In shock.....can't believe it was Chris! Did you see the look on his face? He was VERY obviously shocked, too!

In a word? Wow! You're sure right about that look on his face, cinnamOn - he looked like he'd been hit by a truck (which, I guess, he sorta was ). SM -> you took the thought right out of my head. The first thing I thought when Chris went tonight was that Taylor just won the prize. I don't see who could stop him now (unless Kat pulls a rabbit out of her hat or something). Much as I like Elliott I never really saw him winning this thing...but I'm not so sure now. Taylor seems to have the momentum going in his favor though. I was all nervous when that actress in the audience, obviously prompted, asked him to sing. I thought that was some theatrical way to lead into the announcement that he was history. Whew. I'm not Mr. Hicks's biggest fan but he deserved another week. Now, if you ask me, the other two are going to be hard pressed to beat him. Interesting.
It's weird, too, that earlier I was reading the "Idol" boards elsewhere and there was an undercurrent of people predicting that Chris might go tonight. I read it and mostly ignored the possibility since I was almost certain it would be Elliott or Kat. I just can't feel genuinely bad for Chris, though. The man's a bona fide star already and his course should be productive, not to mention profitable. I still can't say, overall, that any of the remaining three were "better" than him, however. Well, except maybe Elliott , but we all know I rank among his biggest fans. Still - in a word? Wow again!

I thought the same thing when they asked Taylor to sing - it was rather strange that they stuck a supposedly unplanned performance right in the middle of the show. I wonder if Taylor was thinking what we were thinking while he was singing? They're pretty good at breaking the bad news a little differently every week...

WOW!
I don't watch the results shows (zzzzz...), I just come on here (or somewhere else if no one's posted here yet...) and see who went.
You should have seen my jaw drop tonight!
Well, I'm really rooting for Elliot, but I doubt he'll make it. As long as it's not Katherine, I'll be happy. For some reason I just can't stand her. She makes my skin crawl.

I, too, experienced major jaw-droppage. Holy moly... wow. just.. wow.

My husband thinks Elliot will win it all. He made that call when they announced the top 24. He just looked like the most real person up there, he'd say.

Its up to America.

But I agree with cinnam0n.. Taylor singing on request from Rebecca Ramijin? A little odd. A little staged. Oh well.

The battle for the top two should be interesting. I back the soul patrol by saying Taylor will definately be one of them.

I am not an Elliot fan. Not at all. I haven't liked him since the beginning. When this all started, I didn't like Chris either, but he definitely grew on me. Once he hit the top 24, I really got to see him perform, and did a complete 180. He very quickly became my favorite with Taylor a very close second.

Gotta say, my original prediction of the top 3 is so far off.. *lmao*

I called for Chris, Taylor and Mandisa. Imagine that!

I didn't see the outcome even though my wife and I were recording it on the DVR. I found out about the outcome right here. She got home late from work and I broke the news to her about Chris. She vowed to never watch the show ever again. How could they vote off the best singer? I'm not down on Eliott. But I thought that Chris was a better singer, as far as handling different genres. I don't think that Taylor handles every genre that well, but I like his style. I'll give him an "A" for effort. I don't know what the final outcome will be, but I think all of them will have some sort of a post-Idol career. Including Chris.

At least he didn't go before Pickler...

Simon cheats . OK, he doesn't cheat - he's smart and knows how to assign a song and expect it to sound (could explain why he's rich, I reckon). Giving Katharine "Over the Rainbow" could have, might have, won her the title. When I heard she was singing that song earlier in the afternoon I thought it could go one way or the other - it went the right way entirely. Jeesh, she even sang it sitting on the floor and, if memory serves, that always works for a sentimental shot. She was good, extremely good. I'm in the wrong place to indulge in the site's "Ask Lemmy" but I'm here and not there so I'll ask the local music expert who is always on top of the musical whirl: "Lemmy, why do I [or so many people, for that matter] find that girl, despite a ton of talent, so un-likable? I can't get around it!" My thought is that she looks too much like Paula Prentiss in the original "The Stepford Wives" but I liked Paula's character (even when she became a robot or whatever). Strange that Kat gives me such an itch. Speaking of Paulas, did Abdul have to give Elliott that song to sing? He wasn't bad but he wasn't even close to good enough; I DID really like the last song he did, the one he picked for himself. Taylor didn't jazz me Tuesday night ~ it's that "caffeine rush kicks in at the end" thing, I think. Looks like Elliott'll be going home now, though . It was inevitable but I'm still bummed. Gotta give the guy props, no matter what. That he got as far as he did, that he was not only consistent but also improved each week. I have no idea what to expect for Yamin's future but I have a hunch he'll be OK. And, whatever he does, I'd put money on that he'll remain a humble, sincere and 'never say die' gentleman as he does it.

edited for spelling

Well, I've got a bottle of wine chilling with Taylor's name on it. It's been an interesting season (they usually are, I guess). I'll give Katharine a few ovations, too - especially since she might surprise me and win it [but I really doubt it]. I'm getting prepared already for the overblown production(s) and those dreadful white outfits they always wear on Finale Night. Gasp, I think they even do choirs and stuff, too . Oh, so be it. "American Idol" is fun with some power to it for those young singers. The American Dream sung in E flat or something. And I was reminded today that Hicks, had Simon had anything to do with it, almost didn't make it to Hollywood after his first audition. Take that, Mr. Cowell !

