American Idol Gives Back: Mariah Carey (and Jesus)

26 performance and backstage photos from Idol Gives Back: are all here

Mariah Carey takes to the stage, the woman who recently passed Elvis and now has the most #1 songs all time, with 18. I'm not a huge Mariah fan, so to quote Randy, it's just okay for me.

And--that's it. It's 10:05 EST, so they're running a bit late; then the Idol contestants come up on stage, all dressed in white--they're singing Shout To the Lord.

See, this drives me nuts--most of the people in Africa the show is intended to help aren't Christian, a lot of people watching this show in the U.S. aren't--so why would they close with a song about Jesus Christ?

It's a bit ridiculous, actually. The backbone of aid efforts in Africa often times are religious organizations (Christian, but also Muslim and Jewish and Hindu), who have done a tremendous amount of good. But many of the big organizations--Bono's, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID--have nothing to do with any religion.

And, if you've ever read books like Harvard professor Caroline Ekins' Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya, or know anything about the history of South Africa, or the Congo, or pretty much any other country in Africa, you're probably blushing right now.

Because the history of Christianity in Africa has been, at best, a mixed bag. The church has just as often supported slavery, racism, war and human rights abuses as it's supported things to be proud of.

So I'm not sure what FOX was thinking; tonight's show is about donating money to help fight poverty in Africa and the U.S.

But I guess taking a page from President Bush and his faith-based charity programs, FOX feels like you have to praise Jesus to do that?

I really have no problem with the song--but at least put it in the middle, in context; let's not cap off the entire night with it.

Oh, another thing I just thought of and am adding after the show has ended--Chikezie's parents are from Nigeria!

Why not have him talk at some point about his heritage, his family?! It'd have been nice to hear a personal perspective, break up the parade of celebrities a bit.

Really, this show drives me nuts sometimes; on balance, it was a great night and the money Idol raises will do a lot of good; plus they've brought a lot of attention to an issue that is too easy to ignore on a day-to-day basis.

But then they do something stupid or overlook something obvious that just makes you wonder who's really running things over at FOX.

At any rate... you can donate at 1-877-436-5243 or https://www.idolaid.com/AidForm.asp.

And your regular blogger Eileen will be back tomorrow night!

AP photo of Mariah Carey

American Idol Gives Back: Brad Pitt, Daughtry

Tyra Banks as we come back, she gets a surprisingly loud hand from the audience. Ugh, now the smarmy David Spade--he's talking about New Orleans, I keep waiting for a joke, but there isn't one.

Just Brad Pitt; they've done a pretty comprehensive job looking at the situation in New orleans, this one's focused on the rebuilding job. Pitt's wearing a Payne Stewartish golf cap... the group that's focused on, Make It Right, is rebuilding homes in a non-generic manner.

He shows up 'live' at the Kodak, gets a big standing ovation. For being Brad Pitt, I guess. Some mike problems, the tech who comes on stage to fix his mike gets off a great line, "I just needed a reason to touch him."

He introduces Daughtry--last year's biggest selling band--who went to Uganda. Chris is singing What About Now, no narration just scenes of daily life in Uganada.

Again, I wonder why Idol doesn't take 30 seconds and at least show Uganda on a map; here's Wikipedia's Uganda entry; and the entry on Forest Whitaker's film about Idi Amin, The Last King of Scotland.

Africa's no different than Europe--there are a ton of countries and ethnic groups, all with very different histories, languages, customs, etc. Because Idol doesn't present any context, they're making it all run together, as if all of Africa suffers from the same problems for the same reason, and just funding aid organizations will help everyone equally.

A lot of Uganda's problems, for example, stem from the fact that Idi Amin was a crazy dictator who killed up to half a million people and drove a lot of the talented people out of the country. Imagine if that happened to the U.S.--yeah, we'd probably still be pretty messed up 30 years later.

Sudan, on the other hand, is still in the middle of a vicious war between North and South; South Africa is fighting the effects of apartheid and AIDs/HIV; Egypt has overpopulation problems and religious issues; Angola just ended a bloody civil war that for a couple of decades was funded by the U.S. on one side and the U.S.S.R./Cuba on the other... but you wouldn't know any of this from Idol.

You can donate at 1-877-436-5243 or https://www.idolaid.com/AidForm.asp.

American Idol Gives Back: Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Robin Williams

Some kids from High School Musical 3?! as we come back from break, then back to Miley Cyrus, doing See You Again.

Okay, this is my new favorite performance from the night--it's just entertaining as all heck, it's more like a mini-drama than anything else. Then she and her dad Billy Ray Cyrus go back to where he's from, in Kentucky, to show the level of poverty in Appalachia.

Wow, Miley says 50% of the kids are below the poverty line; they meet a family that, as she says, live in "very difficult conditions". Wikipedia tells us about 12% of the U.S. lives under the poverty line, which is set at $21,200 for a family of four.

