Aretha was robbed

You know what? Aretha Codner, of Buffalo, got a raw deal. Never mind the fact that her dress was not as supportive as it should have been. I thought her voice was really good - it got funky toward the end, but for the most part, it was good. She was right when she said they let through people who were not as good as she was - I can think of a few myself. I'm wondering if maybe it sounded different live, but on TV, I thought it sounded fine. Or maybe they felt her figure would be too much - perhaps a bit distracting - for the American public. Because I honestly don't know why they said no to her. And she was mad, too. Simon told her she can't sing and she was like, "I can sing - I'm not even going to hear that." After they all tell her no, she says, "I almost don't even believe this because I really can sing." I'm with her. I don't know the extent of her talent, but I think she definitely deserved a spot in Hollywood.


Joshua Boson, of Beaufort, S.C., is the joke of tonight's episode, it seems. It takes a while to decipher what he's trying to sing and really, I mean, let's be honest, it wasn't even singing. But again, the theatrics come out - he's waving his arms all around and stomping his feet. He finishes and the judges just kind of look at him - it's like even they don't find these reject auditions funny anymore. But the crazy starts after the singing. When the judges tell him it wasn't good enough, he tells them that they shouldn't be looking in Charleston, then, because that's what they were gonna get. He tries to convince them by telling them that he's never had any voice training. When he still gets no support, he says the show is fake and rigged, because he can sing. But that he knew he was going to get cut. Simon starts getting annoyed and tells Joshua that he is rude and deluded. Then as they start voting and commenting, he storms out and tells Ryan that they said there was no talent in South Carolina. I mean, maybe they did say that, but since that wasn't aired, this guys looks like a liar. He keeps rambling on, saying that his talent is too big for the competition to hold and that he didn't want to be the next American Idol - he wants to be the World Idol. He said some other stuff too about the joke being on the judges or something like that, but I've lost interest, so enough about him.

Wait a minute... how is this possible? Oliver Highman is back and he brings his wife and new baby with him. If I'm not mistaken, they were in Charleston for two days - my assumption is that those days were consecutive. So, if she went into labor on Day 1, how is she out of the hospital, with the baby, by Day 2? I thought women had to stay at least a couple of days for observation. Very strange indeed.

But anyway, they let him audition, and I'm actually surprised that's it's not that great. I mean, it's not bad, but they've been following him through this whole episode - I thought that meant he'd be great. Anyway, they say no to him, but he brings in his new daughter to meet the judges. Very sweet ending - would have been sweeter if he'd made it through, but we can't have everything, I suppose.

I feel a pull on my heartstrings

Amy Catherine Flynn, of Knoxville, Tenn., the 16-year-old dance-team captain who preaches about abstinence is so cute, I just want to squeeze her. And the speech she gives Simon is just too funny. It goes something like this: Let's say you've been with your like, boyfriend or girlfriend for like a really long time and you think, like, it's time to have sex, which is, like, so not cool... Like, if you think you're gonna marry them, then like why not wait like another 5 or 6 years?" I'm not mocking her message - I think it was sweet in its innocence. It was her teenage speak that made it funny for me. But let's move on... she decides to sing a Christina Aguilera song, which could be bad news for her. Well, I can't say her voice is bad - it just has no depth. She doesn't project well, so her voice sounds very quiet and very thin. But she's adorable, so who knows what the judges will say. Paula tells her that her voice is very pure and says yes. Simon says the song was too big for her, which it was, and goes on to tell her that lots of people may find her annoying. She did make a lot of childish pouty faces, but c'mon - she's 16! He keeps going and tells her that she's not as good as she thinks she is - this is the third time he's said that in the past four episodes - but then says yes to her anyway - which he also did with the other two girls he said this to (I think). Maybe he's just messing with these girls... Anyway, Randy says yes, too, and she's through to Hollywood.

Oh... back to Oliver Highman and his wife in labor real quick - they've made it to a hospital and it looks like she's been admitted and is now in a room.

London Weidberg, of Charleston, is a beautiful woman. She's blonde and blue-eyed, slim and just very pretty. But beyond that, she's a strong woman. She lost her father to cancer three years ago, when she was only 21 years old. She says that while her dad was sick, she put music on hold, because she felt like every day could have been his last day. She says his death made her realize that life is short and that we only have so long to seize every opportunity. Her attitude is so refreshing, so positive. I can say with absolute certainty that I would be unable to carry on if I lost my father - it would so devastate me - it pains me even now, just thinking about it. To see this young woman, still so young, not only moving on, but being so full of life, so full of positive energy, is really inspiring.

