Idol Flux

Before I begin with my evaluation of the most recent Pinoy Idol episode that gave us our shining Top 24, let me just apologize for two things:

1.) Sorry for not having the videos. The episode was crappy anyway like it always was. Syke, the real reason is that our video captor has had to go away for personal reason. So we are in the lookout for a kindhearted fella to provide us with videos royalty-free. If you’re that, and goodlooking, please let us know.

2.) We had told you before with conviction no less that Sue didn’t make it to the Top 24. Well, that’s what we were told and we are sorry if we were all misinformed. That’s life peoples and don’t hate us for just relaying the message. Next time we’ll be more finicky in accepting inside scoop.

So that settles our shortcomings, we hope. Let’s now talk about Idol.

First, I have to say that Ogie keeps getting better, more believable. His comments are getting more sensible by the minute and though he hasn’t been able to compensate for Wyngard’s acerbic poppycock, we are starting to like the judges as a whole. Okay fine, I lied, I just like Ogie.

Raymond, oh Raymond. He is really annoying, isn’t he? He looks so fake talking to the contestants and his lines cannot be any more inconsequential. Somebody tell the producers that it isn’t too late to get Papa Drew Arellano, or anyone else, to supersede the obsolete whale.

If the signs were better, the stage more grand, and everyone spoke English, I would have mistaken the show for American Idol. Actually, not really. It was just too much of a copycat - from the audition process, the group division, the long walk on the hallway, to the dance fest at the end - the show fell short in showing Filipino creativity. There was no localization except for the show being held at SM Cinemas and the hopefuls being Filipinos. We all would have liked to see GMA reinvent the popular worldwide show, wouldn’t we?

And what is up with the name-changing? I understand that some contestants have not been given monikers like John, Mark, David, Paris, Britney, or Christina, but to morph their given names to something else for the show’s convenience is, for me, unjustifiable. I am sure the contestants have nicknames of their own and it surprised me why they hadn’t imposed them instead. Take for example Elizalde Camaya. I know for sure that around his circle of friends he’s called Zaldy. But for Chrissake, where did “Kid” come from? And Eleuterio? He couldn’t have grown up being called that. It was just too long. Elliot? Someone shoot me now.

Were the contestants aware that their names were being changed and they simply gave a thumbs up to the producers? Or were they told later that their names were changed on national TV? Either way, there’s something wrong with that picture. I’m just saying.

I also have to point out that Wyngard is definitely delusional. His comment that Carol has to lose weight was something that stupefied me throughout the show. So Carol has to lose weight while Regene doesn’t? And why is weight even an issue here? Did Mau’s weight deter her from being the first Philippine Idol. Or in GMA terms, did Raymond’s obesity, not to include his atrocious lines, prevent him from being the host? Let us all give ourselves a moment and think about it.

I am feeling better now. And so here is our Top 24 (without their ludicrous screen names):

1.) Regene Ong
2.) Angeli Mae Flores
3.) Paolo Dio Maghari
4.) Joselino Pimpinio Jr.
5.) Roberto Navarro
6.) Beverly Ejercito
7.) Eleuterio Andal
8.) Meryl David
9.) Warren Antig
10.) Ryan Estrada
11.) Ramon Chaves III
12.) Sue Ellen Cubing
13.) Vrenilyn Villaflor
14.) Drizzle Muniz
15.) Daryl Jett Celis
16.) Gretchen Espina
17.) Jennifer Rawolle
18.) Sherwin Bayangan
19.) Walton Zerrudo
20.) Carol Anne Leus
21.) Elizalde Camaya
22.) Penelope Matanguihan
23.) Krisoffer Rei Tragico
24.) Jayann Bautista

Lastly, here are some funny shots:

Priceless shot

Kawawa naman

There is only one word to describe the Manila-round of Pinoy Idol: DISAPPOINTING.

First, there was that bickering moment. Second, there was too much focus on the personal agenda, e.g. the family reconnection and the romance within the set. Third, I almost cried because Raymond was too boring.

The most recent episode clearly lacked the talent exposition we all hoped to see. Its lengthy clips on the hopefuls’ personal dilemma has totally clouded what the pseudo-Hollywood Round was supposed to be about. Instead of spending the undignified hour on skills and personality that could ultimately give us the chance to measure each contestants’ worth and capacity to advance, we were fed with silly cat fights, a follow through on that search for the mother-who-abandoned-her-kid, and the corniest romance.

There was also something wrong with the format of the first round. I get that all 175 wannabes were divided into several groups, but the deliberation part sort of seemed unfair, especially when I heard the last part about having only X amount (where X=4) of spot to fill. Wasn’t it unfair for the final batch that the judges could only let four in their click advance when they had X power (where X=judges’ discretion) for the earlier groups?

And speaking of un-fairness, I had the chance to speak to one of the 90 people who successfully made it to the 3rd Round, which isn’t the duets just to be clear. I don’t want to get your hopes up or anything, but according to her no one from the Visayas and Mindanao auditions is in the Top 24. So we won’t see ‘adorable’ Sue (She wasn’t when we tried to talk to her. We don’t blame her though.) and Acmali, our favorite Muslim dude, further on in the show. By the way, our informer politely asked us not to disclose her name, and since we’re nice people, we ain’t gonna tell.

The episode also lacked creativity in its production. It was most evident on Raymond’s boring lines and Pinoy Idol’s stage design. I mean could Big Raymond get any cornier? And I wish the stage was designed nicely to compensate for the show’s being naturally grotesque. Good thing some of the competitors were constructive enough and tried to make the song their own during their acapellas. Like Beverly and the Robbie Williams dude.

So to sum up, the first part of Pinoy Idol’s Manila Round did not deliver. It disappointed me a lot I almost strangled our maid. The least they could have done was to write funny lines for Raymond, but that, too, failed. And I wish Jolina didn’t say “OK” like fifty thousand times. It really got on my nerves, OK?

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Parts 3-6 are inside the post, click on READ MORE to watch the rest of the videos.

To those who’ve seen the PILOT EPISODE, what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments. Read the rest of this entry »

Jolina Magdangal bids butterflies adieu, revives fashion faux pas anew

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