Bo Bice

[Qbert]

What a jerk. He made his place of employment fire him so that he could collect unemployment.
I'm so glad the government set up an unemployment program so that this fool could take advantage of it to sing on American Idol.
I was rooting for him because I liked the difference, but now I can't stand him.

[Krom]

What a jerk. He made his place of employment fire him so that he could collect unemployment.
I'm so glad the government set up an unemployment program so that this fool could take advantage of it to sing on American Idol.
I was rooting for him because I liked the difference, but now I can't stand him.

Made them fire him? My impression is that he announced he was taking an unpaid leave of absense and they demanded he leave instead. His response would naturally have been "well, then you'll have to fire me".

His big mistake was the way he joked about it on camera. What he did was legitimate, if perhaps a bit heavy handed. And it sounds like the Unemployment office caught on pretty quickly to the fact that he wasn't looking for another job, because he also joked he wasn't getting it anymore.

I'm not saying what he did was great, but it doesn't sound like he tried very hard to collect--heck he might have even legitimately looked for part-time work before the show resumed taping. We have no way to know.

[Apollonia]

I think he's sounding great during all the solos but I doubt his rocker persona will withstand all the sugary group performances the top 12 is gonna have to do. That is if he makes it, though from the looks of things, he has a pretty good chance.

[Grisabella]

I don't think Bo stopped collecting unemployment because anyone "caught on" to his situation. He would not have been eligible to collect it during the weeks he was out of state auditioning for AI and obviously not actively looking for work. If he gets cut from AI and doesn't immediately get work as a musician, he's probably still eligible.

I thought what he said about his boss and the firing was sort of tongue in cheek.

I think he's sounding great during all the solos but I doubt his rocker persona will withstand all the sugary group performances the top 12 is gonna have to do. That is if he makes it, though from the looks of things, he has a pretty good chance.

From everything I've been reading about Bo, I don't think he has a "rocker persona" except when he's on stage doing rock. He sings other genres like folk, blues, country, and Christian contemporary, worked with kids in a summer music camp, is very active in the music program at his church, and has written and produced Christian music programs. I don't see his image as "sugary," I don't see him as a "bad boy," either.

[Grisabella]

Another Craig Berman article, about the guys tonight.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7048326/

Here's what he says about Bo:

Bo Bice, 29, Helena, Ala.: As Bice told the audience in the prerecorded bit they played before his performance, he'd been fired from his job because of the time he'd spent on "American Idol." So far, it's time well spent. He went with "Whipping Post" by the Allman Brothers, which may be the hardest rock ever played on the "Idol" stage. Fittingly, Simon ended the night by saying it was "so fantastic it just blows you away." If the camera had lingered on him longer, he might even have thrown a bouquet of roses on stage.
Grade: A-
Stay or go? If it's based on singing talent, Bice is one of the favorites to win this. However, he is much more of a traditional rocker than previous contestants have been, and that may not be what the viewers are ultimately looking for. But it would be a tremendous upset if he got the boot here.

[Lolls]

Bo just rocks. Plain and simple. He is a working class hero (I can certainly understand why he let them fire him in order to make ends meet, and I think that most working folks get that), he picks great songs that haven't been done to death, and he sings the crap out of them. Bo highlights the fact that Constantine is a poser, too, which I love.

He really did a great job last night, and now I finally have a favorite.

[speedbump]

Wow, another great performance. I was wondering if he'd be able to go 2 weeks in a row. Good for him. I'm on the Bo bandwagon.

Sadly, the cynic in me thinks he'll get booted by the legion of bubblegum-ballad teeny boppers.

[holly71]

Bo just rocks. Plain and simple. He is a working class hero (I can certainly understand why he let them fire him in order to make ends meet, and I think that most working folks get that), he picks great songs that haven't been done to death, and he sings the crap out of them. Bo highlights the fact that Constantine is a poser, too, which I love.

He really did a great job last night, and now I finally have a favorite.

I agree with everything you said except I don't think Constantine is a poseur. I just think Bo is just a bizillion times better. I hate that they are constantly being compared (I'm guilty of it too) , but they are both just so NOT your typical AI contestants that it's hard not to compare the two.

Bo is just better, plain & simple. He picks his songs better & he rocks the hell out of them! He also has a cool voice. A true "rocker voice", if you will. His seems like his natural singing voice, whereas Constantine seems to have to force his to sound "rock" & it ends up sounding flat &/or off-key.

GO BO!

[Dinahann]

Wow. I was just blown away by Bo's performance last night. This guy is supremely talented, and it's not just his voice. His presence is confident but not arrogant, and he was very much at home on the stage. After last night I think Constantine is in trouble since he and Bo seem to be lumped together. Bo definitely out sang him, and Constantine's cocky posturing seemed contrived after watching Bo work the stage.

[Leo]

Simon was right - another absolutely tremendous performance. I'd be shocked if he didn't make it long in the show.