American Idol - Top 36 (Week 3)

I apologize for this not going up yesterday but I had a bunch of stuff to get done and did not watch Idol until late last night. And even though I picked the three who made it, I figured you wouldn't believe me based on the posting's timestamp. When will we have trust, readers? When? This is going to be a long one. It will be split into Performances, Results, and Wild Card Thoughts.

PERFORMANCES

Von Smith - "You're All I Need To Get By" - It was pretty good. I thought it was rough at the beginning but then he hit some solid notes. Simon said he had a Clay Aiken vibe but I felt more of an Ed Grimley vibe. He apparently has a huge fan base and may get in the Top 12 based on that. Should he get in the Top 12? I don't know but he didn't shout the song so he's improving.

Von? Is that you?

Taylor Vaifuna - "If I Ain't Got You" - Bad song choice. Alicia Keys is never the right move. Aren't you supposed to learn that after 8 seasons? The percentage of people who have gotten favorable judge reactions for doing Alicia Keys has to be around 4. She didn't sing fast enough. Maybe she was singing slower to make the band slow down and, thus, maximize her time on the show since tonight's it for her. Good strategy.

Alex Wagner-Trugman - "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" - If they let you into the Top 12 based on effort, this guy should get in. They don't. Still, he put everything he had into it and growled like the T-Rex in Toy Story before Buzz Lightyear gave him the confidence he needed. He's not getting in but he was enjoyable at least.

Arianna Afsar - "The Winner Takes It All" - ABBA has never been done on Idol. Hmmmm. At least she's aware of who takes it all and I hope she will congratulate that person in 12 weeks. Also, she's a button.

Ju'not Joyner - "Hey There, Delilah" - He sang it in Hollywood Week which makes me already need it to be better than it will be. He turned it into a ballad. The problem is that it's not a very good song which is why the Plain White Ts sing it faster. The only reason this was bearable was his singing. He has pipes. He also has a handcuff hanging from his pants. What was that doing there?

Kristen McNamara - "Give Me One Reason" - I thought this was a safe choice. It's a cool song and she sang it but it didn't give her a chance to belt out more than a handful of notes. She should have been one of the top girls but she missed the chance. Maybe a Wild Card for potential but they're already handing out a lot of those.

Nathaniel Marshall - "I Would Do Anything For Love" - So tonight he has Meatloaf on his skin. I believe that's called shingles. He has a special look. I kept hoping Buffy would come and ram a stake in his chest. That kind of evil does not belong on the stage. I was surprised Simon did not call it cruise shippy or theme parky.

Felicia Barton - "No One" - She made it because Joanna Pacitti was disqualified. With her second chance, she is singing...Alicia Keys. Does she not read the blog I haven't put up yet? Anyway, she modeled her look after Alicia Keys in Smokin' Aces minus the lesbianism with Benjamin Button's mom. But does looking like the singer make you sound like the singer? Actually, it did. She was good and bumped that 4 percent up to 5. She may make the Top 12.

Scott MacIntyre - "Mandolin Rain" - He's blind, right? Cause he sang like I would picture Marlee Matlin sings at times. I know that seems mean but what I did was I took all the criticism the judges should have given him and combined them into one mean comment. He's an adult contemporary singer who will have a career. I don't doubt that. Should he keep going in this competition? It would be heartless to say no. So no.

Kendall Beard - "This One's For The Girls" - I'm not a country fan but I thought she did a good job. Will take the girl spot away from the future Alicia Keys black jack dealer at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas? Probably. For me, she is currently the top girl but Lil Rounds is still to come.

Jorge Nunez - "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" - He may look like a 24 villain but he sings like an angel. He had genuine tears when Paula started crying. He's in the Top 12 guaranteed.

Lil Rounds - "Be Without You" - She has a huge voice. She knows she has a huge voice and that she's a favorite and yet, she comes off as humble. Impressive. She enjoys the moment and it shows. Even Simon was nodding his head. She's through.

Predictions - Scott MacIntyre, Jorge Nunez, and Lil Rounds

RESULTS

The group song was horrendous. "Hot and Cold" does not sound good when Katy Perry sings it, let alone when 12 awkwardly-put-together people do. Let's move on to who got in.

Lil Rounds - Of course she got in. Even Idol couldn't figure out a way to make it suspenseful so they put her through right away.

Scott MacIntyre - Paper beats rock. Rock beats scissors. And blind beats country. Side note: My wife was fascinated with how Scott knew to look towards the camera during the dance number. I think we are heading towards a "Scott can see" conspiracy theory in the Tor household. Further side note: This is the reason our kids have no chance of being not disabled in some or many ways. Karma's a bastard.

Jorge Nunez - He was so happy and he deserved it. I'm not sure what he said in Spanish but I think I heard the word "apple" so there's that.

WILD CARD THOUGHTS

They picked eight wild cards that will sing for three spots tonight. This gives them better odds than in previous weeks. I know my fractions. Oddly, only one person got a spot from Week 3 even though I thought Week 3 was the best overall for performances. Here are the eight:

Von Smith - He can sing when he doesn't overdo it. The world doesn't need another Scream sequel. (Both in his singing and the movie. That's why the line works.)

Jasmine Murray - She's cute and she can sing. She messed up on the Sara Bareilles song but I expect her to be back and singing a Rihanna song. That's what the judges basically told her to do. American Idol needs Umbrella. I'm available for the Jay-Z part.

Ricky Braddy - He was the best singer that didn't get voted in. Simon doesn't really like him and that's why. Hopefully he can turn that around. You do need Simon's backing to win this competition.

Megan Corkrey - The Spiggler is back! (That would be my new nickname for her, a smush-together of Spastic Wiggler. It'll catch on.) I really enjoyed her and I think I have a crush. My wife's ok with it. Go Spiggler!

Tatiana Del Toro - This is a total ratings pick. It makes me so mad. I don't want to say anymore.

Matt Giraud - He deserved another shot based on his "Georgia On My Mind." I confuse him with Ricky Braddy sometimes and I think American Idol only has room for one of them. Some part of me wants him to create a love child with Braddy so I don't have to decide. I'll vote for Macky Giraddy.

Jesse Langseth - If only she would come back to Daniel Faraday, the way she comes back to our living rooms. Oh well. She was good and it will be good to see what she does with a second chance. Well, if all the previous second chances on Idol are any indication, I predict terribly.

Anoop Desai - I'm glad Anoop's back and he seemed genuinely shocked and thankful that he's getting another shot. I'm pulling for Anoop.

My preliminary three, sans performances, would be Anoop Desai, Megan Corkrey, and Matt Giraud. Be back tomorrow to see if we're right.