Tribune bloggers Jeanne DePaul and Susie Engle give their thoughts about “American Idol” from Feb. 17.

Susan Engle: I usually don’t get bored with American Idol until mid-April, when the Top 10 is being winnowed down, the “don’t have a chancers” get the boot and the endless commercial that is AI ramps into full gear.

Hollywood Week (or in this case, Hollywood 2 Weeks) is usually the best part of Idol. By that time, Idol has finished torturing us with endless bad auditions by reality fame whores and heartstring-tugging sob stories that make up the bulk of the audition shows. Hollywood Week is usually when they trot out the folks who can actually sing and give viewers a chance to start identifying favorites to follow.

Not this year. Hollywood Week has been an interminable string of judgetalk, torture-the-contestants images and Ryan Seacrestisms, interspersed with tiny little snippets of actual songs.

Let’s face it. American Idol has lost its mojo. It isn’t the loss of Paula. It’s not the addition of Kara (although she contains to suck in oh-so-many ways). It’s not the addition of Ellen DeGeneres, who I like and think is actually adding a certain something to the show. It’s like I’m skipping down the Yellow Brick Road and see Oz in the distance and hovering over the Emerald City is a giant Wizard pulling strings and manipulating everything. I always knew I was being manipulated before, but it was subtle enough I could enjoy the show anyway.

Not so, anymore. Not for me, at least.

Jeanne DePaul: I used to enjoy Hollywood week as the time when we’d leave the freaks behind and we’d finally get to see some good singers. But what producers are giving us now is so fragmented, we never get to see someone sing an entire song.

The groups used to be amazingly good, as the hopefuls would stay up all night, and come up with great harmonies and dance moves. Now we get to see so little of them, instead spending most of our time watching the judges shuffle through photos of the contestants.

The show isn’t about singing anymore. It’s more about the most interesting or saddest or most triumphant backstory. If you don’t have at least something to offer — like a dead parent or a handicapped sibling or you lost all your belongings in a horrible house fire or you suffer from a debilitating disease — forget about it.

You may have pipes like Aretha Franklin but you are not getting any Idol facetime.

Wednesday’s show was a good example and it’s what made it easy for the Olympics broadcast, fragmented and tape delayed as it is, to blow past Idol in the ratings. The entire show was watching hopeful after hopeful be called onto a stage to be tortured by the judges.

I don’t know who suffers more, us or them, but watching that coy dance the judges do where they draw out the drama of whether the Idol hopeful is in or out is nauseating. I wish they’d just post a list on the wall of who’s in, so we could spend more time listening and less time squirming in discomfort.

Remember Michael Johns from Season 8? His rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is still one of the best performances ever during Hollywood week. The way things are now, we’ll never see another like it. In fact, we’ll never even see another Hollywood week song.

Engle: With what little they’ve shown of the contestants, it’s hard to get a handle on who’s really good and who are sacrificial lambs chosen as “ringers” for the home audience to vote out.

My favorites, so far, are:

Crystal Bowersox, whose 30 seconds of “Natural Woman” wowed the judges. There’s lots of talk online about her bad teeth, which look as if they’ve been damaged by antibiotic use.

Haeley Vaughn, who we haven’t seen too much of during Hollywood Week, but who blew me away with her country-tinged vocals during the audition. It’s hard to tell if she can maintain the quality, or if she’s a one-audition wonder.

Siobhan Magnus, she of the cool name and big voice.

Not one of the guys has blown me away and the remainder of the women have underwhelmed as well. Guess we’ll find out next week.

DePaul: I’m glad you remember the names. I can only put one name with a face and that’s Siobhan Magnus, for some reason. Maybe it’s because her name and look is so distinctive. I like the way she sounds, and I like several others, including the one who played harmonica and guitar. There are a couple of the men who I think have what it takes, including the dark-haired guy with glasses and the guy with the long blond hair who took off his shirt during his audition.

At any rate, when the live shows start Tuesday (Feb. 23), we’ll finally get to see them sing an entire song and we can really judge for ourselves.

