Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Can you picture lovely Michelle Delamor as an elephant?

How about Janell Wheeler as a pelican, carrying her purse and cell phone in her beak?

In their never-ending quest to probe the pysche of contestants, American Idol video interviewers posed a series of questions to the 24 semifinalists.

Among them: If you could be any animal, what animal would you be?

Silly, sure. But why not have a little fun before we get down to the serious business of selecting this year’s finalists.

So, just in case you didn’t take time to watch 24 Idol videos (available at americanidol.com), here are the contestants’ answers.

My favorite responses come from Lacey Brown and Michael Lynche.
Later today: Idol Chatter’s final semifinal rankings for the guys and the gals.

Hmm, wonder if Simon would have been so snippy last week, if it had been a lion and not John Park standing on stage.

The Girls

Ashley Rodriguez: Says she’d be a dolphin, or some sort of sea creature. “I love swimming. I love being in water.”

Crystal Bowersox: Says she’d be a lion, in part because of that dreadlocked hair. In part because she really is a Leo.

Didi Benami: Says she’d be a tiger because she is one — on the Chinese calendar.

Haeley Vaughn: Says she’d be a butterfly. “They’re really pretty, and they can fly away when they need to when everything gets too much.”

Janell Wheeler: Says she’d be a bird, “because then I wouldn’t have to get on a plane. I could just fly and be in control of the situation.” What type of bird? Maybe a pelican, she says, so she could live by the sea and store stuff in her beak, like her purse and cell phone.

Lilly Scott: Says she’d be a panther, because they’re mysterious and interesting.

Katelyn Epperly: Another lion. She’s got the mane already, she notes, indicating her thick, curly hair. “Also, they’re very independent and can do anything they want on their own.”

Katie Stevens: A kangaroo, because they can hop high and they’re really fast.

Lacey Brown: A show horse. “They must be the most well-taken-care-of animals in the world. They’re kind of like divas. They get waited on hand and foot because they’ve got to look beautiful.”

Michele Delamor: Says she’d be an elephant, because “they’re so sweet … They just walk so slow and carefree. I’m totally hyper. So that’s the opposite of me. “

Paige Miles: Says she would be a dog. “I think they are the most intelligent, smartest creatures on the planet. And they are loyal and loving. And I would like someone to take care of me rather than living out in the wild, or an animal that hunts for their food. I like the whole idea of someone buying the food at the store, putting it in a dish. Then I know I’m going to eat.”

Siobhan Magnus: “A cat because they’re so lucky. When I think of my cat, she’s my princess. She’s spoiled and fat. She just flops down, like ‘Rub my belly, please.’ And I do it.”

The Guys

Aaron Kelly: Says he’d be a bird. “I love parrots. I have one at home. Just to see the world through their eyes.”

Alex Lambert: Says he’d be a cheetah, because he can run fast.

Andrew Garcia: Says he’d be a lion, just because they’re cool looking and tough.

Casey James: Says he’d be a dog. After all, when Casey was asked what he misses most about being home, he names his dogs.

Jermaine Sellers: Says he’d be a glowworm, because he likes to shine.

Joe Munoz: Says he’d be an eagle, “just because they’re so free and so far from everything.”

John Park: Yet another fan of lions. “I love to sleep, and I love meat.”

Lee DeWyze: Says he’d be a bird. “Maybe a hawk, so I wouldn’t get eaten by a bigger bird.”

Michael Lynche: Says he too would be a lion. “He’s the king of his whole domain. He gets all the women there. They do all the hunting. And he just gets to be the king of it. I just think the lion’s the man.”

Tim Urban: Says he’d be an eagle. “They get to fly. I’ve always thought that would be awesome.”

Todrick Hall: Says he’d be a platypus. “No one really knows what they are. They have a beak, but they also have a beaver’s tail, and I like to build things.”

Tyler Grady: Believe it or not, the rocker from Pa. dodged the question. “I’ll have to get back to you. There are a lot of great animals out there.”