Confession time! I have been watching American Idol.
I know, it is just about as low as you can go in terms of crap television. And it’s all the more surprising, given that I was able to completely resist it for seven full seasons before this.
Actually, almost seven full seasons.
I became a junkie late last season when I heard they were going to have a Neil Diamond night. I loooooove me some Neil Diamond — so kitchy yet so sincere, and plus, he reminds me of my mom. So, I watched that episode, and loved it, and then since I knew who the competitors were now, I actually read all the articles in EW on the subject, and then WHAM, I was hooked.
Then this season started, and nothing else had started back up yet, and I thought, “Oh, it can’t hurt to check out just a couple of episodes.”
And then WHAM, I was a goner.
My point here is that I was watching last night, which was the final selection night for the people who are actually going to make it to the voting round, when out of nowhere, they showed some blond girl who they had never featured before.
As you might imagine, the fact that we had not seen her before did not bode well for her getting advanced to the voting round. So I was all prepared to just ignore this particular segment.
Until I realized…IT WAS JENN.
I almost passed out. Hi-5 and American Idol, together! It was better than Peanut Butter Cups.
So as I predicted, she got cut. Simon Cowell, for the record, said it was, “absolutely the wrong choice.” He was behind Jenn all the way. Granted, it was because she was cute and stylish, not because he thought she could sing, but WHATEVER. He got overruled by the other three judges, but they were SO WRONG.
I don’t think they realized the built-in soccer mom audience that Jenn could have commanded. Seriously, her Idol-winning CD would have sold millions. She could have been the female Jack Johnson, people!
(Don’t worry, LuckySevens, I recorded Jenn on the PVR because I know you are DYING to see her. Although, it’ll probably be on YouTube later today).
Speaking of Simon Cowell, I have the wee-ish of crushes on him. I know he’s not very nice and he has questionable hair, but he’s snarky and is so damned right all the time. Apparently, I find that sort of thing attractive in a man (exhibit A: Sir Monkeypants).
And speaking of kids’ programming, we are now totally addicted to the new version of The Electric Company around here. I don’t remember watching it much as a kid, and when we first checked it out a few weeks ago I wasn’t sure about it — it’s a very busy show, with lots of quick cuts and a ton of information flying at you all at once, and I thought it was a little much. But since the new episodes are only on once a week, we have a chance to watch each episode four or five times over, and after that many viewings the kids are actually starting to learn some cool stuff.
So far, we’ve discovered from Lin-Manuel Miranda that Silent E Is A Ninja (an instant classic, the kids and I are already performing this one regularly around the house):
And that Jimmy Fallon has a pocket full of H’s and he’s not afraid to use them:
And Sean Kingston explained that there are Two Ways To Say C (did you know that the soft C sound is used before an E, I, or Y? It’s totally true!):
SO AWESOME.
TurtleHead 
Simon Cowell _is_ the only one of the judges who really knows what he’s talking about. (Disclaimer: I haven’t seen the new season and don’t know anything about the new fourth judge). Paula Abdul is a total flake without any ability to discriminate — she can’t say anything bad about anyone. Andy Randy Jackson I think has some knowledge, but his opinions are just all over the map. Plus, enough already with “check it out” and “dog”. Geez.
I don’t always agree with Simon, and he is pretty mean, but at least he’s honest. I respect that.
I don’t watch Idol but I have to admit that if you had told me that Jenn had made it through I would have tuned in. We still watch the Hi5 Action Heroes DVD weekly at our house. My M loves it.
We have been recording Electric Company since it started on TVO but we have only watched it a few times. I saw the Sean Kingston clip and I actually used it with D when was doing his english reading. Their songs are so catchy and honestly I didn’t know the “rules” about the sounds (I just kept telling D, just sounds like that cause it does – I’d make a great teacher eh) and it helps to know them.
Oh and I am freaking cause Survivor starts again tonight!!!! HELLO!!
You sooooo read my mind. I was reading your post and when I got to the point where you exclaimed JENN was on AI my jaw dropped. My first thought was how could I have missed that!! Then I read on and I see you came through for me. YAY! you know that the next time I am at your place I will have to watch this….I may even have to make a special trip just for it. 🙂
I can’t believe you said I have questionable hair! That is so not cool dawg!
Oh I got sucked into season 8 too. My first time. Although I have watched the odd episode here and there before. The guy who recently lost his wife sucked me right in. Dude can sing too. I need to know how far he goes. I’m pathetic.