Wednesday night, the final night in the Idoldome, saw at last the journey reach its irreducible core. After all the ups and downs, what the season was about was what it had seemed to be, what many hoped it would be for these past weeks –- the battle of the Davids, David Cook vs. David Archuleta. Syesha Mercado having dodged so many bullets for so long was finally dispatched at the very respectable number three slot on a night as tear jerking as any the show has yet produced.
There are two crucial episodes in each American Idol season. The first is the Green Mile -- the show at the end of Hollywood week in which the remaining fifty-some aspirants learn one by one if they have been accepted into the Top 24, an entire episode of pure razor’s edge dramatic tension as each is hurled to the entertainment heavens or plunged forever into the abyss of anonymity.
The second crucial episode is the one in which the surviving Top Three return to their hometowns; the triumphal marches showcase in stark tear-jerking technicolor the nobelest heights of the Idol phenomenon. Here is where it sinks in that a mere four months ago David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado and David Cook were in fact, a high school student, an aspiring actress and a bartender, and today, just a handful of months later, they go back home for the first time, their lives utterly and irrevocably changed.
Sometimes, things turn out just like you thought it would. That new program manager you thought was flirting with you over the water cooler asks you out. You cut out carbs and lose five pounds. Keeping the Tater Mitts gloves you bought after watching that infomercial and treating Mom to a pedicure instead guarantees you a happier Mother's Day. And the two "American Idol" finalists everyone was betting on, at least since the moody and glorious Carly Smithson felt the blade a month ago, are indeed battling for the crown next week.
David and David -- the clean teen versus the Bedhead-by-TIGI coiffed rocker -- should make for a final round marked by big notes and bitten lips. Both young fellows looked kinda sick after learning they'd be going on, in contrast to departing Syesha Mercado, who kept her Miss World smile frozen in place as she delivered yet another pitch-perfect, stylish performance, reprising "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys.
In her hometown visit, her dad bravely reminded the world that he'd struggled with drugs and alcohol, and suddenly, we all remembered -- Syesha's not part robot because she's evil, but because she's been holding it together as her family's struggled for God knows how long.
The times, they are a changin'. America now has its first official plus-sized/full-figured/whatever you want to call it Top Model. Curvier girls who felt awful about themselves yesterday can hold their heads high today. Actually, all things considered, especially in light of Tyra Banks' previous ham-handed attempts to handle weight issues on her talk show, Whitney's status wasn't as exploited as much as it might have been, especially since Tyra all but said that she liked Fatima because she was a victim.
The "Top Model" finale was not very different from previous finales. Anya, Fatima and Whitney were all shot for a Cover Girl commercial and spread, one that didn't look as all-American and smiley as it has in the past. While on the commercial Fatima rushed her lines and Whitney displayed what Paulina Porizkova described as "fakeness," Anya stumbled over her lines but displayed natural Cover Girl Charm. However, the judges felt her picture failed in comparison to Whitney's (although it could be argued that all three photos looked the same). Fatima was eliminated.
Leading to what will probably be the most closely fought final in the its history, "American Idol" winnowed its field to two after ousting jazzy singer Syesha Mercado on the Wednesday results show.
Mercado had struggled through much of the season -- occupying a seemingly permanent berth in the bottom tier -- before finally surging in the final weeks and outlasting all her 12 fellow female
contestants. In the last month, she seemed to find her voice, however, performing jazzy, Broadway-esque songs that accentuated her light touch.
However, in this week's final-three performance show, she struggled to keep pace with alternative rocker David Cook and 17-year-old sensation David Archuleta. In particular, her rendition of the sultry standard "Fever" left the judges cold. Simon Cowell even termed it bad cabaret.
Mercado was ousted in a week in which more than 56 million votes were cast to choose the finalists. The show also featured tear-jerking video packages of the remaining contestants' journeys home, where they all were met by massive crowds.
With two finalists each drawing on massive popular support, next week's finals could be the closest race for the crown in the show's history. Archuleta has become a 'tween phenomenon this season, with his soulful renditions of ballads and giggling, youthful manner. Cook has surged in the last six weeks, rising from the lower ranks of most predictions and winning over fans with his dramatic alternative-rock takes on popular songs.
Check back later for a full report from the scene at the Idoldome.
The finale of Cycle 10 of "America's Next Top Model" airs tonight, with Whitney, Fatima and Anya vying for the coveted title. Each girl brings her own strengths to the table: The judges love Whitney's face, and she's determined to break barriers and become the first plus-sized ANTM. The judges also see "model" when they look at Fatima, but her attitude has gotten her in trouble with the judges and her cast-mates (although Tyra Banks does love a good sob story, which Fatima does have). Anya is remarkably drama-free AND has performed strongly as a model during the competition ... will her lack of major obstacle to overcome be her downfall?
Who do you think will win, and why?
Stay tuned for an interview with the winner this Friday!
Shakira brought the house down when she closed the lively 75-minute presentation with three of her biggest hits. The mini-concert was like a shot of badly needed espresso on this upfront hump day.
We can also confirm that Shakira's hips do not, in fact, lie.
After four decades on the air, "Sabado Gigante" is undergoing a makeover. Its creator and host, Don Francisco, appeared on stage to announce that next fall he's launching "El Nuevo Sabado Gigante" ("The New Giant Saturday") and it's "going to be more gigantic than ever."
Of course, he didn't stay long enough to dish how.
One day after the groundbreaking Broadway musical "In the Heights" received 13 Tony nominations, its young, bicultural cast opened Univision's upfront. You could not help but be riveted as they performed and proved why the show is so caliente.
Then lead character Usnavi (Javier Munos), who explained how his father gave him his moniker when he passed a U.S. Navy ship on the way to America, took over as host.
"Have you seen the cast of 'In the Heights?'" he asked the audience, referring to their different races and varying Latino cultural backgrounds.
"You're looking at the future of the U.S. ...Ignore us and our increasingly fat wallets at your peril."
-- Maria Elena Fernandez
(Photo courtesy Amy Sussman/Getty Images (L-R, top) Cast members Mandy Gonzalez, Seth Stewart, Robin De Jesus, Janet Dacal, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andrea Burns, (L-R, bottom) Carlos Gomez, Karen Olivo and Christopher Jackson.)
Univision knows how to flirt. Before the presentation at Frederick P. Rose Hall, slogans on a big screen used the four-color "U" that is the network's logo to court buyers while songs such as "It Had To Be You," "You Light Up My Life," "You Are My Sunshine" played in the background.
Some of the slogans:
Everything I do, I do for U U are the apple of my eye. U asked for it, U got it U make me feel like a natural woman.
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