I can't say as I thought Gene Simmons added a whole lot to the group. However, I'm not especially a fan of his.

CRUNK dude was off the hook....

What did he say about his teeth? "These are for television, and these are for mom and dad?" (When removing his gold teeth...)

He was too funny! I think his exact quote was "These are for TV, and these are for your Momma and Daddy."

I haven't posted yet because normally I wait until they get to Hollywood to start watching. Some of these folks are PAINFUL! But I had to post and say OH MY GOD!! Crunk dude was so funny....I was in tears laughing at that guy. And did anyone else notice that all the ministers can sing??? :) Hopefully we get some eye candy this year...last year was BAD for that. And let's all hope nobody like that football player guy makes it this time...I couldn't deal :)

P.S. WTF is Gene Simmons doing on American Idol?? I mean really...

I got the impression that twins were sort of forced to audition together. It definitely seemed to me that those twins that got cut and were all pissed off actually hadn't wanted to audition together. But if they both want to audition, I don't think it's fair to say that they shouldn't just because they are twins. So I think that if I'm right, and AI is making them go together, then AI needs to stop doing that. It's a stupid practice.

Also, I don't really understand why, when there were 2 yes's and 2 no's, the no's prevailed. Those twins would have gotten through had they auditioned in St. Louis, where there was no guest judge. That just doesn't seem fair to me at all.

That was something that bothered me also... I mean... you are taking the word of Gene Simmons. While entertaining, the guy was a prick half the time. Of course I thought it was dumb to have a rock star judge a POP STAR competition.

The Orlando Sentinel had a bit of a spoiler of sorts about tonight's episode:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/enter...l-home-entlife

Keep your eye on 2 Orlando singers on tonight's 'Idol'
The City Beautiful and Cleveland share billing on the popular series. Judges say competition is tough.

By Hal Boedeker | Sentinel Television Critic
Posted February 1, 2005

Orlando's big moment on television's most popular series will be abbreviated tonight. The City Beautiful shares the American Idol spotlight with Cleveland, and the hurricanes could be partly to blame.

The Fox reality series' visit to Orlando in August, between Charley and Frances, stunned producers.

"Turnout wasn't as much as in other cities," says executive producer Ken Warwick. "But we got some good kiddies there. The talent is there."

Keep your eye on two singers when the Orlando portion airs in the hour episode's second half. The program starts at 8 on WOFL-Channel 35.

"You've got one very good boy from Orlando and one very good girl," Warwick says. "There are two that are in the show that stay in the competition and do very well in it."

Because of the hurricanes, American Idol flew the top Orlando contenders to Las Vegas to sing for judges Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.

"We couldn't get the judges in because of the weather," Warwick says. "We've never had problems because of the weather."

The show was supposedly going to have ratings problems with its fourth edition. Reality series usually decline as they age. But 33.6 million tuned in to the Jan. 18 season premiere, the biggest audience this season for an entertainment program.

The next three episodes have averaged more than 26 million. The Tuesday and Wednesday editions of Idol have become the No. 1 and 2 series this season, overtaking CSI and Desperate Housewives.

Abdul says this competition will be tighter than last season, when eventual victor Fantasia Barrino was an obvious contender.

"This time around, you're going to have a tough time saying goodbye to these kids," Abdul says. "They are that good. . . . And I think because of Fantasia winning, she kind of woke up the ones who would be skeptical about auditioning."

Cowell likes the contest's unpredictability and says he never would have given Clay Aiken a contract at first sight. (Aiken was the runner-up to winner Ruben Studdard in the second edition.)

"I would have been wrong, because the competition has turned him into a star," Cowell says. "I don't want 24 people who all look like what our perception of pop stars is. It should be the American musical dream, this show, where someone who wouldn't have been given a chance, like Clay, gets to do well."

Jackson predicts that a boy will win this year. Warwick hopes for a more balanced competition between the sexes than last year, when Barrino and other women dominated.

The show visited seven cities for auditions, and six of the stops were new. American Idol devoted full episodes to Washington, St. Louis, New Orleans and Las Vegas. It will do the same Wednesday with San Francisco, the only repeat stop from last year.

Abdul and Jackson agree that New Orleans and St. Louis were the standouts. The show has seen about 103,000 hopefuls this year.

In Orlando, the show heard many theme-park employees and a good deal of Broadway and movie music.

"Disney-esque themes are very popular," Warwick says.

"It was better than I thought it was going to be," Jackson says.

In Central Florida, American Idol also drew some strange performers, and those singers tend to boost the ratings in the early rounds because of their shock value.

