Crooning and Bewildering

How is it that someone can get this far in the competition and then have a performance SO bad, that it wouldn't even have made it past the first round? And I'm not even talking about Gary, er...Ace... whatever. Kelli's performance of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered was so bad, I have propelled Elliot above her, against my better judgement. Paris and "Cat" rocked the house and Chris put in another solid performance, taking a bold move on one of my all-time favorite songs.

The following are my up-to-date rankings. I think that my ever-fluctuating 2-4 reflect the fact that for the first time, I think, ever, we don't have a clear-cut Final TWO, like we usually do: Kelly/Justin , Clay/Ruben, Fantasia/that other chick, Carrie/Bo. This year I can realistically see any of five people in the top-two (and I would have said six before Kelli's choke-job last night).

1. Chris - Dropped it down a notch with What a Wonderful World. Looked lame, sang great. Proved to any doubters that he can ACTUALLY SING, when he isn't belting at the top of his lungs.

2. Paris - Back in shot-gun for me after a perfect week with Foolish Things. I do this silly point-system thing most weeks that I get from Slimtainment. She got the first perfect 25/25 that I have ever scored. Simply amazing.

3. Catharine - And she gets a 24/25. She sang Someone to Watch Over Me and absolutely rocked it. If I had to have any critisizm, it was just a little vampy, a little broadway, and a LOT of makeup. But does any of that really matter? Paula made the best comment for her: She seemed like a previous Idol, already a professional, coming back to perform.

4. Taylor - I love the guy. I love his voice and he belted on You Send Me, but I was just a little bored. I guess I'm sort of getting tired of the "act" a little. I don't think he SHOULD win the show, but I definitely think he COULD.

5. Elliot - I still have this whole parrallel universe theory. EVERYBODY seems to like the way this guy sings and I simply DO NOT. He was fine last night, but I just don't like his voice. And why was everyone shocked last night when Simon pointed out that the dude has NO personality? I should also mention that a certain friend of mine likes him and my wife and I figured out why: He kinda looks like your hubby. Close your eyes for his next performance. Maybe you'll come around to the "dark side" with me, too.

6. Pickler - Wow. So bad that I am out of words. She did the best thing she possibly could by saying "I butchered it, y'all" (why could I picture Amy Poehler playing her the entire time, too?). Admitting it was a bad week makes her look good, in a wierd way, as opposed to last week when Ace was torn a new one by all three judges and then he has the balls to say "Well I think I rocked." She will stick around, but can she keep performing up to the level she has truly only shown once or twice during the finals?

7. Gary..er...Ace - Actually did a pretty good job last night, singing That's All. He looked obnoxiously boy-bandish with the hair pulled back into a gay cinna-bun, though, and that is a BIG mistake to mess with your looks when your bread-and-butter is your faggy pretty-boy looks and not your voice.

I think it's ironic that for the first time Ace-hole sings REALLY WELL, and he'll probably be going home this week. That's my hunch, anyway. At least he gets to go out on a good note with a good song. Although, It would be pretty funny if Pickler had to sing the Bewildering thing-a-ma-bob again.

Bottom Three prediction: Gary, Elliot, Pickler

Going home: Gary.