What has been up with the voting? I couldn't get through to vote last night until the last 5 minutes of voting (about 10:55pm EST) I wasn't consistantly trying, but darnit, I wanted to be heard.

I cringed at the songs created for the contestants. Who writes that crap??? It's like saying, "You're good, but sing this-."

My money is on Taylor. Both will have a record deal and fame and all... but I want that guy's mug in the idol hall of fame over Katherine's. I'm thinking from past discussions that this is popular opinion as well...

Anyone cheering on McPhee?

My money's on Taylor, also,although I do like Katherine, too. Was it just me, or did anyone else dislike the fact that the contestants sang songs that they had already done in the competition? I can't for the life of me remember if they did that last year, but I thought it took a lot of the excitement out of the show.

I am so glad that Taylor beat Katherine. I couldn't stand her.

I just wanted to add a quick thank you to all who commented on this forum. I enjoyed reading everything and I think I enjoyed the show more because of it :-)

I'll see you all on next year's thread.

Have a great one.
Michelle

Thought the final show was excellent and a great watch.

Taylor would make a great Elvis impersonator and personally preferred Catherine although sure she has a good career ahead of her. Simon certainly preferred her - but he would.

All in all a pretty ok show

Well, what with new developments I just had to bring up our old "American Idol" thread . "Idol"s of seasons past seem to be quite newsworthy at the moment. Not that I'm here to say if that's altogether good or bad, but...

While not from the season of this thread, Clay Aiken has hit the news. Not for his warbling and just partly for a mostly unnecessary new "hair do" but for applying his hand over the flapping mouth of Kelly Ripa [see reference in above thread (lol) in regards to the effervescent Miss Ripa]. He also reports that stress after being a publicized runner-up in the show has complicated his life beyond comprehension AND he's a little ticked that suspicious neighbors from his youth are writing tell-all books about him. Um, Clay....who cares, dude? What we ARE NOT hearing about is this threatened yet stressful singing career much. And, yes, it's just as well we aren't. But onto another "Idol" loser, Miss Jennifer Hudson from *whatever* season. Holding her own with Beyonce, knocking them dead in "Dreamgirls", being loudly predicted an upcoming Oscar Nominee? Yay and Yikes, too! She was a talented one but I never saw her shooting up the ladder so quickly AND it certainly proves that "Idol", while as entertaining as popcorn, can also have important consequences on careers and even pop culture. Clarkson winning Grammies and even Carrie Underwood out-prizing Faith Hill? Amazing!
Now for our last season's pack of rascals: I saw Chris, the rocker, on Letterman or Leno (can't remember which - one of those late-nighters). The man is staying true to himself and sounded GREAT. I suspect his new CD will do incredibly well. He's also still bald, too, which I found refreshing (even though he's taken to wearing a ski cap these days - could be the stage lights/glare, I reckon ?). I caught that flatly irksome Ace on "Today" a while back. He's doing some Broadway show, "Grease" [I think...one of those 'biggies' - ahem] and he still looks, to me, as if he got too near a heat source his face might melt off his head . He sang a number, too, and has clearly not had any voice lessons since last year in that department of the matter. Then, God help us all, there's Miss Pickler. I caught her video last night - something about red high heels. Dreadful, really (and that's just my opinion)...not that the woman could be confused with Patsy Cline no matter how many bottles of Jack Daniels you swallowed. The song is just not very good and she does it every bit of justice accordingly. She wrote it, too, which puzzles even less at the end of the reaction to it. BUT (now get this) I hear she might get her own sitcom on Fox next year. *Bangs head into the brick fireplace* I, for one, can't wait. Blech in stereo.
Now I wonder: where's Mandisa, though? Bucky? I heard he's moved to Nashvlle, but nothing more so far. Taylor has been quiet mostly but he's on the right "celebrity" track since I recall reading where he sued somebody for snitching some of his songs. It's a good device, really: Career a little slow at the gate? Take somebody to court and make a little judicial noise.
I'll shut up now...just had to update our long-running tale over here. And, really, had to bay at the moon somewhere upon hearing about that Pickler business. What really sucks is that now "Frasier" has to get all nervous about how it stands up in the annals of sitcom history. With a threat like "Kellie" or "Hoochie" or "Squid Girl" in the works history will change entirely.
Um ....not!....

Taylor was on the Tonight show just a couple nights ago. He's got an album coming out in a couple weeks. (I'm not a fan, but I'm happy for those that are. )

I saw some scenes from Dreamgirls and from what I saw Jennifer Hudson was fabulous. I do love that show, so I hope they did right by it!

And, well, Kelly was always more entertaining as a goofball than a singer anyway, so maybe a sitcom wouldn't be such a bad choice.

So, looking forward to the new season? January something or other...?