It took me over a week for me to complete my mission–my promise–to the Applebee’s Twitter account that I would go to Applebee’s (well, last Saturday) to eat there since they were supporting one of my favorite shows, ENLISTED, a show whose fate is being decided soon.
Here is my reasoning. Advertising try to appeal to the 19- to 49-year-old male demographic. That is just sexist. I am a 50-year-old woman who has much more buying power than a 19-year-old college-going or unemployed male possibly even living at home in these economic times. These people are not worldly and do not understand the economics of keeping television shows on the air. Ratings sadly right now drive the price of an ad on a show.
Confessions: I have NEVER eaten at any Applebee’s my entire life. There is no particular reason why. We just don’t eat out a lot and if we do we usually go to a restaurant close to us. I did try on Saturday, April 12th to go to the Applebee’s location in Magnolia. It was no longer there. My time was limited and I was not going to be able to find another location. It was another busy week. I tried on Tuesday to go, but the mobile app kept telling me the closest Applebee’s location to me was in Beaumont? Seriously? Beaumont is 117 miles from me and depending upon traffic conditions a 2 to 3-hour trip. I knew that could not be right. Then I tried from my computer and found one in Conroe, about 20-25 minutes from me.
It was the perfect day to do it. Here we are on Friday, another watching of #Enlisted, as fans try to show Fox they are still out here. They want a season 2 of this show in a better time slot.
We’re finally here!
Applebee’s at 2952 I-45 N, Conroe, TX
This establishment’s proprietor is Tim Bellmer.
Tim Bellmer, Proprietor of this Applebee’s
The staff was very courteous. This young lady was intrigued about why I had come. I told her all about “ENLISTED.”
Wish I would have gotten her name.
The true taste tester in our family is Patrick. He is an 18-year-old with severe autism who is very judgmental, very obsessive-compulsive, about the food that he eats. He has no social filters, so if he spits it out it is because it truly sucks. Here was his reaction to his chicken tenders:
And not only did he like it, when my husband and I sat down to try to eat ours, he wanted some more of ours, too.
Dearest corporate members at Applebee’s: People still do watch commercials and some of us are still compelled to help the shows you are supporting. Please contact the executives at Fox Broadcasting and let them know that you are joining the troops of the show #ENLISTED and would like to advertise on their season 2. Thank you so much.
(This is what I’m mailing to Kevin Reilly of Fox Broadcasting today to save ENLISTED in case you need some inspiration to write YOUR letters)
Dear Mr. Reilly
I do not write letters often to save shows as they are often futile. In the case of “ENLISTED” I feel like I it is worth the effort. I know you (or your decision-makers) felt the show was worth a shot. Shows like “Us and Them” that were shown in the May 2013 upfronts never made it to air. Everyone knows the ENLISTED pilot had problems. The energy that has been put into the show both by the network and the cast has been amazing–hiring a military consultant to get some things corrected that bothered our military viewers, the principal cast going to Boot Camp to experience what our soldiers go through and bonding over it just as a troop does, the phenomenal app that shows exclusive videos, but mostly the cast who week after week engage the fans in live tweeting events that blow my mind. There are individual cast members of other shows who might take one week in a rotational schedule to live tweet but never the sheer numbers we’ve seen the cast and crew of ENLISTED do. It is TROOP SPIRIT. They have done so many interviews. They have done some wonderful things for our military families. Here is the problem: It was put into the Friday death slot. Then it was interrupted by the Olympics. None of these things are your fault. I imagine Friday was the only slot you could give it. But it deserves a second season and a time slot where it can flourish, such as pairing it with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The comedy is similar–it’s smart, it’s unique. It deserves to have a Tuesday comedy slot. If after a season 2 it doesn’t do well, then I can understand if the network decided to cancel it. But it deserves this chance. Every week the scripts have improved.
I would like to point out that this past week I helped engage the fans to promote the advertisers of the show. Fans had a healthy discussion with Applebees and Charmin people. Charmin is not yet a sponsor but after the response they got from the “Parade Duty” episode, if they were given a season 2, they might consider it. Many people on Twitter have already promised to switch to Charmin and they haven’t even signed on to advertise yet. People have said they will go to Taco Bell this week. Others have said they will go eat at Applebees (because they hosted on the Fox.com viewings). Fox commissioned a study about the power of Twitter on advertising.
The network is ahead of the curve by not just looking at the standardized numbers of the antiquated Nielsen’s system. With “The Following” for example, Fox looked at viewing across all platform media. People rarely have time to watch things live anymore. Binge-watching is becoming more common. I don’t understand appeal of the demographic of an 18-year-old male who in this job market likely is living at home with his parents, unemployed, with zero buying potential. I am a 50-year-old, white woman, born in Brooklyn, NY and now living in Texas who has tremendous buying power and understands the economics of television broadcasting. Perhaps that 18-year-old was married already 30 years ago, but that just isn’t the reality of our modern times. Taking the cues from Bart Smith who suggested to Maureen Ryan that instead of us buying useless tokens to flood your offices (like fans of Jericho did with CBS by flooding the office with peanuts) fans make a donation to the Wounded Warriors Project, I did and you should be receiving that confirmation letter soon.
