American Idol

It was charity begging at its finest as celebrities gathered around the Kodak Theatre for a night of asking Americans (and Canadians, too) for pledges to help raise money as part of the second annual Idol Gives Back campaign.

There were American Idol contestants, former winners and a whole lot of celebrities. It was a recipe for a night like the Oscars — long-winded talks on stage and a few bad fashion choices. Of course, with Idol Gives Back there’s a little added singing. So, here’ s a look in pictures at tonight’s big fund-raising effort, which actually took place Sunday. Oh, and if you still want, there’s time to make a pledge.

For me, Sarah Silverman’s appearance was the highlight of the night. I think she’s a stellar comedian. So offensive, and so funny. She knows when and how and where to push all the right buttons — even at a charity event. What more do you want?

David Cook joined fellow Top 8 Idol finalists to sing a couple of songs. I thought it was interesting — and I really liked it, actually — when the group gathered around the piano to sing Seasons of Love from Rent. It’s a great song, and I couldn’t wait to hear who would sing the big female vocal part … and I was really surprised it was Kristy Lee Cook, at least in the beginning. What I can’t understand is the all-white outfits the contestants wore. Haven’t we been through this?

It’s Annie Lennox. Of course it was incredible. She’s timeless.

Carrie Underwood showed up fresh from bridesmaid duties, apparently. Aside from the Hypercolor-inspired dress, her performance was good. It certainly wasn’t her best, but it was far from terrible.

Speaking of terrible, am I the only one who is questioning Fergie’s choice of outfits? What’s up with the spandex-meets-pleather pants? I just didn’t get it. To make matters worse, the outfit initially was topped off with a matching jacket and some bizarre skirt-like device that added just a splash of color.

And the award for the longest skit without a point goes to … Miley Cyrus and Billy Crystal. Maybe I missed it, but I knew in the first few seconds it was going to be a “Who are you?” “No, who are you?” skit. But it still went on for 10 minutes. Waste of time.

Robin Williams‘ skit was not much better. It was entertaining that he used a couple of plays on words to sneak in some inappropriate language on the family friendly show.

And, finally, Mariah Carey, the diva herself. While I generally think Mariah is about the most amazing vocalist on the planet, I’m not sure why she had to cover her own ears when she was singing. I mean, c’mon, how do you expect everyone at home to listen when you can’t even stand the sound of your voice? Of course, her voice still is incredible. It’s just that she didn’t actually sing too much of the song. And was there a fan blowing her hair? And that sparkling microphone? Give me a break, Mariah. You’re making it hard for me to defend Glitter. (No, seriously. That movie wasn’t that terrible. Did you even see it?)

American Idol, Sarah Silverman, Billy Crystal, Miley Cyrus, Robin Williams, Mariah Carey, Fergie, David Cook, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, Kristy Lee Cook