“This is American ….Ridiculous.”

That’s how Ryan Seacrest should have opened Thursday night’s results show which revealed to us the Top 10 most talented (?) amateur singers in the country.

Who was selected for American Idol’s Season 12 finalists list became a distant secondary issue to how and why they were selected.

First why … The 10 girls and 10 boys were put in groups with the Top 5 vote-getters from the viewing public advancing to the final 10. That is all well and good except – and we will never know – what if the girl who finished, say 8^th, in that group, actually had more votes than the fifth place boy? Then Girls Nos. 6-7-8, while winning on the voting side, lost out on the producers’ goal of having equality between the sexes. Strike 1!

Second, how … First the Top 10 boys were sequestered backstage in Hollywood in the obligatory “sound-proof” room. Ryan would saunter in and “dramatically” announce the five winners one-by-one and then lead them out on to the stage to introduce them to them to the audience. They would sing a coronation song, smile a lot, get the usual judges’ accolades and go hug the other winners. After the fifth boy, and eventually girl, were introduced then the five who didn’t make it walked out on-stage, took a bow, did the obligatory wave goodbye and then were ushered stage-right off into the night with a quick so long, thanks for coming and the clock stopped ticking on their 15-minutes of
fame. Undoubtedly, the most awkward moment of the evening. Strike 2!

P.S. Then there were the judges … OMG after each of the 10 sang, one of the judges would the holy —- out of their performance, their talent, their run through the competition to get there. Trust me, Simon never would have done that. To the judges we say, yawn and … Strike 3!

So, who made it? Mostly the expected ones with the exception of maybe Devin Velez on the boys side and Amber Holcomb on the girls. Following, shown in order of Idol Chatter’s anticipated finished lineup . are the Top 10 and their hometowns (oddly, three of them hail from Tennessee):

1- Kree Harrison, Nashville, Tenn.

2- Candice Glover, St. Helena Island, S.C.

3- Curtis Finch, Jr., St. Louis

4- Angie Miller, Beverly, Mass.

5- Lazaro Arbos, Naples, Fla.

6- Janelle Arthur, Oliver Springs, Tenn.

7- Paul Jolley, Palmersville, Tenn.

8- Burnell Taylor, New Orleans

9- Devin Velez, Chicago

10- Amber Holcomb, Houston