"American Idol" voters eradicated another contestant on Thursday evening, tapping Paul McDonald to take his brilliant white grin, his flowery matches, his characteristic voice and fascinatingly jerky promenade proceeds and proceed home.
Maybe he should have skidded onstage in his tighty-whiteys – a la Tom Cruise – after all on Wednesday evening, when he sang Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll."
Oh well. Paul, frankly, didn't appear too destroyed up about the news. The blink of teeth wavered for only a instant, and then was restored. In detail, Stefano Langone, who stood edge by edge with Paul in the base three (which, by the way, I miraculously estimated correctly), looked far more distressed about the report that Paul would proceed dwelling than Paul did.
Stefano, a fixture in the base three, appears to have the eliminated-contestant-support thing down to a science: theshocked gaze, the long hug, the whispered phrases of encouragement. I might have to start calling him Mr. End of the Road.
Or perhaps Paul actually warrants that name, glimpsing as he is (finally, finally) the first friend to be dispatched dwelling since the peak 13 took shape. Ryan Seacrest recalled us of this very detail before dispatching Haley Reinhart to safety.
(Also noted: Casey Abrams looked attractive darn joyous to glimpse Haley head back to the couches. Kelly Clarkson might desire to stop that Casey crush.)
"We're bummed about this, man. You're the life of the party," Ryan said, possibly seeking to mix up a little of that Pia Toscano-departure-esque sadness. Or possibly he was really regretful to glimpse Paul go. Who knows? But he proceeded, "You've had such an astonishing influence on our show. You actually have."
Has he?
Ultimately, the nonchalance Paul brandished at having been cast a vote off, while outstanding, may have been the very thing that did him in: He not ever actually appeared to muster many of heat out there, though "Maggie May," which Jennifer Lopez inquired to discover one last time, was decisively an "Idol" focus for him. It was pleasant to discover him vocalize it afresh and recall us why he continued as long as he did.
"It's OK. It's OK," Paul comforted, supplementing that it had been "a good time." He rang out for all the world as if he were thanking his hosts at the end of a backyard barbecue.
So I estimate, you understand, thanks for approaching, Paul. We had joy, too.
How about you? Are you regretful to glimpse Paul go? And more significant, manage you believe we'll ever get to glimpse Casey play "Seth Rogan's junior, bass-playing brother," as Rob Reiner suggested? Why couldn't that happen?
