And Hearts Broke Across The Country...

The final 24 was announced this week, and hearts were broken across the country as we saw some of the Hollywood contestants for the very last time. (Okay, maybe not across the country, but they broke in my house, and I'm betting I'm not the only one - Simon made sure the audience knew he didn't agree with some of the cuts as well.)

Simon most audibly protested the ouster of young Kyle Ensley, the geeky guy with the golden throat, who was the final cut of the day. I have to agree....there is a place in the competition for Kyle, and there was so many of the generic "cute boys with forgettable auditions" in the male final 12 that one should be bumped. Seriously, they are so interchangeable....Danny, Colton, Luke, most if not all of the Davids....couldn't one of these guys been left behind so we could be entertained by the unique talent that is Kyle? Sure, he doesn't look like a future "Tiger Beat" cover boy, but I leave the judges with just two words: Clay Aiken. Need I say more?

Well, yes. The jury seems to be out on Josiah Leming, the guy who lived in his car and and sang an original song in Atlanta that secured his spot in Hollywood - and in my heart. Apparently I wasn't the only one. Fan message boards across the internet lit up with protest after Josiah was eliminated Wednesday night. So what went wrong?

Although the judges chalked it up to "overconfidence," I think Josiah was just overwhelmed by the entire experience, and that led to his misstep. Dismissing the band and presenting an abysmal version of "Stand By Me" at the finals sealed his fate. From the footage, Josiah looked absolutely exhausted and defeated - certainly not the right state of mind to make such a major decision. After all, the contestants were instructed to sing with the band - something they'd have to do over and over again if they made the finals. Sure, sometimes a gutsy move pays off - see "Bice, Bo" for some classic examples - but this one was just the wrong one, since the weak vocals were front and center.

So as much as I hate to say it, the judges probably made the most fair call, all things considered, in this case. Was it the right call? Well, I for one would be thrilled if Josiah proved them all wrong and rocked the charts in a year or two. After all, AI has been wrong before (classic example - the third place finish of Melinda Doolittle) but of course, that was a voter error. This time, the judges made the call.

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And Hearts Broke Across The Country...

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