American Idol: Casey James Makes Final 3 Along with Crystal Bowersox & Lee DeWyze

The American Idol judges, or whatever the proper name might be for the goonballs who make comments after one of the singers sings on American Idol, have thrown the Cool, Texas boy, Casey James, under the bus so many times, who would have ever predicted he would be one of the last 3 standing, in this, the lamest season of American Idol yet?

Actually, in my tone deaf view, Casey James is the only one of the remaining 3 who does seem, sorta, Idol-worthy.

Even my aforementioned tone-deafness can detect that sometimes Lee DeWyze goes way into wrong note mode.

I know she's been pimped from the start, but to me, Crystal Bowersox, nice girl may she be, just seems really generic. Previous seasons of American Idol I don't think she would have gone so far. And, tattoo bigot that I am, I'm really offput by that monstrosity she's got painted on her back.

I think Michael Lynche really overstayed, and should never have been saved. Seeing a song from Free Willy, a movie about a whale, seemed perfectly ironic.

The final 3 now get the American Idol cliched, contrived hometown visits. Casey James' hometown visit will be a visit to his new hometown, Fort Worth. He will be in a parade down Exchange Avenue in the Fort Worth Stockyards, at 4pm, tomorrow, Friday, afternoon.

The Fort Worth Stockyards is about 9 miles from my abode. Am I motivated to go videotape and photograph this? I don't know. Years ago, I went to Burleson, hometown of the first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, to witness the macabre scene outside the theater that was premierring her movie. It was all so contrived and fake. But amusing to watch.

I'll see if I can motivate myself to go to the Stockyards tomorrow afternoon to see the kid from Cool, Texas.

American Idol: The Judges Save Michael "Big Mike" Lynche

That is Michael Lynche you're looking at. He is also known as Big Mike. Because he is big.

Ever since we first met Big Mike, on this year's American Idol, he has been heavily pimped. "Heavily Pimped" is Reality TV Speak meaning an inordinate amount of screen time is artfully edited to create a positive image of the one ordained to receive the pimpage.

Big Mike had an easily pimped story, that being that his wife was in labor producing Big Mike's first offspring, while he was auditioning to get on American Idol.

A few weeks ago we saw Big Mike's singing drive Kara DioGuardi to sobbing tears. I had to re-play the singing to see if I could figure out what was so tear-worthy. I failed in that mission. But anyone who could make that annoying woman cry got points with me.

On last night's results show Big Mike got the lowest amount of votes after his rather odd, in my opinion, rendition of the Lennon/McCartney classic, Eleanor Rigby.

Big Mike got the lowest amount of votes, but after Big Mike sang that This Woman's Work song again, it being the song that caused crying, after extensive consultation, Simon, Kara, Ellen and Randy decided to use the Judges' Save to save Big Mike.

I find the Judges' Save to be totally absurd. I have never voted for anyone on American Idol. I hear over and over again something like 'standard messaging rates apply" or something like that in reference to one of the voting methods.

So, you have, I don't now how many thousands or millions of people wasting their time and dimes, doing the silly voting thing, and then have that time and expense negated by the Judges. That just seems really wrong to me.

Would it have been a horrible crime against humanity if Big Mike's run on American Idol came to an end last night? I don't think so.

And now, next week, two get the boot. The Judges only get one Judges' Save.