Idolator noticed that Idol Gives Back gave a lot of screentime to other networks’ stars, but they didn’t mention that Fox missed out on a chance to promote one of their biggest stars, who happens to be on a show that runs adjacent to American Idol. That’s right, Hugh Laurie is the usual keyboardist for Band From TV, but he was notably missing from their performance of “Before He Cheats.” Sure, Jesse Spencer was prominently featured on electric fiddle, but Jesse Spencer is hardly a big name… he’s barely getting two minutes per episode on House this season.

So where was Hugh? Does he have a reasoned argument against charity, or does he just hate poor people?

Popularity: 19% [?]

Otherwise known as David Archuleta has got this in the bag night.

Michael Johns: Fine. I didn’t know he had that falsetto in him.

Syesha Mercado: Fantasia? Really? Yuck. Good technical performance, though.

Jason Castro: Oddly compelling. I didn’t want to like it (ukulele? I mean, really?) but it was good.

Kristy Lee: Good lord, girl, buy a skirt. The less skirt the better, this pants thing has to end. (Her song sucked.)

At this point Lily started to act up, so I brought my live-blogging to the end. Sorry, David, David, Carly, and Brooke.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Wow, we were only one brown person away from really pissing off Elton John.

Perhaps racist America was confused by the dreads? I thought for sure that the bright blue eyes would make a game of spot-the-white-guy fairly simple.

Popularity: 6% [?]

At least now he’s announcing his rip-offs homages beforehand. I guess the pressure from the Doxology PR blitz has him and the Idol producers on their toes.

But Christ he’s riding this ironic rock cover thing hard, with the judges praising him for originality and bravery the whole way.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Last week, everyone’s favorite emo-esque (at least in the hair department) American Idol contestant David Cook totally ripped off Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (or did he rip off Incubus? Hmmm…). So does anyone know if Dashboard Confessional does a version of “Eleanor Rigby” on tour?

Popularity: 5% [?]

Breaking Bad, Sunday on AMC, is the most fucking awesome thing on teevee today. It took a while to get there, but with the fifth episode (the dad from Malcolm in the Middle is a badass… who knew?) it has eclipsed all the competition.

Good job, AMC. Mad Men was awesome and this thing you’ve got here is even better. Now, how ’bout you stop bleeping out the cussing, especially if I’m watching it on VOD. That shits annoying.

Popularity: 2% [?]

David Archuleta is one of the current American Idol favorites, and he seems to be specializing in depressing ballads. Two weeks ago it was John Lennon’s “Imagine” (which Archuleta somehow thinks is a happy song… clearly it’s a lament at the impossibility of Utopia, right?) and more recently, it was Phil Collin’s “Another Day in Paradise,” which is not a song that could possibly be interpreted as happy (unless you enjoy the plight of the homeless, I suppose).

The first week of the top twelve is Beatles week, so what sad song can he do from the Lennon/McCartney songbook? Off the top of my head I can’t think of any particularly sad Beatles songs…

Popularity: 3% [?]

I enjoy reading the roundups of American Idol from Dave, Idolator, and Balko, but I was surprised that no one (not even commenters, I think) noticed that David Cook’s version of “Hello” was entirely ripped off from Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

Ok, not entirely ripped off, it was a little slower, but if you’re doing a rock version of a Lionel Richie song that has to be the first band that comes to mind.

Anyway, I hope he keeps this up. Maybe for Beatles week he can do “All My Loving,” from the classic Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Blow in the Wind.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Randy, you really should never compare a man wearing a scarf to Michael Hutchence.

Popularity: 4% [?]

There’s currently an ad running on Denver’s CBS4 that features news anchor Jim Benemann and his son, a high school football player. The son’s jersey clearly says “Bienemann,” yet the caption (and Jim’s official bio) says “Benemann.” My theory: Jim’s legal name has the silent i, but in his professional life he drops it to avoid mispronunciations.

Anyone know for sure?

Popularity: 2% [?]