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« American Idol
Episode Recap: Idol Shocker as Top 7 Is Revealed!
Hi guys, it's Erin Fox for the third night in a row. I'm exhausted! Imagine the poor Idols and their schedules! So, did you guys watch last night's Idol Gives Back? What did you think?
I'm going to make this quick tonight because I think we have a lot to discuss!
The Idol Gives Back theme continues throughout the episode. The Idols sing "Shout to the Lord," again with the gospel choir in the background. They sound lovely again. We are also treated to a silly music video (like last year) with a bunch of celebrities lip-synching to "I'm a Believer." Totally random group, right? Everyone from Dr. Phil to Emily Procter (CSI: Miami), Michael Chiklis (The Shield), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), Baby Spice and Kobe! I can't believe they got them all to do silly dance moves and lip-synch to The Monkees. But it's all for a good cause, so I'm going with it.
The first results: Brooke, David C. and David A. are all safe. Duh!
Keisha and Forest Whitaker share more of their trip to Angola, and it's so moving. They're both crying after spending time with a family whose children sleep together on dirty foam padding on a mud floor.
Now we're treated to a duet with the awesome Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks. What's up with the pink streaks in her hair? I heart Chris Brown. He's such an amazing dancer. As a pair, their performance sounds good, but their chemistry is a little off. They're mismatched I think, or maybe it's just because I'm not used to Chris singing without a huge production number behind him. After the song, Ryan presents Jordin with two platinum-record awards and one gold-album award. This is a shameless ploy by producers to show America how well Idol "works." Gross. Seriously, get over yourselves.
The Idols do a cool Ford commercial tonight: They spill buckets of paint on the road and spin out in their cars, which creates a huge painting of Earth at the end. Very cool.
More results: Jason Castro and Kristy Lee Cook are safe! I think Kristy Lee might pass out, she's so surprised. I might, too! That means our bottom three are Michael Johns, Carly Smithson and Syesha Mercado. Yikes. I don't like this bunch in the bottom. I think Syesha deserves to go home next, but I'm afraid that won't happen....
Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama all tape separate messages to America about giving back to Idol. McCain is the only one who tries to be funny… but he fails miserably. I'm kind of annoyed they're on Idol. Not sure this is the place for your stumping!
The final results! Holy moly! I know I'm not supposed to yell via words, but holy frickin' moly! Ryan, in his most a--hole move this season, tells Syesha and Carly that they are both safe! We were expecting that they would be in the bottom, but it's Michael Johns who gets voted off! In his next a--hole move, Ryan makes us think that since no one was sent home last year after Idol gave back, maybe Michael will be spared. But then he says, "But tonight, we're saying goodbye to Michael Johns." Seriously, that was cruel.
What do you think? We must discuss! How did this happen?
Do you think Ryan was too cruel to Michael? Vote now.
Vote for your favorite of the Top 7 now.
Read recaps of Idol Gives Back and Tuesday's performances.
Watch clips of American Idol in our Online Video Guide.
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Apr 10, 2008 9:38 PM
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Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!! Michael Johns was my favorite. I am thinking this is it for me this season as far as AI goes. Can't believe the girls outnumber the guys yet again!
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Apr 10, 2008 9:55 PM
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I still have a hard time believing this is real. As I watched the results show and saw that the first five people that he called were safe, I figured that it was going to be the same as last year. When it was down to Michael, Carly, and Syesha, I was thinking, "well, if they're eliminating, it has to be Syesha, the other two have strong fan bases." When Seacrest announced that Michael was going home, I was still waiting for a just kidding announcement.
I'm hoping that next week, Michael will be back with the group, and Ryan will be saying, "now, did you really think we would vote anybody off?". It would still be a dirty trick, but much less worse than how they handled the vote-off tonight. I know it's total wishful thinking, but a girl can dream. I was thinking Michael would at least make the top 4.
I guess now I'll just have to focus on cheering for only David Cook!
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Apr 10, 2008 9:55 PM
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That was terribly classless and just unnecessarily mean for Ryan to say what he did about last year. It almost sounded like, "Last year we didn't send anybody home on this week, but since it's Michael, he's gone!". I know he didn't say that, but it probably raised his hopes (but only for a moment), only to crash them. Just rude.
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Apr 10, 2008 10:07 PM
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The way I see it is Chris Daughtry didn't win and he is still successful (as well as quite a few other non-winners, some more so than others). The only thing I'm mad about is that both Seyesha and Kristy Lee Cook are both still here. They need to be the next two to go in any order, unless they step it up. It's not that they're bad. They're just not great.
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Apr 10, 2008 10:13 PM
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A few weeks ago, there were some comments on this blog about the fact that Carly and Michael weren't "really" Americans; of course, those posters were all painted by the liberals as racists (whatever...).
Anyone notice that the bottom three were an African(or Cuban?)-American, an Irish-American, and an Australian-American? Of course, that's giving Carly and Michael the benefit of the doubt that they actually are Americans.
