plus 4, Derry teen hopes 'Idol' offers big break - Eagle-Tribune

Derry teen hopes 'Idol' offers big break - Eagle-Tribune
Make My Day - American Reporter
Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass dies in Pa. at 59 - Tacoma News Tribune
Conan O'Brien makes the best of a bad situation - Rock Hill Herald
'IDOL' WATCH: Atlanta Auditions - Broadway World

Derry teen hopes 'Idol' offers big break - Eagle-Tribune

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 11:55 PM PST

DERRY — Pat Ford might not be much of a singer, but he is something of a star.

The 17-year-old Pinkerton Academy senior made his television debut on Fox's "American Idol" Tuesday night, with an interesting take on Britney Spears' song "Womanizer."

The show's celebrity judges panned Ford's wild song-and-dance performance, but the appearance has earned him plenty of attention.

"A lot of people have been asking me if I was serious," he said.

The answer is yes — and no.

"Yes, because that really is how I sing, that's really how I dance," he said. "No, because I know I don't really have a good voice."

Ford has been performing "Womanizer" for friends and classmates for about a year, including a performance atop a school lunchroom table. He showed off his voice and moves during a skit in Spanish class last year, while classmates played "American Idol" judges.

"Before I knew it, I was singing 'Womanizer' more and more," he said.

Ford said Spears was one of his inspirations to audition for the show.

"I really idolize her and I think she's awesome. She's the princess of pop," he said. "I hope she can just get a glimpse of what I did on TV."

Friends and fans were eagerly awaiting his appearance on TV last night, he said, following his audition in August at Gillette Stadium. He had a second audition that month in Boston.

"Everybody was waiting," he said. "Everybody that goes to Pinkerton had their TVs on."

Waiting since August had become nerve-wracking for Ford, even though he knew how the audition ended.

"I had been really excited to see myself on TV since August, but as it got closer and closer, I got really nervous," he said.

But his friends and family said they were proud of his appearance, and he has been hearing kind things from hundreds of strangers.

"Last night, I got 500 (Facebook) friend requests from people across the country who don't even know me," he said yesterday.

While friends and even strangers have been kind, not all of the judges were kind.

Simon Cowell, the show's infamous grumpy British judge, told Ford his performance was not funny or entertaining.

"Simon, can I just say this one thing?" Ford asked as he was being critiqued. "You're even sassier in person than you are on TV."

Randy Jackson was a bit kinder, saying he would like to "hang" with Ford.

"You're a cool guy," Jackson said. "Stop singing forever. You can't sing."

But Ford intends to stay in show business.

"I'm not so talented as a singer," he said, "but I think I definitely have the entertainment factor that people like and people look for."

And perhaps an opportunity will come out of his brief, but memorable, "American Idol" performance.

"As ridiculous as it sounds, that's what I'd hope for," he said. "I know it sounds stupid, but everybody has a chance, you know?"

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Make My Day - American Reporter

Posted: 14 Jan 2010 12:17 AM PST

Make My Day
PARIS FOR PREZ
by Erik Deckers
American Reporter Humor Writer
Indianapolis, Indiana

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- It was the snit heard 'round the world. The snarky, scantily-clad video response that got pundits tongues wagging about something other than politics, at least until their wives saw them. Maybe its echo has faded from the news, but it still makes me wake up screaming in the middle of the night.

Paris Hilton says she's running for President.

The vapid blond heiress and star of "The Simple Life," announced her candidacy in a spoof video on FunnyOrDie.com. Hilton said she was running because that "wrinkly white-haired guy" - John McCain, for those of you emerging from under your rocks - used her image in a television spot against his opponent, presumptive President of the United States, Barack Obama.

"Hey America, I'm Paris Hilton, and I'm a celebrity too," she said without a sense of irony or shame. "Only I'm not from the olden days, and I'm not promising change like that other guy. I'm just hot."

Oh man, this is really bad. I've always been a big supporter of third party candidates, but my one litmus test is whether they can even spell "candidate." And that they haven't starred in an Internet sex video/ I swear, if she wins, I'm moving to Canada with Alec Baldwin, unless he chickens out like he did last time. (Big wussy. The guy swore up and down he would move to Canada if George Bush became President, but we're stuck with him and his 17 brothers.) Still, I don't think she's got a real shot, so I'll probably be here for a while.

"But then that wrinkly white-haired guy used me in his campaign ad, which means I guess I'm running for President," she continued. Yeah, right. By that logic, since her boyfriend used her in that sex video, I guess that would make her a slut. . .

