Hollywood lessons

This is what we've learned from 9 past years of Hollywood rounds on Idol:

1. If you're in Hollywood, you want to get into the music business. Treat this like a business trip, not a party.
   
   
2. The Hollywood rounds are the second step on the journey, not the last.
   
   
3. If you have to resort to begging or crying at any point, Idol would have broken you if you'd had made it to the voting rounds. And it makes you come off as pathetic.
   
   
4. Just sing the song.
   
   
5. Don't act like a jerk on camera at any point. You may have come out of the auditions with a ton of face time, but if you come off as pretentious, a-holey, stuck-up, or annoying, the voting public will turn on you in a heartbeat.
   
   
6. Half of the crew gets cut on the first day. Your odds are not good.
   
   
7. If you don't make it, there's always next year. And that's not a bad thing.
   
   
8. If you don't make it, Idol is not the only way to get to the big time.
   
   
9. Although Seacrest calls it "Hell Week", you guys ain't got nothing on what BUD/S trainees go through if they want to become SEALs.
   
   
10. Don't forget the lyrics.

That is the sum total of what I've learned from what are my favourite rounds of the show. I find it interesting to see how people grow or crumble while on the big stage and under the bright lights.

Of course, just because you get through the first of the Hollywood cut-downs, that doesn't mean you're in the clear. There's still the group rounds and then the final individual round.

My least favourite part is the "Rooms of Doom"™ day, but I figure Idol needs to have a day of drama, so I tolerate it.

Why do they spend so much time showing the singers's auditions? Show the Hollywood singing!!!!!

168 people made it past the first of the Hollywood cut-downs, which seems like a high number. But as with past years, the group round should lead to some of the season's best performances and also let us know who the drama queens are.

I wish tonight's show had been 2 hours, so we could see more of the good singers.

High Lord. Pie Maven. Out.