Jasmine weeps as 'Idol' judges pan performance
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By Wayne Harada and Zenaida Serrano
Advertiser Staff Writers
Jasmine Trias tried not to show any emotion, save for her gleaming smile, as "American Idol" judges dinged her performance last night.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
But there's only so much criticism a 17-year-old can take. For Trias, getting dumped on twice in one night by Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and even guest judge Donna Summer was too much. By the time Jackson finished the judges' comments the second time around, Trias was in tears and getting a much-needed hug from host Ryan Seacrest.
Maryknoll senior Keelin Oda, 17, shared classmate Jasmine Trias' pain as judges offered critical reviews of Trias' performances during last night's "American Idol."
It was that kind of night for Hawai'i's remaining Idol contestant, with stress from the weekly eliminations and critiques starting to take their toll.
"She's fine. She's OK," said Rudy Trias, Jasmine's father, who was reached by phone in Hollywood. "I thought she did well, but the judges didn't like her. I'm hoping (the negative comments) were reverse psychology. We'll wait (for the verdict) and hope for the best."
For reasons unexplained, the orderliness of the Idol competition was tossed out the window. Cowell, who normally has the last word, had the first. He was followed by Summer, Abdul and Jackson. Each finalist — Trias, followed by LaToya London, Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo — performed two songs, but not back to back. With two instances at the mike, each had to endure two critiques.
Trias opened by singing "Everlasting Love," wearing a sleeveless black sheath dress with a slit on the left side, accented by a sequined lightning bolt. Though she didn't display her trademark flower, she looked gorgeous with curly waves at mid-length level of her normally straight hair.
'American Idol'
Then came Cowell, who said, "Jasmine, I think you know how vulnerable you are." He called her song choice "really average karaoke." Summer said it was a "good performance, but pitchy." Abdul reiterated the pitchy point but said Trias wore "the best dress I've seen you wear." Jackson said her performance "wasn't very good."
Later, Trias sang "It's Raining Men," forgetting some lyrics but bouncing off the stage and looking like she was enjoying her performance.
Said Cowell: "You'd better hope every house in Hawai'i has five phones." From Summer: "I didn't like the choice ... I think you gave it your best." From Abdul: "I know the power of your voice. All Hawai'i loves you, all America loves you. They will forgive you." From Jackson: "Not your best performance."
At Maryknoll School's weekly viewing party, Trias fans jeered Cowell's comments.
"Shut up!" and "She did a good job, Simon!" rang out from nearly 50 students, parents and faculty.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
As Seacrest approached her, a tear welled in Trias' eyes, then trickled down her face as she tried to continue smiling.
"American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest comforts Jasmine Trias after her second song last night. The show's judges, including guest Donna Summer, panned Trias' performances and left the 17-year-old Maryknoll student in tears.
"It's sad," said Keelin Oda, a Maryknoll senior who wiped away her own tears. "It must have hurt her, and I would hate to be in her position and go through all that stress every week."
Middle school teacher Theresa Crighton said the judges were very harsh.
"After seeing her cry, my heart is broken," Crighton said.
Despite the criticism, pointer fingers and thumbs throughout the audience got quite the workout.
Queena Lau, a Maryknoll junior, was one of at least a dozen devotees feverishly text voting on their cellular phones. Only 15 minutes into the show, Lau had voted 20 times, starting an hour before the program after learning Trias' voting code from a friend with a Mainland connection.
Lau's strategy? "Just keep voting. Just keep pressing redial."
By the end of the hour, Oda had sent 50 text votes. Like Lau, she began voting before the show started thanks to a heads up from an auntie in Iowa.
"I try to stay optimistic, so I hope with all the votes tonight, I really hope she can go through," Oda said.
Maryknoll has held about six viewing parties since March 16, when the showdown among the final 12 contestants began.
"We wanted to have a way for the Maryknoll family to get together and support our girl," said school spokeswoman Camille Michel.
Michel said Trias knows about the weekly get-togethers.
"We know the moral support that we've been able to give her long distance has made her feel good and it's made us feel good," Michel said.
Meanwhile, in the nation's capital, Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawai'i, did his part to support Trias during a tribute to Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which was televised yesterday afternoon on C-SPAN, said Randy Obata, Case's press secretary.
Case ended a speech by saying, "If you want to show your support for Asian-Pacific Americans tonight, you know what number to call on what TV show right about now. Jasmine just finished singing."