Uh, oh. This is worse than I thought! Do they get the NFL in Canada? Can I get the Dish Network to work up there?

"So thanks for the endorsement, white-haired dude, and I want America to know I'm, like, totally ready to lead."

Oh, good, as long as you're totally ready. I mean, we wouldn't want someone who was , like, only concerned about whether certain other world leaders are, like, hot, or whether the White House clashes with her outfits. She'll probably appoint Extreme Makerover's Ty Pennington the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to make sure.

"I'll see you at the White House," she concluded. "Oh, and I might paint it pink."

Looks like I've got a tough decision to make. Do I go for the big city or the small town? I've been to Toronto, and it's a nice city with a strong arts community. But if I lived in a smaller town, I'd be closer to nature and some really good fishing. Dryden, Ontario is gorgeous in the summer.

But even as I pace the floor and gnaw on my fingernails, I have to admit, her energy policy made some sense.

"We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight, while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. That way, offshore drilling carries us until the new technologies kick in, which will create new jobs and energy independence. Energy crisis solved. I'll see you at the debates, bitches."

But then she, like, totally shot herself in the foot when she said she was considering Rihanna, the R&B artist, as her vice presidential nominee.

Come on! Rihanna?! Are you kidding me? Everyone knows she doesn't have the foreign affairs experience needed to re-establish the U.S. as a world leader. Plus, she was born in Barbados, so she's not a natural-born American citizen, which means she can't take on that role.

While some people would say Britney Spears, Hilton's fellow celeb and John McCain commercial target, is the emotional favorite, I think Cameron Diaz is the better choice. She can shore up the Hispanic vote and improve relations with Latin America. Of course, you'll also need Ashton Kutcher to head up the Department of Homeland Security (Hey Iran, you've been punk'd!). And what do you think of Scarlett Johansen as the Secretary of State... ?

Uh, excuse me. I don't know what came over me. If anything, I'm worrying too much about something that will never happen. Hilton is only 27, eight years too young to run for president, which means I don't have to worry about a global disaster for eight more years. But with her sordid past, I doubt she could even be elected dogcatcher of Putnam County.

Besides, I'm hoping Lindsey Lohan will be out of rehab and ready to run for Senate by 2016.

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Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass dies in Pa. at 59 - Tacoma News Tribune

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 10:01 PM PST

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In an Aug. 1, 2000, file photo Teddy Pendergrass, right, performs at the Good Neighbor Community Outreach Celebration Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2000 in Philadelphia. Pendergrass, who became R&B's reigning sex symbol in the 1970s and '80s with his forceful, masculine voice and passionate love ballads died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010 at age 59.

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Conan O'Brien makes the best of a bad situation - Rock Hill Herald

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 10:51 PM PST

Canny indeed, but the fact is, he's right, and it's hard to imagine that this is not precisely what NBC knew would happen when it first floated the idea of giving Leno a half-hour show at 11:35 p.m. But maybe not. There doesn't seem to have been a lot of clear thinking over at NBC lately and as long as we're on the subject, why is no one talking about buying out Jeff Zucker's contract?

O'Brien has, in fact, been a model citizen during the whole absurd ordeal; unlike Leno, he never used his monologue to express any kind of dissatisfaction with what was from the very first an impossible and irritating situation. Following on the heels of Craig Ferguson's call to stop tormenting the clearly psychologically challenged Britney Spears and David Letterman's oddly mature bull-by-the-horns admission of adultery, O'Brien's calm amid the storm seems to herald a whole new role for the late-night host: Standard Bearer of Temperance and Dignity.

Hard to imagine for men who have been known to don an Alka-Seltzer suit (Letterman) or thrust a profane dog puppet into the limelight (O'Brien). But it's a refreshing reminder that even as political pundits work themselves into a rabid froth of personal vindictiveness, there is professionalism to be had among at least one group of television hosts.

This doesn't mean that the late-night community hasn't been making comedic hay of the situation, although they did show remarkable restraint until O'Brien made his carefully worded outrage known. Even Letterman maintained a respectful distance, keeping his barbs aimed at NBC executives rather than at O'Brien or "Big Jaw," with nothing but compliments for both of their shows, which have, of course, combined their low ratings to make him, Letterman, the new King of Late Night.

But as of Tuesday night all gloves were off, with Letterman presenting "Law and Order: Leno Victims Unit" and Jimmy Kimmel doing his whole show in Leno drag.

Which is really not fair - the mess is not Leno's fault. But Zucker does not have as distinctive a chin.

