Tuesday's video moment with George and Laura was, I believe, the death knell of American Idol's fifteen minutes of fame. The show has always veered between sincerity and self-parody, but by allowing the worst president in the history of this country to come on and congratulate the show for donating money to causes he's too cheap to support himself, it crossed the line and I don't think it can recover.

Does anyone remember "American Dreamz", where Dennis Quaid plays an incompetent, unpopular president who needs to boost his poll numbers? His advisers get him to make an appearance on the show "American Dreamz", with Hugh Grant playing the Simon Cowell figure.

Now, in the real world (as opposed to the world of reality TV), we have Bush on the 3rd anniversary of the disastrous "Mission Accomplished" video moment, aping Dennis Quaid! The president's poll numbers are never going to improve, and his entire administration is going down in a flood of corruption and incompetence. But did AI have to take itself down with him?

http://gnosiscafe.com/gcblog/2007/05/01/idol-warship/

In that case I think you should have said, "Blake's beatboxing is lame." Beatboxing, like every other musical art form, is only as lame as whoever's performing.

Blake admitted he doesn't even work it out for himself. He uses a computer program and a mini studio to break it down and remix it for him. He isn't even fit to shine the shoes of the Fat Boys.

It isn't new. It's isn't interesting to those of us who heard it before and aren't psyched by the Vanilla Ice version of it.

In that picture.

My sentiments exactly, from start to finish.

Okay, it's perfectly reasonable to not like a style of music or a musical technique. But to suggest that beat-boxing is a "gimmick" is to ignore the craft and artistry (not to mention the hard work) that goes into the best beat-boxing has to offer.

If you don't like beat-boxing (I'm not even a huge fan of it, myself), you probably still won't after seeing these videos. But hopefully, you'll respect it enough not to dismiss it so casually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTETbd7jkjk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsNFxOOnjgw

Melinda, Melinda, Melinda, check it out dawg.

I don't think "good singer" quite does it justice. She is an amazing vocal talent, with the type of control over her insturment, timing and ability to wring emotion out of a song that, for me, is on a par with some of the greatest singers of all times. She hasn't sung a single flat note in all the weeks I've watched her, which certainly can't be said of any of the other contestants, some of whom are occasionally painful to listen to and seem like novelty acts by comparison. Last night she was handed a genre where she is clearly out of her safety zone and she nailed it.

Some people don't see a "journey" in Melinda because she arrived on AI with professional experience and has seemed to be at the top of the heap from the early weeks. But I think her journey is from a career of relative obscurity in the back of the stage to the bight lights in the front.

Also, presumably she met whatever requirements AI had regarding age and prior experience. It would be a shame if she lost now because she is regarded as too mature or too experienced.

The woman must be on some kick-ass prescriptions, she looks like a robot. I can only imagine the silent scream she is hiding behind that mask. I don't want to be there when she finally blows.

I read somewhere that they turned off the sound from the audience when W and the robot were on - they didn't want any booing to be heard.

. . .by W's and Laura's appearance on the show.

What utter hypocrisy from the person who promised a bunch of money to Africa and is withholding that money.

But wait! It's not hypocrisy at all! He was thanking us for sending OUR money so that he doesn't have to.

Same goes for the American poor. I mean, our taxes are paying for a ridiculous war, so there's never anything left over for programs that need it. Good thing we donated!

I too was sickened at Fox's insertion of George and Laura into the American Idol program last night. (Imagine the howls of protest from the right wing if there had been a clip of the Clintons, Obama, Edwards, etc.) That said, it was a telling moment when, I can't remember which, George or Laura, mentioned the funds raised for the poor in America. Thanking television viewers for contributing to a telethon to benefit those in poverty here is the most the Bushes have done for those in need. They could have added Barbara Bush and her unsoiled beautiful mind musing about how the telethon really worked out quite well for 'those people'.

The contestants all did pretty well last night, surprisingly. It will actually be too bad to lose two of them tonight considering they're all improving. Still, I'd guess that it will be Chris and Phil or possibly LaKisha taking their final bows tonight. Melinda still gets my top vote as the most consistently good singer on the show.

I am really hoping that George and Laura will get voted off.

"It’s not ‘all new’ but the way he’s mixing it up is very different: especially compared to other AI contestants."

Blake is bringing it to a different audience and format (AI). If you grew up listening to the people I mentioned before, not to mention Rahzel of the Roots, Blake's mix-up is not very different at all.

Blake beatboxing on a single, post AI? Yeah, the world's ready for that phenomena. Right after huge shoulder pads come back.

It was lame in the 80's. It's lame now.

He reminds me of a ‘90’s alternative’ Beck with a hip hop edge or maybe an emo-ish Cake. It’s not ‘all new’ but the way he’s mixing it up is very different: especially compared to other AI contestants.

In a few years (after the AI frenzy wears down and he’s got a little more experience) I could see myself buying one of Blake’s albums and I can’t say that for anyone else on the show this year.