ENLISTED is a show the entire family can watch (and there are not many shows out there where people can). It is about love of country. In a world where people are brainwashed into thinking they need to be rich to be successful, the show sends a message that you can have a job that is less glamorous but your job is important in the big picture and you can do that job with love and joy. Not only is it about family (whether you are related by blood or together by other forces), but it also is about supporting each other. It is about choosing happiness in whatever job you have to do, even Doody Duty. Women adore strong female leads and Angelique Cabral does a wonderful job as Staff Sgt. Perez.
X-Files had an initial cult following, an audience that grew and benefitted the network in many ways. ENLISTED seems to also have a cult following for now, but with a better time-slot I see it growing.
Decision time is upon you with the upfronts coming in May. Please take our pleas into consideration. Thank you for your time reading this letter and have an amazing day.
Troops! Rally! Our beloved show is definitely in trouble. I really don’t understand the ratings game. As a 50-year-old woman I have a TON more buying power than a 25-year-old unemployed young man. While the industry is definitely trying to change from the old Nielsen model, it isn’t going fast enough to catch up to the quality shows we want to keep around.
When ENLISTED was shown at upfronts in May of 2013, it got feedback from a critical audience. To the network’s credit, they didn’t just scrap the show after the pilot. They decided to regroup and fix it. The premiere originally moved to November was now moved to January. Some of the principal cast members attended boot camp at Fort Bliss. They made fun of themselves. They invited the audience at the premiere in January to spot their mistakes. They engaged the military audience and made each script better. They brought on a military consultant to help them get basic things accurate so they did not alienate the military audience. They created an awesome app with literally hundreds of videos you cannot see anywhere else.
But ENLISTED faced an uphill battle. It was given the Friday death slot where shows go to die. ENLISTED also faced more hurdles. They showed some shows out of order. In the episode “Homecoming”, Derrick had the girl and a few weeks later he was trying to get the girl. Then the Olympics happened and the show was not shown for several a few weeks. How you are supposed to build a fan base without a consistent show I will never know. Fox found this out after the first season of “24.” There were too many interruptions of the show which is why the following year they went to a January premiere date.
The cast and crew have worked tirelessly to promote the show. They have done interview after interview. I do not ever remember a show where most of the cast and crew are live tweeting week after week. And every week it is trending, even when there is no live show and the fans are watching the show on Fox.com. Fox even did a study on the effect of Twitter on advertising potential. Partial information from that press release:
1. The majority of those who are exposed to TV-related tweets not only have taken immediate action around a given show, but are also highly likely to watch a show they’ve never watched before, or resume watching a show that they’d previously stopped watching, as a result of a TV-related tweet.
2. TV show viewers who recall seeing tweets mentioning a show’s brand partners are much more likely to view that brand as appealing and pay more attention to that brand’s on-air ads than the general Twitter TV audience.
Specifically, FOX, Twitter and the ARF found that the majority of those who recall seeing TV-related tweets have searched for a show (76%), have taken action on Twitter (78%) – such as click on the show’s hashtag, follow a talent handle or retweet TV-related tweets – or have taken action to watch TV show content (77%). In regards to watching TV show content, 42% have made a plan to watch the show later, 38% have watched episodes online and 33% have changed the channel to watch the show. In fact, viewers who live-tweet with the linear broadcast are more likely to take action to discover content than those that don’t live-tweet.
Tweets that mention brands also generate significant action: 54% of those who recall seeing such tweets have taken action by tweeting, searching for the brand online, or considering to try the brand mentioned. This jumps to 58% when measuring actions taken by the live-TV-tweeting audience.
“This groundbreaking research has allowed us, for the very first time, to understand and quantify the very real value of the enormous volume of tweets generated by our shows and our brand partners every week,” said Judit Nagy, FOX’s Vice President of Analytics. “The level of engagement, activity and perceptual impact we’re seeing from these results far exceeds what we’d expected, and that’s really good news for networks and brands alike.”
I still have the March 28th episode of ENLISTED on my DVR (Paint Cart 5000 vs the Mondo Spider). I made a list of all the companies who bought an ad that aired during this show. And I’m listing the email address or link to where you can leave a comment for them. There were multiple wireless companies. I’m certainly not going to switch my company, but my company is among those who supported the show. I’ll write to them. Here is a sample: Dear _____. I want to thank you for supporting the Fox Broadcasting show “ENLISTED.” I am a __-year-old male/female. ENLISTED is a wonderful comedy. It is a show that can be watched by the entire family. For me it symbolizes ____________________. (And if you feel like you are going to support the advertising because of this you might say something like this for example: “I have always shopped at Home Depot because it is closer to my home. Because you are supporting ENLISTED, I will drive a little further and shop at Lowe’s to thank you for that support.” Sincerely,
