The Anchoress

***Unfortunately necessary disclaimer in our increasingly humorless world***

Oh, for cryin’ out loud, I am not REALLY an idolator (unless you’re a Jack-Chick follower who is convinced that my being Catholic makes me one by definition!) - this is all just Idol (and idle) prattle because I’m lately bored with the increasingly toxic fever-swamp of blogosphere politics and I just can’t abide the weird, heaving-bosomness of right/left chatter. Until I backed away from it, I didn’t realize how badly it was affecting the health of both my mind and spirit…maybe my body, too. I’ve decided that - for the nonce - If my bosom is going to heave, let it heave for these…

…let us move on to the trinity of men who are irrelevent to my life and yet are currently keeping me a little breathless:

Daughtry being booted out. That, my friends, is a profile!

I never watched American Idol before this year, and I blame the wonderfully witty Ann Althouse for getting me hooked lately, but I don’t recall seeing serious news articles and analysis written about a voted-off contestant, as we are now seeing re the recently kicked-off Chris Daughtry. Robin Givhan mourns his departure in the WaPo, Jon Podhoretz seeks clues to the American psyche in Daughtry’s ouster and there is speculation that he’ll soon have a gig with a band. I think the kid will land on his feet - he’s charismatic, women are nuts about those lovely dark eyes of his, and for all that he’s called a “one-trick pony” (hello, anyone notice that all Taylor Hicks can do is bellow-and-spaz?) I think he acquitted himself well on the non-rock music he performed on AI. A little bit of insider stuff: a pal of mine was at the both shows a few weeks ago (the Paris elimination week) - and as she has a family-member connected with the show she was able to go backstage and meet the Idol kids, get her pics taken with them, etc. Her take: Elliott and Chris were absolute sweethearts - “and so humble, they were actually thanking me for asking for their autographs.” She had less glowing things to say about some of the others, but I won’t share them. I’ll just say I always knew that the Idol everyone thinks is “so real” is actually a tremendous phoney. UPDATE: Hmmmm….there is some talk that the calls to Chris’ vote number were misdirected. I kinda doubt it, but whatever.

I hope Elliott takes the thing.

On to Kiefer Sutherland. Interesting thing about him is that I think I’m more taken with that velvety voice (check out his NHL Voice Over). Egad. Also, I must say, I like a guy who - understanding that his career isn’t going as he wished - pulls back and decides to take up a new discipline, in his case, Sutherland decided to become a cowboy for a while. I’m a sucker for a cowboy, and Kiefer managed to get good enough to win the US Nationals in Roping. He was pretty cute on Leno, too. Buster likes the Playstation 2 game for “24″ and while it doesn’t attract me, I must say, I don’t mind hearing various levels of Jack Bauer saying, “put down your weapon” as I’m moving around the house.

Lastly, my completely unedifying and shameful fascination with Bryn Terfel continues unabated.

I know. I’m not proud of it. When I was really sick ten days or so ago, my DH was lovely enough to take pity on me and purchase the big bass/baritone’s Silent Noon as a little pick-me-up and…well…it certainly helped.

There is nothing quite like listening to the virile basso profundo of a giant oak tree of a man, particularly when he can sing a high pianissimo and make it feel like a caress. Sigh.

Yeah…I’m really sick. And it’s not about the blood, either. Although, I can’t help noticing that all three of these men have the blood of the Celts in them to varying degrees, and we all know that while I’m kind of helpless around the olive-skinned Italian and Jewish men…and well, basically all Mediterranean types…I’m also a pretty quick surrender to a Celt. I’d like to see any one of these men, Daughtry, Sutherland or Terfel in a kilt! (Don’t laugh at the idea of Bryn in a kilt - one of the best afternoons of my life was spent eating scones, drinking Guinness and dancing with the lovely giant firefighters of the FDNY - in their kilts and knee socks! When a lad is secure enough about himself to kick up his heels in a skirt, I’m all appreciation!) I don’t think Welshmen wear ‘em, though.

Ah…Speak of the devil…

Completely O/T - she’s not a Celt, and I don’t find her sexy (not surprisingly, I don’t find many women sexy) but this CD by Cecilia Bartoli is stunning. I didn’t know the human voice could do these things. Take a listen over at Amazon - you’ll be struck into amazement.

RELATED: Wide Awake Cafe is also writing on Daughtry, as is Lorie Byrd, who supplies a link to Chris Clips. Yes, it does seem like his ouster is causing a bit more buzz than most!
More:
And this is why I love Bryn…
A Lyric, A Tone, It Made Me Weep
Dang, Chris Daughtry is Good
Shame, Praise, American Idols, Undercutting Greatness
Elliott: Moody’s Mood for Love
Elliott on fire, Chris Mellows
Why you want to marry an Irish girl