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Make Me a Star:
American Idol...
Christina Christian
Known For: Her camera-ready good looks, once sang "Isn't She Lovely" and changed the lyrics to "Isn't He Lovely" so she could sing it directly to Simon.
Attire: Belly baring shirts, once wore her grandmother's gold belt under her clothes.
American Idol Moment: After one of her performances, Simon professed his love for her.
Judges Say: "I have a crush." You can bet that was Simon.
Christine's Odds: She's good, but there are better people. Will probably be one of the last people cut, but won't make it to the top three. Her performances are decent, but she hasn't been as consistent as Kelly or Tamyra. And when she reaches those high notes, she sounds like a sheep, albeit a very cute sheep. She'll probably get deals after the show because she's so pretty and elegant.Kelly Clarkson
Known For: Her "girl-next-door" demeanor and amazing voice.
Attire: Favours long skirts with slits on the sides, doesn't wear make-up unless she's competing.
American Idol Moment: Crazy stalker ran up on stage after one of her performances and kissed her on the hand.
Judges Say: Simon didn't remember her from the preliminary competitions, but says she's raised the bar as far as talent goes; she's also raised the roof and some other body parts that aren't going to be mentioned.
Christine's Odds: She's almost a shoo-in for this competition. One of the strongest singers, she's been consistent in every competition so far, and her song selections please the judges very much. Her "I'm just a small-town kinda gal" mentality has garnered votes, although some people think it's an act, and it just as well could be (hey, works for me). Her only competition is Tamyra, although Kelly could end up being the underdog winner.
Michelle's Odds: I want her to win if Tamyra does not get the prize. Not only does she have a big soulful voice, she seems like such a cool person. Kelly will definitely get a record deal.Ejay Day
Known For: Being included in the competition because someone lied about his age.
Usually Sings: Songs where he can trill notes for a very long time.
Attire: Screams "Broadway" all the way, if you know what I mean.
American Idol Moment: As an alternate, he was voted into the top ten.
Judges Say: Nothing much, since he didn't last long in the finals.
Christine's Odds: There was no way that Ejay would have ever won the competition. He had enough stage presence and a decent voice, but his lack of good looks wouldn't have won the superficial votes of viewers. He had the best range of any of the male competitors, but every time he sang it was like listening to a male version of Mariah Carey. Very annoying.
Michelle's Odds: I don't even remember this guy!!!A.J. Gil
Known For: His pale skin and comatose-inducing stage presence.
Usually Sings: Who knows, we're usually in a coma.
Attire: Typical boy-band gear.
American Idol Moment: Who knows, we're usually in a coma.
Judges Say: Not enough stage presence, not enough of a good voice; Simon claimed he got all the "pity" votes.
Christine's Odds: One in a million trillion. No stage presence, not enough of a good voice. How he made it to the top ten still astounds me; the "pity" votes Simon referred to could not have been the only cause. He could easily get a gig working in a cover band for the Backstreet Boys or 'NSYNC.Tamyra Gray
Known For: Her killer voice.
Usually Sings: Whatever she damn well wants.
Attire: Dresses to fit the theme, and pulls it off.
American Idol Moment: All her performances thus far.
Judges Say: "How did you remain undiscovered for so long?" Simon asked rhetorically after she wowed the judges and the audience.
Christine's Odds: They might as well change the name of the competition to the "Tamyra Gray Show." She's got the voice and the stage presence, and seems genuinely nice. The only person she has to look out for is Kelly, who is closing in on her as each week passes. Look for these two to last 'till the end, where the showdown will be well worth the wait. My personal favourite is Kelly, but if Tamyra wins I'll be happy.
Michelle's Odds: I want her to win, but I know that she won't. Sure she has talent, but she is NOT a popstar. She's a more refined, talented singer. I cannot see her singing stupidass songs like Britney Spears does. Tamyra is better than most singers on the charts now, and she is most likely to get a good deal once the show is over. Do your damn thing, Tamyra.Justin Guarini
Known For: His charisma and good looks, sings pretty well too.
Usually Sings: Upbeat songs that show off his charisma and good looks, occasionally has bad song selections that showcase his voice but don't do much for stage presence.
Attire: Buttoned up shirts; the boy is good looking but he doesn't have much of a body.