Here is the list of advertisers for that episode: AT&T
208 S. Akard St.
Dallas TX 75202 http://www.att.com/contactus/
You can also write letters. PLEASE KEEP THEM RESPECTFUL AND POSITIVE. A network executive is much more likely to listen to something you have to say versus one where you tell them why you will never watch their network again if they don’t renew the show. Send them to:
Kevin Reilly
Fox Broadcasting
10201 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Or email them: askfox@fox.com
As well, I was thinking about taking a page from Save Farscape campaign where people made a commercial and said, “I am Farscape” and they had their age. On Twitter tonight (or in the comments below), list your age and sex and if you want the part of the country you live. Use the hashtag #IAmENLISTED
FOX COMEDIES “BROOKLYN NINE-NINE,” “THE MINDY PROJECT” AND “NEW GIRL,” ALONG WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER “THE FOLLOWING,”
RENEWED FOR 2014-2015 SEASON
All-New THE FOLLOWING Airs Monday, March 10;
All-New Episodes of NEW GIRL and BROOKLYN NINE-NINE Air Tuesday, March 11;
One-Hour Spring Premiere of THE MINDY PROJECT Airs Tuesday, April 1
FOX has picked up Golden Globe Award winner BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, along with critically acclaimed comedies THE MINDY PROJECT and NEW GIRL, for the 2014-15 season. Psychological thriller THE FOLLOWING also was renewed, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment, and Joe Earley, Chief Operating Officer, Fox Broadcasting Company.
“These shows are some of the best and acclaimed series on television, with influential, culture-driving stars, and some of the best, most creative talent behind the camera,” said Reilly and Earley. “All four are core assets within our 2014-15 portfolio of content, and we’re really happy to bring them back to our FOX fans for another season.”
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE was picked up for a second season. THE MINDY PROJECT received a third season order, and NEW GIRL was renewed for a fourth season. THE FOLLOWING was picked up for its third season.
As previously announced, SLEEPY HOLLOW was picked up for a second season, GLEE was renewed for its sixth season and BONES was picked up for its tenth. Additional pickups to be announced.
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE stars Golden Globe Award winner Andy Samberg as a talented, but carefree, detective and Andre Braugher as his new precinct captain with a lot to prove. The Season One finale of BROOKLYN NINE-NINE airs Tuesday, March 25 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT). The series is produced by Universal Television, 3 Arts Entertainment and Fremulon. Created and written by Dan Goor (“Parks and Recreation”) and Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation”), the series is executive-produced by Goor, Schur and David Miner (“30 Rock”). “Like” BROOKLYN NINE-NINE on Facebook at facebook.com/BrooklynNineNine. Follow the series on Twitter @Brooklyn99FOX and join the discussion using #brooklyn99.
Created and written by Mindy Kaling (“The Office”), THE MINDY PROJECT stars Kaling as a skilled OB/GYN trying to balance both her personal and professional life. The special one-hour Spring Premiere, featuring back-to-back episodes of THE MINDY PROJECT, airs Tuesday, April 1 (9:00-9:30/9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) and then returns to its normal timeslot on Tuesdays at 9:30 PM ET/PT. THE MINDY PROJECT is produced by 3 Arts Entertainment in association with Universal Television. The series is created and written by Mindy Kaling. Kaling, Howard Klein (“The Office,” “Parks and Recreation”), Matt Warburton (THE SIMPSONS), Michael Spiller (“Modern Family”) and Jack Burditt (“30 Rock”) are executive producers. “Like” THE MINDY PROJECT on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/TheMindyProject. Follow the series on Twitter @MindyProjectFOX and join the discussion at #themindyproject.
Airing Tuesdays (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT), NEW GIRL stars Emmy Award- and Golden Globe Award-nominated actress Zooey Deschanel as a smart and spirited woman navigating her way through the highs and lows of modern friendship and romance, alongside her male roommates (Jake Johnson, Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Damon Wayans, Jr.) and her beautiful best friend (Hannah Simone). Created by Liz Meriwether (“No Strings Attached”), NEW GIRL is produced by Chernin Entertainment in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Meriwether, Dave Finkel, Brett Baer, Jake Kasdan, Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope are executive producers. “Like” NEW GIRL on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NewGirlonFOX. Follow the series on Twitter @NewGirlOnFOX and join the discussion at #newgirl.
Edge-of-your-seat thriller THE FOLLOWING, from Kevin Williamson (“Vampire Diaries,” “Scream” franchise) and starring Golden Globe Award winner Kevin Bacon (“X-Men: First Class,” “Frost/Nixon”) and James Purefoy (“Rome”), follows a deadly cat-and-mouse chase between a former FBI agent (Bacon) and a devious and diabolical serial killer (Purefoy). THE FOLLOWING airs Mondays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The series is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Outerbanks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. The series is created, written and executive-produced by Kevin Williamson. Marcos Siega (“Dexter,” “The Vampire Diaries”) serves as an executive producer and director on the series. “Like” THE FOLLOWING on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheFollowing. Follow the series on Twitter @TheFollowingFOX and join the discussion at #thefollowing.
