Dish Of Salt: Wednesday TV Dish (February 24, 2010)

The top 12 girls took the stage last night for the first time on “American Idol” and overall it was a complete disaster. Despite hearing all this talk from the judges (recently in interviews) about how great the females were this season, not one person knocked it out of the park. Here is my slanted take on what went down last night. So far… So dull.

Paige Miles got the karaoke party started with that unmemorable and (to me) shaky performance of “Alright Now.” The only thing I’ll remember is that hideous gold bow on her black dress. Or was that a skort? I don’t know what the judges were listening to but she sounded terrible to me. Paige got virtually no airtime during the audition rounds. Add in her being thrown up on stage first, and this chick is in trouble. Having said that, her students in Naples, Florida will, I bet, stay up texting their votes to help save her.

While I’m watching Ashley Rodriguez sing Leona Lewis’s song “Happy” I’m wondering if maybe they need to turn the microphones down. You can hardly hear the band in the background and that’s a bad thing here. The judges killed her with negative comments. As they do that, I think about the fact that if Paula Abdul were around she would have at least told her she looked pretty! Simon’s, “I actually think you could be in trouble tonight” probably won’t hurt Ashley as I bet her Berklee College of Music friends will vote like crazy tonight to help send her through to next week.

After Janell Wheeler sings “What About Love?” by Heart I start to really wonder why everyone keeps talking about how the girls are so good this year. You would never know it by this group so far.

I totally don’t buy the “living out of my car” b.s. that Lilly Scott was spilling in her interview but she is definitely unique. Her take on The Beatles’ “Fixin A Hole” sounded original and I would bet she will make it into the Top 12. I’m gonna go out on a limb and disagree on Simon’s lack of “star power” comment. That white hair gives her an edgy look that you at least remember.

There were decent vocals on the song “Oh Darlin’,” but oh darlin’ what was with the black feather in your hair Katelyn Epperly? Her outfit was Madonna “Like A Virgin” circa 1984 meets Nicole Kidman in “Moulin Rouge.” Based on this pretty good performance and her amount of airtime so far on the show I see Katelyn making the Top 12. I think she has a good fan base right now.

Let’s take a moment to ask though…. Just who is dressing the contestants this season? That outfit they put on Haeley Vaughn is just a train wreck. She is so cute though and bravo to her for playing the guitar while singing The Beatles’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” Simon trashed her but I think her fellow students at her high school will keep her around for next week.

“Previously on Lost…” Sorry I couldn’t take it anymore so I switched to ABC for an hour.

OK, I’m back, thanks to my DVR.

I was listening to the radio the other morning and heard the original Fleetwood Mac version of “Landslide” and thought to myself, ‘Someone should sing this on ‘American Idol’ this season.’ I did not, however, think someone should sing it as badly as Lacey Brown did. I think she’s gonna be voted out tonight in a landslide.

Considering Michelle Delamore has had virtually no airtime during the audition rounds, she could have been sunk tonight. I think her rendition of “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys was decent enough to keep her around another week.

Didi Benami – her rendition of “The Way I Am” sounded exactly like the chick who actually sings this song on the radio — total sound alike performance. Nothing special. I think for season nine we as an audience expect a heck of a lot more from these contestants.

Dear Siobhan Magnus – you have a flower sticking out of the side of your head. It was so distracting I couldn’t concentrate on your rendition of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” which might have been halfway decent… I just don’t remember.

I literally could not watch Crystal Bowersox during the audition rounds. She is obviously a smoker and those yellow teeth were just hard too hard to look at. I think she was smartly consulted to do some teeth whitening. Now I like her. Great vocals, cool vibe and I love that she busted out the harmonica, a la Taylor Hicks. I guess I don’t hang around subway stations because to me she sounded original despite what Simon said.

Katie Stevens closed the show. She’s cute. She’s likable. She’s young. Enough said. There is a reason the producers put her in the final spot. They like her too and want her in this competition.

My early prediction for the six girls to make the Top 12 – Crystal Bowersox, Katelyn Epperly, Katie Stevens, Siobhan Magnus, Lilly Scott, Haeley Vaughn.

Going home this week – Paige Miles and Lacey Brown.

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