MSN TV Blog - Reality TV

'American Idol' Recap: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

One day after revealing her style makeover, Erika Van Pelt gets the hook

By MSN TV Mar 22, 2012 7:12PM
'American Idol'/FOX 

By Carla Patton

BuddyTV

 

Billy Joel week was certainly the most underwhelming theme week thus far on "American Idol" Season 11! Granted, there were a few standout performances (and a few stood out for the wrong reasons), but most of the contestants seemed to fall right in the middle of the pack. And the middle isn't the best place to be, because it means you weren't memorable.

 

Bing: More about 'American Idol' | Photos: See the top 10 singers

 

A few things to look forward to: a performance from Season 10's Haley Reinhart and a performance from Lana Del Rey. Both are sure to be entertaining in their own right. Haley is showing the contestants what can happen for them, even if they don't win -- as long as they agree to play by the rules. Lana Del Rey will show the contestants what happens when singing meets laboratory science.

 

More: 'American Idol' on BuddyTV | Video: Watch 'American Idol' clips and more


My big questions are about Elise and Erika. Will Erika's haircut make her finally stand out?  Or did Tommy Hilfiger just make her look like (as one of you pointed out) a banker? Will Elise be in the bottom three again or is America warming to her? I thought she was fantastic in a week that clearly belonged to people who know who they want to be as artists. That's gotta count for something, right? But she and Phillip Phillips, I suspect, don't really need this competition. They don't seem like "American Idol" winning material, you know? They can make it without winning. I could easily see it coming down to Jessica Sanchez and Colton Dixon in the final two. But we still have a long way to go, and this night's hour of programming takes us one step closer.

 

Yes! The group number is back! They're singing "For the Longest Time," which I'm sure will be absolute crap. I live for it. Elise, bless her heart, is making an effort to smile and flirt a little more. She is playing Nigel's reindeer games. I enjoyed Skylar Laine singing to Casey Abrams in the audience but was distracted by the fellow directly in front of them. His stiff snapping was as awkward as the group number itself.

 

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Keep snapping, Jeremy. Snap like nobody's watching.

The individual performances are good vocally, but the interaction between all of them is tired and disconnected. It ranks a solid C. I would love to hear Jimmy Iovine's thoughts.

Next in Thursday night's buffet of awkward: It's the Ford music video! The kids are playing hide-and-seek in the mansion we all know they're not staying in this season. Ah ha! They were hiding in a Ford Eclipse! Those jokesters. I think we found Erika's old hair, too.

 

Ryan tells us there's only room for nine in the "Idol" mansion. Will Hollie, Skylar and Elise secure beds in it? Canopy beds, probably. Jimmy says this was Hollie's worst night in the competition so far, but he thinks she'll stay. Jimmy says Skylar is consistent but this wasn't her best performance. She may be stalling out, and it's too soon for that. Jimmy was concerned about "Vienna" as a song choice, but he says Elise is transformed. He got "goosies -- whatever goosies are!" So crusty, that Jimmy Iovine.

Hollie is moving into the mansion, as is Skylar. Ryan brings Elise forward to reveal that, for the first time, she is not in the bottom 3! They are all safe. Yay!

 

Lana Del Rey performs next, singing "Video Games." I guess you could call it singing. It's more of a whispery moan? I wish she would fake us out like Heejun did this week and just break into a performance of "You Make My Dreams" by Hall and Oates. Instead, she made the last part sound like she was underwater somehow.

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"I guess I'm performing on a stage now. It's whatever."
 

Evidently, it's Steven Tyler's birthday this weekend, so Ryan brought out the Top 10 to sing "Happy Birthday" to Joe Perry's electric guitar playing. Steven and Joe Perry hugged, and their scarf tails intertwined in an unspeakable bond.

Deandre, Joshua and Jessica get their results next, and Jimmy says Deandre was "jumping around too much." Joshua didn't score very well in Jimmy's book this week, and he, too, will have to grow to win this thing. Jimmy gives Jessica "A's across the board" but seemed a bit bored by the whole process. Ryan tells Jessica that Billy Joel himself said he enjoyed her rendition. And so did America. Jessica is safe. Joshua is safe, and Deandre is in the bottom 3. Good job, voters. I approve.


Next, Haley Reinhart performs "Free," her "hot, new" single. You can get it on iTunes, but not for free. She starts out in a giant cage. Whoever is caging all these young singers (Haley, Miley Cyrus, etc.) just needs to stop. It's sick and wrong, and the bars aren't close enough together to keep them in there.

FreeHaley.jpg
Haley knows why the caged bird sings.

The cage lifts, and Haley escapes by walking forward. She did a good job. I liked parts of the song, and I really liked her dress and wind machine. That Angelina Jolie-at-the-Oscars,​ high-leg slit is in this season, then?
 