Not that I’ll ever vote or anything like that.

Tribune bloggers Jeanne DePaul and Susie Engle give their thoughts about “American Idol” from May 5 and “Survivor” from May 7.

Jeanne: OK, we’re gonna kill two birds with one stone here:

First up, “American Idol”: The show has definitely lost its luster for me and I think for others. It’s just gotten too big for its britches. The judges are trying too hard to make sure America votes the way the producers want, constantly banging us over the head with how great Adam Lambert is and how crummy whoever they want off this week is. It’s transparent, unlike the voting totals for each contestant.

I never watch the results shows anymore; I don’t even tune into the last 10 minutes to see who goes. I’m mainly watching the competition shows so I can live-blog them. I think I might be done.

Susie: I am done. It hit the zenith last week when I watched just five minutes of the competition show. Frankly, I just don’t care who wins this. Who knows? Maybe America is going to go all CD-buying crazy over the screamy Adam Lambert, but I think the show has become the home of short-lived celebrity. I never remember any of the “Survivor” contestants, sometimes not even the winners, and now don’t even remember most of the AI hopefuls.
What’s worse is that Jeanne is exactly correct. The relentless micromanagement by producers and judges have doomed the show to near-certain extinction. And by that I mean irrelevance. Last year’s crop can barely sell a record among them, including Kristy Lee Cook and Brooke White. I mean, they sound OK, but there’s no excitement there. David Cook is hardly setting the industry on fire.
As for previous winners, only Jordin Sparks, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson can be considered bonafide successes and they’re all women, who obviously no longer stand a chance in the Idol universe.

Jeanne: Ugh. Yeah, this year the judges really have their hate on for the women. Although the four judges verbally beat the stuffing out of poor Allison week after week, she stuck around as long as she did through sheer … um … talent. Imagine that.

Cowell says he’s leaving after next season (a smart move on his part). But with Cowell gone, who will the Idolers’ families boo and threaten during the show?

So now that we’ve declared AI a goner, how long do you think it will stick around?

Susie: I give it another two or three years, possibly even four. It still scores some great ratings, but its erosion with recording industry talent is going to take a serious hit if what they turn out are not recording artists who can move single and album sales, but just reality show stars. The question is how long will they allow it to exist before it turns into an industry joke?

Jeanne: OK, on to “Survivor.” This show still amuses me and causes me to talk back to the television, always a good sign of engagement. I, along with everyone else, hates Coach but I’d be sad if he left, since he’s the source of so much derision. I love that he couldn’t find anyone to visit him for Thursday’s family visitation episode, instead opting to have his “assistant coach” visit and do stretches with him. What a hoot.

The two running this game, Stephen and J.T., are smart to keep Coach around because no matter how many times they stab him in the back by voting out the people he’s closest to, he’ll keep believing that he’s in good with them. Even though he was the only one to vote for Taj this week, when they go back to camp, they’ll have him believing that it was for the best and they couldn’t tell him but they all still love him and it’s all good. And he’ll still be running around calling himself the Dragonslayer.

Susie: When he commented to his assistant coach, “You know what they call me? Dragonslayer,” I couldn’t help but shout, “No one calls you that, dipstick. YOU call yourself that.” So, you’re right about the entertainment power.

What amazes me is that Stephen and J.T. are so effortlessly running this game. If Coach and Debbie had the sense God gave a goat, they would have gone to Sierra, Erin and Tyson weeks ago to form an unholy alliance and get rid of those two. To give credit where it’s due though, I think it’s funny that J.T. thinks he’s the one running this game. Stephen is a master strategist who has had this game figured out from the get-go. I’d like him to win the whole thing.

Jeanne: I yelled the same thing at my TV. I wonder how many others across the country did the same?

I laughed last night when Stephen was musing how much people loved he and J.T. and he sort of wondered why. I think it’s because they aren’t particularly skeevy (like Coach) and they tend to fly under the radar a bit and don’t call a lot of attention to themselves (I’m looking at you, Dragonslayer!). Tyson was another one who was so obviously a misogynist that people couldn’t wait to get rid of him. And so they did.