American Idol Moment: Mouthing off to Simon with his inflated ego, thus falling from grace.
Judges Say: He has the "X-factor," according to Simon. Paula drools every time he's on stage.
Christine's Odds: Very good, but faltering. He is an American Idol, but as far as winning this competition, it doesn't seem likely at this point. He lost a lot of support when he let his ego talk for him, and bad song selections haven't helped either. He'll probably make it to the top three but lose out to Kelly and Tamyra. No matter, as record executives all over the world are already lining up contracts for him. If it makes any difference, I'll do him.
Michelle's Odds: Congratulate this guy, 'cuz he will take the prize. He has popstar written all over his damn face. He's cute (I am dying to run my fingers through his hair), has some talent and great stage presence. His only drawback is that he is totally in love with himself. Once he is able to pry himself from his mirror, he might have time to make a record.R.J. Helton
Known For: Being the angel-faced, dance-challenged wild card, has really white teeth.
Usually Sings: Upbeat, boy-bandish songs.
Attire: Cut off t-shirts, despite his claims of being shy about his body; once sported an all-white suit and was mistaken for the Glad Garbage Bag Man.
American Idol Moment: Falling off the stage during a post-show interview.
Judges Say: Simon is fond of saying, "Boy band, yes, American Idol, no." Poor boy. Stop picking on him! Paula says he has a very pure voice.
Christine's Odds: Not good. Although I find R.J. to be quite good-looking, he lacks stage presence and a strong voice. Many forums claim that R.J. has one of the best-pitched voices, but since I don't know anything about that sort of thing, I'll just go with my gut. And my gut says, "I'll do him, sure...American Idol, no."Nikki McKibbin
Known For: Being the "rebel," winks a little too much.
Usually Sings: Un-"rebel"-like songs.
Attire: Sports a spiky dog-collar to show us how much of a "rebel" she is; hair is dyed red and blonde.
American Idol Moment: Letting everyone in on the secrets of American Idol by revealing she didn't know a song until three days prior to competition.
Judges Say: "Copycat performance," Simon snit once, after she sang "Heartbreaker."
Christine's Odds: Bad. The judges insist on putting Nikki in a little box marked "rebel" and "rocker," so much that every time she strays from their stereotype she receives negative comments (and considering that their themes have included Motown and Big Band, you can't blame the poor girl for not being a "rebel.") She has a decent voice and star quality, but with Simon practically telling her that he wants her off the show, she'd never win the competition.
Michelle's Odds: She is one of the luckiest people on earth. I think that she has an okay voice, but not worthy of the title American Idol. It's unfortunate that she must hear that every week, but she just cannot compete with the other contestants. Good luck Nikki!Ryan Starr
Known For: Being a Liv Tyler look-alike and having a voice like a drag queen.
Usually Sings: Songs out of her range.
Attire: Short skirts and ripped clothing.
American Idol Moment: Claiming she's ''half rock, half pop, half R&B, and one quarter everything," making Americans everywhere question what high school she attended.
Judges Say: Mixed bag, but usually that the songs she picks are out of her range and not her "style."
Christine's Odds: Slim. Although she's got the looks, Ryan's range is limited, making most songs virtually impossible for her to sing. She doesn't have as much stage presence as others either. She's definitely marketable, but the American audience doesn't seem to favour her as the next American Idol. And it certainly doesn't look good when Paula Abdul is struggling to find nice things to say about you.Jim Verraros
Known For: His Roy Orbinson glasses and a sad, sad face.
Usually Sings: "When I Fall in Love," and other mushy love songs.
Attire: Tight shirts and pants.
American Idol Moment: Poor Jim didn't really have many (positive) moments.
Judges Say: Simon infamously uttered, "If he wins, we would have failed." Later, he implied that Jim and A.J. were the "losers" of this competition, although I could have sworn he meant "lovers."
Christine's Odds: I'd have better odds of encountering a mothership of an ancient alien race and being taken back to their home planet as their new leader. Jim was the guy in high school that had all the girls drooling over him because he was the sensitive, boy-next-door type. But in this competition, he didn't shine at all. Let's just say that he was swimming with bigger fish and Simon the Shark ate him alive. His performances were mediocre at best, and the sympathy votes just weren't enough to bring him back.
[ Read about the American Idol phenomenon. Part I of the frenzy. ]
