Well, I was pretty much right on with my American Idol elimination predictions.  However, I forgot that tonight would be a double elimination.  More on that in a minute.  The big twist this year is that the judges can veto America's vote once, and only once, to keep a contestant in the competition.  I call this "The Adam Lambert Twist".  As if it's not evil enough of the show to make contestants who are eliminated immediately sing the very song that sent them home, now they get kicked when they're down by the judges.  Here's how it goes.  Ryan slowly reveals who is going home (i.e. "America voted... and... you... are.... going home tonight, my friend.")  The eliminated contestant sings while, just a few feet in front of them, the judges deliberate whether or not to keep them.  When their performance is done, Ryan asks the judges if they're going to save the contestant, to which they will almost always answer a swift and heartless, "No" ... or "No, dog."

Last night's bottom four was no surprise to anyone.  First up was Megan Corkrey and Jasmine Murray.  I predicted that Jasmine would have ended up there for delivering a less than stellar rendition of "I'll Be There".  Megan lived to see another week while Randy delivered the news to Jasmine that, not only was she going home, but there was no way in hell the judges were keeping her around.  After performances by Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson (always good to see her back on the show), it was time for the next pair that failed to impress America and they were: Anoop Desai and Jorge Nunez.  No kidding.  At first, I thought that Anoop should have been the one to go home until Jorge was eliminated and sang that awful song again.  Yep America, you got it right and Simon backed you guys up, refusing to give the Puerto Rico native another chance.

If and when the judges do decide to use their veto power (they can use it all the way until Top 5), a double elimination will follow the next week.  I can't imagine them using it on anyone except for Lambert, with perhaps the exception of Danny Gokey.  It's clear that this is a rule that would have helped past contestants like Chris Daughtry or Jennifer Hudson stay in the competition longer but perhaps it's best that they left when they did.  How many Idol winners are really doing big things these days?  It seems that sometimes, it's better to leave the party early than be the last one hanging around.


American Idol returns with the Top 11 next week, Tuesday at 8pm on FOX.

(Image courtesy of FOX)

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