So we're down to the Final Four: Rocker David, Cute David, Dreadlocks Dude and Syesha. If "American Idol" actually was a singing competition, Jason and his dreadlocks would be going home tonight. But Syesha has so consistently been at the bottom every week that maybe, finally, she will run out of luck this week. Given who we think is casting those 35 million votes every week (Hint: Squeeeeeeeeeeee!), there's no shame in finishing behind three cute boys. We will be liveblogging tonight.
Amazingly, most of the talk in this Final Four week hasn't involved any of the contestants but current "AI" judge, former Laker Girl and all-around ditz Paula Abdul. After her phantom judging - no, after her actualsong judging of a phantom last week, the normal buzz about whether she is, well, buzzed became a roar. She is, at least, a stone cold sober ditz, and her unrelenting praise of every single contestant's nearly every single performance is wearing down many viewers. Could Paula Fatigue be at the root of the show's ratings erosion? No less than the L.A. Times asked readers what to do, and they want her gone.
Simon Cowell and the show's top producer both say Paula's not going anywhere. And frankly, just about every show on TV is facing ratings erosion after the writers strike. But our friends over at Buddy TV still say it's time to get Paula off their air. "Paula Abdul is not good at her job. This is non-negotiable," they write. "She's a walking punchline. Paula can barely make cogent points, she just rambles and rambles. Her forte is blind praise – this is easily replaceable."
Well, sure, Paula's a ditz who often appears to have accidentally sat on one of those tranquilizer darts the rangers use when Yogi and Booboo get too close to the campers. She talks nonsense, overpraises every kid who gets up there and chokes, and she tears up at the slightest provocation. But that's what she's there for. Randy is the cool dude dawg. Simon is Dr. House the "mean" one who actually tells the truth about the performances. And Paula is the comic relief counterweight to their seriousness, offering warm and fuzzy nonsense about unicorns and rainbows. Every TV family needs one like her. It's a cold hard word in the music business, and Paula's your Aunt Jean after one too many highballs at the family reunion, tucking you in with a big sloppy kiss and slurring her words when she tells you "Sweet dreams!" The show wouldn't be the same without her.
Wow. After a slightly lackluster episode last week, "BSG" has bounced back in a serious way. This episode was quite the emotional rollercoaster, I'll admit it even had me a little teary-eyed at a couple of points. Speaking of which, can we get Mary McDonnell an Emmy please? Despite the fact that Roslin's cancer treatments are undeniably the B-plot in this episode, she brings a pathos to the process that's absolutely irresistable. The whole "dying of cancer" schtick is such a painfully tired cliché that it's a tightrope walk to keep it from tipping into melodrama or parody, but somehow, she manages.
Bones
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House