American Idol Commentary - In Need of 'Tude Checks and Caring Parents

I'm not exactly sure why American Idol decided to cram it's whole time in Hollywood into just one hour. It wouldn't be so bad if the feeling was because they wanted us to have more performance weeks, but instead it seems they had more auditions. Personally, I look forward to Hollywood. I like the drama and excitement, where the bad auditions got a little tedious after awhile. Why not three weeks of auditions and two weeks in Hollywood? Or at least expand to two hours on that night, since several of the auditions were expanded to two hours.

And of all times to try that, when they have a record number of people making it to Hollywood with 172. After watching all these people make it to Hollywood that past month, it just leaves me wishing I would get to see why they didn't make it, whereas I only feel I got to see that with very few. It left all of us fans this morning asking did so and so make it, could you tell? How about so and so, I didn't see them. I feel a little cheated after investing all that time into the auditions.

A lot of the ones they showed getting cut I didn't have much hope for anyway. I know many people expected Baylie Brown to become one of the final 12, but I wasn't feeling it. She had a great image, yeah, but I felt force fed her whole "I don't belong on the farm" thing from the beginning. And she was so young. While she sounded good, but not great, she needed to have the maturity to go along with the voice, and didn't. She couldn't remember her words, and blamed everything on the others. She should come back in two years with her voice even stronger, without the act, and ready to feel a little humility. It might look as good on her as that French manicure she was sporting.

And as far as I'm concerned, the two best friends, Amanda Coluccio and Antonella Barba, can go find themselves a bale of hay to sit on next to Baylie as well. Amanda showed her true colors after their first audition when she heard the judges say that Antonella was better than her. This leaves both of them feeling they are the privileged of the two, meaning they then fight over which song to sing, both thinking they know best. Amanda spends her time flirting with guys, then accuses Baylie of the same thing. She also thinks she made it through because God likes good people. It would have taken a lot for me to vote for that personality. Besides, their song This Old Heart of Mine was our wedding song, and these girls weren't doing it justice.

Gina Glocksen came out a little strong as well, but not quite as irritatingly. If she can calm it down a little, she has a shot of making it. I'd like to see her do well, as she's from my general neck of the woods in the Chicago 'burbs, and it's great that she's looking out for number one, but she needs to keep a check on a 'tude that could get away from her. Not that Perla didn't deserve Gina's wrath. At any point I expected her to break into a hoochie koochie a la Charo.

I had less complaints with the guys last night. Yet, the first I need to mention is Sundance Head. He was a favorite going into last night, but sung horribly on his first song, and forgot a few words in the group round. So why is he still there? Because he has something. There's some star power there. That's why he forgot words and is still there. Maybe he could pick up some techniques in remembering from his famous dad.

Another that I was looking forward to was Chris Sligh, and he did not dissapoint. Of course, we didn't get to hear him other than in the group round, but that group song was amazing, as he combined with Rudy Cardenas, Thomas Lowe, and Blake Lewis, the Beat Box guy. Chris had auditioned signing Kiss From a Rose, but here he is singing a Bee Gees tune. If that doesn't prove versatility, I don't know what does, other than the fact Blake is able to seem beat boxing into How Deep Is Your Love. These four guys worked together, worked hard, and didn't have the cat fights many of the girls had. Best of all, they were exciting, and something you could see actually winning. I think Chris and Blake carried the other two some, though, as I'm guessing alone they weren't as good.

My heart bled for Matt Sato and his un-supportive parents. They wouldn't come support him at his audition, lest he not make it, and they find they wasted their time and money. Once he made it to Hollywood, he cried when he told his mom, and last night we learned when he got home, she even hugged him which she rarely does. After he makes it through the first round there, she says she loves him, and he cries, saying she never says that to him. What the hell is that? Support your kid! It's his dream! But above all that, hug him and kiss him, and tell him you love him as many times as you can, even when he's not succeeding on national TV.

Another tender moment was watching Sanjaya Malakar realize his sister didn't make it to final 40, and that she was going home. While all are up there hootin' and hollerin', celebrating their good fortune, he runs down the stairs to console his sister. Maybe he can go console Matt Sato too.

Wednesday night, is the big reveal, the Green Mile walk, when we find out which 24 singers we'll be watching and listening to next week. I'm hoping to see Sanjaya, Sundance, Chris, and Blake. As for the girls, I'm not too sure who I'd like to see, other than a few we don't know if they made it anywhere or not, like Ebony the roller skater, and Latisha with the 3 year old daughter.

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