She will be forever seen as the supertalented victim in the tragedy that has become American Idol.

She isn't the first one, Jennifer Hudson is already known with that title.

I think there are a few others from the other seasons that have that title. Jennifer wasn't the first and won't be the last.

I didn't say Jennifer was the first one, I said Latoya wasn't the first one and Jennifer already has that title, I was using her as an example because I didn't see the first season and I only saw parts of the second one. If you weren't implying that I said Jennifer was the first one, then just pretend you didn't see this.

Let's be serious: Idol 1 was seen as a competition between Kelly and Tamyra -- Tamyra got the boot at #4, with Nikki (OK) and Justin (ugh) going on.

Idol 2 did much better, with the only "fluke" being Joshua's survival to #4. The three considered the best were the final 3.

Idol 3, though, is a replay of Idol 1 so far. Right now, we have Fantasia, who had a bad night but is a very good singer, Diana, who had a great night and may turn out to be better than we expected a few weeks ago, and Jasmine (ugh). A Fantasia victory would be great with the producers. A Diana victory would be OK, because she really has improved a great deal during the show, though she'd probably spend some time with a personal trainer before going on the road! Only a Jasmine victory would be a disaster.

VOTE JASMINE!

VOTE JASMINE!

Finally, someone who has a sense of humor, and doesn't take this stoopid show so seriously!

LaToya was the best one there, IMO, but she still is no Clay, as I was reminded tonight. She's better off without this title, and she'll be just fine.

The judges were clearly gunning for a Jasmine boot last night, and they're paying for the backlash once again. When will they learn?

I can't even take credit for Jasmine staying in this week. I only voted a handful of times, and I gave votes to everyone but Fantasia, who I thought had the worst song of the night.

I'll go on record now that Fantasia will win. She'll pick up all of LaToya's votes, and Jasmine and Diana will now split the other votes. I fully expect Fantasia to shout out to LaToya next week, just to make sure she courts the votes. What a phoney! Talk about pathetic tears.

All the crazy voting has saved this season. The talent has ALL been below previous seasons, and they needed something else to generate ratings.

Ugh! I should've stuck with my original PTTE, in which I predicted a final three of Fantasia, Jasmine and Diana, with Diana winning. Too bad I revised it half way through the game. Just goes to show you, first impressions are always right

I haven't watched AI prior to this season, so I have little reference to turn to regarding voting trends and successes/losses in the past. All I know is what I have seen this season, which was a parade of 8-10 losers filling up space on the stage for 2-4 winners to shine.

My suspicions are the same tonight as they were when Jennifer was booted a few weeks ago, which basically takes me back to the statistics courses most of us had to take in school. Call it what you will -- split diva vote, complacency of Latoya fans who expected her to win the whole deal, sympathy for a single tear that was so overplayed both last night and tonight, demographics and geographics, etc, etc -- what matters is that the best singer is not going to win this competition.

Now, with that said, I have never bought an American Idol CD and would never go to an American Idol concert. HOWEVER, I must say that if Jennifer, Latoya and Fantasia released a CD together I would scoop it up in a New York second. The problem is that noone in American Idol-land cares what I think because I don't vote, I don't buy the CDs, I don't go to the concerts, and I don't intend to buy one of those cheesy t-shirts highlighted tonight.

As much as Paula may have been sobbing tonight for her little star, the producers must be laughing their way to the bank. After Jennifer's ouster, they had a record number of votes the following week in reaction to the HUGE publicity the show got. Even Elton John got into it on the morning news shows. IMAGINE what the reactions will be this week -- and the money this show will make. American Idol going down the toilet? Hardly. This is just what the show needed for their PAYING audience.

You don't like my "down the toilet'? You argue that people will vote like crazy next week. That may be so. But the same 100,000 people voting 300 times does not make an audience. Fantasiacs will vote, Diana's fans will vote, Jasmine's fans will vote, and LaToya's fans will vote, most likely for Fantasia.

