American Idol: Man Fuel

Did the guys get hotter this year and more talented, or what? I agree with Randy's original statement -- that this is a year for the men. I know he rescinded it later, but I still agree. I think that some of the woman are absolutely amazing, but the men overall are just incredible this year. As far as performances go, they were way more confident than the women, by far. I didn't see as many nerves tonight as I did last night. And the personalities are just great all around. I don't think that there is a single guy that has a crappy personality, like some other ladies I know (hello Brenna). I think the men totally rock this year.

But as far as individually...

Ace Young- Is it hot in here or is just Ace? Holy crap. I don't normally go for the LA pretty boys, but he's got me feeling faint. Talk about making love to the camera. I don't think I blinked during the entire performance. This guy is sexy. Doing "Father Figure" was a perfect song choice. When he sang, "I'll be your daddy," I thought, "you already are!" And that last sexy lingering look he gave to the camera was intense. He made me feel all kinds of happiness -- from the waist down. I sorta think it had an impact on my male roommate too. After that last bit, he said, "that sort of made me feel uncomfortable." Exactly what a straight man should feel from that much sexual energy radiating from our TV set. And did you see his brother? He looked just like him, but with facial hair. Where is their sexy Maxim photo spread?

Chris Daughtry- I think that Chris brought the competition to the next level tonight. I think the performances before him were well, but when he took the stage, things got great. Another perfect song choice with "Wanted Dead or Alive." I love that song, and he absolutely nailed it. He's got charisma and likeability and his voice just rings with intensity. I could seriously imagine paying to go and see him in concert. He just doesn't disappoint.

Elliott Yamin- I think it's safe to say that Elliot is the best male singer in the competition this year. Simon even went so far as to say that he's the best male vocalist in this competition ever. I'm not ready to agree with that statement yet, but I can certainly see where Simon is coming from. His rendition of Stevie Wonder's "If You Really Love Me" was flawless. He just seems to sing effortlessly. He's great, and we're from the same state, so I have to root for him. I'm still not so crazy about the way he looks. He just looks so average to me. He just doesn't stand out in a crowd visually. He just seems like any guy you'd see in the mall and then forget about a few minutes later. In fact, I think I might have actually seen him at Orange Julius before they tore it down.

Taylor Hicks- Awww, how we all love Taylor. I love him too, but he disappointed me tonight. He loves to sing, that's obvious, but I wasn't crazy about the song choice. I think he was de-Taylor-fied tonight. I wanted more of the Taylor that I know and love. I want the awkward dance moves and the harmonica back. I think we got Taylor tonight, but only Taylor on level 6. Taylor should always be turned up to 10. But this kid is going far, there is no doubt about it. And did you see his dad? No surprise...gray hair too!

Gedeon McKinney- I'm not sure how I feel about Gedeon. He does have a perma-grin, but I don't know if that's enough. His taped pre-interview sort of freaked me out. He sounded like a preacher man or something. At first, I thought that "Shout" was a bad song choice, but he really pulled it off. Although, it's always a great song to sing along too. But it always makes me think of Animal House. 

Kevin Covais- I know that some of you guys like this kid, but I just don't. Yes, I think that he's a sweet kid, but I just get bored when he sings. He looked like the most nervous one up there tonight and I just got bored with him. He just looks like a wimp, and I don't feel like pinching his cheeks. You guys can pinch his cheeks if you want, but I'd rather pinch Ace's butt. Or get a piggy back ride from Taylor Hicks, cause that guy looks like he's fun. I just don't think that Kevin has what it takes to go all the way to the end in the competition. I think he's adorable, but he's going to get trampled by elephants.

Bucky Covington- Wow, Bucky really surprised me tonight. I don't think that the song was a good choice for him, and his voice sounded really scratchy. He really should have gone more country than rock, but his personality was really outstanding. He's just a likeable guy. He laughed about a million times and just looked like he was enjoying himself. He just seems like a really great and sincere guy. Plus, I thought his hair looked way better tonight. It was less greasy than before. I think a makeover will do him good. If he just sticks to country, I think he'll go far. Not all the way, but further than the first week.

Sway- I did not like the falsetto voice tonight. Too much, too much. I didn't like the white pants, with the white hat, or the white shoes. This performance just rubbed me the wrong way. It all just seemed so cliche. You know artificial turf? This looked like artificial sexy to me. It was manmade sexy, not natural sexy (see Ace). It just seemed like he was trying too hard to be a "ladies man." I think Sway could do better.

Patrick Hall- We have the same last name and that's the only reason why I don't forget about this guy. Although, he was more attractive tonight than he was before. I think his voice is good, but I just think that he's too forgettable. There is a lot of talent and personality in this year's crop of men and I think Patrick is going to have a hard time being remembered.

David Radford- I think David strayed too far from his roots tonight. I think he tried too early to break out of his shell. He's a crooner and I think he should build a fanbase before he tries to break out of that mold. He did a good job working the crowd, but he needs to be sexier and more sophisticated. He needs to do what Sinatra did -- make the ladies swoon.

Will Makar- He's the other crooner of the group. As far as him and David go, I think they are about equally talented. I actually cheer for Will more simply for the fact that I find him slightly more attractive and charismatic. Paula is right, he is very Bobby Brady-ish. I think that he made the same mistake that David made -- he strayed too far from his roots, too early.

Bobby Bennett- Whoa. I laughed the entire time. And not in a good way. It was like watching someone's drunken uncle sing and dance at a wedding. I was waiting for him to the cut the cake and lead us all in the "Chicken Dance." I just can't take anybody who peforms "Copacabana" seriously. It was ridiculous. And did he gain 30 pounds since Hollywood week? The whole thing was just a mess. It was good for a laugh, but it was a mess. 

My personal picks for elimination- Bobby Bennett, Patrick Hall

My personal pick for the best performance- Chris Daughtry, Runner-up- Eliott Yamin