Top 8 Guys Dull As Dishwater
It's the big week of the semi-finals on American Idol 6. It's the week where the contestants battle it out to secure one of the coveted spots in the finals. All is on the line! And no one seems to care! You'd think the eight male semi-finalists would bring their best this week, but they did just the opposite. They chose boring songs and sang them in boring ways. Their outfits, hair, and makeup also left a lot to be desired. What is wrong in Idol Land? As Simon would say, the whole evening was dull as dishwater.

The It's Destiny! guest panelist this week is 26-year-old Jennifer from Seattle, Washington.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the AI6 Semi-Finals Round Three: The Guys.

Blake Lewis "All Mixed Up"
Jennifer: I liked to hear that Blake does improv comedy. I never would have thought of him doing that. But Blake is so versatile it shouldn't surprise me. I don't think he'll have any problem doing the theme nights that are to come. I thought he sounded good on the song. He’s cool, man!
Score: 8.5
Tammy: Glad to have you aboard, Jennifer! This was probably my least favorite Blake performance so far. That said, he's still miles ahead of most of the competition. The unusual song choice, and the urban golf ensemble really did not make the most of the gifts that have been bestowed upon him.
Score: 8.4
Destiny: Welcome, Jennifer! This was my least favorite Blake performance thus far, too. Yes, he's super versatile, but something was not "on" during this performance. I don't really like the song, and that outfit was terrible. The pants were so ill-fitting!
Score: 8.4
Liza: Ditto on the welcomes, but I'm with Destiny on this one on all counts but the score. The outfit was atrocious and the song was not good (I'm not a fan of the reggae hip-hop), and the echo chamber sound was odd. Props for originality, I guess, but he's unfortunately starting to remind me of the vile Mike Boogie.
Score: 6.5

Sanjaya Malakar "Waiting On The World To Change"
Jennifer: Nice hula dancing, Sanjaya. And why did he adopt his sister’s hairstyle this week? He just has no clue, does he? Besides staying on key, there’s really nothing else positive to say about this guy.
Score: 4.5
Tammy: Umm..yeah that's about all you can say about this performance, isn't it? It was a Sanjaya performance. That should tell you all you need to know right there. Not loving the 'Bo Bice-esque' flat ironed hair, either. Poor boy was probably too polite to not shove the stylist away when they approached him with that weapon. On a positive note, it was probably his best song choice so far. Hooray for songs from this decade!
Score: 5.0
Destiny: Do the stylists already have their hands on the contestants? I thought that travesty didn't happen until the Top 12. Either way, yikes. But I do agree that it was nice to hear him attempt a current song.
Score: 5.0
Liza: And after that performance, no artist will allow their current hits to be sung on this show. I think the hairstylists are trying to help Sanjaya move along and out of the competition. That Leif Garrett thing was working quite well for him. I hope the results go as flat as his hair for him. While this was probably his best effort thus far, that doesn't say much at all, and this whole high school talent show crap needs to end or he's going to torment the audience on tour during his portion of the concert, otherwise known as the bathroom break.
Score: 5.0

Sundance Head "Jeremy"
Jennifer: I liked Sundance’s “something you don’t know about me”. He has a sense of humor! Who knew? Unfortunately, I’m with Simon on his song choice. It was “indulgent”. It made me want to change the channel. And what the heck was his eye makeup about?
Score: 5.0
Tammy: This performance was just wrong. On every level. I don't even know what that was. Sundance getting 'edgy'? He's presented a different version of himself every week. This guy has no idea who he is, musically. I don't either. But I'll take anything but this. And why is Pearl Jam allowing their music on Idol? Bizarre! And even more wrong!
Score: 4.8
Destiny: That was my first thought, too! Why on earth did Pearl Jam allow this? I really can't believe it. Either way, Sundance has neither enough style nor street cred to cover Pearl Jam. I am as boggled as Tammy is. I don't get what he's supposed to be about, and I still don't get how on earth he is considered a frontrunner. And, Jennifer, I totally agree about his eye makeup. WEIRD!
Score: 4.7
Liza: Word. Word. And Word. The guyliner has got to go, the Sybil singing identity has got to go, the screaming has got to go, the vibrato has got to go, and SUNDANCE has got to go.
Score: 5.25

Chris R. "Tonight I Want To Cry"
Jennifer: Ah, Chris lost a lot of weight. How sweet. Sure, he’s good looking, but is that supposed to be enough to make us all vote for him? I’m not impressed. But compared to most of the other guys he is golden. This song kind of gives me the creeps, too.
Score: 7.0
Tammy: I liked it! Chris changed the song up just enough to maintain the essence of who he is. He did have some nasal moments, but he continues to make good song choices and is a natural onstage. And this season? That's enough.
Score: 8.4
Destiny: I agree with both of you. I hate the song, but I thought Chris "made it his own." I really like this guy and the tone of his voice. Not his best, as seems to be the trend this week.
Score: 8.5
Liza: I wondered what would happen when the smoke and mirrors of the up-tempo songs vanished, and Chris' vocal flaws really did show. He went out of tune quite a few times. But, shockingly, I kind of liked this! I think he should stick to country with that nasally twang of his.
Score: 7.25

