Tonight's American Idol was a long way from reality television at its best. Here's what was missing: actual suspense; any real insight into the judges' decisions (though most choices were stunningly obvious); and, oh yeah, music. We knew we wouldn't get much of the latter during this, the “chair" episode, which always captures heartbreak and delight in sobs and mad hopping, not Diane Warren songs.
Yet if we must endure all this faux tension over the judges' decisions, couldn't there have been some mention of what makes an “Idol" voice viable? Simon kept repeating that it's all about the mix, the judges look for certain things, it's more than just raw talent, yadda yadda yadda. But I didn't catch many specifics, beyond Paula chiming in that welder Matt Breitzke is “likable" (as opposed to Michael Sarver, the Manwich? As if they weren't going to let the next Dierks Bentley through!) and everybody getting on Awesome Adam Lambert's case about being a musical theater geek.