Taj is far too trusting and though she told her husband, the fabulous Eddie George, that she had “two brothers” out there taking care of her, she’s going to find herself hitting the road soon. They won’t be loyal to her because I think they’d rather take Coach to the final three. What do you think?

Speaking of the final three, I think it really diluted things when they went to three rather than a final two. I wish they’d go back.

Susie: What Taj needs to do is to arrange a blindside of Stephen and J.T. It’s probably best to get rid of J.T. because he’s pretty well liked, even with all his double-dealing. She needs to use that immunity idol pretty soon, since it’s going to be useless soon anyway.

Now, if I was playing the game (as Taj), I would pull together Erin and Coach and arrange a blindside of J.T. That breaks up the power couple and would shift the balance of power. Then Erin, Taj and Coach could agree that Stephen goes next. All three would have a pretty decent chance in front of the jury. Erin and Taj would be seen as riding the coattails of J.T. and Stephen and Coach is just plain unlikeable. Any of the three could win.
But, like you, I’d prefer a final two.

Jeanne: Taj won’t stab her “brothers” in the back, but that would be the way to go. And I think she’d win, hands down, sitting beside Coach and Erin. Witness how none of them would bid against her getting to see her family on the ridiculously product-placed cell phone.

But how great was her reaction when she finally twigged to the notion that Eddie would see her back at camp? It’s a wonder Jeff Probst still has use of his left arm the way Taj grabbed it.

Tribune legacy bloggers Jeanne DePaul and Susie Engle give their thoughts about “American Idol” from Feb. 17.

Susie: You know American Idol’s results shows are bad when I record only the last 15 minutes of the show and then watch only five minutes of it. Not that I missed much, from what I could tell.

When I tuned in, Alexis Grace and Matt Sarver(!!!) had already been put through. Sorry folks, but I did not see that one coming. He’s as ho-hum an offering as there is, another in an interminable string of country-boy “hats” that Nashville seems to love so much these days. I can’t tell one from another and after awhile they all seem to blend together in one long generic drone — JasonCraigRodneyAndyBillyBradPaulJoshLukeSteve — yada, yada, yada. Or should I say yawn, yawn, yawn. I guess likability carried the day, except when it came to Anoop.

Jeanne: If I have something better to do (which ain’t hard) I don’t watch the results shows at all, so I just looked to the Web for the early results last night and didn’t bother with the TV show. The results shows are the absolute worst thing about AI and I rarely watch them.

I’m surprised Sarver got through as well. He must have a big fan base. Here’s what I said about him Tuesday: “He sounded good but he didn’t really pull off the song. I don’t think rock was the right choice for him. He never really seemed like he had a handle on it.”

I did like Grace, though she didn’t wow me. But I’m OK with that pick.

I doubt the judges thought they’d be having to use one of their picks on Anoop. And maybe by the time the next two groups go through, there will be others they have to rescue and they’ll leave poor Anoop behind. That’s too bad, but he had his chance to shine and he didn’t.

Susie: It makes me wonder if they’re going to consider the rejects as a whole or choose one from each group of nine. Common sense would seem to dictate they’d look at all 27 rejects as a group and choose the top three they think have the most talent and “it” factor. But AI doesn’t always operate on common sense. And if talent carried the day exclusively, Sarver would have been headed home to the oil rig and Ricky Braddy and Anoop would have had a shot at that third slot.

My wild card picks from this week’s show: Tatiana, Ricky or Anoop.

Jeanne: I think they’re going to pick from the whole pool of rejects. That is going to be one miserable job and there are going to be great singers rejected and left in the dust. I don’t like this idea of America choosing nine of the top 12. We all know America’s taste and that it often sucks. Yeah, I’m lookin’ at you, John Stevens.

Susie: Yes, John Stevens. And Sanjaya. And most of the season that delivered Reuben and Clay. And don’t forget Squinty Archuleta (who may be able to sing but whose wheezy delivery stomps on my last nerve).