But beyond this pathetic season, the show has been revealed as a pretense, and has irretrivably lost its luster.

Let me rephrase:

It is a parody of its own potential.

It may continue to draw viewers, and voters, but the discerning audience just got on the bus.

It no longer has any meaning.

It is done as a phenomenon.

American Idol has jumped the shark.

Fantasiacs will vote, Diana's fans will vote, Jasmine's fans will vote, and LaToya's fans will vote, most likely for Fantasia.

It is beginning to sound like there will be a contingent of voters who will vote Jasmine as payback to the show and producers to finally get them to fix the inherent flaws in the system. It could be interesting to see how that plays out. I don't watch the show itself but I will tune in to the last five minutes of the results show. I'm one of those who tries to avoid staring at roadside accidents, but I think this one will be just too good to miss, especially Simon's reaction if he winds up having to promote Jasmine.

I am glad you got my point, Joisey. As I said, I consider LaToya to be the best of the group but the producers of the show don't care what I think because I am not their target audience. They will make plenty of money without me.

>It may continue to draw viewers, and voters, but the discerning
>audience just got on the bus.

Sure -- but so what? Did you see my article about Idol's two big-name guest judges being lined up for Idol 4: Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan? Think they'll draw fans back? You'd better believe it.

Frankly, this season has been a disaster. NONE of the finalists connected with the audience the way that Clay, Ruben and Kimberley did. But who wouldn't tune in to Idol 4 to see the Idols do Dylan? Or the British Invasion?

Then they better get 12 finalists who can sing off-key to be able to do Dylan well!

I, for one, wouldn't be interested in any of his stuff, and certainly not wanting to hear them try to sing anything from Wings. But, I came in after the Beatles explosion, and Dylan is too old for me too, so I have no attachment to any of it. Just my opinion, of course.

However, I think they could have made better guest judge selections than we had this season. But, I probably won't watch next season unless the auditions are worth watching, too. We rolled on the floor laughing when Keith sang Madonna. William Hung was momentarily funny, but quickly became a sad testament to mockery, in my book. I hope the poor guy never figures out just how much they were mocking him with his supposed popularity. Even if he gets to spend the money he made doing it. The auditions to AI3 were boring, and the season hasn't been much better.

I think what troubles me the most, for what it's worth, is that the general public - or at least the general media who thinks it knows the public - doesn't take AI finalists very seriously. I just read that Clay's "Solitaire" has been top on the charts for 7 weeks (may be higher now), but as far as airtime, he's around 97th or something. Letterman had Clay on, singing "Invisible", and he left him so little time to sing that he didn't get through the whole song when a commercial cut in. And where are Ruben and Kelly? What treatment will this season's idol get? Will they be interviewed about their talent or the travesty of the votes this season?

So, you have this indifference to these "fabricated" Idols, and then this crazy voting and people crying that it's racist or fixed or other accusations. It doesn't help that the show is said to be losing credibility, because we would like to see our idols make it, right? But, it seems to be doing exactly that. I find that very sad. It is such a testament to how things get abused. The supposed intent of the show was to find the most talented, but it's more like popularity. Then again, Britney isn't popular because she can sing, after all!

(We gotta b*tch or we'll explode!)

She seemed remarkably relaxed while singing. Class act all the way. I have to wonder if she's thinking the same thing that you posted.

I love her voice. I even like her cool, calm, and collected personality. She seems very grounded to me. Her star will skyrocket without AI.

She went out like the Class act that she is!

very well put into words.

this should be a news article/editorial on the front page.

I didn't watch the show, had to watch the bachelor tonight... doing the summary.

Not at all surprised that LaToya is gone though. I really think she turned a lot of people off by her comments Tuesday night. Add that to the fact that we still don't know her or her style and that adds up to her boot.

