Elmer Fudd Judges Idol

The Shania Twain. Toot, toot? C'mon Ellen. You can do better than that.

We have now reached the point in the competition where it really all comes down to personal preference. The Top 6 are all good, and all of them had a pretty good week, so how do you choose the best? Go with what you like. I admittedly was worried about this week since I only know like three Shania Twain songs, and I hoped beyond hope that no one would pick a certain one. Although, if Katie Stevens had still been around I'm sure we would have heard "I Feel Like a Woman." Anyway . . .

Overall it was a good week, even if the mentor had a perma-grin that says either "I smile at inappropriate times, too," or "Pharmaceuticals prevent me from frowning." Honestly, though, Shania Twain seemed to enjoy her time with the idols and they seemed to enjoy her as well.

Lee Dewyze: Lee always sounds current and (dare I use the most overused word of A.I. this year?) relevant. He had quite a few notes that weren't quite there, but I always love what he does with the songs. He's also managed to increase his confidence while maintaining the "pinch me, I'm dreaming" look in his eyes.

Michael Lynche: Michael has one of the clearest voices I've heard on A.I. in a while. I compared him to Luther Vandross before Ellen did. Stacy can vouch for me. He has a throwback voice to the R&B I like, but still sounds like he belongs in the competition in 2010.

Casey James: I still think "Jealous Guy" was his best, but this may have been a close second. I'm glad Casey, too, has realized that he hasn't done anything truly interesting in weeks. His performance reminded me that he can actually sing, and that Casey is one of the few that have a legitimate chance of making it to the finale.

Crystal Bowersox: Crystal has a big problem in that she is always so good that the judges expect a showstopper every night. I thought her performance tonight was really good, and I love to hear her falsetto. She rarely uses it so it actually has some impact when she does. Clearly it wasn't her grandest performance, but it was in her usual realm of excellence.

Aaron Kelly: First of all, if I ever wake up as a bald black guy, I'm so growing the King Tut beard. All of Aaron's performances really run together for me. He is a good singer, and this was the perfect genre for him, but I just can't get on board with Aaron as a contender in this year's competition. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would disagree and think Aaron is the greatest singer ever. They can have their opinions, but they would be wrong.

Siobhan Magnus: This was not a week that I expect was comfortable for her. Siobhan is not suited at all to country, and the song was a ridiculous choice, but she did fine with it. She seemed very uncomfortable moving around the stage and then out into the crowd and then back onto the stage again, where she was out of breath. I felt like Siobhan was trying to hang on more than make the song her own. Give her credit for making the most of it, though.

My Top 3: Casey, Michael, Lee
My Bottom 3: Aaron, Siobhan, Crystal

Thinking Top Half is a Good Run: Siobhan