Seventy million votes came in last night. You know I think Jennifer Lopez can wear just about anything but that thing she was wearing tonight did not fit right. Phillip Phillips returns to the Idol stage tonight. Randy Jackson is going to introduce us to Kodaline from Ireland.
At the postshow dinner, the contestants talk about when is it okay to be sharp and when it isn’t because they are confused. I can understand that they are getting mixed messages.
Emily, Sam, Jessica and Ben are in the first group to hear the results. Emily is in the bottom 3. The rest are safe.
Phillip Phillips sang “Raging Fire” and as he did I was thinking something is really wrong with the Idol sound. His intonation (smile Harry) was all over the place.
Majesty, Dexter, Jena, and Alex are up next. Dexter, Majesty and Alex are safe. Jena is in the bottom 3. That just is not right. None of them deserved that spot.
Kodaline played next. They have an interesting sound.
Last to learn their fate are Malaya, MK, CJ, and Caleb. Caleb is safe (OF COURSE HE IS). CJ is also safe. MK and Malaya were in the bottom three last week. One is safe and the other is in the bottom three again. Malaya is safe and MK is not.
The person leaving us tonight is: EMILY PIRIZ
MK, you need to really bring it next week. We want you to succeed. And (no surprise) the save is not used.
It has been three long decades since Carl Sagan’s groundbreaking series, “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” premiered. Brought to you by executive producers Brannon Braga, Mitchell Cannold, Ann Druyan and Seth MacFarlane, and hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, we set off on the Ship of the Imagination to discover our Cosmic Address and our coordinates in space and time. First, we meet Giordano Bruno in the Italy of the Renaissance, a wandering priest who had a spiritual epiphany of this much grander universe. Later, Tyson takes us on a walk across the Cosmic Calendar, where all of time is compressed into a football field-sized year at a glance calendar, with each month representing a little more than a billion years, in the all-new “Standing Up in the Milky Way” series premiere episode of COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY airing Sunday, March 9 from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT across multiple U.S. Fox networks, including Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, FX, FXX, FXM, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Life.
After the cross-network premiere event, COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY will continue its epic 13-episode run, airing Sundays from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT on FOX and Mondays — with all-new bonus footage and behind-the-scenes content — on the National Geographic Channel from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT.
The original series “COSMOS: A PERSONAL VOYAGE” first premiered in September 1980 on PBS, and for 10 years was the most watched series ever on public television in America. Based on his book of the same name, and written for television by Sagan, Ann Druyan and Steven Soter, the series was a stunning and iconic exploration of the universe as revealed by science that took viewers through a galaxy of topics to help explain the universe and humanity’s place in it. Called “a watershed moment for science programming” by Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times, Sagan brought science into the mainstream by explaining complex theories in a way that everyone could comprehend and appreciate. Among the areas explored are the life cycle of stars, genetics, laws of planetary motion, the journey to Mars, the search for intelligent life beyond Earth and The Big Bang Theory.
More than three decades after the debut of “COSMOS: A PERSONAL VOYAGE,” Seth MacFarlane has teamed with Sagan’s original creative collaborators Druyan and Soter to conceive the 13-part series that will serve as a successor to the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning original series.
I had goosebumps when the show started and they did not stop until the end. The graphics are stunning. The most important thing about this show is the science. This is a show that can be watched by families together on a Sunday night and open up dialogues of discussion and perhaps inspire the next generation of astronomers, astrophysicists, astronauts, and teachers.
Fortunately for me my world is big enough for God and science to co-exist without contradicting one another. You may be surprised that many religions, including Christianity, embrace the theory of evolution: Bahá’í, contemporary Christian religions (including Anglicanism, United Methodist Church, Church of the Nazarene, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Roman Catholic Church), Deism, Hinduism, Daśāvatāras, Islam, Ahmadiyya, Judaism, and Pantheism. Of course I am certain that there are members of these religions that would beg to differ. I was born Catholic. On October 22, 1996, Pope John Paul II, in a speech to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences plenary session at the Vatican, said, “This theory has been progressively accepted by researchers, following a series of discoveries in various fields of knowledge. The convergence, neither sought nor fabricated, of the results of work that was conducted independently is in itself a significant argument in favor of this theory.” Pope John Paul II believed it is the human soul that is created by God.
The end of this particular episode had a touching tribute to Carl Sagan that made tears fall from my eyes. It is the power of passing things on from teacher/mentor to student. I think Carl Sagan, if he were here among us on this Earth, would be proud.
(COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY is produced by Cosmos Studios, the Ithaca, N.Y.-based company Ann Druyan co-founded in 2000, and Fuzzy Door Productions, MacFarlane’s company. Druyan and Steven Soter are the series’ writers. Druyan, MacFarlane, Cosmos Studios President Mitchell Cannold and Brannon Braga (the “Star Trek” franchise, “24”) executive-produce the series. Jason Clark (“Ted,” “42”) co-executive produces. “Like” COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY on Facebook at facebook.com/COSMOSonTV. Follow the series on Twitter @COSMOSonTV and join the discussion at #cosmos.)
