Even though ratings have declined in past years, it has managed to maintain a loyal fan base. I stopped watching "Idol" about two years ago, but I couldn't resist watching the show’s season premiere this year. The show seems to have a new appeal.
Despite "Idol's" repetitiveness, there were some notable and fun moments throughout the night due to feisty judges and larger-than-life contestants. Here are the top five moments of the night on Idol.
1) Victoria Beckham appeared as the first guest judge of the season, and she took on a life of her own. She did not say much throughout the show, but it was quite funny watching her disagree with Simon. It almost seemed as if Simon was trying to purposely push her buttons, but as always, Simon came out victorious using his smile and charm.
2) When Andrew Fenton, a 25-year-old Bostonian, walked into his audition, the audience could feel the newfound tension. Right from the get go, Fenton was angry and sulky. He gave cheeky responses to the judge’s answers. Kara DioGuardi, last year's new judge, was noticeably disturbed and told off the contestant directly. “I don’t like you!” she told him. The young contestant only received one "yes" from the judges. Guess from which judge? Mr. Simon Cowell. I guess cheeky and angry suits Simon just right.
3) Simon’s toughest critique of the night was give to the young Norberto Guerrero: “You sing like a 3-year-old girl, dressed like LaToya Jackson. You got a beard, the whole thing is too weird,” A small price to pay for fame: public humiliation.
4) Justin Williams of Sandy, Utah, was my personal favorite of the night. The contestant is a cancer survivor and his story was inspiring to hear. He sang “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble and his voice was as uplifting as his back story. His voice is also matched by his good looks leaving him as a contender for “Season 9 Heartthrob.” I can already hear the girlified screams.
5) Tyler Grady, a 19 year old from Nazareth, Pa., managed to deliver a great performance, even when he struggled with two broken arms. His story about falling out of a tree was a nice blurb. He said that he loved climbing trees as a child, so he decided to climb one again when he fell and injured himself. Well, broken limbs do not always have to spell disaster. They can mean a ticket to Hollywood.
Disclaimer: Broken limbs will most probably earn you a ticket to the hospital.
Do not try this at home.
Season 9 is off to a strong start. There's no telling what will happen next (um, unless you watched the last eight seasons) Go to TVguide.com for local listings of Idol or just watch the idolized commercials on FOX.
Lynda Lopez, Prosser
I actually watched the premiere, first time EVER watching Idol and in my opinion, Andrew Fenton is great. Kara DioGuardi was the rude one. From what I hear, no one even likes her, she crowds the table.
Andrew Fenton was definitely entertaining to watch and he had a pretty good voice, but he was pretttyy creeppy. I think they should have let him go on to the next round, but I guess his odd behavior lost him the golden ticket.