It's amazing nowadays that I can go several days and not hear a peep about "American Idol." It's that low on the pop culture totem pole. There are hardly any stories written about the show either.
But alas, we are here for the run of the season and here is my power rankings for the top 6.
1) Caleb Johnson. He did nothing last week to change my mind that he will win the competition. He gave a Kings of Leon non-hit his own spin and got his usual plaudits. (last week 1)
2. Alex Preston. At worst, his performance last week was predictable. But even his worst isn't half bad. The dude knows who he is and that matters a lot in this competition. (2)
3. Jena Irene. I wasn't a huge fan of her Radiohead cover last week but she got the pimp spot and a ton of fans embraced it. Her versatility, mixed with her unique (and often polarizing) vocal stylings, makes her the likeliest candidate to upend an Alex-Caleb finale. (4)
4. Jessica Meuse. She falls short of that star quality she so wants and it may be her awkward stage maneuvers that hurt her more than her vocals. I want to like her more but I don't know how much better she's going to get. (3)
5. Sam Woolf. He improved last week in terms of his ability to connect with the song he's singing. Maybe he can do that again this week. But I think his chances of winning are nil. (6)
6. C.J. Harris. Call him the survivor. He has the weakest vocal skills of the remaining six, riding on charm and songs with minimal range to keep him going. He might outlast Sam, perhaps Jessica but no way he will be in the top 3. (7)
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Remember Katie Stevens from ill-fated season 9?
She's an actress now and landed a major role on a new MTV show that debuted last night called "Faking It."
She plays Karma, best friends with Amy (Rita Volk) who are are not part of the "in" group in high school but when they are accidentally "outed" as lesbians, their social stock goes up. (Times have changed, haven't they?)
In the first episode, to "prove" their relationship, they kiss in public, as seen in the photo above.
The twist? Amy might actually have actual romantic feelings for Karma so the "faking it" part may not be so fake after all.
“My experience wasn’t the same as Karma’s,” says Stevens, 21, to the New York Daily News. She is best known on television for finishing eighth on the ninth season of “American Idol.” “But I can relate. You want people to like you.”
Here's the first episode:
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Clay Aiken released his first TV ad in his first run for Congress in North Carolina
One of his Democratic opponents questioned his dedication to special needs children by noting that Aiken was "too busy" to attend a Presidential Commission for People With Intellectual Disabilities he was part of under Pres. George W. Bush.
I would post the video but it's set up so it automatically plays, which is annoying so view it here.
Even if he gets the Democratic nomination, Aiken faces long odds winning.
"This district would be difficult for any Democrat to win," explained CBS News Election Director Anthony Salvanto. "It's a heavily Republican district. President Obama got just 42 percent of the vote there in 2012."
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Kelly Clarkson has been low key since she announced her pregnancy and is now six or seven months along.
E! has a photo of her with her baby bump.
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