FOX
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As it will, ‘American Idol’ stole a lot of the spotlight this week what with the “Jermaine Jones Gets The Boot” news, while ‘The Voice’ was still mired in its snoozy battle rounds that always leave me cold. Let’s dip into specifics.
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The Voice: First things first, Christina, guess what? We know you can sing; therefore, we don’t need to hear you do it ALL THE TIME. Ok. Thanks. How about Carson Daly announcing the first battle as “passionate vocalist Geoff McBride” vs. “hotel receptionist Sera Hill.” Yikes. But then she won, so you can’t judge a book by a Carson Daly cover.

I’m a little disappointed that all the contestants come away thinking Miranda Lambert is “sweet.” This is the woman behind “Gunpowder and Lead,” you guys! I don’t want her to be sweet, I want her to be badass.
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As a fan of Charlotte’s before the competition I’m even more prone to root for her in her battle against introverted (off-putting) Lex Land. What’s up with this song choice, though Blake? “Pumped Up Kicks?” Seriously? You know it’s about shooting a bunch of people in a school, right? I can’t tell if Charlotte is getting the villain edit (“I want to beat her. I want to win.”) or the fun loving, “let’s have a beer with her” edit. Either way, I want to have a beer with her and she wins!
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Hey Cee Lo, “Stay With Me” is not by Rod Stewart. Rod Stewart sings it, but it’s by Faces, the band Rod Stewart was in back when he was awesome and before he started singing terrible songs like “Young Turks” and “The Rhythm of My Heart.” I shouldn’t have to tell you these things Cee Lo. Oh and while we’re chatting Cee Lo, please, please, please buy a grown-ups watch.
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Juliette smoked Sarah in their battle round, but she as set up to fail with that song choice and her battle partner. Just sayin.’
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As for the much ballyhooed battle between Whitney and Kim, I’ll say Kim may have sang a little bit better, but Whitney had the passion a song like “No More Drama” is built on and in my mind, it wasn’t as close as everybody thought. I would have picked Whitney. No doubt. But what can you do? Sad to see her go. She’s a good singer and she seems like an even better person.
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Carson, stop calling artists “indie” because YOU ARE ALWAYS WRONG!
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Hearing Jewel earnestly say “I wish I could eat your cancer” is the best thing that has happened on this show ever. Someone needs to make a Gif of that stat. Having said that, I loved the idea of Christina’s song choice here. It was so weird and so is the battle, but unfortunately it never comes together. As much as I love hearing songs about vaginas on a family show, it just never clicked. Blake had never heard the song, to which Cee Lo responded with the line of the night – “You gotta get out of Oklahoma once in a while.” Anyway, I have a crush on Lindsay, so I’m glad she won.
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In the final battle, Jamie can never get his voice around that stupid Foreigner song. so he never has a shot. It’s a real shame as he seems like a nice enough guy and the fact that he and Jamar are friends made it even tougher. Also, sandwich making isn’t so bad, dude! Be thankful you even have a job.
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Idol: This week on ‘Idol’ we said goodbye to Shannon Magrane and that was the right call. Who stood with her in the bottom three was not the right call. PAY ATTENTION, AMERICA! Elise Testone and Erika Van Pelt are mature confident singers with clear ideas of who they want to be as artists, but they were born in the 80s so the tweens voting can’t relate to them. Come on grown up fans, support these two.
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The contestants were all tasked with singing songs that were covered by other artists in the year they were born. Well, technically the theme was “songs from the year you were born,” but let’s be honest when you hear someone was born in 1994 and then they come out singing “Endless Love,” they’re really using a loophole. And it didn’t end there — “Turn the Beat Around,” “When A Man Loves A Woman,” “Hard To Handle” really?
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FOX
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Because of the boring song choices — this was a night when Colton singing a syrup ballad by 80’s hair metal punchline WHITE FREAKIN’ LION was considered edgy — this was not the best show, BUT despite the hurdles, we got ourselves a true blue ‘Idol’ moment. Joshua Ledet welcome to hallowed ground, my friend. With your soulful and soaring performance of “When A Man Loves A Woman,” you join a very select group of performances that can be found in ‘Idol’ hall of fame. So take your place beside Kelly’s “Natural Woman,” Ruben’s “Superstar,” Fantasia’s “Summertime,” Carrie Underwood’s “Alone,” McPhee’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Alison and Adam’s “Slow Ride,” and Haley Reinhart’s “House Of the Rising Sun” AND “Bennie and the Jets” (Yep. The only contestant with two.). You deserve it Ledet. That was an ‘Idol’ moment. He didn’t seem to be competing on a show. He felt like an artist up there. Free wheeling and without a care. I loved it. It built and built and by the end I was on my feet. That’s the kind of moment that no other reality show can deliver. Period. That’s why no one should be giving up on ‘Idol.’
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Joshua was the sure fire winner of the night, but Hollie Cavanagh and Skyler Laine also proved to be frontrunners while Jessica Sanchez struggled to keep her momentum from the week before. I see a Pia Toscano future for Jessica. Sorry, y’all. I didn’t love Phil Phillips, but he just had surgery so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
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FOX
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I would have sent Heejun and Deandre to stand next to Shannon in the bottom three, but Shannon was the rightful ejectee (not a word).
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Another word on Elise and Erika, these two will be in the hole for the entire length of their run – no matter how long or short – because they’re not teenagers and they don’t sing like teenagers. It’s a lot like the bind Haley found herself in last year, but she persevered because she became an underdog you could root for. Elise and Erika need to figure out a way to do that. Elise hurt her chances when she scowed through her trip to the bottom during week one, but she can come back. To me, she’s the best artist in the competition and that’s not something to be taken lightly. Erika and Elise are women in a room full of boys and girls. They deserve our attention.