no fun, besides.
Also: May I ask who picked that opening group number? No one over the age of 15 can look into a camera with mike in hand and sing, "Joy to this fishes in the deep blue sea" without looking ridiculous.
Also: true dream. Wednesday night I dreamed I met novelist Philip Roth in a Newark coffee shop, and he told me he was going to be a guest judge on Idol. Ponder that.
For more from last night, see AOL's Idol coverage.
