I really wished that tonight's format had forced each judge to select two singers and justify their decisions to the public, but instead, they made it clear the octet of Wild Card holders scored their spots through group decision.
And that leaves eight folks — Ricky Braddy, Anoop Desai, Jesse Langseth, Tatiana Del Toro, Von Smith, Megan Corkrey, Matt Giraud, and Jasmine Murray — competing for what's believed to be three remaining spots in the season 8 finals (although wise-guys are predicting each judge will get to put through one singer at the end of tomorrow's performance show, resulting in a top 13).
With six men and three women already in the finals, I wonder how much gender parity will play a role in the judges' decisions. Idol has already announced it's not wedded to an equal male-female split for its top 12 this season, but an eight-man, four-woman top 12 would be pretty testosterone-heavy for a major TV show whose producers and marketers are most likely obsessed with demographics. Whether or not that plays a role, here's my breakdown of the Wild Card contenders in 12 words or less, as well as my very unscientific odds of each of 'em advancing to the finals:
Anoop: Huge existing fanbase plus Simon's ringing endorsement. This is his to lose. 2-1
Ricky: Best pure vocal among Wild Card contenders; damn his jeans were tight. 5-2
Megan: ''Package artists'' can afford a couple wonky notes. Plus, she's not dull. 3-1
Jesse: Voice memorable for right reasons; personality memorable for wrong ones. Hmmm. 6-1
Von: Don't wear hat; hair is kicky! Room for him and Adam? 10-1
Tatiana: Tears looked faker than Ryan's hair color. Voice? Seriously? Not all that. 12-1
Matt: Face screamed ''Of course I'm Wild Card!'' Should've whispered ''thank you'' instead. 15-1
Jasmine: Not as good as she thinks she is. 25-1
What do you think of the Wild Card picks and their chances of advancing on Thursday? Were there any omissions that enraged you? Are you expecting a surprise twist by the end of the episode? What did you think of the navy-blue valance Paula wore tonight? Did you notice how she dodged Ryan's question about how season 8's finalists match up to previous seasons? And was it just me or did it sound like the contestants were lip-synching their group rendition of Katy Perry's ''Hot and Cold'' tonight?
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