|
'Idol' worship: Celebrities make most of gig |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Randy A. Salas, McClatchy-Tribune
|
|
Tuesday, 17 April 2007 |
|
|
|
|
Blake Lewis captivated viewers and even the much-maligned Sanjaya Malakar made a surprisingly strong showing last Tuesday on "American Idol." But the best performance didn't come from the contestants on Fox's top-rated program. It came from guest Jennifer Lopez, who didn't even need to sing to draw raves.
Lopez was the latest celebrity to appear in taped segments on the Tuesday show to help the would-be Idols prepare for that week's related theme. And she was brilliant, the best so far.
"American Idol" has been on a tear this season with its celebrity mentors. They've all been good, but that doesn't mean they can't be ranked from best to worst.
Jennifer Lopez: An obvious fan of the show, she seemed to know the singers already. She was effusive and supportive, and gave concrete advice about finding the passion in Latin music. (And is Lewis her teacher's pet, or what?)
Lulu: She hasn't been relevant in decades, but the British Invasion hitmaker was a dynamo and focused on specific technical things for the singers to address in their vocals. Her pleas about song choices were less well-received.
Tony Bennett: The venerable singer dished out gentle admonitions about lyrical lapses and praise equally, as if he were each contestant's grandfather (or great-grandfather).
Peter Noone: His blunt comments during a followup interview belied the boyish cheerleader on display in rehearsal sessions, but the honesty was refreshing.
Gwen Stefani: What happened to the Hollaback Girl? She probably played it too cool with a low-key approach that distracted from decent performance tips.
Diana Ross: Her appearance seemed more steeped in being showy than being truly helpful, with nebulous suggestions such as, "Find your center."
Really, though, even Ross wasn't that bad. And "American Idol" has made great strides over last year, when the celebrity mentors were all male.
Now, expectations are high for the show's upcoming guests. Coming weeks will bring planned appearances by rocker Jon Bon Jovi and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees.
I can't wait.
___
Randy A. Salas:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