She is a good singer and I wish her well, but she's not the American Idol. Let's think about the term American Idol for a bit.... I see it as American Teen Idol. LaToya was a stepmother to teens, not an idol. Fantasia is a single mother, not really an idol for teens. At this point it wouldn't surprise me a bit for this to come down to Diana and Jasmine, the two teens. Now before some jump all over me for stating these things, remember this is my opinion and how I see this competition.

I think you're right but not for those reasons. They had Kelly who stole the show with her amazing voice, then they had Clay who stole the show with his singing, and Ruben who is good but boring (so Latoya couldn't have that title), so all they had left to have was a mediocre teen singer and a teen singer who sucks. We'll see if they get their wish.

Kelly- great voice, girl next door personality.

Clay- great voice, geek factor.

Ruben- good voice, big teddy bear personality.

LaToya- great voice, ?..... she had no pull or personality.

Just wondering She. You said you didn't watch the first season and only parts of the second season. Are you basing your statements that Kelly and Clay stole the show that Kelly won and Clay came in second or something else?

Rabbit, when I said "stole the show", I meant blew people away with their amazing voices. I count Clay as a winner too because of his record sales.

Right, that is your opinion and this is mine.

I disagree, I don't think that the show is for teens. Kimberely and Ruben were not teens, they were out of high school and in college.

Fantasia is not single she has a boyfriend which I think is the Father of her child. But that is besides the point. The reason that these people are on the show is because they are good singers(well most of them) not because they have a baby, or other things that do not concern us. We want a person to win because they have a good voice.

I thought that was what the show was based on. But I guess not because Jasmine is still on the show.

All I can say is... 'wow'.

Wow.

***
"Live every day as if it were your last, because one of these days, it will be."
- Jeremy Schwartz

I think the Producers would be ecstatic with a Jasmine win. She's young, pretty, ethnic (can't claim racism), and would provide RCA with a different type of singer to compete with the likes of Hillary Duff. Her CD would go platinum in Hawaii alone.

The next two weeks are basically judges/performer's choice and then the Final song. If they want Jasmine to win, they will make sure she sounds good the next two weeks and they can use the "oh my gosh, she totally brought it the final 2 weeks" storyline to take off some of the hate.

I think 19E is looking to sign 3 singers:

Latoya - Self made in the adult contemporary market.
Fantasia - R&B
Jasmine/Diana - The pop princess.

Latoya and Fantasia are gold no matter what. But Jasmine or Diana need to win it. 19E needed to break up the Fantasia/Latoya pairing now. They couldn't do it next week in case the backlash was too strong. (No one would buy a Diana CD when everyone hates her. Now they can dump Jasmine is she gets too much hatred and Diana is unscathed)

Managerr, your post makes sense, but I was watching AI with a group tonight and when they announced LaToya was going home I got out of my chair and laid myself flat out in the floor--causing several nods since everyone felt that way INSIDE. It just flattened me right out. I really, really thought Jasmine was going home tonight.
I do know that any of the top 4 have a chance at a good career, but this was the last evidence I needed that America is voting with agendas. And that is giving a fair benefit of the doubt to no show manipulation. The judges looked shocked to me, and the audience booed, which almost never happens. That may be further up in the thread, haven't had time to read the whole thing yet.

LAST EDITED ON 05-13-04 AT 09:38 AM (EST)

hmmm That makes a lot of sense, managerr. I have said from the beginning that even if they were voted off 11th and 12th, Latoya and Fantasia would get contracts. I'm sure tons of people think that way and don't vote for them.

That being said, when they announced the bottom 2, I left the room.

Edited to fix spelling.

FWIW, IMHO, I would much rather see Camille than Jasmine there now.

I would be in total shock if Jasmine's first CD went platinum!

Don't Blam me. I didn't vote for her.

I know Jasmine doesn't deserve to be where she is right now, but I honestly don't think she's a non-talent either. She just doesn't know how to use the voice that she has.

Since Amy was sent home, I haven't really cared much about who would win.