"American Idol" -- Fantasia Barrino, who should be this year's "American Idol", will probably be voted off next week and we'll have the two 16-year-olds as the final two.
I am resolute in my blaming of Simon for his cruel remarks to Jasmine last night...tonight's results are a direct backlash of sympathy from the voting public (the teens, mostly) for Jasmine. Simon's and Randy's callous remarks kept John Stevens around much longer than he ought to have stayed. It wasn't until Simon complimented John's conduct in the face of all that derision that the public was content to let him go.
Jasmine was obviously beside herself in delight tonight, not giving too much thought at first to the fact that her being safe meant that someone much better than she would have to go.
I think LaToya played things a bit too safely, and warily, throughout the competition. I think she's the best voice we had in the top 12, but I think Fantasia is the one with all the magic going for her.
The trouble is getting others who agree with me to vote for her, and to vote often. I'll reiterate that all the lines on the West Coast were pretty much open and available for any calls last night, proving what I cannot say, except that the London and Barrino fans were not voting.
There were apparently "controlled leaks" about tonight's show on both Ryan Seacrest's TV show and CNN and Fox News saying that America would be "shocked" once again. That could only mean Fantasia or LaToya.
Fox, of course, is milking everything it can, creating dramatic tension on the show that, under other circumstances, might be considered cruel and inhumane abuse. At the very least, Fox has cornered the market in tedious pacing and asinine pronouncements.