As Billy Ray says, what they witnessed in this home was "hope"--which is the hallmark of Americans. No matter how bad it is, we always think we will one day do better. The great thing about this country is, generally, we do.

Robin Williams shows up, Ryan pretends he's the winner of Russian Idol. He makes fun of Russia for a looooong time, which is ironic given most of this show is about making poor people in other parts of the world less foreign, and more connected to us.

He's wearing a ridiculous black and yellow outfit, at some point starts "singing" some fake Russian song. Really, it's hilarious how xenophobic his entire thing is, given the theme of the show.

It actually makes me wonder what the real Russian Idol winner would be like... really, FOX should've just shown us clips from American Idol competitions in other countries, it'd have been a lot more interesting.

And would have at least fit in with their we're one world, all in this together theme; while Williams' act just seems like something stale from 20 years ago when we were all up in arms about the Evil Empire.

Rob Schneider takes us to break.

You can donate at 1-877-436-5243 or https://www.idolaid.com/AidForm.asp.

Getty Images photo of Miley Cyrus

American Idol Gives Back: Reese Witherspoon, Alicia Keyes

Keith Urban brings us back from break, then Reese Witherspoon talks about the Children's Defense Fund, she went to New Orleans to check out their educational programs.

The Freedom School program tries to break the cycle of poverty and violence; as Rob Lowe's Sam Seaborn character on the West Wing once said:

Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes. We need gigantic revolutionary changes. Schools should be palaces. Competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be getting six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge for its citizens, just like national defense. That is my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.

Man, what did we do before googling/wikipedia?!

Seasons of Love from the Idol contestants, one of those group sings that are sometimes surprisingly good. It's not bad in this case; the song's not great, it comes across as a bit ponderous, self-indulgent Simon would call it. They're flanked by choirs; Ryan says you can download it on iTunes, the net proceeds will go to charity.

Dane Cook introduces Alicia Keyes journeying across Africa. Wow, the cinematography is great on this clip; it's totally movie-quality. Keyes has the perfect voice for the narration, it's compelling and strong, yet compassionate.

Keyes gets off a great line, if AIDs/HIV got half the attention the media gives to celebrity dramas, this problem would be halfway solved. I disagree with the whole it's the media's fault aspect of it, but truly, it's amazing how much time we spend on things that don't matter and that we know 2 years from now we won't care one whit about.

So--take 10 minutes to read wikipedia's entry on HIV/AIDs in Africa. There are a bunch of charts and graphs, it may only take 5. :-)

You can donate at 1-877-436-5243 or https://www.idolaid.com/AidForm.asp.

American Idol Gives Back: Gloria Estefan, Sarah Silverman, Forest Whitaker, Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Ellen Degeneres, one of my favorite TV personalities, urges us to give. Then--Gloria Estefan! We know from past seasons that she's a big Idol fan; it's amazing how liquid her hips still are, after all this time. She sings Get on Your Feet, of course.

Sarah Silverman... hmm, wonder if Matt Damon's lurking. I don't like her at all; she pretends to be an Idol judge critiquing Queen Gloria. One reason I'm not a big fan is her act is built on being tone deaf... but sometimes I don't think it's an act, she really is a bit oblivious.

Forest Whitaker is in Angola, ExxonMobil's logo flashes on the bottom left. Ha! The role of American oil companies in perpetuating African poverty isn't something that can be airbrushed over with a donation; generally the money they pay corrupt governments (some human rights groups call it kickbacks) in return for the right to drill for oil--no questions asked--helps keep repressive regimes in power.

Whitaker tells us what a big difference a malaria net and some pills can make in cutting the death rate.

Wow, it's British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who actually acts like he's parodying himself. It's a bit odd... but the UK's got a pretty good record in terms of helping Africa, he says they're giving the equivalent of $200 million to help fight poverty, which Ryan echoes. Total is up to $22 million says Ryan.

You can donate at 1-877-436-5243 or https://www.idolaid.com/AidForm.asp.

American Idol Gives Back: Celine Dion, Jimmy Kimmel, Carrie Underwood

Celine Dion, in a clip from South Africa... it's hard for me to see her without thinking about the Saturday Night live skits.

Jimmy Kimmel, who claims he's been asked to introduce Simon Cowell. He gets off a good joke, about how he's undone all the good feelings we've had for the British. Well, him and those redcoats.

Per usual, Kimmel makes me laugh, but it also feels like he's cheapening the whole thing with his crude jokes. At least they're all directed at Simon. Yeah, from Bono with HIV/AIDs orphans to Kimmel and his jokes about Simon's nipples... that's American pop culture in a nutshell for you. Cowell's laughing though, turning red.