(I wish to thank FOX VIP and Fox Broadcasting for the privilege of viewing the episode).
Tonight’s theme was “home.” The contestants were to do a song that defines that and what it means to them. Does it mean their town, their family members, or something else? What does “home” represent to them?
Was I the only person who was hoping the ladies would grab Ryan Seacrest and put him in the mosh pit with them?
Jena Irene
Song: “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall: Symbolizes her family and how she was raised.
My thoughts: I liked it. I really like the uniqueness of her voice. I also like that she makes it a little different so it does not sound like the original.
The judges: Keith: Likes her stage presence, that she was coming to life. He was not mad about that specific song for her, but liked the way she started to move around. Jennifer said she is on the precipice of really blossoming on the stage. She loves how she can make the song her own. It is the mark of an artist. Harry said he liked the switch in the melody. He wanted to see more energy from her especially at her age.
Alex Preston
Song: “I Don’t Wanna Be” by Gavin DeGraw
My thoughts: I adore his grandmother. I’m such a fan of Alex. He had a few little breath issues. And it was a bit pitchy for him. But I still loved it because he tried to change the song for himself.
The judges: Jennifer said he looks like he belongs on stage. It wasn’t his best vocal performance. The arrangement did not quite fit the song. It overtook his vocal and performance. She advised him to be careful with that balance. Harry said he is so used to hearing him at an intimate context (yet last week he didn’t like the intimate performance). It sounded similarly to what Jen said. He didn’t think it was a home run but admires him for trying to do something different this time. Keith thought the word instability came to mind for the performance. The song was around him instead of him being “in” the song. Another giveaway is the loss of breath at the end of phrasing.
Jessica Meuse
Song:“White Flag” by Dido
My thoughts: If this song has been in her set for years, it should have sounded better. I prefer when she sings from a dark place. This was not a good song choice for her.
The judges: Harry said she normally is so in tune. She was so off here. She really wasn’t present in the performance. Harry gets booed. Keith loves her musicality. With pitch and that (what Harry was saying), he does not always agree. Jennifer said she is with both of them. She feels like she is comfortable but it is not coming off that way to the audience. It was so sharp through the whole thing. But if she would have been singing with so much more conviction, it wouldn’t have mattered.
Dexter Roberts
Song: “Lucky Man” by Montgomery Gentry
My thoughts: It was nice. I’m sorry that I’m not a big country music fan. I like him and the puppies are adorable.
The judges: Keith said it was the perfect song. He took liberties with the phrasing. He showed his vulnerable side. Jennifer said she feels like they are being a little hard on everybody tonight. She liked that he surprised her. Harry wants to be completely honest. It was unquestionably the best performance of the night (so far). It was a great performance.
Emily Piriz
Song:“Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez
My thoughts: I have mixed emotions about the Marine boyfriend video. On one hand, they could just be celebrating and being grateful for his service. On the other hand, people feel obligated to vote for her just because of that and sometimes it pays off and sometimes people hate being manipulated and refuse to vote because of that. As far as her performance, the band guy looked uncomfortable when she was singing and dancing next to him. It was in tune but it did not have enough oomph to get me up and want to dance or sing along with her which is the purpose of the song.
The judges: Jennifer said she did a really good job. She loved it but she is biased. Harry said he thought it took a lot of courage but she has to match the intensity of the locomotive train. She has to drive the train and the production was too big for her tonight. Harry gets booed again. Keith loved it. Harry says back to Keith that he wants her to improve. Keith said to be more confident.
Caleb Johnson
Song: “Working Man” by Rush
My thoughts: My favorite so far tonight. He could honestly go on tour right now.
The judges: Harry: He is the most consistent performer on the show. Always consistent, but he knows how he feels before he goes on to sing. What can he bring to rock and roll to make it modern? How can he not be predictable? Keith said he is one of the best singers he has heard in a long, long time. It was a bold thing. Keith talks about rock and roll and the need for a band. His challenge to Caleb was how does he get that thing going on without the band around him. Jennifer said it is what she has been waiting for all night. Great job tonight.
MK Nobilette
Song:“Drops of Jupiter” by Train
My thoughts: Once again, they put her name up as MK Nobillette. She looks terrified. I don’t know if that is what caused her to lose breath control and be off key. The message that came across to me was she feels defeated and feels like what is the point (because she was in the bottom 3 last week).
The judges: Keith said she needs to connect with how she looks with how she sings. If she isn’t going to not use the guitar, throw it behind her and grab the microphone. Jennifer said she needs to keep pushing herself. She will get there. It was a sweet performance. Harry gets the feeling that she does not want to be there. He advises her to work on the things that are hard, that make her uncomfortable and she will improve.
CJ Harris
Song: “Waiting on the World To Change” by John Mayer
My thoughts: He is still sharp over the note. I’m starting to think it might be a bad habit that is just hard to change. But I loved the emotion and connection he had with the song that we could feel as well.
