By: Mary Cavaliere

As I suspected, tonight’s episode was interesting.  After seven cities, over 100,000 contestants, 164 going to Hollywood, and a top 50, we are finally down to our Top 24.  Idol has made so many changes this season I was hoping they would change something I have disagreed with since Season 1.  Why does the Top 24 have to consist of 12 girls and 12 boys?  Why can’t the Top 24 just be the Top 24 no matter what their gender?  I think it’s an unfair process and I’m not sure why Idol producers feel they need to handle the competition in this manner.  May the best man (or woman) win is what I say.

I am ecstatic that several of the contestants that I pegged since the first episode have made it to the final 24.   These are MY top 8 at this point in time:

•    Amanda Overmyer ~ the rock-n-roll Harley-riding nurse
•    David Archuleta ~ the 16-year old with the voice of an angel
•    Danny Noriega  ~ who didn’t make it through in a previous season
•    Alexandrea Lushington ~ who sang My Funny Valentine in a very unique way
•    Ramiele Malubay ~ the tiny Asian girl with the huge voice
•    Syesha Mercado ~ the girl who lost her voice during Hollywood week
•    Asia'h Epperson ~ the girl whose father passed away a day before her initial audition
•    Joanne Borgella ~ the plus-sized model who has endured a great deal of rejection

And here are the remaining contestants that completed the Top 24:
•    Carly Smithson ~ who made it to Hollywood in Season 5 and then had visa issues
•    Michael Johns ~ the Australian rocker who Simon labeled “the white black soul singer”
•    David Cook ~ the rocker with the weird hair
•    Kristy Lee Cook ~ who sang Amazing Grace at two of her auditions
•    Brooke White ~ the girl whose style resembles Carol King
•    Chekezie Eze ~ who also didn’t make it through in a previous season
•    Jason Castro, Luke Mendard, Robbie Carrico, Garrett Haley, Kady Malloy, Amy Davis, Alaina Whitaker, Jason Yeager, David Hernandez, and Colton Berry ~ all of whom I know very little about

A huge thank you from me to Idol for not putting through Josiah Leming.  Even in the end he was over-confident and expressed he had a “feeling” that he made it through.  Josiah – that’s called wishful thinking, not intuition.  Come back next year with a little more humility ok? 

You can read more of Mary’s television blogs at www.myspace.com/italiangirl57


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