AMERICAN IDOL - JUST A POPULARITY CONTEST

I am done with American Idol. It is nothing but a popularity contest. Doesn't matter who the best singers are or who has the most star potential. First Michael Johns was sent home before much less talented contestants and tonight, Carly Smithson went home. Carly is one of the top 3 best singers/performers in the competition.

The fact that Jason Castro and Brooke White stayed and Carly went home....so dumb, America!

I'm over it.

TRANSAMERICAN LOVE STORY: SHAWN GETS THE LOVE

Calpernia finally chose her man and the winner was Shawn! Thank God she picked the tallest guy. She's a tree! Dumb Mike and tranny Jim went sadly home...shocked that Callie did not pick them. I think she made the smartest choice left to her. Let's see if it lasts and if Logo continues the series with another bachelor or bachelorette.

AMERICAN IDOL: KRISTY LEE COOK....BYE!

Finally!! Ok....so maybe she wasn't that bad. Nevertheless, I am glad she went home over anyone else. But don't feel too bad for home girl. She is going to be fine. She will have a solid career in country music. Look at Kellie Pickler who just won three CMT awards this week. Now, I have met Kellie and she is as much of a doll as she seems on TV, and Kristy seems like a little snot, but I do think she will be successful.

David Cook, has emerged as the clear front-runner. I think he would be able to pull more votes than even little David Archuleta. And finally, Carly was not in the bottom three. American finally got it right last night!

THE RUINS: THE MOVIE OR THE BOOK?

I would have to say, hands down, the book. It was a fun summer read - suspenseful, chilling, dark - but the movie failed to launch. It was not suspenseful at all. It was just gross. The actors were fine enough, the writing was okay (written by the book's author, Scott Smith), they just went for the gore versus the spine tingling suspense of the book.

They also changed quite a bit. The stuff that happened to Greek guy in the book, happened to the German guy in the movie, the ending was significantly different, etc, etc. Too bad....could have been a great movie....I think they were just trying to get the young 'uns in the seats.

My grade: The Book: B+, The Movie: C-

AMERICAN IDOL GETS INSPIRED...SOMEWHAT

It seems the "inspirational theme" week is always one of the weakest each season of AI. Last night was no exception. My two favorites, Carly and David Cook were unfortunately, probably the two weakest performances of the night. I hate to admit it, but Kristy Lee Cook did a decent job of Martina McBride's Anyway. Hey maybe she deserves to be there. I give up.

Syesha made the same mistake she did last week, thinking she could pull off a memorable cover of a diva's signature song...and an AI diva at that. Her version of Fantasia's, I Believe, was sung ok, but you can't help but compare it to Fantasia's gut wrenching original version.

I agreed with Simon in his critique of Michael Johns. He stands out more when he is doing more bluesy stuff, like he did last week with the Dolly song. His rocker persona does come off a little like a wannabe.

Brooke was boring. David A. was sweet. And Jason Castro made a great song/arrangement choice with Iz's magical version of Over The Rainbow. The arrangement suited him perfectly and I think the fact that the mainstream public is not familiar with the original Iz version, makes Jason stronger and seem more creative than it actually was. However, his was the best performance of the night.

If you want to her the original version by the late Hawaiian singer Iz, click here.

BROADWAY: WICKED

Wicked should have been titled, Fabulous! The show definitely lives up to the hype and is one best shows I have ever seen on Broadway. The set was amazing. The costumes were amazing. The music was amazing. The performances were amazing. Did I say it was amazing? The LOML had read Gregory McGuire's book on which the musical is based, and he said the show was very different from the book, but that he loved the show.

Knowing that broadway greats Kristen Chenoworth and Idina Menzel originated the leading roles of Elphaba and Glinda, of course I was worried that the actresses in those roles now would not live up to my fantasy of what Kristin and Idina did in the roles. Idina Menzel won a Tony Award for her performance as Elphaba.

I was not at all disappointed with the current leading ladies. Annaleigh Ashford was adorable and hilarious as Glinda (with a "ga"), and Stephanie J. Block seemed born to play Elphaba.

Of course, every little gay boy and girl in the world is going to identify with the character of Elphaba...okay maybe some little gay boys identify more with flitty Glinda.

The rest of the cast was great, except for the guy playing Fiero...he was just "okay".

My favorite moment of the show is when Elphaba has had it up to you know where with everybody and pissed that they done dropped a house on her little crippled sister and she starts singing Defying Gravity and then physically does.