Erika, Heejun, Phillip and Colton are next to the stage for results. It will undoubtedly be Erika and Heejun in the bottom, right? Phillip and Colton were great. Billy Joel emailed Jimmy Iovine to say that Colton did a great job, and Jimmy agrees. I'm pleased to hear that Jimmy still checks his Netscape Navigator every once in a while -- when he's not promoting data phones he has no idea how to use. Just joshing you, Jimmy. Jimmy Iovine thinks Phillip should take Tommy Hilfiger's styling advice but said nothing about the performance. Jimmy loved Erika's decision to cut her hair and thinks Erika will be at the top of the batch. Jimmy agreed with Steven that Heejun "disrespected the entire process" and called the performance a D. Ouch! We love you, Heejun. And we love that you are disrespecting this preposterous process. That one's for Jermaine Jones!

Colton is safe. Erika is in the bottom 3, and ran back to Elise to get some maracas ("I'm bringing the party with me!"). Phillip is safe, and Heejun is in the bottom 3. This is not a surprising bottom 3. "Anyone who goes home tonight is a loss," Jennifer says -- a telling sign that they won't use the save tonight.

Ryan reveals that Deandre is safe, so I was wrong. Heejun is safe, and Erika is probably going home. And not home to the mansion. Well, good. I want more of Heejun's antics to keep things interesting. The judges aren't even talking. Randy is just shaking his head, and Steven is enjoying one last Erika performance. Heejun and Deandre are shown crying as Erika performs the crap out of "I Believe in You and Me." Poor Erika. She's just way too good, consistent and professional for this competition. They couldn't have given her one of the pimp spots ever? She always got the raw end of the deal.

The judges reveal that, no, they will not be using the save. Erika is going home with a new haircut. Thanks a lot, Tommy Hilfiger.

What did you think of Thursday night's results? Did America get it right? 

"American Idol" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

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94Comments
FordGirl72
Mar 23, 2012 11:19AM
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Very surprised that HeeJun didn't go home, he should have.  He has a decent voice, but it never seems to come across, and he doesn't even take the competition seriously, he really gets on my nerves.  How he got where he is I don't know.  I believe Jessica will win, she's absolutely fantastic, I would go to her concert tomorrow.  I think closer to the end, it will be her, Joshua, Hollie, and Colton left standing, and in the end Jessica will win.
Mary Enck (menck)
Mar 23, 2012 11:16AM
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American Idol promoters,  can't you see that people who watch this show realize what is going on? Please change the voting system so it is more fair.  Perhaps you need to rethink how the show works.  Since America's teens seem to be in charge of the voting, maybe it would be a good idea to not have any contestants over 18.  That way if at least one of them could sing it might be more of a fair competition. As it is, I am becoming disgusted, angry and annoyed because a show I really used to enjoy has turned into what it is now. If controversy is what you are after to keep it going, then shame on you.
PauRaSi
Mar 23, 2012 10:48AM
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Looks like the majority are on the same page re Heejun...didn't care for the makeover on Erika..much to old looking for her...will watch to the bitter end ..I predict that Jessica will win, with a close call for Colton and/or Philip..I kinda of like Deandre...he is different for sure..  I just wonder tho how Heejun got voted in???????????????wei​rd..
Hockey Goon
Mar 23, 2012 9:56AM
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No more edgy comments, since whenever I do someone erases them like I never made them. That being said, Deandre should have gone home, undoubtedly the worst performance the last couple weeks, but the kids think he's cute so he stays.

