Complete coverage of the web's hottest lip syncing competition.
By Deborah Netburn
March 9 2006
Today marks the start of our hard-hitting, blanket coverage
of the Google Idol competition (www.googleidol.com), now
in its second week. More than 25,000 people have already
cast their votes on the site (with no official connection
to Google, or to American Idol) that pits two teen lip sync
videos against each other.
The prize is an induction into the Google Idol Hall of
Fame -- which may not sound as impressive as a record contract
or magazine covers -- but at least the winner won't have
to hang out with Simon Cowell.
Last week recap: http://www.googleidol.com/comps/comp1.htm
HEAT 1
In the first of the two heats featured last week, Dutch
teen all-stars Pomme and Kelly faced off against brother-sister
team Dave and Beckah.
Pomme and Kelly's entry was a lively performance of "That
Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain. The two girls
took turns lip syncing the lines, and have obviously discussed
a loose choreography. Kelly, the fairer of the two, was
not afraid to make a few grimacing faces at the camera.
Pomme heroically matched her energy, if not her bravado.
Beckah is on lip sync duty in Dave and Beckah's version
of Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle." Blond
and voluptuous, she sat to the right of the screen. addressing
the camera directly while her brother Dave danced around
in the background, the way only the kinda-chubby-eighth-grade-class-clown
could. It's a strong performance, but not strong enough.
It was no surprise that Pomme and Kelly took this contest
with 9,181 votes out of a total 16,186. Veterans with 15
videos under their belt and a devoted fanbase (check out
their website www.pommekelly.com), the two 15-year-old girls
are internet celebrities in their own right. However, Dave
and Beckah should not be discounted. Beckah's lip-syncing
game could be tighter, but Dave displayed some power moves.
In time, these two could become a force to be reckoned with.
HEAT 2
The second heat -- a face off of two versions of The Backstreet
Boys' "I Want It That Way" -- was barely a contest.
The first entry, Tara and Jessy, made a respectable showing
with their rendition of the song. The girls, who look to
be 18 (give or take two years), appear to be singing in
a sunny living room. Every once in a while somebody (who
might be one of the girl's father) pops up and starts dancing
a bit. The one on the left (Tara?) gives an impassioned
performance, but she repeatedly drifts off camera.
The second entry is by the infamous two unnamed Asian boys
who helped bring the genre of lip sync videos to the public
with this very film. Dressed in matching orange basketball
jerseys they are in command of their game from the very
start. Taking turns with the lyrics, swaying back and forth
with clearly thought out dance moves, using depth, and all
without disturbing the kid behind them who is peacefully
working on his computer.
The Chinese teens, dubbed "Back Dormitory Boys"
by their fans, have become heroes in their native country
(see their website http://edu.sina.com.cn/y/focus/housheboy/index.shtml
). They killed their competition 11,096 to 1,502. One view
of their video should explain why. In a mere 3.35 unbuffered
minutes they display all the qualities of the best lip syncers--synchronization,
a nonchalant grasp of the lyrics, and of course, passion.
They are masters of the form, and we predict they will very
hard, if not impossible, to beat.
Watch last week's competition here: http://www.googleidol.com/comps/comp1.htm
LATE NOTE
Yesterday saw the opening of heats three and four. This
group of videos is less strong. A video of little tykes
singing "Stand By Me" from 1986, is up against
two shirtless Asian kids singing "I Just Want You To
Know" by Back Street Boys. Heat 3 features a low-key
performance by "Jew Boy" of Coheed and Cambria's
"The Suffering." The one stand out in this group
is Michael Ray's ingenious use of quardruple split screen,
with four different costumes to portray the Jewish pop of
The Chevra.
Source: The
LA Times