People can say it's a singing contest all they want, but it's still just a popularity contest (kinda like real life, I suppose), and Michael and Carly aren't that popular, for numerous reasons. So I'm not shocked by the results. Just sayin'.....
And the more everyone rags on KLC, the more I'll vote for her. Leave her alone!
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Apr 10, 2008 10:23 PM
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Wrong. Very wrong. I can't believe it! How is Jason, Syesha, and KLC still in this? Michael is better than all 3 of them. I thought Michael would make it to the final 4, maybe even the final 3. Not good, not good at all. And I also hated what Ryan did
David Cook is still my fav, so go David!!
Was it really Michael or am I just having a very vivid dream?
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Apr 10, 2008 10:29 PM
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wow this was a shocker. makes me nervous for the david's. if they were this stupid to get rid of michael so early i wouldn't doubt it if skank kristy wins.
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Apr 10, 2008 10:34 PM
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As silly as this might sound, I feel really guilty for only throwing a couple of votes Michael's way. I was so focused on keeping my beloved David Cook out of the bottom three that I feel like I left Michael out to dry. I'm really gonna miss Michael, but I'm hoping I'll get to go see them on tour this year... Maybe he'll sing "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right". 
Other observations...
They did a good editing job. You couldn't even tell that Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown had been pre-taped if you didn't know already.
I was glad for the contestants' sake that the group number tonight was an encore of "Shout to the Lord" instead of making them rehearse yet another song. These poor kids must be so exhausted.
Loved the Ford commercial this week! Last week's was good too. These used to get on my nerves but now I kind of look forward to them.
I was just as surprised as KLC was that she wasn't in the bottom three,even though she had a really good week.
I hope that David Cook's brother is doing better... He still looked really distant and sad even after Ryan said he was safe.
It should've been Syesha tonight, in my humble opinion.
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Apr 10, 2008 10:45 PM
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ScorchedEarth...I think its horrible that people are saying that Carly and Michael are not real Americans. Yes they immigrated here, but America has always been the melting pot of the world. They have definately been two of my favorites on this show. However, I am not surprised that Michael Johns was voted off. I think that many people might take the mentality that he is "un-American" and undeserving of the title "American Idol." I don't believe anyone's nationality should matter in this competition. Talent alone should decide who is deserving of the title.
I think Michael has great potential and will sell lots of albums. I will definately be buying them. However, compared to the rest of the competitors I think he has been missing the spark he had when performing "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Hollywood. He is very talented but I think that others have been outperforming him.
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Apr 10, 2008 10:48 PM
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I'm not surprised, Michael has been flailing around like a fish out of water for the last few weeks. As much as I think KLC is the one who should have gone, she's been getting better and better, while Michael has gone in the opposite direction. This bottom 3 was comprised of people that the judges pretty much gave a thumbs-down to, and for good reason.
Seacrest has ALWAYS been uber-cruel with the way he handles elimination nights. You can tell the man doesn't have any empathy.
re: ScorchedEarth's comment - I'm SO not discussing such a ridiculous claim again this week, but I just wanted to say that NO ONE in the bottom three totally kicked ass this week. If they had, then it would be more suspicious that they were there. However, Carly was stiff and angry (and then blamed Simon for it, hello, take responsibility for your own performance!), Michael was just awkward, and Syesha, once AGAIN, picked a larger-than-life diva soul belter signature song and rightly felt the effects of such a poor choice. Everyone else who was safe did a much better job than these three.
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Apr 10, 2008 10:53 PM
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I would put Michael as one with a shot at winning so I was very disappointed with the outcome.
He's got a great voice. Seriously, Kristy Lee needs to go. Syesha as well. I like Brooke and Jason, but Michael is better than them as well.
The Clinton, McCain, Obama clips were a bit awkward. Was it just me or does Clinton do this really freaky thing opening her eyes really wide over and over again? I could have sworn she did it about 7-8 times. McCain stumbled on the humor. Obama was smooth and on point, but the clip still seemed out of place.
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Apr 10, 2008 10:58 PM
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I was shocked that Michael was voted off. There are others who should be going home before him. I thought Syesha would be going home. I am soooo happy that Carly will be around longer. She has been my favorite since auditions.
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Apr 10, 2008 11:00 PM
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Every year this happens. Someone who should perhaps win is sent home way too soon. At least Michael Johns can take heart in the others this has happened to, like Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson. He'll do okay and we all know the voting on Idol is nothing but a crock!
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Apr 10, 2008 11:07 PM
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I know it's already been touched on, but I have to say it anyway.
Seacrest is pretty vile. It's his job to announce the eliminated contestant. No problem.
What is utterly disgusting is the manner in which he did it tonight:
Announce
(Shove the knife in)
Then, "Well, last year, as you know on IGB we didn't eliminate a contestant...."
(Creates a long, drawn out pause that would give any sane person hope.)
"But Michael will be leaving us tonight."
(Drives the knife back in and twists it a few times for dramatic effect)
Utterly deplorable and inexcusable. I can stand the guy less and less as time goes on.
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Apr 10, 2008 11:08 PM
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