Gone, baby gone

Was it the "pitchy vocals," song selection or the painful admission of her food phobias? Of course, the breakdown isn't available for reasons why a contestant is booted, but Alaina Whitaker had more to cry about Thursday night than the juice from her green beans touching her dinner role.

I thought the twangy teen blonde — Carrie Underwood the Sequel — who ended up a weeping mess after being booted wasn't all that bad, in comparison to some of the other top 20 (not the greatest of all time, as Ryan keeps asserting). The other one to go was Alexandrea Lushington. I'm glad rocker Amanda Overmyer managed to escape an early death over that horrid Wednesday performance. I expect her to come back fighting next week, though the choice of songs may not do her any favors (she really shines in the Janis-Doors-CCR Summer of Debauchery-era songs). After '60s week and '70s week, I am going to presume next week will be '80s week and the contestants will butcher some Prince and Madonna songs.

On the men's side, I wasn't shedding any tears over Jason "Blond Streak" Yeager and Robbie "I'm a Bad-Ass Rocker Because I wear a Bandana" Carrico. You could also take Chikezie and Luke Menard, too, who looked like Orlando Bloom's dark-haired brother doing a karaoke turn in a cheesy, sleazy pickup bar.

Let's face it, the men (and most of the women) are just elimination fodder for David Archuleta's march to world domination. I, for one, am ready to submit to my precocious singing overlord.