"Wherever we go, we get off-the-wall characters," Warwick says. "They're delusional. You can't say, 'You're no good.' They're not having it."

So how did Orlando stack up to the other stops?

"Pretty well," Warwick says, "considering the turnout was mitigated."

Okay I actually wrote "notes" about some of the people who sung tonight.

Cleveland

Sara: Loved her. He he. Loved her voice. I don't think the song she sung (I could have danced all night) was appropriate for the competition though. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED her comment "I don't think you have to be a barbie". LOL. GO HER!!!!!!!! I wanted her to make it just for that comment.

Scott: Wow he was actually pretty good. He made me realize that I love LL as a guest judge. Although I have to be honest, he didn't have "the look" but he had a great voice.

Jennifer: OMG what was that about!!!!?????!!!!! ADPiShannan, girl I'm sooooooo sorry that she came from Brecksville.

The Jackson Sisters: Not good at all.

Briana: Well loved her automatically because of the name (although mine is spelled with two "n's"). Plus, I have NEVER heard anyone sing that high and actually sound amazing and I've been singing since I was in fifth grade. I've heard people screech to those notes but never obviously sound decent. Plus, I loved her hair and clothes. TOTAL INDIVIDUAL. I definately will be rooting her on in Hollywood.


Orlando

Eschine: OMG she was butchering a Whitney Houston song. Now that is pretty sad when I personally believe Whitney butchers her own songs.

Ryan: OMG and not in a good way

Vonzell: Loved her voice, loved her clothes. She was awesome. Another person I will be rooting on in Hollywood.

Ok... so he was cute... but he ain't no Clay. (So I'm biased... sue me!)

But I think Anthony is the dork I will be rooting for this year. His voice is ok... better than most and he's a cutie. Knowing 19E, they'll make him invest in contacts... even though I thought the glasses were good.

ETA: Ooook, after reading TWoP about last night, people have been dubbing him Clay Potter... which is the funniest thing I've ever heard. (i.e. Clay Aiken 3.0 + Harry Potter gone blond = Antoley (Anthony) Federov.)

Moving on...

Briana was kick ass. I don't know where she would fit in on country night, but I could see her becoming an Amy Lee. I hope that's a good thing.

Sara Sue... the funny thing is that spoilers were showing her going through to Hollywood. There was a picture of her with a yellow "on to Hollywood" paper. Conspiracy? But I loved her attitude about the whole thing. I think if she had chosen a different song, she would have gotten through. But they pegged her as being Broadway (looks aside.)

Didn't dig Farmer boy... I dunno... maybe it was the orange skin and overalls. And he sounded nervous.

In Orlando... WTF was up with the "White Boys" girl? She was definitely a theater girl. Same goes for dancer boi... I didn't think he was that fab either. Good performers... bad singers.

LL was a nice judge too. Honest and the hugs were cool too. But the Jackson sister group hug was set up... that was just over the top cheesy.

SF tomorrow! WOO HOO. Apparently the Other "I'm an individual" twin comes to SF. His brother went back to Vegas and made it.
And two guys that were on last year apparently are back in SF. Watch for Rodrigo and Donnie.

I'm a huge fan of Scott and Anthony. I guess I like the dorky boys. :) I was AMAZED when Scott started singing because I thought he was going to be one of the contestants that has an embarrassing performance. He had one of the best voices I've heard so far on AI4. I'm rooting for him. Anthony was good, too, but he definitely was no Clay Aiken!

ETA: I'm sad that they only showed 15 minutes of Orlando but I think the auditions were right before Hurricane Charley hit so they might not have a lot of footage.

After reading TWoP, they DID cut the auditions in Orlando because of the hurricanes. Instead, people sang in front of producers and the best ones got shipped out to Vegas to sing in front of the judges. I didn't see the Vegas episode, but I heard a lot of good singers came out of there. This is why they cancelled the supposed Alaska auditions... because Vegas was so big.

OK, stupid question, but when the hell is this part over and we move on to Hollywood???

I'm in the minority of people who only enjoy the bad ones, so does anyone have any stats on if the ratings drop, rise, or stay after the auditions?

Okay - so this sounds really insensitive, but I don't know how else to ask it...

The really big girls from last night (the ones that were "arguing" back and forth about which was the next idol) -- they both got cut. Well tonight, when they were showing the "best moms" clip, the one girl (the first one that sang last night) was there with the yellow paper. I know that was her from last night - anyone else see it?

I saw that too, and was very confused. But, when they first showed the girls before they sang I was already thinking she looked extremely familiar.

So the auditions are finally over. Next week we get to see "Hollywood boot camp." Oh, the drama.