Week 3 Viewing Guide - It's Pop Week!!!

The wisdom of our crowd says Gina goes out this week, so she gets the picture for the post. But since Sanjaya is still in the competition, I think we should all pray that Gina remains safe. It's for the good of humanity.

Plus, this week is pop week with Gwen Stefani, and if there's one person who we all know is going to SUCK on pop week, it's Sanjaya. I say this for two reasons - 1. Because I can't think of a song currently on the pop charts that he could sing well, and 2. Because he sucks.

In keeping in with the tradition of last week's email, we have scoured the internet and found another performance that we would like to substitute for Sanjaya's. Last week, we lobbied for this girl. This week, we would like to submit these guys. Please, anything other than Sanjaya.

While we're on the topic of other people singing, did anyone see the article about "Inmate Idol" where prisoners perform to see who is the most musically talented in the joint? It's quite the con test (I wish I thought that pun up myself). Anyway, read about and watch the video of those guys here. Alice Cooper judged the final!


OK, back to Gwen Stefani. Word is that she's going to sing "The Sweet Escape" with Akon on Wednesday night's show. Don't know who Gwen Stefani is? Never heard the song before? You're showing your age......Here's the video - Gold chickens rock!




Our final thought on pop week is this: the judges seem to be unpredictable this season when contestants do a song that has been on the pop charts recently. For Stephanie, they were luke warm to warm on her passable rendition of Beyonce's "Dangerously in Love" (go 3 minutes into it)....Randy was especially critical of her inability to copy Beyonce.

But, when Blake destroyed (yes, destroyed - he went falsetto through the chorus which is the only time in the song you're supposed to go full voice. And his falsetto sucked) Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know", the judges liked it - Randy "kinda dug it"and Simon praised his song choice and called it "by far the best performance" up to that point of the night. I mean, that was a poor imitation of Keane, and Randy liked it. Stephanie's was a decent imitation of Beyonce, and Randy called her on it.

The lesson here, I think, is to do pop songs that aren't at the top of the charts which could spell bad news if/when Chris R. pulls out a JT song on Tuesday.....either that or boys get preferential treatment. Or the judges are wildly unpredictable with their critiques. Or Blake has paid them off. Regardless, during pop week, it will be interesting to see who the judges call on cheap imitations and who they like.


ON TO THE POOL!

As we're entering week 10, it's now becoming more important to look at the pool's picks a little more in depth.

This week 8 people had Brandon out, 7 had Sundance, 7 had Antonella, 6 have Gina, 5 have Phil, 5 had Jared, 4 have Jordin, 3 had Stephanie, 2 have Chris R., one person had Sabrina, one person has Haley, one person had Blake, and Lance has Sanjaya going out (well done Lance).

If you are one of the 31 people who have Brandon, Sundance, Antonella, Jared, Stephanie, or Sabrina at #10, what you want is for one of the people you don't have in your top 10 that's still alive to go out. That means either Sanjaya or Haley for the grand majority of you.

If you're one of the people who has a person still alive out at #10, you really want that person to leave this week. That way you'll be maxing out your point potential.....Could Darby and Heather be sitting pretty? They're the two people who called Chris R. out this week, and his being in the bottom 2 last week despite the fact that the judges really liked him might be a bad omen.


Looking at the leaderboard, Lisa Wagner, currently tied for first had Stephanie going home this week. That means she'll prosper if someone that's still in it that's not in her top 10 goes home - and that's Haley or Phil.

Matty, also tied for first, had Sundance going out this week, so he's in the same situation as Lisa....root for someone not in his top 10 to go out - that's Sanjaya or Haley.

So, if Sanjaya goes home, Matty will take over first place by himself. If Phil goes, Lisa W. will have sole possession for first. And if it's Haley, there'll still be a tie. If it's someone else, we'll have craziness!!!

Those two can go 8 for 9 if one of their two go out. But, there is one other person who can go 8 for 9, too - Brooke Stafford, currently in 6th, can go 8 for 9 if Sanjaya or Jordin go out.

Looking at the rest of the leaderboard, Kendra (in a tie for 3rd) has Haley going home this week, but wouldn't be hurt too badly if Sanjaya or Jordin leaves. The Zach & Sarah team (also in 3rd) has Phil going home this week, but would also be OK if Sanjaya or Haley left. And, in 5th, Jane LeBlanc has Gina going home, but, like a lot of others, she would be OK if Sanjaya or Haley left.


That's it! Happy viewing and enjoy Pop Week!!!!

PS - whoever posted the limericks last week, well done! Everyone, let's see your Limerick skills in action this week in the comments section! We'll also be looking for your haikus....