The judges: Jennifer said he looks great tonight. She loved the performance of that song. Harry said he sang consistently sharp, but it was alright because he had conviction. Keith said all that is missing now is to make the song more of his own and not just do a straight cover. Where is his artistic take on it?
Sam Woolf
Song: “Just One” by Blind Pilot
My thoughts: It was a sweet performance. I think putting him in a more intimate context was better than what he did last week where he was lost on stage. But I worry about this. Will he be able to play in a big venue or is this more coffeehouse?
The judges: Harry: Emotional dynamics–there has to be a change–there is just one beat with him emotionally. He needs to try something else. Keith: He understands what Harry is saying. The tone of his voice is like “butta.” If he made an album of original songs, he would buy that record. Jennifer said he has to push outside his comfort zone.
Malaya Watson
Song: “Take Me to the King” by Tamela Mann
My thoughts: It was a better song and performance from last week. More mature. There was a lot of heart in that. But there were still moments that were really rough.
The judges: Keith stood up. Keith said it was a beautiful song baby. (First baby tonight). Encompassed vulnerability and range. Great job. Jennifer had goosies. She was all there for the story. And she had tears in her eyes because she is so proud of her. Harry said this felt very focused and it was risky. There were a few little problems but the message was there.
Ben Briley
Song: “Turning Home” by David Nail
My thoughts: I have no opinion about this.
The judges: Jennifer said the feeling was there. Harry did not connect with it and he felt it was shouted. Harry has a record number of boos in one evening. Keith lost the story and emotion from him. He wants him to worry less about the technicality.
Majesty Rose York
Song: “Fix You” by Coldplay
My thoughts: The emotion was there, but the song was off key in parts it needed to be in key. I liked it in the beginning but when she tried to go big, that is when her voice failed her. She reminds me more of a Tracy Chapman type of singer.
The judges: Harry enjoyed the beginning. Jennifer said she tried to do something but it didn’t work. Keith said they would see her next week.
So in summary, tonight’s Idol was VERY disappointing. The only person who nailed it tonight was Caleb. MK is in serious trouble. She has a lovely voice but her lack of confidence in herself will ultimately be her downfall. Jessica might be in trouble as well. Picking a song is so crucial. And having a theme and having to pick a song that reminds you of home but may not be a good song for your voice all have to be considered.
It was not too much of a surprise to me that Malaya Watson was in the bottom three for the evening, but I was SHOCKED that MK Nobilette was. Malaya was rattled that she was there. I remember during the top 13 picks that she kept saying to her fellow contestants that because they were in the “top 10” they were going on tour, they were going on tour. Someone needs to clarify for her that the people going on tour are the top 10 after the public votes, and the top 10 from 13 is left. Those are the people going on tour. Rounding out the bottom three was Kristen O’Connor. I didn’t dislike her performance, although I had heard better, but it made sense. Although Dexter and CJ were in my bottom 2 (along with Malaya for the number 3 spot), Dexter and CJ are immensely likable. Part of winning American Idol is to connect with the audience. The audience is tremendously forgiving if their favorites have off nights where their vocals are not spot on.
The “singing for your life” thing should be trashed. We all know the judges have their favorites and we all know that they are not going to use the save this early in the competition. It is just cruel. The judges can make their decision about who should get to stay should American people vote one of their favorites off, but I just cannot watch someone have to sing a song when their hearts are in their throats. You know what else needs to be trashed? The group number.
I failed to mention in my Top 13 Performs blog that American Idol needs to adjust the performance show so that we can actually hear what Randy Jackson has to say about the contestants. You could not hear it at all over all the applause in the audience and my closed captioning couldn’t even get it. That should tell you something.
Candice Glover was on fire and I adored her new song. Jason Bugg was interesting. I had never heard his music before.
We say goodbye to Kristen, but she should be tremendously proud of how far she came in the competition.
Tonight’s theme is “This is me.” The contestants have to choose one song that defines them as an artist and as a person. The sequence with the contestants on how the voting works this season was cute. There is a new voting platform on Google.
Dexter Roberts
5 in 20: Scared of spiders, fell off a horse, did something with a butter knife (?), first kiss was on a slide, broke his finger during football.
Song: “Aw Naw” by Chris Young
My thoughts: That was rough for me. It was out of tune (sharp). He looked great though.
The judges: Keith said he was a likable guy. He thought it was an excellent cover version of the song but now Dexter needs to figure out how to make it a Dexter Roberts performance. Jennifer said something similar. Harry wonders if the ear monitors are causing him to sing out of tune. There was a pitch issue. Jennifer added that it was not the sweet spot for his voice so much.
Malaya Watson
5 in 20: Afraid of dogs, plays a lot of instruments, wears glasses because she can’t see and she loves everybody.
Song: “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars
My thoughts: Nice upbeat song. I don’t think it was the right song for her. It did not showcase her voice well. I felt like I was watching a high school talent show. I really like her though. I hope she will do better next week.
