Emmy Russell Goes Viral – American Idol

People’s version of what “going viral” means varies but it’s generally used when something becomes popular quickly and organically. A picture of a blue (or black) dress, an odd answer during a Miss America pageant, or a guy becoming happily hysterical about a double rainbow. Those are actual things that were viral in the last decade or so. For this season of American Idol and maybe the entire series, the most viral video of a performance since William Hung’s “She Bangs” has got to be Emmy Russell singing her grandmother’s song, “Coalminer’s Daughter.” At the time of this post, just under 4 days since it aired, the YouTube video has over 810,000 views.

If any contestant is trending at the right time, it’s Emmy. Something about her sweet demeanor and her storytelling voice gained traction since her first audition.

I’m a man of my word so I’m sticking with Jack Blocker as my #1 pick and McKenna Faith in the top 3. But…. but….. but………….. Emmy is peaking at the right time. As Lionel mistakenly said to Kayko 🤔… “If you keep fooling around here, my friend, you’re gonna win this thing.”

If Emmy keeps fooling around, she’s gonna win this thing. Quite an accomplishment for a coal miner’s great granddaughter.

-Out of the Wilderness

More surfing at St. Andrews State Park

I was told there were 3 days of high surf at St. Andrews and even though I arrived with my camper on day 3, the surfers were still taking every chance to ride a nice wave. I think I was lucky to be there to capture some of the action with my camera, as surely I wasn’t going to hop in to join them. Although, I really wish I would’ve brought a boogie board! I think this next set of photos includes my favorite images, even with the first one being blurry, which will bother me till the day I ride my final wave up to the sky.

The last group of photos are coming tomorrow, but I hope you enjoyed these today (and my surf post from yesterday). If you are interested in camping at St. Andrews State Park, close this blog post ASAP and book a site. It’s so worth it.

-Out of the Wilderness

Surf’s Up at St. Andrews State Park

This is my second time camping at St. Andrews State Park. Both were with my travel trailer and since the last time I was here, there are twice as many sites! Because of a hurricane that came through a few years back, the campground had to be rebuilt and they’ve done a wonderful job. Not only are there campsites for all kinds of campers (see pics below for a few favorite campers I came across), but also a handful of yurts that look downright cozy.

I wasn’t sure what to expect in regards to wildlife. My first visit was in the winter so I saw a few eagles, ospreys, deer, and cold mornings. Now that it’s spring, what was in store? Well, unbeknownst to me, the last few days have been double red flags which means two things: 1. no swimming and 2. the surf’s up! Beautiful waves with skilled surfers all day long. Here are a few pictures I took from the adventures… Note: I do not appear in any of these photos. In Kip Dynamite’s voice *I’m more of a bodyboarder*…

-Out of the Wilderness

The GEICO Bangs Commercial – The Music, the Actress, and More

GEICO has a history of great ads including their horror spoof, the Billy Blanks workout, and the Wright Brothers conversation, and we all know the Caveman saga. Now GEICO is back with a bang… or bangs, to be more specific. Take a look then scroll down for more info!

The Music. The song is called “Hello Hello Hello” by Remi Wolf. If it sounds familiar, you might be remembering it from this iPhone 12 commercial a few years back. Here’s the full song…

The Actress. Not in her house. Showing up with a solid rejection for that young man’s layup attempt, it’s actress/ director Victoria Park. Check out more of her professional endeavors, and maybe a few free basketball lessons, on Instagram @HeyBVP.

-Out of the Wilderness

American Idol – Train Wreck Kayko Goes Home, and Just Sam Saves the Day

Another one gone and another one gone…

Last night we witnessed two more contestants bite the dust on American Idol. I wanted it to be Julia and Kayko but American sent home Mia and Kayko. I kinda enjoyed watching the train wreck that Kayko turned out to be. So it’s bittersweet to see him go, like when the Alabama Crimson Tide get eliminated from the college football playoffs, now I have no one to cheer against.

I’m still a little ticked off that Ziggy and Julia Davo weren’t given a chance for America to vote. Am I holding this grudge a little too long? Probably. But it just really blows that performers like Kayko (and Blake, sorry I’m being rude again) made it into the top 24 when they were never, ever going to even have a chance of winning the show. And last night, this hurt a little, when Lionel said to Kayko: “If you keep fooling around here, my friend, you’re gonna win this thing.” 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Yet another case where the judges couldn’t have been more wrong. And what was with Katy trying so fervently to have some angelic nugget of abstract wisdom after every contestant? The judges try so hard to shape their comments in a positive way and I would guess it’s because they are thinking about their own careers. Kindness = keeping their fans. Honesty = losing fans/money.

Simon Cowell, if you’re reading this… come back! We need you now more than ever.

The best performance of the night goes to Just Sam who sang “One Moment In Time.” She gets it. You have to sing songs that people will remember. Come on, newbies! I hope Jack and McKenna read this and pick a great song for tonight’s round. My prediction is that eliminations will be dealt to Julia Gagnon and/or Will Moseley. If there’s a judge save, they’ll save Julia for some unbeknownst reason that we’ll never fully understand.

-Out of the Wilderness