Top 10 Guys - If This is a Man's World, What Did This Episode Say About the World?

Here I am looking forward to a night of women when I suddenly see that the guys are going tonight. Apparently Crystal Bowersox was rushed to the hospital and can't perform. That means tonight's show is sponsored by Jimmy Dean! Since they didn't know they were performing until this morning, the guys are obviously less prepared mentally. That can't bode well. Last week we said goodbye to Tyler and Joe (I know, I know. Who?), so only ten guys will be performing tonight. Hooray for two fewer crappy performances to sit through!

The interesting fact we learn about Michael Lynche is that he played football and did theater at the same times, so he's quite the well-rounded individual. His song choice tonight is James Brown's "This is a Man's World." The long pauses seem awkward at first, but after he gets into it he really brings it home. His vocals and stage presence are both great. This soulful slow burn is much, much better than last week. The judges love it, and rightfully so.

John Park grew up speaking Korean, so English is actually his second language. Just like Sun and Jin! Hey, did I mention I'm missing Lost tonight? He's singing John Mayer's "Gravity" and doing a poor job of it. I can tell he's really trying, but he seems too nervous, and you can tell he's not in the moment. Sorry, John. Not good enough. The judges think it was too safe, but better than last week. Funny. I liked him better last week. I think he's in trouble tonight, though.

One of our contestants never watched American Idol before being on it, and perhaps it's because he never had a TV growing up. Oh what I'd give to be free of my TV addiction. That contestant is Casey James (AKA "Kasy Male-oy,"), who's singing Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be." How many times is this song going to be performed on this show? You know, these intro segments seem longer, which really allows you to get to know the contestants better. What a concept. Casey's playing the elctric guitar tonight, and while he can really wail, the vocals are a bit shaky. Perhaps part of the problem is the wussified mix, which highlights the vocals ahead of the larger performance. Most rock music isn't meant to be a vocal showcase, the vocals are just an ingredient. The judges all think it was OK but could've been better.

Interesting. Alex Lambert created his own language, which sounds an awful lot like Japanese. We also learn he has severe stage fright, which I can totally understand. He sings John Legend's "Everybody Knows" with an acoustic guitar. I still like his tone, but this entire performance is strictly amateur hour. His nerves are coming through strong, and that final falsetto note is cringe-worthy. I'm sort of rooting for him (as Kara said everyone in America was), but that wasn't very good. To my surprise, the judges all love him this week. Huh. I guess my hearing doesn't jibe with this week's script.

Todrick Hall loves female artists, since he's doing Tina Turner after Kelly Clarkson last week. Oh, and he's been dancing since he was nine. He puts his own spin on "What's Love Got to Do With It?" I actually like the new arrangement, but as was the case with "Since U Been Gone," the vocals are lacking. While I gave him a pass on the poor singing last week, this time I'm going to be tougher. He's got to start bringing it in all aspects of his performance. I actually want to like Todrick, since we could use more creativity in this world. The judges criticize his song reinvention. Sheesh, judges. Why can't you focus on the real issue, his singing, instead of attacking him for trying to do his own thing with a song?

How Jermaine Sellers survived last week I have no idea. My best guess is that his fans voted extra hard knowing he was in trouble, but how big a fanbase could the guy have had? Well, whatever. We learn in the video package that he rocks his onesie. Hooray for him. His song choice is Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On." His voice is too airy for my liking in the lower parts, but he does well on the higher parts. Ehhh. He's clearly a talented singer, but this performance just didn't come together very well. The judges want him to pull back more, and Jermaine can't resist throwing in his two cents after every comment. Keep on digging that hole, Jermaine. Acting egotistical does you no favors. Then he says God is on his side. Hey, maybe that's how he survived last week's poor performance!

Andrew Garcia is a breakdancer. Fascinating. Tonight he's singing James Morrison's "You Give Me Something." You know what? I'll just come right out and say I don't like this guy. His voice is grating, his neck tattoo is distracting, and both his performances have been boring. Another thing I can't explain is why he makes me think of Adam Lambert. Is there any similarity between those two? Overpimpedness, perhaps? I'll be fair though, I can't file any specific complaints about Andrew's vocals. He's just so average that it irks me. The judges come down on him and tell him he picked the wrong song.

The ever-smiling Aaron Kelly loves photography, because he's apparently a creative soul. He's not the first contestant to do it, but tonight he's taking on The Temptations' "My Girl." The kid sounds goaty (forgive the bad pun), and still has a Rascal Flatts vibe to his voice. There are lots of awkward off-key moments throughout. I will say though, it's a good effort, and I like the arrangement. I see a lot of potential in Aaron, he's just not quite great yet. The judges are generally positive, but careful not to overpraise. Simon tells him he stills needs work. Well done for a change, judges.

Tim Urban comes from a large family, where he has four brothers and five sisters. And I thought being one of four kids was crazy. His song for tonight is Matt Nathanson's "Come On Get Higher," and he's playing the guitar with it. I don't recognize the title, but I think I've heard this song before. My main issue here is that Tim's voice just isn't that strong, and it brings the song down. Once again, good effort, not great. The judges don't get it, but Ellen throws in a plug for Glee. Simon shocks everyone by saying he likes it better than most of tonight's performances. I see Tim lasting another week, but probably not much longer.

Tonight's pimp spot goes to Lee DeWyze, who we learn was put in an alternative high school for making "bad decisions." And what decision is worse than trying to jumpstart your music career through American Idol? His song is Hinder's "Lips of an Angel." The judges compared him to David Cook last week, but I have to say he comes across as a cheap knockoff. There's a slightly whiny catch to his voice, which kind of reminds me of Chad Kroeger. All told though, after the crap we've endured tonight, this is actually pretty good. There are some pitch problems, but they aren't as severe as last week's all-over-the-place-ness. Congrats, Lee. You've earned the right to stick around. The judges all love it, since there has to be something salvageable after no one came close to Michael's opening performance.

My performance ranking:

Michael (7.5/10)
Lee (6/10)
Casey (4.5/10)
Andrew (4.4/10)
Jermaine (4/10)
Aaron (3.6/10)
Todrick (3.5/10)
Tim (3/10)
John (2.5/10)
Alex (2/10)

Wow. Am I just in a bad mood tonight, or were the guys really that awful?

My picks to go home: Jermaine and John.

John went early and was fairly forgettable, so I think we may be saying goodbye to him. If Jermaine survives this week it may just be proof that God actually is on his side.

Hopefully Crystal Bowersox is available to perform tomorrow, because it'd be a shame for her to have to drop out of the competition or get a free pass this week.