First, note the new title, courtesy of Mr. Auntee. As Monica and I were watching Idol tonight and he was making one of his many trips to the john (he's getting old you know), he asked: *Is that more American Idolness?*. I like it so I stole it.
Now, MRS. Auntee is not entirely upset about the top 24. I will predict right now the winner will be a guy because all of the women with the possible exceptions of Haley Reinhardt and Rachel Zevita are Interchangeable Dime A Dozen Diva Wanna Bees (DAD for short). I don't think the audience is going to be able to tell the difference between Karen Rodgriguez, Julie Zorilla, Lauren Turner and Pia Toscano. I would add in Thia Megea to the group but she is Asian so maybe America will be able to tell her apart from the other DADs. Then there are the blondes, Kendra and Lauren A. I'm going out on a limb here and think Kendra will be voted off right away. Not because she isn't as good as the other DADs or maybe even better but because she is *old* (at 23 or so) and she has some smarts and looks like she doesn't take any guff. Consequently, I plan to vote for her unless she just really stinks on Wednesday night. Rachel Zevita is unique only in that she is not quite a DAD but more of a MCWB (Mariah Carey Wanna Be). I don't like Mariah Carey and while I have nothing against Rachel personally, she doesn't move me. Two contestants I want to see voted off right away (but probably will make it to the top 10) are Lauren A and Thia Megea. I don't like Lauren's sexing it up at age 15 with Steven Tyler and Thia is a plant from America's Got Talent and seems very full of herself. I may be wrong and Thia may be the sweetest little thing in the world but I just have a visceral (although irrational) dislike for her that dates from her audition. So...of the women I'm rooting for Haley at the moment.
Now for the men. Complete waste of spots for Clint Jun Dung and Jordan Dorsey. Clint is just a jerk and should be punished for what he did to Jaycee. He has no soul and I cannot fathom I will ever get goose bumps from hearing him (and not just because he is gay...I occasionally got goosebumps from Adam Lambert). Jordon the *music teacher* Dorsey who refused to let people into one group because *it just wasn't going to work* and then jumped ship to another group is another souless performer. He falls into the category of Interchangeable R&B Singer (IRS)...which is admittedly a code word for a black guy who sings high notes. Fortunately, Jacob Lusk is competing for the R&B slot and will blow Jordan away. Clint and Jordan robbed sweet Jaycee and Colton of their rightful place (and probably some others as well who were not featured).
Other than Clint and Jordan, I like all of the men finalists more or less. Robby Rosen reminds me of Anoop and I don't think he is going to last long. James Durbin is NOT Adam Lambert. Javony (sp) wasn't featured much but he might hang on as he is definitely a hunk. I'm going to predict that Scott, Casey Abrams*, Jacob Lusk and Tim Halperin make it to the final 6. The other two slots are up for grabs.
No one is going to make me vote for them more than a few times at this point.
As for the show itself, we can see the more expert hand of Nygel Lythgoe. We were not too sidetracked by people going nowhere and I liked the way they interwove the final song with the contestants.
*TMZ is reporting that Casey Abrams was hospitalized with stomach pains Wednesday and that as the Tuesday show tapes tomorrow, he may be out. I hope he is not but if he is, pray that they don't bring back Chris Medina..