Cowell came to New York for his video segment, talks to the people who run the blue Mobile Medical vans in the city that Idol's donations are helping support. I'm a Simon fan, because I think he's usually kind to nice people and caustic with jerks. He sits with a family that's dependant on the clinic for their care, it's a wonderful segment--we get a really good sense for how the donation is making a difference, and it's not overproduced.

Then Simon live, says the New York charity simply saves lives, and thanks everyone for donating. I hope Ryan doesn't ruin this... Simon does get in a jab at Kimmel, says he loves Jay Leno.

Then he transitions to Carrie Underwood, performing at the Kodak. It's pretty amazing how much Underwood has grown since she was on Idol, when really, she could very easily have been cut early in the final round.

She's in a shimmery yellowish pinkish gown, singing Praying for Time. She's never been my thing, sings it well enough but it doesn't hold my attention.

Whoopi Goldberg takes us to break, energetically encouraging us to give.

By the way, Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, who I blogged a lot about last year and is the pre-eminent American authority on fighting poverty in Africa (in addition to being Bono's good friend), just released a new book last month.

It's called Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet. You can check it out at Amazon; here's the Publisher's Weekly blurb:

In this sobering but optimistic manifesto, development economist Sachs (The End of Poverty) argues that the crises facing humanity are daunting—but solutions to them are readily at hand. Sachs focuses on four challenges for the coming decades: heading off global warming and environmental destruction; stabilizing the world's population; ending extreme poverty; and breaking the political logjams that hinder global cooperation on these issues. The author analyses economic data, demographic trends and climate science to create a lucid, accessible and suitably grim exposition of looming problems, but his forte is elaborating concrete, pragmatic, low-cost remedies complete with benchmarks and budgets. Sachs's entire agenda would cost less than 3% of the world's annual income, and he notes that a mere two days' worth of Pentagon spending would fund a comprehensive antimalaria program for Africa, saving countless lives.

You can donate at 1-877-436-5243 or https://www.idolaid.com/AidForm.asp.

American Idol Gives Back: Annie Lennox

David and Victoria Beckham back from break, very earnest-looking as well as they urge us to donate.

Ryan's randomly talking to people as they call in to donate, he does this bit where he's running from contestant to contestant, grabbing their phone. Up to nearly $18 million, swelled by some previous corporate donors.

Bono in Africa again, talking to more kids. They share 'memory boxes' from the parents they've lost to HIV/AIDs, keepsakes.

Annie Lennox, in a overly-produced segment where she asks a family of kids who have lost most of their relatives to AIDs over and over again do you have a father, do you have a mother, do you have an uncle, etc. They keep saying no.

There's all sorts of dramatic music and effects and camerawork and lighting; I think it's a bit too much, their stories are so stark and emotional I don't think it needs to be 'sold'.

Lennox is sobbing at the end of the piece, the issue obviously means a lot to her. We're back in the U.S., at the taped segments at Kodak, Lennox singing Many Rivers to Cross. It's stark and the most powerful performance of the night so far.

As I mentioned while blogging this same show last year, it bothers me when Idol brings its slick production values to the topic of poverty. It detracts from the seriousness of the issue; makes it fit all too neatly into the Idol world of soft lighting, quick cuts and blockbuster ratings.

I'm glad the issue is getting all this attention; I just wish the Idol producers would for just one night turn the images over to real documentary filmmakers, like the Maysles, Errol Morris, or even Ken Burns, who won't always go for the gaudy visual when telling their stories.

Kiefer Sutherland sends us to commercial in a brief 'please donate' clip.

You can donate at 1-877-436-5243 or https://www.idolaid.com/AidForm.asp.

American Idol Gives Back: Eli and Peyton Manning

Adam Sandler does the spot back from break, it seems like it was shot via webcam or something.

Ah, I just figured it out--they are live at their usual stage, all the contestants are spread out on stage answering phones (and using Apple laptops... so hard to tell). But the musical performances were for the most part all taped, from the Kodak Theater.

Except Ryan's pretending he's tossing it to the stars there, as if they were really standing by this very second (which they're not).

Anyway, Eli Manning! And his bro, Peyton--checking back on New Orleans, two and a half years later. The Mannings are good people, come across as very genuine in the clips. They talk to a bunch of kids, about how Katrina's affected them; some of the money Idol raises has been going to help rebuild the city.

I think Peyton's going to go into politics when his playing days are over; he's got that look, and earnestness.

You can donate at 1-877-436-5234.

American Idol Gives Back: Fergie, John Legend, Heart

Julianne Moore asks us to give, wishes everybody luck. Then Fergie and John Legend, she's singing Finally.

I like her generally, she has a heck of a voice and is always fun to watch. Has this neat miniskirt, in purple and white, a bit flower-like, on over all black. She then kicks to what she calls her idols, Heart, who rip into Barracuda.

