American Idol - Before Tonight's Judging of the Top 7 - In Defense of Casey James

As I said in yesterday's post in the performance episode of American Idol, I was surprised that some reviewers put Casey as possibly in danger. But when I was finished with my post, I went to see what more of them had to say. Although several reviews praised Casey, pointed out highlights in his performance, or said he was at least consistent and clearly better than some other contestants, there was still a lot of talk about his possibly going home this week. DialIdol also has him ranked at the bottom, below Tim.

Now I'm not only surprised, I'm confused. How did he go from a top contestant (in reviews as well as DialIdol) to the very bottom? His performance wasn't even called "bad" last night---the judges just said they'd hoped to see more from him. Well, I'd hoped to see more from him also, but that didn't mean his performance was bad in any way. It was great! It was fun! He sang well, played well. Sure, he could have been more innovative, more emotional, or chosen something very different from what he's generally done. But what he generally does is good, and last night was no exception.

Furthermore, Crystal Bowersox also did what she always does. She picked a hippie song, sang it straight, and used some hippie-schtick homey props. Usually the prop is the guitar and the dreads or the rug or the bare feet or whatever, but this time it was the mike stand. But she didn't push herself in any new direction, and she didn't even sing as well as she has on some other songs, like "Me and Bobby McGee." And the tears everyone keeps oozing about, those tears were not because of the song---it was clear to me on rewatching. It was because her father was there.

Lee also did what he always does, and it was even more boring this week than it's been in the past. The more I think about it, the more outraged I am that this performance is being praised. This is a song that I find difficult to sing because the lyrics are so intensely emotional. He sang it like a singalong, trying to be faux-heartfelt, but not even understanding it. He's a sham.

But onward. Michael did what he always does. Aaron did similar to what he usually does, but his song choice was a bit off and he didn't get quite up to par. Siobhan did her usual Anita Bakering of a pop song, and Tim did his "trying hard but off-key" type of performance (his other performance choices include "robot monotone" and "high school musical understudy").

If Casey is eliminated, I hope Tim wins. I think that's part of what the judges deserve for wasting their one save on Michael the Mundane. I'd originally have supported Crystal for the win, because I honestly think she has incredible talent, but she lost a lot of respect in my eyes by deciding to walk off the show, even if she was convinced to stay. People would cut off fingers to get in her position, and she's willing to leave it? That's not the kind of person I consider an "idol."

Okay, if I'm honest, maybe I'd still say Crystal is a top contender. But it relay bothered me that when Mike was saved, she said "thank god." I don't know what the story there is, but unless she's deaf, she should know that he doesn't belong in the top 5. She's not using musical judgment in the way she approaches the show, and it appears she's not understanding the music industry either. Would she even survive and produce if she won the show? I think she has a mindset that doesn't meld with this show or what she's aiming to get from it. In her case, it probably would have been better to work her way up through a coffeeshop/gathering circuit. In spite of her incredible talent, she's just an impractical choice.

I also stopped seeing any progression in Lee a few weeks ago. For me, his performances have been declining. So I don't understand why people are still enjoying his off-key singing and smirking. I absolutely could see him singing in a band, but he really needs to work on using his voice properly first.

Casey is a consistently good singer, a better guitar player than Crystal or Lee, shows more dedication to the music than Crystal, more sincerity and skill than Lee, and more soul than either of them. At this point, I honestly think he is the best choice for American Idol---that may change in the next few weeks, I leave the possibility open. I've changed my mind n the last few weeks of competition before. But I don't see any reason he should not be in the top 3. He's one of the top 3 performers there.