It was incredible. A+A+A+

BROADWAY REVIEWS TO COME

The LOML and I just got back from NYC yesterday and we saw three great shows while we were there. WICKED, GYPSY and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. It is too late to write the reviews tonight because I have to get back into my book....Mademoiselle Boleyn (I know...so gay), before I go to sleep. It is the story of Anne Boleyn's youth spent in service of the French court. Check it out below in my Amazon box. Fascinating!

TV: GAYLERT! THE TUDORS

I am still one week head on this season of The Tudors thanks for Showtime On Demand. This coming Sunday's episode rocked! Anne is finally (secretly) wed to King Henry, crowned Queen of England, and gives birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I.

But more importantly, courtier Mark Smeaton makes a move on Anne's brother George. It is not known if George Boleyn was in fact gay, but there is a lot written about it and it is believed to be a fact. In Phillipa Gregory's historical fiction work, The Other Boleyn Girl, she wrote at length about George's love affair with a man.

Mark Smeaton (pictured) made is gayness known in last week's episode in and exchange with Mary Boleyn while visiting the French court.
Mary Boleyn: " I can't wait to ride some young French stallion while I'm here." Mark: "Well, between you and me, neither can I!"

TV: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

The majority of my friends have no idea that the best show currently on television is Battlestar Galactica. This fact is known only by about 3 million people who watch the show religiously. I happen to be a Sci-Fi fan, but you can absolutely hate Sci-Fi and still love this show. The frackin' show has won TWO Peabody Awards for frack sake.

It's not about the starships or the scary robots or the awesome special effects, its about the characters. The themes of the show range from abortion, illegal occupation, social prejudice, cult worship, alcoholism and lots of other fun stuff.

The first episode of the fourth and final season aired last Friday and I just got to see it last night. It was definitely worth the wait. The season picks up right where last season let us hanging when Starbuck miraculously reappears after the whole fleet sees her ship burst info flames. Well she's back (Lesbians everywhere shout for joy!), and she says she has been to Earth and knows the way. To her, she has only been gone a few hours. To the fleet, she has been dead for two months. To be Cylon, or not to be Cylon. That is the question. Most of you are lost right now. Well go right now to Netflix and rent the first season. You won't be sorry!

Episode one of season four: A+

AMERICAN IDOL DOES DOLLY

I adore Dolly Parton, so last night was all fun for me. Dolly is really an amazing songwriter and when you here some of her songs taken in different directions and give new life by the contestants we are just reminded how talented Dolly is. And she loves da gays.....

My favorite performance of the night was probably David Cook's Little Sparrow. I have always loved that song and his rock edge was perfectly suited for the song.

Another favorite was Michael John's show closing, It's All Wrong But It's All Right. This is a classic Dolly song that often gets overlooked. He did a fantastic version of the song.

Yes, David Archuleta did great on Smoky Mountain Memories, but I would have loved to hear him tackle something like Light Of A Clear Blue Morning or Starting Over Again.

Brooke White's Jolene was okay. But as Simon would say "forgettable."

Truly forgettable were Kristy Lee Cook and Ramiele Mulubay. Ramiele might have scored if she would have tapped into the cute, perky persona and covered 9 to 5. That would have worked well for her.

Carly Smithson did an awesome rendition of Here You Come Again, a song that was never really one of my Dolly favorites (she did not write that one), but I loved the song with Carly's arrangement and her soulful voice.

Travelin' Thru' is one of my favorite Dolly songs and I thought Jason Castro did a really good job on it. Not sure he will stay out of the bottom three tonight, but I liked it.

And finally, Syesha, Syesha, Syesha. Four words. Thou art not Whitney. Sure she has a great voice and she looks great, but why, season after season, do these kids think they can cover the likes of Whitney, Mariah, and Celine NOTE FOR NOTE and think they stand out from the original. Never gonna happen.

Syesha would have impressed me a whole lot more if she would have stayed with Dolly's original intimate, low key version of the song. Yes, Whitney had a #1 hit with the song, but hello, Dolly had TWO #1 hits on the song. The same song! One #1 on the country charts and then her own remake of the song was #1 on the pop and country charts. But those American Idol fans do love high notes and a big ending. Note to contestants: Unless you are Michelle Pfeiffer wearing a slinky black dress with the hots for the piano player, don't sing while sitting on the piano lid. Please. Don't.

I think the bottom three tonight will be Brooke, Ramiele and probably Syesha - although Kristy Lee SHOULD be there before Syesha. For some reason, America loves that girl. I don't get it. I guess most of America has never experienced a song and dance show at Nashville's former country music attraction, Opryland.

I predict Ramiele will go home tonight. Dolly rules.