straight up, now tell me...

I'd envisioned a reality tv world dominated by quirky girls named Allison - for Idol, the red-haired rock chick Allison Iraheta and ANTM's Allison - quirky, birdlike, with huge eyes usually filled w/a deer in the headlights expression. Half of that equation is correct - model Allison has made it into the top 3. Sadly, Idol Allison was booted last night. What is wrong with you, voting public? She was only 17, but she could SING.

The results show last night kind of dragged - I mean, they only really need 15 minutes from Seacrest going "THIS... is American Idol" (I am obsessed with the way he says it. Do you think he practices in front of a mirror or something? 'Should I go This IS American Idol? Or This is AMERICAN Idol? Or This is American IDOL?' Because I totally would. Gotta build a sense of suspense or whatever, you know?) to the end where they say "So and so, you've got the lowest number of votes and you're going home." They don't really need to fill a whole hour - the Ford commercials are usually lame, and the group medley - I left the room yesterday, that's how much I didn't want to hear it. I like that they are having former Idols come back and sing, because that's like a return to the roots kind of thing for them. So I loved that Daughtry was back (his early ouster, by the way, was the reason I stopped watching the Year of Katharine McPhee. THIS IS WHERE YOU'D USE YOUR SAVE, COWELL!) I mean, seriously. He's gone quadruple platinum or whatever. What's she done lately?) and I was all right with No Doubt showing up, but what in the hell happened to Paula?? I adored her back in the "Cold Hearted Snake" and "Straight Up" days of my youth, but whatever it was she was "singing" last night was not so good. And it's kinda mean, you know, to make the finalists wait through all of these things to hear their fate. In a fair world, Gokey would have gone down, but the world of Idol is a cruel one, that doesn't always make sense. Top 3: Adam, Kris and Danny.

Onto the Models - Tyra photographed the girls yesterday in a weirdly themed model as baby bird picture set in the Brazilian jungle (or is it rainforest?). All of them did fairly well, and their critiques at panel were all pretty even. So who goes home? It ended up being Celia, the tall blonde, old (at the age of 25!) fashionista who was nearly eliminated that week she ratted out Thalia. Too bad, I liked her. I think Aminat has been given one chance too many. Final 3: Teyona, Aminat, Allison. They have to do a commercial next week, which is tricky. Aminat tends to muddle her words like Dani did several cycles ago. But then again you never know how they are going to do. Allison might have trouble in a runway showdown.... I think Teyona is the likely winner. Just a guess.