You Know That I Would Be A LIGH-YERRR

Boy's Top 24 Rundown:

1. Clint: Kiss of death spot. Superstition, seems like a safe Idol standby. Fun stage presence, good energy, a little pitchy. Harry Potter Glasses -- K wonders if Clint sticks around if this will be another Gokey Lenscrafter parade. But he probably won't.

Side note: along with the new director, the idol production has improved IMMENSELY so far. No weird camera angles, no sound flubs. Could it actually look like a professional broadcast this season?

2. Jovany: pretty song, blandly solid but 2nd half much better. Nice runs. Is it memorable enough to escape being buried this low, though? I don't think so. Looks like the Dawg is taking over the Voice of Truth role vacated by Simon.

3. Jordan: off key throughout? Said he agreed with JLo, this was not his type of music. Is this a case of the dread Idol Song Sabotage, i.e. Idol declares a song a performer has been practicing "off limits" at the last second, forcing them to half-ass a song suggested by TPTB? You know that this has happened many times, Taylor Hicks was the first to really mention it but it's one of Idols dirty little secrets. K says he doesn't really have much sympathy for this guy, seems douche-y.

4. Tim H: overpowered by the music in many spots. Song choice? He's probably history.

5. Brett: K says with those dance moves, he's one set of white platforms away from dancing on a bar in pee Wee's Big Adventure. He felt like he was being Punk'd. Definitely original, but is that good or bad? "FI-YERRRR!"

6. James: RAWKED, like he was expected to. Probably a shoo-in to go far of his facial tics don't alienate America.

7. Robbie: Just okay. Did a good job, pretty song, but...Kind of over-melismatic and bashed us over the head with the falsetto. K says the kid reminds him of Fonzie; will tweentards or housefraus keep him in?

8. Scotty: did a great job by completely staying in his wheelhouse. How long can he keep that up? I probably doesn't matter: with that performance (even though he was about to keel off the side of the stool) he satisfied the Country crowd, the Military families and the Christians (had that Big Old Cross on his neck). So, he got a shitload of votes.

9. Stefano: pitchy, right key? He's one of those "package" contestants the judges always talk about, and he's closer to the pimp spot, so he'll stand a better chance of being remembered. At least he was smart to pick a song that builds to a crescendo, voters seem to equate that with singing well.

10. Paul: interesting voice, strange stage moves. Thom Yorke Dance Academy? Kind of a weird song choice; he should probably pick something from the Kenny Loggins playlist every week ("I'm All Right" could be his "Baby Lock Them Doors") instead. Like Scotty, it is hard to imagine him branching out. Then again, this season is supposed to be different...

11. Jacob: looking like he'll be predictable (in a good way) week in/out: he seems like he's going to bring the "big ol' voice" that dominates Idol in most seasons until the Top 3. Great job, and he appears to pick songs that are just right. We agreed with Rubbertoe that he's verging on smug; K had a flashback to someone (Daughtry maybe? Cookie?) that always seemed to be "acting" humble during the judge's praise because they knew they had to.

12. Casey: I can see how he might strike some listeners with a Taylor Hicks Drunken Uncle vibe, but I liked Tay-Tay, and Casey, too. He's another weirdo in what seems to be a theme this season at Idol, but I think he pulls it off, very entertaining. He won't necessarily advance, but if he does, it will probably be more like 60% performance, 40% voice. But a lot of Idols have made it a hell of a long way on less :)

Dr. L & K's ranking:

1. James Durbin
2. Jacob Lusk
3. Casey
4. Scotty
5. Paul
6. Stefano
7. Jovanny
8. Clint Gamboa
9. Brett
10. Robbie
11. Tim Halperin
12. Jordan

K's note: This is probably wildly divergent from America's vote, and based solely on if I would ever want to hear that performance again. Dr. L trusted me to pick, and even she would probably disagree. The only ones I was pretty sure on were James, Jacob, Casey and then Jordan and Tim. And as much as I sort of despise Scotty, he did OK on the night. The rest ???