Deep thoughts need not apply

People surfing the Internets arrive at Rolling Doughnut through various methods. Some show up intentionally, others follow results from a search engine. Those search queries elicit a range of responses from me. Usually it’s something basic like “Mmmm”, but occasionally something comes along that’s disgusting (write about circumcision and you’ll get disgusting searches). T hose make me wonder about the fate of humanity. But not as much as searches like this. This concerns me more:

Can our society really be that dumb? I doubt it, but judging by the number of people who still visit here looking for images of Nick Lachey’s penis, I wonder.

As an experiment, I’m going to change tactics of writing for just this post. Normally I get a couple dozen hits per day writing about politics, economics, and my other serious topics. Danielle expanded her repertoire a few weeks ago and started writing about a few of the reality shows we watch, specifically American Idol, Flavor of Love, and There and Back. Sure, they’re mindless shows, but they provide entertainment and we have low standards sometimes. They also increased her daily hits by a factor of 10.

There’s no contestant to root for in There and Back, but we’re amused by Ashley Parker Angel. Mostly we’re laughing with him, but sometimes it ventures into laughing at him. Those are the fun moments, if only because we get to act like the thirty-somethings we are. “Kids!” we shout. Stop whining. But mostly it’s just a fun way to pass 30 minutes.

American Idol and Flavor of Love, by comparison, have us quite invested in who wins. With American Idol, Danielle wants Chris Daughtry to win, while I’m pulling for Taylor Hicks. We both (not so) secretly want Kevin Covais to really win. He’s not the best singer in the competition, but he’s definitely the most entertaining and likable of the group. And he comes across as genuine and unashamed to be on American Idol. Taylor Hicks is the same, although logic would suggest that he, like Chris, should be most embarrassed. I love that he’s not ashamed, either.

As for the rest, Kellie Pickler needs to stop with the “aw, shucks” crap, even if it’s real. We don’t think it is. Lisa Tucker comes off as too polished by years of talent contests and Star Search appearances. A 16-year-old shouldn’t appear quite so devoid of a soul. Paris Bennett should just go away. Her voice drives me nuts. It’s not her fault, although the rest of her act bothers me, too, and that’s definitely her fault. Mandisa has potential because she can sing. I just think her performances are all over the place. Each part of the song gets a little bit different treatment just to show what she can do. Reign it in and demonstrate some control. Melissa McGhee has talent. I want her to finish strong because I enjoy the tone of her voice. But she has to work to connect with the audience more. Katharine McPhee is easily the most talented of the women. I want her to go very far.

I’ve already stated that I want Chris, Taylor, and Kevin to be the top 3. I know that won’t happen, but I can dream. The guys receive a much better review as a group than the girls. Bucky Covington’s “Aw, shucks” routine is a little annoying, but his seems authentic. And I think he’s got potential if he starts choosing songs better suited to his voice. Elliott Yamin has amazing control over his voice, singing his way through any demands of a song. Mandisa could learn something from Elliott about using a brilliant voice. Elliott’s from Richmond, too, which makes me happy. The less I say about Ace Young, the better. He needs to go away.

As rigged as we suspect American Idol is, we know Flavor of Love is rigged. From the beginning it was obvious that New York had to be in the finale because she’s so annoying. She’s the character designed to drive viewers crazy. Contrary to that intention, Danielle and i quote her. There are few situations in life not improved by a quote from New York. After all, she’s an “inspiring” actress. What’s not to enjoy.

New York’s confrontation with Pumkin was clearly staged. It worked out too well, and the loogie she spit at New York seemed digitally inserted into the film. Although she claims it hit her chin, New York never wipes her chin. That defies logic given the mass of spittle shown. She wouldn’t complain about just her hair. But it provided much entertainment, despite being clearly fake.

As for who should “win” in tonight’s finale, since it can’t be Goldie, Danielle and I are pulling for Hoopz. Hoopz is the only contestant who could be described as attractive. She’s also presented as reasonable and genuine, which I enjoy. Justice demands that the script call for her to win. That won’t happen, of course, because the possibilities for Season 2 are endless if New York wins. But I can hope. Go Hoopz.

I suspect very few people reached the end of this post, but if it seems like I went through the exercise of inserting everyone’s name just to see what Google searches I receive, you’re correct.