IDOL CHATTER- FINAL JUDGEMENT WEEK

- I was surprised that American Idol went a full 3 hours on Sunday night. it was fast-paced good, between the performances and the Final Judgment evaluations which pared the contestants down from 40 to 20.

Tonight is a wasted episode, just performances, no judging. Next week is Duo Week where each wannabe is paired with an established music artist. Another waste but at least there is voting which will scale the field down to 14. The live shows start on Sunday April 14.

I do have problems with several contestants who made It to the Top 20, especially with Wade, the chunky guy who looks older than 27, with greasy high hair. Wade has committed the cardinal sin in music not once but twice- forgetting the words to the song he is singing. Like Simon Cowell used to lecture, no excuse for forgetting or not learning the lyrics.

The judges love Wades' gravelly voice. He does sound unique. But unique isn't always good. Sorry, but I just can't see him as the next American Idol.

I'm glad the two local contestants are out. The blond was whiffty, getting pissed at the judges for her no. She simply wasn't good enough (part of her audition was repeatedly belching). A millennial airhead.

Ajeandro once again wowed the judges. I see him coming off a bit short. He can play the guitar but every song sounds the same. He needs to break out of his shell soon.

My audition choice- Ashley Hess- is still around. She cute, mature and can sing. But is she good enough to win?

Evelyn has a low, sultry voice and is gorgeous. Ucee, a tall black guy, is a gimmick. He doesn't have the voice. He's an entertainer with his moves, and has a lot of passion on stage, but is he the best singer/

The youngest contestant, only sixteen, from Texas is someone to keep an eye on. She's cute ("America's Sweetheart" the judges dubbed her), can sing and seems way more mature than some of her contemporaries.

I like the judges. They break it to the losers with more sympathy and class then past judges. But I don't always agree with their logic or choices. Soon it will be out of their hands, as America will decide. That's when the fun really begins.