McNamara: mary.mcnamara@latimes.com

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'IDOL' WATCH: Atlanta Auditions - Broadway World

Posted: 13 Jan 2010 10:58 PM PST

Day two of the hit reality TV show "American Idol" continued tonight, moving the audition phase to Atlanta, Georgia, with guest judge Mary J. Blige. Atlanta proved rather comparable to last night's Boston auditions for the less-than-stellar singers, but, for a city that has featured the likes of Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson (both who held their initial audition in Atlanta), seemed to lack some of the more extraordinary performers. Although there were several good singers in the mix, the more colorful performances stole the show.

And none was more colorful than 62 year-old General Larry Platt. Platt performed what appeared to be a self-written piece entitled "Pants on the Ground," centering around the lyrics "Lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground." As the last contestant of the night, Platt provided more entertainment than has been seen in recent "Idol" history, getting the judges and a number of other Idol-hopefuls joining in. Within minutes of the end of tonight's "Idol," #pantsontheground was already two of Twitter's trending topics. Don't be surprised if "Pants on the Ground" ends up hitting the radio waves in the near future.

Platt was not the only interesting performer to take the stage at the Atlanta auditions. Blake Smith wore a shirt proclaiming "Britney Spears Changed My Life," yet failed to remember the correct lyrics to Oops, I Did It Again. 20 year-old Holly Harden sported a full guitar dress, complete with matching guitar sunglasses for her performance of You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man by Loretta Lynn, but it was her country stylings that pushed her through to Hollywood.

The infectious Skii Bo Ski charmed the judges with both his personality and voice. Entering the audition wearing a bright red shirt with his name in gold print along the side (spelled incorrectly, as he pointed out) and the "American Idol" logo shaved into his head, the judges expected Skii Bo Ski to fall flat. Yet, after his unexpectedly skillful performance of Grape Vine by Marvin Gaye, the judges sent him to Hollywood. They were, however, rather confused when Skii Bo Ski compared himself to a dollar store, as Randy told him, "What in the world are you saying, man?"

Standouts for the evening included police officer Bryan Walker's performance of Superstar by past "Idol" winner Rueben Stoddard, which was quite a bit more interesting than the original recording; Jermaine Sellers controlled tenor on What If God Was One Of Us by Joan Osborne; and Miriam Lemnouni's version of The Climb by Miley Cyrus, which worked surprisingly well in the hands of a more seasoned voice.

However, no performance was more surprising than that of Vanessa Wolfe who, after coming off as rather simple in her short introduction (she said of herself, "I don't really have very much"), blew the judges away with an astonishing country voice. Her performance of Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show was quite possibly the best of the night. Wolfe was ecstatic upon receiving her ticket to Hollywood, exclaiming, "I get to ride on an aeroplane!"

As always, several people couldn't believe they didn't receive invitations to Hollywood, including Lamar Royal who, after proclaiming his love for both Mary J. Blige and constructive criticism prior to his audition, was escorted out of the audition room after being turned town and said to the cameras, "She can't sing a...lick." (Note that his phrasing was a bit more colorful.)

Many performances pushed the judges to their wit's end, including a rather hideous rendition of Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man from the Kern/Hammerstein musical, Show Boat, and a screechy performance of I Will Always Love You. Simon delivered his usual dose of sharp-but-hilarious comments, including "You sound like a cat barking," and, after only one of a pair of best friends made it to Hollywood, "If it's any comfort, I would have said no to both of you."

The Atlanta contestants provided a mix of the qualified and the quirky, sending 25 hopefuls to the second round. Yet, Atlanta will have left its mark by making sure "Idol" doesn't look like a fool by leaving its pants on the ground.

The next episode of "American Idol" airs Tuesday, January 19th, at 8PM EST on Fox, and follows the Chicago auditions with guest judge Shania Twain.

"American Idol" is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted June 11, 2002 on the Fox network and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television. It is currently the #1 TV show in the Nielsen Ratings and is one of only three that have been #1 for five consecutive seasons. The cast of "Idol" includes judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara GioGuardio, and Ellen Degeneres, and host Ryan Seacrest.

The program aims to discover the best singer in the country through a series of nation-wide auditions, and subsequent viewer voting. Through telephone voting, America has chosen past winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and Kris Allen.
Several "Idol" contestants have been seen on the Broadway stage, including Barrino (The Color Purple), Hicks (Grease), Clay Aiken (Spamalot), Diana DeGarmo(Hairspray), Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Tamyra Gray (Rent, Bombay Dreams), and Constantine Maroulis (The Wedding Singer, Rock of Ages).