Jared Cotter "If You Really Love Me"
Jennifer: Jared was a college basketball player. But just like his mad skills on the court weren’t enough to make the pros, neither are his skills on the stage. He sounded rough on that song.
Score: 5.5
Tammy: Heh. I concur! Jared continues to play it safe with a Stevie Wonder song selection. Would it kill the guy to try something current? He's really doing himself no favors here. His vocals were quite decent throughout the performance, but the guy continues to be a bit...dull and forgettable. Frustrating to watch! Develop some onstage personality beyond the skeevy face caress!
Score: 7.0
Destiny: I think he sounded rough on that song, too. Bad song choice. I agree, too, that it is frustrating to watch these contestants keep making bad choices and not living up to their potential. Maybe they really don't have potential. How many chances do you need to prove that you do?
Score: 5.0
Liza: He's killing me with the song choices. Seriously? Stevie? I've heard Jared's music. He's totally a current artist. I don't understand why he hasn't sung something from this century. I agree with Simon in that it wasn't original and will get lost in the mix, and it's a shame because I think he has a good voice, and one that isn't being represented in this competition. I have to say, since it could be the last time that I have an opportunity to point this out, that Jared's attitude has always impressed me. He doesn't have an air of entitlement, and he's polite and thankful without sounding like a kiss-up (coughPhilStaceycoughChrisSlighcough).
Score: 6.75

Brandon Rogers "I Just Want To Celebrate"
Jennifer: Maybe Brandon needs that piano he’s the master of in front of him to create magic on the stage, because he sure isn’t doing it with just a microphone and a back up band. He seems like he probably could be pretty good, but he just misses the mark. I always feel like he could be doing more. And I always forget about him by the time the recap comes on. Tonight was no different.
Score: 6.5
Tammy: I have yet to see a performance by Brandon in which he both connects with the song and the audience. And again with the song choices! Who is going to be humming that song in the morning, I ask you? No one! Ugh. I am more than ready to 'celebrate' his departure.
Score: 6.0
Destiny: Yes, Brandon certainly has not done himself any favors in this competition with his song choices and performances. Tonight he stepped up his stage presence ever so slightly, but his vocals sounded pitchy. Ugh! Like Simon, I had high hopes for Brandon going into the semi-finals, but he has done nothing to keep those hopes high. It's too much work to try to root for him.
Score: 6.0
Liza: I might be inflating this in relation to his previous blah performances, but I quite liked this. But, yeah, I think the song choice is going to kill him, and Simon calling him Travis won't help either.
Score: 7.25

Phil Stacey "I Need You"
Jennifer: Does anyone else vote for Phil to grow his hair back ASAP? Man, he needs it! I don’t care what it looks like, he needs some hair on that head to balance out those eyes that freaked out Simon. And why did I know that it would be Phil who was singing the Leann Rimes song? It just seems so his style. And what’s up with the way he starts his songs? It’s so strange.
Score: 6.5
Tammy: I had no idea what I was hearing at the beginning of this song. It was the strangest vocal I've ever heard. His voice just sounded so odd and unnatural! And enough with the yelling of the lyrics and an extreme volume in an effort to sound 'passionate'. Dude. You're just loud.
Score: 5.8
Destiny: That opening of the song was the craziest vocal I've ever heard, too. So weird! He did a similar thing two weeks ago. I can't grasp where it comes from. By the end of this song, Phil still hadn't completely found the right note. Phil is one of my favorite contestants this season, but this week's song choice and vocal performance were way off the mark. As is the trend of the week, this was Phil's worst performance to date.
Score: 5.8
Liza: Not only was that Phil's worst performance to date, but that quite possibly was the worst performance ever seen at this stage of the competition. It was really that bad. What in the world was he thinking with the song choice?! And why does he keep picking songs that start off too low for him?! He can't handle these rangy songs. He usually does well on the high notes, but this time, he gagged on the low and cracked on the high. It was just a big mess all the way around, and I think he just sung his way out of the Top 12.
Score: 3.5

Chris Sligh "We All Want To Be Loved"
Jennifer: It’s amazing that I could barely remember this performance a minute after it was over. There was nothing special about any of it. I find that to be the case with everything Chris does, though. Again I have to ask, “who cares?”
Score: 6.0
Tammy: Not me. This song and performance went absolutely nowhere, repeating the lyric over and over again. And I'm sure the 'Ryan hug' moment was supposed to be funny...but it just came off as weird. Don't overstep, fella.
Score: 6.8
Destiny: I don't care, either. This was mediocre personified, which is fitting since this whole night was mediocre mania.
Score: 5.5
Liza: I guess it was a good vocal, but the song and the performance weren't exciting at all. Maybe Chris should stop worrying about his non-performance schtick and start worrying about his actual performance.
Score: 7.0

Who Should Be Eliminated:
Jennifer:Sanjaya, Jared
Tammy: Sundance, Phil
Destiny: Sanjaya, Sundance (and Jared and Chris S. and...)
Liza: Phil, Sanjaya

Who Will Be Eliminated:
Jennifer: Jared, Brandon
Tammy: Jared, Brandon
Destiny: Jared, Brandon
Liza: I think they're going to throw 3-4 guys overboard on Thursday. Ryan keeps asking the judges how many guys should be in the Top 12. That's some serious foreshadowing. If my theory is on, it will be Phil, Brandon and Jared/Sanjaya. If it's just two, Brandon and Phil.

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