The "Leg Thing"

We didn't watch the d.v.r'ed installments of The Bachelor.

I couldn't stomach any more Jake.

We watched American Idol instead.

I really love Kara this season.

I remember I hated her when she first came on.

I thought she was smug, arrogant, condescending...with her withering "Sweetie, no..." all the time.

But this season she's different. She's finally relaxed. She still tells people the truth, but not with that snide tone of the industry insider who knows she has career Eternalife flowing through her veins. Because she does, you know. She has it all.

She'll never be as sweet as Paula, but this year she's getting damn close.

She's so naked when she watches the performers. Watch her face. And she feels such empathy this season. (The bad side of that "nakedness" is that when they try to fool contestants about whether they made it through or not, she is the weakest link because she has no poker face at all.)

I was so moved seeing her so moved when that one girl performed that (very good) song Kara had written. That girl gave a perfect performance.

I like Kara now. And I hated her almost the entire first season she was on.

And here's my favorite moment from last night's Idol.

It was the "leg thing."

I'm not a big fan of this singer. Not into his preferred music and to me it's like Bucky Covington redux. He looks a teeny little bit Brad Pitt circa Thelma & Louise (remember the very skinny boyish Brad) so they jumped all over that, and the other judges keep teasing Kara about having a thing for him.

I had Kara pegged as a lesbian for sure, but maybe she's bi. Watch her when the Joplin type chicks come on. She gets seriously worked up. It's more than just appreciaton of the vocals lol. But I guess Janis Joplin made a lot of girls think they might be lesbians. At least once or twice in their life.

There are a lot of hippie type singers this year, mostly female but a few men.

Last year the men were the stronger singers, but this year it's more evenly matched.

Nah, the chicks are clearly the better contestants this year.

I can't believe they put Lee what's his name through, and I can't believe they put the girl that looks like a younger version of the Lone Justice singer (Maria M.) through. But I was happy they did as they were both cute and very vulnerable in the verdict ceremony. They'll just cut them in the next round anyway. Get real. Just like they always cut the really good gay male singers who are just a little "too gay for industry standards." And the irony is, if they had come in the back door (no pun intended) they would have sailed right through, but since it's not just a telegenic contest, but a straight telegenic contest, they always get cut. Usually by the homophobic Simon. Simon also hates any geeky teenage boy who can sing because that was Simon when he was younger. It's so, so transparent. Those are the only ones he's truly vicious towards...the person he once was. He still can't forgive himself. As if being a bad haircut in a black sweater is the ultimate triumph of the will. I like Simon though. He's the one I usually match up with most on likes and dislikes. He's funny sometimes.

I can see why he's leaving the show.He seems so bored most of the time.

There are a lot of jazzy style singers but that's allowed now in pop thanks to singers like Norah Jones and a bunch of others. Whatever happened to Jill Scott, anyway? I'm probably not keeping up, but she's not getting any airplay anymore is she?

But back to this leg thing.

I love the way Randy picked up on this and called her on it, in a nice way.

It's so cute.

Did girls learn this from their mothers back in the day?

Gay men should do this. All the time.

I think in the really gay old movies the guy and girl meet and kiss and then she puts her leg up. If the guy puts his leg up too, it's not a good sign. The marriage is not going to last.

Well, of course it is. That's the fifites. Where's he going to go? To Massachusetts to get married?

He just goes out for "smokes" a lot at night or something.

He takes up bowling. Except his bowling shoes have no scuffs. He's a "careful bowler."

I would think this leg thing was a forties or fifties thing, but I love love love it.

It's so cute when Kara lifts up her leg when he hugs her.

Like..."Look, I'm Audrey Hepburn. We're in Paris..."

How can you not love a girl that does something like that?

And the most charming thing is that she doesn't even know she's doing it.

She's genuinely totally bemused when Randy tells her.

The judges are very cute this year.

All of them.