The judges: Jennifer loves her energy. Her performance was A-plus. The song had soul. It, however, was not her best vocal performance but says she is a contender. Harry agrees. He said intonation is huge. He mentions that she appeared nervous. Keith said what can you do from here forward? It’s about growing and learning. Her energy is contagious. She needs to figure out how to get on top of the song and not floating around it.
Kristen O’Connor
5 in 20: Her best friends are quadruplets. She loves swing dancing. She is bad at all sports.
Song: “Beautiful Disaster” by Kelly Clarkson
My thoughts: I like Kristen but it was off key. I don’t think this was the right song for her. Everyone is having pitch issues tonight. I felt like she was just singing. I didn’t feel any emotional connection from her to the song she was singing (and because of that, I did not feel anything).
The judges: Harry thought that she was a really strong pop singer but she is singing out of tune. Keith thought it was a good song choice for her. She was able to show the range and show control and dynamics in a short space of time. Jennifer said to stop thinking (after seeing 3 contestants now). Start thinking about what you know versus what they are afraid of what may happen.
Ben Briley
5 in 20: He can name every capital. He loves Tennessee football. His favorite animal is a kangaroo. He is good at throwing rocks at hitting poles. He wants to sky dive. He has a super power. And then states none of this is true.
Song: “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash
My thoughts: Finally a better performance this evening. Who knew I would like it too (because I don’t like country music). So that is how much I did love it.
The judges: Keith said it was particularly brisk. He told him not to sacrifice his artistry in the midst of entertaining. Jennifer liked the fast tempo. She said it was a good example of taking a song that represents you and changing it up to make it yours. She loved it. Harry said he did not think it was kitsch (as Keith mentioned) at all. He liked the up-tempo. He felt it was the best performance of the night so far.
CJ Harris
5 in 20: Doesn’t like climbing high things, hates icy roads in the wintertime, does not like to deer hunt that much, hates people with bad attitudes and no personality, and is very religious.
Song: “Radio” by Darius Rucker
My thoughts: I love CJ but this was the worst performance heard tonight so far. He was always above the note.
The judges: Jennifer thought it was a lot of fun. She acknowledges there were pitch issues going on for everyone. Harry said CJ has this “cry” in his voice that he loves to hear but this song may have been among other ones during a concert. It was just an okay song choice. Harry is then booed. Keith disagrees. He thinks it was a good song choice and it was good to hear a different side to him tonight.
MK Nobilette
(Okay, the web site says it is Nobilette but the name was Nobillette on the TV screen–look!)
5 in 20: She is a mediocre snowboarder, played soccer her whole life, loves single ladies (and adds “the song”), wishes she was a dancer, loves dogs.
Song: “Satisfaction” by Allen Stone
My thoughts: It was average. She looked scared. The stage kind of swallowed her up. A few times it seemed out of tune (not on purpose), especially in the end part when she is singing “Satisfaction” a lot. I do like her new look and style. She looks wonderful in pink.
The judges: Harry loves watching her grow. He gives her some pointers about her performance. Keith said he loved the way she looks. He said there were patches of good and patches of “deer in the headlights” but it will come. Jennifer loved how she delivered it. She was awesome.
Majesty Rose York
5 in 20: Born in a leap year. She is left-handed, does the longboard, does ballet and likes to make her hair bigger.
Song: “Tightrope” by Janelle Monae
My thoughts: The beginning verses were rough. Too bad. I am a really big fan of hers and I would put her in the middle of the pack.
The judges: Keith said it was a killer song choice. Janelle is a great place for her to tap into. She is just becoming more confident in what she is doing. Jennifer loves her individuality. She said the song was perfect for her and that she is blessed. Harry said his favorite thing about her is the mystery and how it will unravel. He thought it was terrific.
Jena Irene
5 in 20: Her hair is actually brown. She is best friends with her brother. Her favorite movie is “The Wizard of Oz.” Her eyes are sometimes green and sometimes blue. She is really short.
Song: “The Scientist” by Coldplay
My thoughts: It started off rough but she found her groove in there. I liked it. This is my second favorite female performance of the night.
The judges: Jennifer said she has such a unique voice, filled with dynamics and nuances–a powerhouse singer, too. It was a tough song but she pulled it off. Jennifer loved it. Harry said he felt the emotion of the song and that she makes interesting choices on a pre-existing melody, that her melodic choices drive the lyrics. Keith said it was pitchy in the beginning but once she leaned into it, she owned the song.
Alex Preston
5 in 20: He loves extreme sports. He likes to write poetry. He is a hopeless romantic, loves coffee, and has never been…..(cut off).
Song: “A Beautiful Mess” by Jason Mraz
My thoughts: I had goosebumps. I loved it. My favorite performance of the night so far. He is so unique. A couple of notes were off, but not horribly. It was such an intimate performance.
