American Idol: A Sad Revelation.

I realized something this week: American Idol no longer excites me.

I don't know if it's the contestants, or the lack of talent, or what. But these days, AI is no longer appointment TV for me.

The front runners. I am so bored by them. I have NO PLANS to buy CDs from Lilly Scott or Siobhan Magnus or Crystal Bowersox. Sure, they were entertaining in the beginning, bringing something new and funky to the table. Now I'm over it. I want my freaking ballads back!

These three girls are so far out of the mainstream, they'll appeal only to niche fans. As for the guys, the current favorite seems to be Michael Lynche, who consistently gets positive feedback from the judges. I just see him going the way of Ruben Studdard. Big, lovable black man who sings really well, but has zero appeal beyond the show.

And now, thanks to myself, I have "Sorry for 2004" stuck in my head.

Don't get me wrong. I like all these people. I just wouldn't buy any of their music. And I don't think America will, either.

And is it just me, or are the judges totally biased against mainstreamers this season? Katie Stevens and Katelyn Epperly get so much flak every week. And yet, if Katie made an album, people would probably buy it. Creedence Clearwater Revival? This is not 1968!

Oh and speaking of things I don't want to hear again: Genie in a Bottle, sung at a slightly frantic pace with guitar accompaniment. WTF, Andrew Garcia, WTF???

American Idol, Top 12 Girls: My Ears Are Still Bleeding.

Holy guacamole, what was that last night?!

For the first time, we got to hear the Top 12 girls sing live. One by one, they stepped up to the mic. And one by one, they destroyed any love I had for any of the songs. Leona Lewis' "Happy"? I'm sad now. Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am?" Terrible. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles? John Lennon is rolling over in his grave.

The only bright spots of the night were Lilly Scott and her rendition of a song I'd never heard, the Beatles' "Fixin a Hole," and Katie Stevens' "Feeling Good," by Michael Buble. For reasons I cannot understand, the judges hated Katie Stevens. Maybe the two hours of terrible warbling had shattered their eardrums, rendering it impossible for them to hear how good Katie was. Then again, I could be biased because I love Michael Buble. If one of the guys sings "Haven't Met You Yet" tonight, I will die of sheer giddiness.

Over and over, we heard the judges say, "Bad song choice." How about firing those voice coaches or whoever it is "helping" these contestants each week? The contestants do not rehearse in a vacuum. Surely there is a bass player or studio tech around to say, "You know, I used to like that song. Now you've ruined it. Can we try something else?"

Tonight, the Top 12 guys sing. I will look at the bright side: At least none of them will be screeching. Even if they are off-key, their lower registers will be easier on the ears.

By the way, since about 8 of the girls were really bad, and two were just eh, and two were good, how about we cut the four suckiest contestants on Thursday, regardless of gender? There's no reason to cut two guys if the worst two guys are better than the worst four girls.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I've decided to add pictures to my blog. I didn't originally, because I thought they would make my site take forever to load, and I HATE when websites do that. But one pic per entry should be OK.