Whoah, here comes Fergie striding back out--divested of her mini-skirt--she totally fits in. The only weird thing is seeing the camera pan out over the crowd, everyone's seated in these plush red chairs, I think it's the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Really, they should have a few hundred kids crammed in down front; Fergie does a couple of cartwheels, it's all pretty cool and definitely kicks up the energy level of the crowd a notch.

Now it's the WWE's John Cena asking us to give.

You can donate at 1-877-436-5234.

Getty Images photo of Fergie

American Idol Gives Back: Jonas Brothers, Billy Crystal, Miley Cyrus, Bono

The Jonas Brothers tell us to give, with shrieks from fans in the background.

"Recently-retired from the New York Yankees" Billy Crystal does a bit, then introduces--Miley Cyrus!

Whoo-hooo, the kids go nuts; she's got on a jacket with a super-sparkly collar, and an eye-catching top underneath. Crystal pretends she's some up-and-coming talent. They don't have any chemistry, both are pretty stiff as they run through some gags pretending each doesn't know who the other is.

She only gets 'excited' and treats him like a celeb when he tells her he did a voice on Monsters, Inc.

So then she sings, Good and Broken Chains--hope all the contestants are taking notes, she looks and acts like a star. I don't think her voice is that great, but her performance is fun to watch.

The Top 12 are shown answering phones. Now here's the interesting thing... I know this show was taped on Sunday--heck, we posted photos from it on Monday.

So are they really answering phones, or is this all staged?!

Maybe some of the performances were taped, others are live. At any rate, we go to something we know is taped, Bono in Africa. Man, this is heartbreaking; a little orphan named Sophia who has AIDs looks into the camera and says she'd like America to keep helping her. Bono says she's 14--she seriously looks like she's 8.

Bono then talks to one of the volunteers, who said three of her kids died of HIV.... The footage is really touching, and vibrant despite the sadness of the subject matter.

You can donate at 1-877-436-5234.

American Idol Gives Back: Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Carrie Underwood, Terri Hatcher

Some wrestling star next--The Game Triple H?!--in a clip, asks us to give. Then, Paula Abdul in a red gown and Randy Jackson in a spiffy double-breasted black suit appear to talk about children's health.

They're pretty stiff, introducing video of their trip to Goshen elementary school, 150 miles from their studios in LA. A lot of the kids come from migrant worker families, Randy and Paula sound oddly formal in their narration but they seem to really connect with the kids in the video clips.

The poverty is pretty stark--one of the teachers breaks down talking about her kids. Donations have helped the school feed the kids, and do some renovations.

Then, a weird transition to a bit where Carrie Underwood is with some plumber guy from Desperate Housewives, Terri Hatcher stalks in and pretends to get jealous, says if Carrie's gonna steal her man, she's gonna steal her song.

Sure enough, Hatcher gets up on stage, sings a very amateurish version of Before I Cheat. If she were on the show, Randy would say pitch problems, and Simon would say she oversang. Paula would note how good she looks.

Mary Murphy does a hog yell, says she's gonna do it until we donate. Then she keeps yelling, Whoo-hooo!

1-877-436-5234

American Idol Gives Back: Maria Shriver, Ben Stiller, Snoop Dogg, Kobe Bryant

Everyone's all dressed up in their finest for Idol Gives Back tonight at the weird hour of 7:30 p.m. EST--and I'm here live, as your guest blogger. Eileen sends her regards, she's stuck at work.... :-(

The show kicks off with the cast from So You Think You Can Dance. They're... energetic. Then the Idol contestants join in and start singing Don't Stop the Music; it's a fun combination, they should do this more often.

Back from break, and it's Maria Shriver.... She quotes Gandhi, "You can be the change that you want to see in this world." Then, with more than 100 diverse volunteers on stage behind her, she gives a pretty smooth campaign speech, complete with more inspiring quotes. Maybe the wrong spouse is governor of California?

Up next is Ben Stiller, who does a similar schtick to last year. It looks like his black tie is on too tight, as he talks about giving a gugillion dollars.

Hmmm, a slick, vibrant video showing kids filling up brown water from a river and lugging it in plastic industrial-looking jugs across town. Then... drinking it?! Gross! They don't actually drink it, but ask us to imagine if we had to.

Next--Snoop Dogg performs. In a spiffy black hoodie, with the American Idol logo plastered across the front. Man, his microphone's got bling on it; imagine if he was 17 and trying out for the show.... He's got one of the youth teams he sponsors behind him, they look adorable all in Snoop Dogg jackets, trying to look hard and all but cute as heck. Charlie Wilson's up there too.

Kobe Bryant appears in a clip urging us to donate, wearing an odd circular bandaid on his left cheek.

By the way--you can donate at 1-877-436-5234.

Getty Images photo of Charlie Wilson and Snoop Dogg