The judges: Harry said he was brave to do that but cautioned him to try to sing it in tune. He felt it was too inward and that he did not feel what Alex was singing about. Harry is booed again. Keith said he had the complete opposite reaction. It pulled him in. He wanted to know what Alex “had never been” but Alex does not even remember. Jennifer agrees with Keith that she got caught up in the emotion and mood of it. Jennifer did a nice job. She felt it was a nice change from what everyone else is doing.
Jessica Meuse
5 in 20: She uses a lot of hand sanitizer and is obsessed by the supernatural. She likes ponies and has way too many animals. She failed band in school.
Song: “The Crow and the Butterfly” by Shinedown
My thoughts: I LOVED IT! I had goosebumps. Rocker girl after my own heart. It was my favorite female performance of the night.
The judges: Keith said it was a bold but cool song choice. It reminded him of the first time seeing her from the audition cities. There was a dark, haunting quality to it and that is what she has as an artist. The edgy rasp is appealing. Jennifer said that the sound and power of her voice gave her goosies everywhere. It was her favorite vocal performance of the night so far. It was perfect. She would love to see Jessica’s body relax a little bit. It was dope. Harry was distracted by the graphic butterflies. He thought it was strong and that it was cool to hear her sing slightly differently. She did a nice, nice job.
Emily Piriz
5 in 20: Went to chef camp when she was younger. Her eyes change colors depending on environment and clothing. She does a cool whistle.
Song: “Glitter In The Air” by P!nk
My thoughts: She was wearing way too much makeup (not her fault). I did not care for it. I felt like she was singing it and never made an emotional connection to the song. She was hitting the high note (which always brings out the applause) but her lower register was rough. I really don’t know what the judges heard because they had a very different take on it.
The judges: Jennifer said it is a tough song to take on but she did it beautifully. She thought it had a lot of emotion and her pitch was beautiful. Harry said it was great and she sang the melody well and conveyed the emotions well. Keith said it was one of his favorites of the night. He wants more yin-yang though. There was too much yin.
Sam Woolf
5 in 20: He is afraid of spiders. He wears size 10 shoes. He stepped on a sea urchin once and broke his ankle once falling down the stairs. His middle name is Joseph.
Song:“Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty
My thoughts: It was okay. It seemed to drag a bit. I almost had the feeling that he wanted to sing it faster but the music was lagging behind. He’s in the middle of the pack for me, too.
The judges: Harry said he wished his vocal mirrored the lyrics (that it wasn’t so clean and tight). It was nice but not great. Kevin said the tempo was slow. Sam had a great way of holding the center of his performance. Jennifer said he was a quiet storm. He needs to come alive. Sometimes he is a deer in the headlights.
Caleb Johnson
5 in 20: Unfortunately they caught him brushing his teeth. Did he say he once kissed a cow? The second one was something about a pancake? His favorite band is Rush. He was on the cross country team in high school. He loves biscuits and gravy.
Song: “Pressure and Time” by Rival Sons
My thoughts: GOOSEBUMPS!! (And hey look Taylor Hicks is in the house). Is Idol ready for a rock star winner? My favorite performance of tonight. This looked truly professional. I felt like I was attending his concert.
The judges: Keith and Jennifer were on their feet. Keith said he has some serious pipes and it was a cool song. He said he needs to figure out now how to put on that twist–retro with a twist. Jennifer said he was so ready for the rock-star life. Harry said it was great to hear rock-and-roll on Idol. If something happened to Rival Sons like what happened with Journey, he could be it.
After watching both groups perform, I believe the stronger singers this year are the boys. Ryan Seacrest wasted no time Thursday evening announcing the top 10 performers that were going through to next week’s show. In no particular order, the following names were called:
Malaya Watson is first through. She has SUCH a personality.
Ben Briley (ditch the plaid dude).
Emily Piriz. This surprised me. She has a good voice, but I didn’t like her song choice.
Alex Preston. YAY!!!!
Jessica Meuse
Dexter Roberts
Caleb Johnson (YAY). Note to Caleb: Do NOT maul Ryan Seacrest.
Majesty Rose (YAY!)
And they finally took a commercial break.
MK Nobilette
Sam Woolf (awesome!)
Wild Card
Jennifer Lopez explains. Of the 10 left, they are going to choose 5 to sing tonight so that from that they can pick 3 of them.
CJ Harris. It was good. Singing for his life? Not really. Harry said both the band and CJ screwed that up. It was not a strong start; it was average. He did not feel any of the magic. Jennifer said the specialness of his voice and soul still came through for her. Keith said he has to stay emotionally connected to the song the entire way through; he was drifting in and out emotionally.
Jena Irene. Playing keyboard. I hope she gets picked. I had goosebumps. Keith said it was a really good use of that moment.
Spencer Lloyd. I think he should have chosen the “Say Something” song (as they pointed out to him just the night before). Jennifer thinks he picked the wrong song to sing again.
Bria Anai. She was awesome. I know she will get a spot. Harry said she sang for her life but it was all over the place. She was clearly not expecting that comment.
Kristen O’Connor. She was ahead of the band. It was not her best.
Pbmom's Blog 