Awww, C'mon - Now, That's Just Wrong...

OK - I'm going to make a social confession here. I watch American Idol. Yes, it's true. And most the time, it's quite enjoyable. But, this year, I'm having some trouble with the way the cookie is crumbling.

I'm not going to talk about who I think should be gone, you can find critiques like that all over the web. I just have to argue the logic that got people like Jessica Sierra and Nadia tossed off the island (mixing the reality shows here, I realize, but you get the drift).

Both of these people have great voices and they did more than admiriable jobs every week, sometimes even garnering the most glowing responses from the toughest critic...you know who I mean...in the process. But it is also this toughest critic who made some unbelievably harsh and, in my opinion unwarrented and often unrelated commentary, after which they were both finding themselves boarding the proverbial bus for home. They tell us it is about the singing, yet continually harp on factors outside that realm.

What I would like to know is if the American populous is incapable of thinking for themselves? If we are told that someone "isn't likable" or "picked a song that should get them sent home," do we actually feel that it is our duty to follow through with that underhanded recommendation? How much of this really is being directed via the power of suggestion?

Guess we'll find out next week.