First Take on American Idol's Season 12...

I GET TO WATCH(AND WRITE ABOUT) IDOL AGAIN....[Happy Wesley]

     Okay, here we go:
     It's Season 12 of American Idol, previous winners(in order) are Kelly Clarkson(1), Ruben Studdard(2), Fantasia Barrino(3), Carrie Underwood(4), Taylor Hicks(5), Jordin Sparks(6), David Cook(7), Kris Allen(8), Lee DeWyze(9), Scotty McCreery(10), and Phillip Phillips(11).

     The host of the show is Ryan Seacrest, the current judges this season are Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, replacing last year's panel of Randy, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. (Thank goodness.)

     Cattle-calls were held during the summer around June or July, then judged auditions were in October, with Hollywood in mid-December, it'll go live once we get to the voting rounds, that should be early to mid-March.

     And, just to clarify, I'm only writing this because I enjoy it and people like the recaps, in no way is this official or anything.

     These auditions were in New York City.

    
     The first half of the opening was cool(the part with Phillip), the second half(introduction of judges) was like one of those algebra problems with two answers, and you find which one was right and which was extraneous....that section was unnecessarily long. The third part(the history of the show) was too sappy. I liked how they all stole Ryan's opening line, that was a cool touch, but I hope it was just a one-time deal.

    
     The Contestants - Michael the improv guy who went first was one of those just in it for his forty-five seconds of fame, though I liked his rearrangement of "We Will Rock You."

The Korean guy was bad.

Evan the amputee wasn't great, but he was all right, they should've let him through.

Frankie the train singer was likable, wished they would've let him in, too.

That guy in the red plastic suit, Ben? was....oh boy. That was awful.

I liked Jersey Girl Miley-Wannabe Blueberry Farmer Sarah better than I expected...not sure if I would have let her through, though.

Albert the receptionist....what is it with the Asian people who can't sing???!!!!

Very cruel editing on the trivia dude.

The Turbinator was okay vocally, but he sort of stands out personality-wise, glad he was let through. Not get-to-voting-rounds through, but for-audition-let-him-in kind of thing.

Didn't know what to think about Ashlee, that last girl who went, with the huge family. Is she half black and half white?

Too many high-pitched voices, that was painful to listen to some of them.

    
     The Judges - Randy is somehow even blander and more irrelevant than ever.

Mariah is a diva, "I'm the queen of the world, you all better do as I say." It's annoying. And she seems rude.

Nicki's wigs are ridiculous. And, like, she's a rapper. And constantly fluttering her enormous fake eyelashes is irritating. She has that Steven Tyler thing going on, only with a larger element of zany and less of the delusional factor. But somebody did need to tell Mariah she wasn't the boss all the time...

Keith was great. He's really doing his job, looking for talent. Real talent, not what some contestants in previous years were(Lauren and others, etc.) He's down-to-earth, and absolutely hilarious. And I have no idea how he could possibly have been able to concentrate with all that going on.

    
     The Quotes - Keith, right after the improv guy sails in with his whole deal: "You really need to come out of your shell, man."

Nicki, in the middle of the discussion with the Korean kid that Randy and Mariah were having on dreams of what you're going to do in life: "I wanted to drive a bus one time..." (Randy stares at her confused) 

Keith, during the awkwardness that was Plastic Man's audition: (Hiding under the table) "It isn't safe."

Sarah the Farmer Girl: "None of my family is really musical at all... My grandma told me that I have, like, a great-aunt who's an opera singer or something. I never heard of her."

    
     The Random Miscellanous Stuff That Doesn't Fit Any Other Category - AT&T and Ford really need some new commercials, those were lame.

The Coke Security Camera was really good, and I really like the slogan in that Diet Coke ad with the fashion designer lady, "Another word for ambition is thirst", but I've always wondered...is that yellow thing supposed to be a dress? Cause you can see the mannequin's butt....

Those Minute Maid commercials with the guy arguing with the oranges are usually irritating, but this new one was sort of clever.

None of the makeup commercials were outlandishly laughable and stupid, that was a little disappointing.

And the bearded guy in the UPS commercial is the guy who says "Seriously?" and totally makes that one H&R Block commercial work.

Idol will NOT be bland this season, if this was any idicator...