Idol Gives Back aired tonight and it was everybody bit the event we should have expected. The epic two and a half hour show, however, felt different than last year’s show. It goes without saying that the second edition of anything won’t have the new car smell of the first one. However, what last year’s Idol Gives Back had was the audience’s assumption that one of the American Idol singers would be eliminated at the end of the night. Of course, no one was eliminated and this fact actually angered some fans. This year, American Idol decided not to attempt that ruse again and just put on a straightforward charity event. Which is fine, because Idol Gives Back is a great cause. However, it’s not an episode of American Idol, and judging by the lack of comments in our Live Thoughts, I’m guessing this year’s Idol Gives Back received a lot fewer viewers than last year’s. I suppose we’ll find out for sure tomorrow. What follows are the highlights from tonight’s Idol Gives Back.
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– The Top 8 American Idols performed three times, the first one being the best, only because the stars of So You Think You Can Dance joined them on stage.
– We saw a number of filmed segments, bringing awareness to poverty, AIDS, malaria, health care and education issues both here in the States and in Africa. The celebrities we saw in Africa included Bono, Annie Lennox, Chris Daughtry and Forest Whitaker. In the States, Simon Cowell, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus and Brad Pitt filmed segments.
– Miley Cyrus performed not once, but twice. Before her first performance, she did a little comedy routine with Billy Crystal.
– Annie Lennox gave perhaps the best performance of the night, singing Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross.”
– Teri Hatcher sang Carrie Underwood‘s “Before He Cheats.” Interpret that last sentence however you’d like.
Gloria Estefan performed with Sheila E.
– Jimmy Kimmel roasted Simon Cowell and it was pretty funny. What wasn’t funny was Robin Williams extended impersonation of a Russian Idol winner.
Overall, that was about the gist of it. It was a pretty entertaining night of television, and well worth it considering the money made for charity as a result.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
