American Idol Season 10: Some Stuff Happened

why is this picture so awkward?

So, some stuff happened on this show, idk. About halfway through the season I realized I didn't actually like this show nor gave a crap about what the outcome was going to be. See, I used to hate American Idol. I used to hate it a lot. And then Kris Allen happened and it took over my life and I've been watching ever since because of what? Some misguided illusion that I actually sort of liked this show? It was a lie. A LIE! In fact, I actually have Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler to thank for my realization, because their completely awful, terrible judging this season started my complete turn around ("the first half of that performance was excellent. The second half........was equally as good"). And everything that used to bug me about this show came flooding back and I was just done.

The majority of posts on this blog are about American Idol! How did this happen?! This is a tragedy! No. No more. I don't care about this show anymoooooooore. And I will not be watching it next season. No more of this!

Sure, the contestants are the best part, but dear lord, it's not the end of the world if your favorite gets eliminated. It is not worth 4 hours of your life to power vote for a contestant! Haley was probably my favorite contestant left, but after she got eliminated I went, ".......k" and then turned the channel to the Office finale. Yes, I know, the Lea from 2 years ago, would slap me in the face and then continue to power vote as she cries about how Kris Allen changed her life. This Lea? Still loves Kris with all her heart. She still is grateful to this show for giving him to her, but this Lea thinks a few votes for Lauren and a few votes for Haley last night were more than sufficient.

This is turning into a rant. I'm sorry. Let's talk about this season and the impending finale.

Hey, get this, this finale? Doesn't bother me at all. Scotty was an inevitable lock for the finale since probably the semis. I cannot begrudge the dude making it this far. Have his performances been groundbreaking, creative, or exciting? Hell no. Did he sing in tune, pick songs that fit his voice perfectly, sing about Jesus, mention his grandma, have a few quirks that young girls and old women found endearing (the sideways microphone! the crazy eyes!), play the guitar, and be the perfect All-American cutie? Hell yes! For all his 'aw shucks' demeanor, I kind of think Scotty is some kind of evil mastermind, because boy has been playing this show like a fiddle. I really do think he's going to win too.

And then there's little Lauwen. I...did not like Lauren at first. Not only was she pimped a crazy amount at the beginning, but she was always all up on Steven Tyler and it was creepy because you know Steven kind of liked it. And then her personality is kind of grating. That...hasn't changed. She can still be pretty insufferable. I give her a little bit of a pass because she is only 16, but girl needs to shut her mouth sometimes. HOWEVER, I totally warmed up to her because while Paul was whispering creepily into the camera and Casey was growling/shouting like a dying cat, there was little Lauwen singing in tune and singing well. I really really do like her voice, and while I don't think she's truly had a 'moment' this season, she's given a lot of really good, solid performances virtually every week. And as much as this song is soooo overplayed, I actually thought her "I Hope You Dance" won the round last night (I almost loved her "If I Die Young" performance before she lost it at the end). Is she going to win? Probably not. Do I want her to? Yes. I'm kind of surprised at how much I really do.

And then there's Haley. Haley is someone else who I kind of hated at the beginning. I totally thought she stole the spot of more deserving contestants and her first few weeks were all over the place. But then "Bennie and the Jets" happened and I was sold. Absolutely flippin love that performance and that studio. In fact, that was the first 'moment' for me this season. I think she had another moment with her "House of the Rising Sun" performance and I also greatly enjoyed her "Rolling in the Deep" and "What Is and What Should Never Be". She was the best contestant because she was unpredictable. She made different song choices and sang them in interesting ways. Was she without faults? Definitely not. She sometimes relied on the growl too much and I never felt like she really truly connected with her songs. But she was fun and seemed like a cool gal and could do wicked things with her voice and tbh, will probably release a better CD now that she didn't win than if she had and was forced to make a generic pop record.

People can get all up in arms about how the best contestant this season got prematurely eliminated, but I think in Haley's case it was too little too late. Haley started off the season with some either bad or completely unmemorable performances. Not to mention, quite a few trips to the bottom 3. Her fanbase was never establishing. Scotty and Lauren's fanbases were established in the first week and they never did anything so offensive that it dwindled. Haley has definitely been gaining momentum as the weeks went on and I definitely think her fanbase was growing, but it was just too late. Basically, it made sense to me that this was her time to go (not that I liked it, it just made sense).

And it totally makes sense to me that she was eliminated after this week's episode, tbh. Her voice sounded great last night, but I was about 99% sure her and her dad lit up before the episode, what with her falling all over the stage, that damn wind machine that had me laughing so hard I could barely hear her performance, and just a general air of craziness and I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude. Not to mention "You Oughta Know" was kind of a hot mess. Dude, the old women and young girls who make up the majority of the audience probably thought she was too weird and voted for the safe country duo. I'll miss Haley's presence on performance night, but I'm sure she'll be there on the finale results show strutting around like a drunk stripper and being awesome :')

A lot of people are already calling this finale "the most boring finale ever", and it probably will be if we get more performances like the ones we did Top 3 night. But I'm really really hoping we're gonna get something crazy. I know Randy has been crowing the "if it aint broke, don't fix it" line, but for once, I want Scotty to sing a pop song! Or sing a hard rock song! Or take an R&B song and make it country! Anything except some mid-tempo country song that I've never heard of. Lauren has actually branched out to other genres a little bit in the competition, but how about some Mumford and Sons? Or something else that you would never connect with Lauren. She has a lovely voice that I believe she can do way more with. I already know she can do pretty little country songs. Give me more! Lauren is going to need it! They need a girl winner, dammit!

So...what is this post even? I almost didn't post it, but there hasn't been an AI post in so long, I thought what the hell. If you read all this, I am truly sorry. But look at the bright side! Only one more week of this shit show!