They started out with a great pool of talent, but they may have already run this season off into the ditch.

Jeanne: I weep for Anoop.

Tribune legacy bloggers Jeanne DePaul and Susie Engle give their thoughts about “American Idol” from Feb. 17.

Susie: My fast-forwarding finger got a workout on Tuesday night. I have to agree with you, Jeanne, from your live blog of the action, the show just went on and on and on. I guess that’s how you sell more commercials, but it makes for an excruciating two hours. Luckily, I recorded it and watched Frontline’s excellent “Inside the Meltdown” at 9 p.m. That let me watch the two-hour Idol in about … oh … 30 to 35 minutes. That’s what was left after skipping through the interminable interviews, the photo sessions, the confessionals and even the babbling of Paula.

For my money, the best of the 12 were Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace and Ricky Braddy. I thought he was way better than Anoop, though Anoop has more personality. I get an Elliott Yamin vibe off of Ricky, but he’s unfortunately been doomed by the AI curse: lack of face time to build an audience.

Jeanne: I avoided the Frontline show like the plague. That’s too much reality for me.

I thought Simon was pretty much right-on with his critiques of the night as well. I mean, those other three came unglued after Danny’s song and I guess it was just that he stayed on key, but that guy was nothing special. He sang and it was nice: that was it. But Randy, Paula and Kara practically drooled into their shoes over him and it just was not all that.

Often I don’t go along with Simon, especially when he obviously is all over the map and when he decides he absolutely hates someone (as he did with Carly Smithson last season) but in this case, he was calling them accurately. That Danny lovefest by the other three made them look like idiots.

This is the singers’ chance to choose songs that fit, before they’re crammed into “theme nights” and have to choose a Dolly Parton song or something. I don’t think any of them shined at that, especially Danny, who again chose a song that “meant something” to him. Get over it, kids.

I want to see Danny and Anoop get through. Other than that, I don’t much care.

Susie: Of the four judges, I think Simon’s opinion carries more weight than anyone’s, especially among the contestants. However, when he chooses a contestant to bash or buoy, it’s sometimes hard to tell if he’s doing it because that’s how he really feels or because he’s being perverse. Part of his charm, I guess. That’s why I kept forwarding through the hyperbole of the Randy, Kara and Paula to get to the meat of the judging with Simon. Did you ever wonder how America would judge the judges, if allowed to vote. It’s my guess that Randy would end up on the bottom. Sometimes, he’s just incomprehensible. Paula’s next from the bottom. Kara offers some more insightful critiques, but it’s Simon who holds sway.

I don’t think any of the contestants knocked it out of the ballpark. I didn’t really expect them to, given it’s the first time in front of an audience without the fear/saving grace of being cut off by the judges before completing the performance. All of them were nervous, which I think explains Anoop’s less-than-worthy delivery. But performances like those handed in by Stevie, Casey Carlson and Stephen Fowler make me question those who make it through to sing for the voting audience. How much better would Danny Gokey’s friend, Jamar, have been than Stephen Fowler? A bunch, I’d bet.

And then there’s Tatiana. I agree she did better tonight. She was more toned down. She delivered the song. But I don’t think that insane whinnying giggle can be contained for long and if she’s allowed through to the Top 12 we’re going to hear it again. Not to mention the tears, the importuning, the praying, etc. etc. It’s more than I can bear. That said, I think Simon’s knock on her as a fame seeker was fair. The entire show is predicated on people who will do practically anything for fame. That’s like telling a goose that lays golden eggs to start producing something with real yolks.

Jeanne: I was amazed at the change in Tatiana. As I wrote last night, it will be interesting to see how long she can last. Even with the judges taunting her and encouraging her to let loose, she played it cool. She never would have gotten the face time she did if she hadn’t acted so bizarre in auditions and in Hollywood, but I wonder if she was mortified when she watched it all play back.

If she gets through to the top 12 (and I wouldn’t be upset if she did, since she can sing) it will be interesting to see if she can continue with the calm demeanor or if her inner psycho will bust out again.

