Top Chef and AI thoughts ...

[arabian]

First Top Chef, obviously I'm still upset about Jeff ... but I love Carla so FREAKING MUCH!, I'm still loving this season. FINALLY Leah is gone and Carla is not only top four, she's SWIMMING PRETTY into the top four. GO CARLA!!!!

American Idol

I'm REALLY happy about three specific contestants who made it into the top 36 and how I did below the cut ...

Obviously, I'm thrilled about Ann Marie Boskovich and Alexis Grace (my two faves), but I'm bummed because they are BOTH up next week and they're doing it this year, that they have one week to perform in the semi-finals, and two girls and two guys go on. So if both aren't the two girls picked (and I can't imagine they both will be unless they are both amazing), other than a potential wild card pick, I'm going to lose one, if not both. Sigh.

The third person I'm thrilled about is Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle. I just love him, seriously I do. And he can SING!!! So, yeah, I love him and I hope he makes it through to the top 12!

Okay, so out of the top 36 chosen, I correctly picked 25, a couple I didn't particularly like, but I thought would make it through.

- Arianna Afsar
- Stevie Wright
- Michael Sarver
- Alex Wagner-Trugman
- Scott MacIntyre
- Casey Caulson
- Von Smith
- Matt Breitze
- Danny Gokey
- Anoop Deai
- Lil Rounds
- Adam Lambert
- Kai Kalema
- Jasmine Murray
- Joanna Pacitti Rachel Barton
- Brent Keith Smith
- Alexis Grace
- Meg Corkrey
- Taylor Vaifanu
- Jorge Nunez
- Jackie Tohn
- Nick Mitchell (Norman Gentle
- Ann Marie Boskovich
- Meg Corkrey
- Taylor Vaifanu

I DID mention Tatiana, but didn't expect her to make it past Hollywood week. Okay. If sanity prevails next week and the nation doesn't collectively decide to fuck those of us who are sane, she won't get voted into the top 12 next week. Good voice, BUT. SO. ANNOYING!

Of the ones I didn't pick (other than Tatiana technically) ... only four of the remaining eleven were actually showcased in the original auditions (the top four below). I do recall that I liked Jessica "Jesse" Langseth when she was included in a two-second clip of three girls who made it without them being named. But yeah, so I still think I did pretty good with who they actually showed.

- Allison Iraheta
- Kendall Beard
- Kris Allen
- Matt Giraud
- Kristen McNamara (They did showcase her in Hwood, but I wasn't doing picks from there)
- Nathaniel "Nate" Marshall ("McGee") (They did showcase him in Hwood, but I wasn't doing picks from there)
- Stephen Fowler
- Ricky Braddy
- Mishavonna Henson
- Junot Joyner
- Jessica "Jesse" Langseth
- Jeanine Vailes

Comments

[harper47.livejournal.com]

Wasn't Top Chef fabulous last night. I loved that episode. Go my Carla and my Fabio. Kicking ass with Green Eggs and Ham (hah, hah, haha Hosea and your dissing of my Carla - hah!)and a broken finger to boot. Best episode of the season.

[arabian.livejournal.com]

I still miss Jeff, but yeah I'm loving Carla and Fabio. As soon as Carla's green eggs & ham was dissed, I knew she would win. Score!!!

[eolivet.livejournal.com]

Congrats on your awesome Idol-picking skillz!!! :) I found last night's ep to be really enjoyable and interesting -- I was glad we got to see some more footage of Hollywood week, and I really wasn't surprised by a lot of people. Most of all, I like the fact that the top 36 all seemed to have been showcased (either via auditions or Hollywood) at one point or another. :)

they have one week to perform in the semi-finals, and two girls and two guys go on

Did they say that? I must've missed it. I thought it was one girl, one guy and the next highest-vote getter (regardless of gender) for 3 weeks, then the judges each get one pick. But I could be way off. ;p

[arabian.livejournal.com]

Ah, no, you're right, I was not taking into account more contestants, less final (12 instead of 10) and was just thinking on how first season did it.

[hiddeneloise.livejournal.com]

I was so happy for Carla! I had to laugh at the quick-fire. In a way, it's the show's fault that these guys almost universally now think that in those 20 or so minutes that they are given to perform a task, they have to come up with an equivalent of a 3-course dinner. The miniature version. It's been like that for a while, so it's no wonder that, when a guy comes in and asks for a simple egg breakfast, they can't process it and go straight for the convoluted and the complex. But go Carla for actually listening! And yes, for not having anything to do with that pesky Molecular Gastronomy. What IS that, anyway? What happen to simply cooking? lol.

Was anyone else creeped out by the challenge? The last supper? Can you say "morbid"? :) But given the assignment, it pretty clearly separated the contenders from the flunkies to me. Oh, Leah, how incapable of listening you are! A guy is ordering his "last meal." I am not a chef (or much of a cook), but what that says to me is that this person wants his food exactly how he wants it. It's comfort, it's what he loves best, it's what he chooses to eat -- exactly how he likes it to eat -- for the last day of his life. This is not the time to go experimenting! So, when Leah goes and says "I'm going to put my own spin on this," I go: "You're so outta here!" lol. Can't say I'll miss her.

I know Fabio is capable. But I cannot, for the life of me, take the dude seriously. He is so much a cartoon Italian, with that movie accent, and the mood swings, and the things that come out of his mouth. "For my last meal, I want my grandmother to prepare it. She died 2 years ago." Bwahahahahaha! I'm sure he didn't mean for it to sound like that, but man, did that crack me up. :)

Anyway, I'm happy with the final 4. Stephan got taken down a peg. All's good, because that'll make him work even harder the next time, and between him and Leah, if they had sent him home over her, they would have had mutiny on their hands. And I'm not kidding. :) Like I said last week: the guy is obnoxious, but he is in the league so far above Leah, it's not even a contest. Also, I get that the salmon was over-cooked, but personally, you can't cook salmon long enough for my taste. I hate fatty, under-nuked salmon with a fiery passion. lol.

[arabian.livejournal.com]

It is right that Stefan stayed over Leah, but considering the unfairness of Jaime and Jeff going for one dish, whereas this time, they clearly didn't base it on one dish ... sigh. Oh, show, you're producer-induced shenanigans have been awful this year. Good thing I love Carla so!!!!

I am not a chef (or much of a cook), but what that says to me is that this person wants his food exactly how he wants it. It's comfort, it's what he loves best, it's what he chooses to eat -- exactly how he likes it to eat -- for the last day of his life. This is not the time to go experimenting!

I agree completely; and Hosea did the same thing. This was a situation where you were NOT supposed to fuss with it.