Music

AMERICAN IDOL RECAP: Hollywood Week & Vegas Rounds (2/15/2012 & 2/16/2012)

by Aaron Zorgel

Pop Hunter is re-capping the grotesque display of culture that is American Idol all season. Here’s what you need to know from the Hollywood Week Pt. 2 and Las Vegas episodes.

Hollywood Week – Day 2 (aired 2/15/2012)

The auditions are over, and it’s time to buckle down and figure out who can actually sing in this giant gaggle of goofy dreamers. The Hollywood week (ahem, it’s actually only 4 days long) trims the fat quickly, putting the contestants through rigorous patience-testing group auditions, often forcing the contestants to go without sleep. Apparently there’s an American Idol virus going around, because contestants are getting sick, and fainting in the middle of performances on multiple occasions. It’s truly some Contagion-level shit, and I think Howie Mandel is thanking his lucky, bald germophobeian stars that he’s not a judge for American Idol this season.

CRINGE-WORTHY (Embarassing Moments)

During one of the group performances, one of the sick contestants fainted at the end of her section of the song. After she went down, one of her group members CONTINUED TO SING. Brutal. Just brutal.

LAFF-WORTHY (Hilarious Moments)

Adam Brock keeps referring to himself as “white chocolate,” based on his deep, soulful vocal style. Is that ok? I’m looking to Randy for cues on this, because I really don’t think it’s cool.

“WE’RE NOT WORTHY” (Wow, that was actually really good)

Just when you needed a reminder that there’s still a ridiculous level of talent discovered on American Idol, Creighton Fraker plops out a crazy-good rendition of “What A Wonderful World.”

After a long, drawn-out dramatic elimination round, the remaining contestants are off to Vegas for what Ryan Seacrest promised would be “unprecedented.” We’ll see Ryan. We’ll see.

Las Vegas Rounds (aired 2/16/2012)

The Vegas Rounds are the contestants’ first foray into choreography, costumes, and hilarious set pieces. The groups had to sing 50’s and 60’s tunes, and there was a greasy looking saxophone player leaning against a car for most of the performances. In order to survive, the contestants need to either be really into getting GROOVY, or they need to be full of shit.

CRINGE-WORTHY (Embarassing Moments)

The final round of cuts in Vegas boasted a montage of 10 contestants bawling their eyes out as the wrinkly guy who sang “Dude Looks Like A Lady” hands down the rejections of the day. It’s uncomfortable to say the least, and some contestants I’m actually surprised to see go. These are contestants who were featured heavily in the audition rounds (Brittany Kellogg, Angie Ziederman, Johnny Keyser, and Jayrah Gibson) dumped in favour of contestants who have yet to get any screen time. Hopefully this is indicative of Idol having some yet to be revealed talent up their sleeves, because it’s tough to see some of your favourites screeching despair into a cellphone on speaker phone.

LAFF-WORTHY (Hilarious Moments)

Odd couple alert! The sweaty gentle giant Jermaine Jones pairs with the Cowboy with Aspergers Ritchie Law, simply because “they were the last two left.” Hearing their low affected baritones in a soulful wrestling match seemed to convince the judges, but I thought it sounded kind of ridiculous. After alienating himself from his first group, Ritchie Law gets some crazy eyes from Jermaine the Giant, suggesting that he may not be so gentle if provoked.

“WE’RE NOT WORTHY” (Wow, that was actually really good)

This breathtaking barbershop arrangement from Creighton Fraker, Aaron Marcellus, Jen Hirsch, and Nick Boddington brought the house down, but it wasn’t good enough to keep Boddington in the competition. There’s potential in Hirsch, though — she could go all the way.