In this week's last quarterfinals show, just before the judges wrongly sent Aaron Crow to the semifinals, we were shown ten of the acts we'll be seeing in next week's first semifinals show. I say wrongly, firstly because Mel B shocked me by voting in complete contradiction to her usual demographically based political correctness. Secondly, Howie shocked me by going against his great little speech about family being that about which the show is supposed to be. And I was dismayed that the judges' decision flew in the face of the overwhelming Dunkin' Save vote in favor of The Future Kingz. And I was disgusted that another interloping foreigner is still in contention. I am no fan of hip hop. I am no fan of male dancers or all male dance troupes. And as a past English grammar teacher, I am no fan of anyone who pluralizes nouns by adding the letter 'z'. But at least Future Kingz are Americans. And as Jerry Springer always said in the early years of the show when he was hosting, AGT is supposed to be for finding "the best new talent in America". There's been a lot of on-line criticism, including from me, concerning so many acts already being professional performers. I have backed off my stringent stance on that point, as long as the act isn't already an American household name, who is widely known and wildly successful. Examples would be Glennis Grace, Shim Lin, Us the Duo, Mochi and Zurcaroh. But I would exempt Glennis, Mochi and Zurcaroh, as they are not American. Call me a nationalist or a jingoist. I don't care.
So let's look ahead to next week's acts and my preferences and predictions. The first consideration is who will be filling the eleventh spot. Will it be Aaron Crow or the Wild Card? If it is Aaron Crow
, I prefer him NOT. Though he does offer variety to the show, I can't cast a single vote for him, for the above stated reasons. I am quite sure that the fans won't vote for him either. 
If the eleventh act is the Wild Card, which I would think that it wouldn't be, as that would be damned short notice for a performer to prepare. There has been much on-line fan talk of whom should be brought back. I just hope that whomever is responsible for choosing shows better taste than they did with the stupid spitters and the morbidly obese belly bumpers. 
Names that I've seen often mentioned include The Sacred Riana, Mochi, Flau Jae and Savitsky Cats.
Any of the four would offer variety among all of the singers, which a lot of fans are lamenting that there are just too many. Indonesian Riana is just too creepy to be enjoyably entertaining. I am a long time Cat Fancier and a lifelong admirer of attractive women and thoroughly enjoyed both short performances of Russian Savitsky Cats. But I cannot imagine a clowder of cats performing for an hour or more, which would be required for a Las Vegas headline act. Flau Jae, Golden Buzzerred for reasons of political correctness more than for performance content, is, at least American. But, I'm sorry, rap is crap and a faux art form for those without the talent to make real music. As I've written before, she IS a profound poetess and should use her talent in that true art form among the seven fine arts to publish her poems and present them in proper poetry readings. Of those four, I found Japanese Mochi to be the most endearing and entertaining, but I don't think that he could hold my attention for the length of a featured show.
I am already seeing a fan following for bringing back Future Kingz and fake German Australian Hans, though much of the talk about Hans is for him to replace Tyra as host(ess?). to both, I'd say. "Yo, nahh, sho 'nuff!" and "NEIN!" And I think more would join me than wouldn't.
Hans would probably be more entertaining than Tyra, but he would also be waaaaay too ego maniacal. And I DO appreciate and admire Tyra, as the only American among the five cast members and for her Golden Buzzer selections. Future Kingz are just not my taste in entertainment and I don't think that they will garner the votes to move to the Top 10. For my preferences in performance arts, Hans is just too...campy, shall I say, rather than flamingly flamboyant, much like Prince Poppycock from a few years back. 
I would not cast a single vote for any of the six mentioned above. And from their receipt of votes, or lack thereof, I don't think that any of them would be chosen by the voting fans to be in the Top 10 finals show. Who would I like as the semi finals wild card act?
I would not cast a single vote for any of the six mentioned above. And from their receipt of votes, or lack thereof, I don't think that any of them would be chosen by the voting fans to be in the Top 10 finals show. Who would I like as the semi finals wild card act? 
Though it's happened more than once on Britain's Got Talent, I think
that in the show's history, the "freaking hilarious" Francois Raphael Edgar Norbert Celestine Herbert Absalom Correntine Clement Emmanuel Nathaniel Tellus IV is the first AGT act to have two judges take back their X's, giving him three 'yes' votes. But he never showed up in judge cuts, which is more of a sob story than all of those put forth by so many acts, because he is original, unique, funny and not a singer. And he's from Wyoming, "obviously". And he's a better accordionist than Hans.
In looking at the ten acts we were told near the end of this weeks's episode who will be performing in the first semifinals shows, here's my picks of preferences and predictions in alphabetical order.
Like Flau Jae, Amanda Mena was Golden Buzzerred more for political correctness than for performance content and for her sob story than for talent. I shan't cast a single vote for her, but I imagine that a lot of people will, probably enough to make her one of the five to advance.