She sings a Billie Holiday song and it's hard for me to judge her voice, because I really didn't care for her song choice. Her voice sounds good, I think, but I feel like it may have been better suited for a different kind of song. Randy tells her it wasn't the best audition but that she has a nice tone to her voice. Paula says the tone of her voice is engaging. Simon says that it was good, but that there are thousands of girls who sound just like her. In the end, they all say yes, so we'll see what else she can do in the coming weeks.

The "Idol" dating game

It seems "American Idol" may be the next Match.com. Crystal Ortiz of Raleigh, N.C., and Randy Stark of Abilene, Texas, met on the Idol message boards, started dating, and decided to try out together. I feel bad for Crystal because she didn't really get to sing much - Randy sang his verse, which was awful, but when it was time for her to go, the judges cut them off. They were, of course, rejected, but as the judges tell them, at least they found love.

Brother/sister team Jeffery and Michelle Lampkin, of South Carolina, are hilarious. They have great energy, they're amusing and overall, kind of silly. I was fully expecting them to be terrible, just another duo to laugh at, but their voices were very good. It's hard to sing with harmony and while it wasn't perfect, it really was pretty good. The judges think Jeffery is better than his sister, but I wonder if that's just because he was louder. There were parts where Michelle could be heard clearly, and I was impressed, but for the most part, Jeffery's voice is so powerful, it drowns her out. But we'll get to see what she sounds like alone in the coming weeks because they both get a golden ticket to Hollywood.

So, I forgot to mention the guy who was supposed to sing first, Oliver Highman. He had to leave abruptly because his wife went into labor. It slipped my mind because I figured he was out, but they're showing him again now on the way to the hospital, so maybe he does get a chance to audition after all. They're having a girl and they plan to name her Emma Grace. I forgot if they mentioned where they're from, but apparently Charleston is unfamiliar to them because he's driving around with Mapquest directions and he's lost. I'm surprised his wife is so calm - I think I'd be panicking.

Slow start in Charleston

So before getting started tonight, I just want to say what great sports the people of Long Beach are. I was afraid I would get comments from people telling me I'm an idiot or worse after I wrote about the things I don't like about the city. But with the exception of one person who apparently believes my issues stem from my inability to buy property there, everyone who commented was respectful and kind. In fact, most of you just wanted to make sure I knew that there are indeed three ways to get there, four if you go by boat. So, thank you for taking my post with a grain of salt. I meant no disrespect.

But let's get back to "American Idol" shall we? We're in Charleston, S.C., tonight, and I, for one, am super excited to hear that sexy Southern drawl for a whole hour.

I'm a bit confused by the first guy up, whose name is Ray Henderson, but he goes by Rashard. Most people use nicknames to shorten their names up, not lengthen them - maybe it stands for something. Anyway, he says he sounds like Clay Aiken - I have a feeling he's mistaken, but let's keep an open mind and unpause the TiVo. Well, to be honest, I don't think his voice is bad at all - definitely no Clay Aiken, but really not that bad. The thing that might hold him back is his theatrics - he's down on one knee and gesturing all funny. Randy nails it right on the head - he says it was just over the top - Paula agrees with me and says it was very theatrical. And they all say no.

I hope that Charleston isn't going to be one dramatic singer after the other. Deanna Prevatte, who comes from Albemarle, N.C., the same town as Kellie Pickler, is a spitfire. She's a waitress and she's just full of character. She says she likes Kellie Pickler's song, but that she'd probably knock someone down with a baseball bat if she thought she was going to lose him instead of strutting around in high heels. And then she tells Simon about the cheap Sunday crowd at her restaurant and how it's an all-you-can-eat situation, but not a buffet, so the waitresses are run into the ground, and then the customers leave her like a dollar - she's cute and entertaining. In fact, the only negative thing I have to say up to this point is that she's wearing this cute camisole-like top, but the straps keep falling down - it's very distracting. But anyway, her singing doesn't start off that bad. The first line is actually good, but then she gets louder and louder and the next thing you know, she's down on both knees, pointing at the judges and screaming her song, with her straps halfway down her arms.

Simon calls her a tiger and says that her performance was a bit angry - they all say no and Simon tells her if he ever came into her restaurant, he would only have one helping. It's meant to be a joke, but she kind of just stares at him angrily as she walks out.

So, on to the first commercial break with no real talent yet.