OK, that’s what we think. Now what do you think?

Tribune legacy bloggers Jeanne DePaul and Susie Engle give their thoughts about “Survivor” from Feb. 3.

Susie: Talk about wicked games. “Survivor” goes from favoring schoolyard picks in which the perceived old, weak and scrawny players are shunned like science geeks at the dodgeball court to first impression votes, where perceived old, weak and scrawny players are shunned like … well, you know where I’m going.

The already-formed tribes thought they were voting off the old lady, Sandy, and the weak girl whose name I have already forgotten. Of course, this being “Survivor,” they were just giving them a helicopter ride to camp. Good thing for the girl with the strep throat. I always wonder about the avowed fans who vote off the “old folks.” Have they never watched this show before? Young does not necessarily equal strong and it often does not equal smart and savvy. Getting rid of the smart players early in the game will only guarantee a lot of hungry days and cold nights when the incompetents realize they don’t know how to build a shelter, find and/or cook food or build a fire.

Jeanne: No, old doesn’t always mean weak and stupid. But in this case Sandy means not very bright, because she had time, it seemed, to find that hidden immunity idol and she didn’t. “What are paces?” Yikes! And it took her forever just to find the stupid stick on the beach, and then she couldn’t seem to track down the lone palm tree standing there in plain view. I mean, really.

I also wonder about her teammates, though, who didn’t explore enough to find the beach and see how all the sand was recently disturbed. Hmmmmm. Didn’t they think she might be up to something?

For all her posturing, Sandy isn’t too bright, but she’s strong and probably less annoying than Carolina, which is why she stayed.

As with most first episodes, only a few stand out. I already don’t much like Benjamin, or “Coach” as he apparently wants to be called. I’m already well tired of Tyson, the naked guy, but I sort of like Spencer the youngster.

Susie: Agreed on Sandy, who would probably drive me insane if I had to spend extended time in her presence. Still, they were voting on her based upon age alone, which is ironic. At 53, she’s only four years older than the former Army Guard guy and seven years older than the muscular blonde woman who is a principal in real life.

Speaking of real life, I’m a little vexed over the proliferation of wealthy folks popping up on this season. Brendan Synnott started Bare Naked Granola and sold it for a gazillion bucks. Taj is a Grammy-nominated recording artist who’s sold a gazillion albums and there’s a couple of others. I guess they love the game, but they sure don’t need the money and, as has been pounded into our heads over and over again for 17 seasons, it’s all about the money. I have to wonder how many of the millionaires are going to get to 20 days in and decide it’s time to bag on the deprivation.

And I’m with you on Coach and Naked Guy. Both get my vote for the Most Annoying prize. I had to laugh at Coach’s soliloquy on leadership and all. Carolina tried the leadership route, but got dogged and voted off for being whiny and bossy. For my money, Coach is way more bossy than Carolina. Of course, men get away with it more than women do.

Jeanne: That’s it exactly: When women try to lead, they’re pegged as bossy female dogs. And when men try to lead, they’re pegged as … well … leaders. Hmmmmm.

I don’t mind the rich people influx. For one thing, they have to love the game to live with the deprivation so that’s a nice change from the people who are recruited for the show, never having seen an episode. They also likely to bring some cunning to the game, since generally they got — and stayed — rich because they’re not dumb. It will be interesting to see if the rich folks step up the plate, or wilt like hothouse flowers at the first freeze.

You know, I’m not sure I’m ready for this edition of the show. I still haven’t gotten over Sugar getting aced out of either of the top prizes last fall, after she outplayed everyone. Bob wasn’t evil, but he didn’t play as well as Sugar.

Way back in the beginning of time, when Richard Hatch won, my friends and I yelled at the TV because he was so evil. But everyone on the jury said they voted for him because he had played the best game. And that made a certain amount of sense, because he really did. “Survivor” has turned from rewarding those who outplay everyone to a popularity contest about who’s the nicest and that’s a drag.

OK, that’s what we think. Now what do you think?