Last night’s show was just “uh” to me.  As usual, I wrote my first reactions as I watched the contestants wallow through the theme of Songs from the 21^st Century.  With such an open option of great song choices, you’d think we would be in for some spectacular performances.  Instead, at the end as the recap and voting numbers rolled, it felt as if we hadn’t seen anything.  All one hazy blur of nothingness.  I wish we could change the rules and say that no one gets crowned champ if they keep phoning it in like scared little school kids.  Step it up and sing (read: not scream James)!

Random Thoughts:

• I wish the judges would go back to saying when something sucked versus the weekly pimping after each performance.  It isn’t all roses and butterflies up on that stage.
• They had two blond Fembots as background singers.  I wigged out a little each time they did a close up on them.
• I kept my promise and voted for little Stefano.  I still think he’s in trouble due to how easy it was for me to get through each time.  The crap he left on the stage last night won’t do him any favors either.

Scotty – He went first.  He sang a country song from LeAnn Rimes.  He did the same weird smile face, mic hold and wiggly poses.  I’m done.

James – What?  Huh?  Sorry I lost my hearing from his progressively higher screech wails.  Everything is now a muted buzz.

Haley – She sang a current Adele song, “Rolling in the Deep.”  It was quite pitchy.  At least she had more clothes on.

Jacob – He sang Luther’s “Dance with My Father” and shared during the package that he lost his father when he was 12 years old.  During rehearsal footage, we saw him break down into tears at one point in the song.  I immediately thought, uh oh, what if diva man—who we already know is prone to getting amped up and shooting for distant universes—loses it on stage only to collapse into an ugly mound of high-pitch whimpers? 

At the beginning of the performance, he seemed unsteady, lost a few words and made a face while turning towards his right.  He then pulled out the right earpiece and kept going.  Good save Jacob!  He then delivered an understated performance that was emotional, but lacked the feel I thought he’d embed into it.  I do wonder if his mention of blame on the track playing wrong in his ear will hurt him.  Some might read that as prima donna behavior or excuses. 

Speaking of excuses, I also can’t ignore the recent news that posted on TMZ regarding his citation and subsequent escalated trouble, including arrest, for failure to make the court date.  In fact, I had some questions myself:

• What’s up with church boy hopping the train for free?
• Is church boy’s more-superior-than-thee attitude what made him think it was okay to skip his court date?
• Since church boy likes to speak about mirrors, should he not have looked in one before wandering out of the house in that wife beater seen in the mug shot?
• Will the breaking news hurt him?
• Was his tweet about going through so much stuff referring to this incident?  Because his self-induced drama doesn’t really gain any sympathy points.

See?  I’m an excellent example of constant viewers who haven’t gotten the taste of his attitude out of their mouths.  If others are still giving him the side-eye like me, he could be toast.

Casey – It was supposed to be a performance of a Maroon 5 song, but he sounded like Animal from the Muppets.  I was waiting for him to just start screaming, “Animal.  Animal!”  The best part was Steven Tyler’s curse filled rant review.  He carried on like an unhinged trucker.  Good stuff.

Stefano – He sang Neyo’s “Closer.”  Ugh.  I’m not a fan of that song or really any Neo.  Stefano’s performance did nothing to change my mind.  It was herky and jerky mania with possible singing in between.  His song choice was a mistake.  At the end of the performance, he ran around stage like he wasn’t sure what to do with himself.  The judges called that sexy dancing.  Yeah, right.

Lauren – She performed, wait for it, up-tempo country that wasn’t at all challenging.  She is also now playing like she lacks confidence.  We’ve got a crafty contestant here folks.  I’m sure Lauren realizes that the voters seem to have a harder standard on humility for the girls and that she needs to head down that road pronto.  I do not believe for one second that she’s unsure of herself.  That killer instinct brewing below is savvy indeed.

Based on performances alone, I think the bottom three will be Stefano, Casey and Haley with my little Stefano going home.  The only wild card would be if Jacob still faces any voter hate.