airedalemomma
Mar 23, 2012 9:40AM
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Erika is a fabulous singer, I think she just didn't have the popular following needed to stay in the competition.  Personally, I wasn't too crazy over the hair color change, though the cut was edgy and I did like that.  Erika will do fine on her own, she is great!  I do think HeeJun should have got home, he is not in the category of the other singers and this is a "singing competition".
tbarker1
Mar 23, 2012 9:16AM
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Typical American Idol scene!!  Erika is a great singer with potential but America votes for a ridiculous, half-a$$ed Heejun! who can hardly sing in English!! Wow! This show just keeps getting worse each year! If it is to be a singing competition, then America got it totally WRONG last night! Artistic listening is obviously not a characteristic of the people who voted for Heejun! He should have gone home last week or the week before! Jessica, Colton and Phillip are the artists that could sign a record contract today!!
daz55
Mar 23, 2012 9:08AM
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Well, I predicted Erica's new look wouldn't keep her out of the bottom three. But she should not have been the one to go home. She has a great voice and really tried hard.Heejun is an obnoxious,unfunny wise a$$ and a mediocre singer who acts like this competition is one big joke. He does not deserve to be there. Most likely he'll go next week. Hopefully while he's still there he'll pay attention to what Steven Tyler said to him about taking the competition more seriously and leave the comedy out of his performance.
Jonathan H
Mar 23, 2012 8:49AM
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Cathy09, I think you've blocked out the annoying bickering judges(2 of which were fired but should have been 3), stuffed suit host(makes me appreciate Ryan Seacrest), silly over production(backup dancers anyone?), and repeated disasters of the X-Factor.  That's ok though.  I tried to block it out to.  I don't think it's a bad show, it was just disappointing in making promises it couldn't keep.  It was a tease.  The only thing that actually Did work out was the over 30's.  I'll stick with the original for now, though I think the Voice has some real potential with the blind auditions.  Just wish it would go somewhere good from there.
just.4.him
Mar 23, 2012 8:44AM
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I think America is making a mockery out of American Idol.  Clearly some voters are not basing their vote(s) on talented singers but on vocally challenged comedy.  Erica has vocal talent and should have stayed last night.  It was disappointing!
Born in the USA 12
Mar 23, 2012 8:41AM
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Good luck Erika! You were gone too soon!
Like Daughtry and Hudson, you will make your own way with success!
We look for you on tour!
Jonathan H
Mar 23, 2012 8:34AM
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I can't really predict a winner yet, but I doubt it will be Joshua or Philip.  Joshua doesn't really fit the voter's(yes for all I know it really Could be just one voter) style and Philip is uncompromising in keeping his style and music, which voters ultimately reject.  One of these days, what Philip does won't "work" or the voters just won't get it.  I think Colton will get deep into the competition(maybe even to the final) but ultimately the voters will choose another young country or pop act who will likely be a footnote in a couple years.
Cathy09
Mar 23, 2012 8:28AM
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What a disappointment.  Erika should have stayed and Hee Jun (HeHe) should have gone.  Not fair.  Watching American Idol will be no longer soon. X-Factor is the one to watch.
rickevansgoldwing
Mar 23, 2012 8:17AM
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That was too bad.  Heejun should have been gone.  Just wasn't as good as they rest.  TOO bad but her best performance and it lead to going home.  Carla, who wrote the article, thinks Heejun needs to be around for the humor...I did not think this was American Comedians.  If a person sings as bad as Heejun did he needs to go home.

I am glad the panel did not save here.  I think they learned a lesson from last year and will not use there save until they need to on someone that could actually win.

Jonathan H
Mar 23, 2012 7:56AM
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I can't really fault the judges for not using their one save of the season on Erika, but there's no way she should have been there in the first place.  Heejun sings a lot better than he talks(and I'm all for a rule that says he should only be allowed to open his mouth to sing) but that's like saying my nephew has more common sense than my niece or that my niece has more common sense than me.  Yes 2>1>0.    Your point?  He needs to be judged and voted based not on expectations, but a breathless butchery of a Billy Joel song(say that 10 times fast)  His performance was fun, but last I checked this was a singing competition and with all that running around, I don't know that he carried a single note.  We may have gotten the first real moment from the judges when Steven Tyler called Heejun out for not respecting the process(not that the process has earned much respect.)  The real problem is a voting system which allows 50 online votes AND unlimited toll free votes.  As long as that persists, American Idol results will always be a farce, but they can say they got billions of votes even if it was only 4 12 year old girls voting a billion times each.  I have to say I'm selfishly hoping DeAndre sticks around as with each zombie cat I come ever closer to taking over the world(maybe then at least I can do something about this glut of singing competitions and have them make one good show out of it.)
Wicketx
Mar 23, 2012 7:50AM
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P.S. I acknowledge Phillip Phillips is good, but I'm not liking the whole Dave Matthews semi-impersonation..​. it doesnt seem right somehow... my bold prediction: Jessica & either Colton or Phillip in the finals, or hell, they could be the top 3! (sorry Joshua...)
ArtInTampa
Mar 23, 2012 7:48AM
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AI really effed up big time last night........Heejun is a cocky, smart a$$, no talent who could care less, has no respect for the judges, the show or other contestants and has no business being on the show.....He is an embarrassment and it was clearly obvious the other contestants can't stand him......But fear not, Erika will have the last laugh and break out on her own and become a star, she has "it"!! Jessica, Joshua and Colton will be the final three!!

Wicketx
Mar 23, 2012 7:46AM
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  only reason I'm still watching is to see if my girl Jessica (fellow FLIP, ok maybe half-FLIP, representin'!) makes it all the way to the finals... but I do agree with most everyone here as far as Idol has become a popularity contest; Hee Jun should've definitely been the one to go this week (even tho he's a fellow Queens NY native!).  if you guys want to watch (and hear!) a REAL SINGING CONTEST, check out The Voice on Monday nites...
available
Mar 23, 2012 7:37AM
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Next year on a Thursday they could have both Haley and Hollie!
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