Though guest judge Dr. Ken said, "It's not America's Got Perfection. It's America's Got Talent." That's true enough, I suppose, but in an aerial acrobatic act like Duo Transcend, the husband can't drop his wife from twenty feet up. Not even once. They'll get no votes from me and not enough from others to advance. 
Junior New System is without doubt my least favorite act this week. I am sick to my stomach with their lying ass sob story. If we, as voting fans had the option to vote 'no, omg no, bloody 'ell no', they'd get that vote from me. I shan't cast them a vote and I'm thinking that enough Americans will agree with me that they'll be sent home to The Philippines, where they can enter Pilippina's Got Talent or reenter Asia's Got Talent to see if they can improve upon their Golden Buzzer and third place finish there last year. 
After Golden Buzzering Makayla Phillips, Heidi Klum proclaimed, "I think I've found the winner!" Maybe. AGT fans do have a history of choosing solo singers, but there seems to be a bit of a backlash against that practice this year. I enjoyed both of her performances, especially Warrior and was okay with her Golden Buzzer. But I shall not be casting any votes her way and I don't think that enough others will to make her one of this show's five to join the top ten. 
Michael Ketterer is an outstanding young man of whom his hometown of Knoxville, TN is rightfully proud, even though he doesn't live there anymore. And he's only the third male vocalist in the history of the show whom I really liked, alongside Sal 'The Voice' Valentinetti and Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.
Ketterer's Golden Buzzer patron, Sir Simon is so enamored with him, that, as the show's boss. he may insist that he be advanced whether he gets the votes or not. On the other hand, Simon may not want Michael committed to an AGT contract, so that they can immediately produce KettererMusic together, apart from the show. For me, voting for Michael is going to be a conflict between my personal talent appreciation and my nationalistic pride.
I always root for the comedians, because I know what a tough row to hoe stand up comedy is. If he can keep making me smile, chuckle and guffaw, as he has in his earlier performances, I shall be casting all of the votes that I can for Samuel J. Comroe. But comedy being the highly subjective art form that it is, I seriously doubt that enough other voting viewers will do so to send him to the finals.
Shin Lim is a very likable young man and an amazing magician. As I wrote in response to his mother and manager, if he continues to dazzle and delight, which I have no doubt that he will, he'll be receiving lots of votes from me, as I think that he will from others, advancing him to the finals.
Us the Duo is perhaps the only act with a truly pure CHEER story. If they'll select songs that are upbeat and uplifting, as they did for their audition and quarter finals performances, with Carissa beating her drum, they're a shoo-in for my votes, and I think (hope, at least) enough additional votes to advance.
Guest judge Dr. Ken's Golden Buzzer choice, Voices of Hope Children's Choir gives me such hope for the future. As Simon said of the other choir, there is something about properly and precisely performed choir music that just washes over you and makes you feel amazing. VOH does that for me. Their rotational out front solo singers and their overall choral harmonies are just magnificent, as their effects, costuming and choreography are all simplistically superb and elegant.. I love what Miss Sarah has accomplished with these kids. But I don't know if there are enough others who see them as a legitimate show to get them into the top ten.
Beyond Howie's resounding and repeated "WOW!"s, Mel B's echo of that sentiment, and Tyra needing to collect her breath and get some oxygen on her way to press the Golden Buzzer, there are not adjectives enough for me to describe Zurcaroh. Astounding. astonishing and absolutely breathtaking come to mind. Better than Cirque du Soleil. Tyra said that their audition performance has gotten more views than any other in the history of AGT. At least twenty of those were me. And every time I've watched, I've been astounded and astonished all over again. And I can say pretty much the same for their Adam and Eve performance. This is the only dance act this year worth the electricity it takes to run a television or computer to watch. For pure entertainment value, Zurcaroh is without doubt the most enjoyable and Vegas worthy act in the competition. They are, also without doubt, going to be voted through to the final show, with or without my votes. As much as I love love love this act, I loved them more when I mistakenly assumed that Peterson had fled Brazil and formed this troupe in LA, Houston, Miami or somewhere in the US, rather than in Gotzis, Austria. It's going to be a dilemma for me to choose between my loves of fine art and great nation. Maybe after they win, or at least come very very close, they can move to America and become a new, integral part of American Exceptionalism. Then my conflict between love of country and love of creativity would be resolved. I'd love for such adroit artists to become legal, permanent residents or American citizens. If they chose that option, I would ask that they leave their Brazilian and European democratic socialism behind. This is a republican capitalistic country. Whether they choose that route to be part of US, or decide to be true to the EU in gorgeous Gotzis, they are going to need very extended work visas. Win or not, they will be in The Final Five, which will allow them to have received enough exposure and created enough excitement that they will be performing on the Vegas Strip, and in other posh casino/resorts, like Harrah's in Atlantic City and Cherokee, as well as touring the country, performing in front of full houses in exquisite, expansive and expensive rooms like Belk Theatre in The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and DPAC, reaping the rich rewards of capitalism. It's the same idealistic reason that so many people in general from around the world want to be in America that causes performing artists specifically from everywhere to want to be in
. 
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