It's Easter today and with so many people running around to church, to see family and to eat ham, I'm staying home and conserving gas! I normally stay home this holiday, my husband works and I have a normal routine. I watch "religious" movies. In the DVD player right now is that Stephen King classic Children of the Corn, which is about children worshiping a corn god in Iowa. Also on today's viewing list is The Omen, The Exorcist, Stigmata, End of Days, and The Holy Grail. Normally, Dogma would be first on the list but I loaned that out to my bosses wife a few months ago and forgot to get it back. Bummer!

During this religious movie fest, I'm going to let you know my song picks for the Idol contestants this week. As most of you know, it's "Songs from the year they were born" week and, as Jennifer pointed out, due to the age of the contestants, it is basically 80's week again! I am picking my songs from the top 100 of the birth years. I know I said this before (but I still can't believe how old am)...three of the contestants were born the year I graduated high school. Well, here they are in no particular order. I've decided to pick three songs for each: one serious, one funny, and one that I would just LOVE to hear. I'm also assuming that they can get the rights to all these songs.

Michael Lee Johns (1978) is the oldest and has a chance to do some Bee Gees which I hope he does not. I was going to try to download my final song picks to determine a winner but it's taking too long! So I'm just going to go by what I remember of the songs.
Serious: Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
Funny: Copacabana - Barry Manilow (Can you picture it!)
Love: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Santa Esmeralde (just thinking about this song makes me smile...yes, I'm a dork)

Kristy Lee Cook (1984) is the contestant that won't leave and I'm not sure if she'll even leave this week. She has quite a few options but I'm assuming she'll pick Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper but that wouldn't be my pick.
Serious: Let's Hear It For The Boys - Deniece Williams (she needs something up beat that can have a country twang)
Funny: I Want A New Drug - Huey Lewis and The News (Dedicated to Paula of course)
Love: On The Dark Side - John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band (what girl in the 80's didn't fall in love with this song and Michael Paré from Eddie and the Cruisers?)

Chikezie (1985) needs another song that is going to blow us way this week or he may be going home. I'd miss him if that happened.
Serious: Suddenly - Billy Ocean (he should start this one sitting on a stool and end sitting on the stairs going down into the audience)
Funny: California Girls - David Lee Roth (no quicker way to funny than singing a song made famous by someone who can't sing)
Love: Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears for Fears (it's Tears for Fears, what else do I need to say?)

How much a dislike David Archuleta (1990) hit home while I was trying to find a song for him. I have a few that are serious but most are funny. I think he will end of singing How am I Suppose to Live Without You by Michael Bolton because it's a boring ballad and that's what he can sing.
Serious: I Go To Extremes - Billy Joel
Funny: Opposites Attract - Paula Abdul (this was tied with Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic and Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice)
Love: Without You - Motley Crue (there wasn't much from that year that I even liked)

David Cook (1982) was hard to pick for as well but for different reasons. I LIKE him. He has a lot of options in front of him. The following picks need to have him fix the arrangement either slower and softer or faster and harder
Serious: Only The Lonely - The Motels (faster and harder - like a Marilyn Manson version)
Funny: couldn't find anything LOL funny
Love: Kids in America - Kim Wilde or Don't Talk to Strangers - Rick Springfield (either one of these could be made edgier by this talented performer!)

Brooke White and Carly Smithson (1983) have they same birth year and will be choosing from the same list. I'd like them both to do something unexpected but I'm not sure if my song choices show that. Here are my picks for Brooke.
Serious: Every Breath You Take - Police
Funny: Mickey - Toni Basil
Love: I don't really like her and didn't really find any songs that I wanted her to sing

Here are my picks for Carly.
Serious: Back on The Chain Gang - Pretenders (let's hope she doesn't add any glory notes to it)
Funny: I'll Tumble 4 Ya - Culture Club (dedicated to Randy, LOL)
Love: I don't really like her either

This leaves the three that were born the year I graduated high school. I would like to say that musically, 1987 sucked. It was hard finding songs for these guys and I didn't find any really funny ones.

Ramiele Malubay is in danger this week and really needs to step it up unfortunately, she was born in 1987 which doesn't offer much help.
Serious: (I Just) Died in Your Arms - Cutting Crew (I really think she could change this up and make it her own)
Kinda Funny: I Think We're Alone Now - (she always looks like she going to the mall so why not sing a song by someone who sang in a mall)
Love: Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi (I love this song and think she would rock it)

Syesha Mercado isn't one of the favorites this year and really needs to pick a good song, oh well. She NEEDS to stay away from Whitney but I don't think that's going to happen.
Serious: You Keep Me Hanging On - Kim Wilde (not much to pick from)
Kind Funny: Breakout - Swing Sister
Love: please reread what I wrote about Brooke and Carly

Jason Castro is a cutie and I found a few more songs for him...but not many.
Serious: With Or Without You - U2 (right up his alley)
Kinda Funny: Don't Get Me Wrong - Pretenders (I think he could do a good job on this)
Love: Lady In Red - Chris DeBurgh (I'd prefer Don't Pay the Ferryman but it wasn't on the list)

Well, those are my picks. What are yours?