It's a FARSE.

Okay, it's going to seem weird to any casual reader of my blog that I'm about to write about American Idol, but...

I just can't get over what happened tonight.

Bottom 3 several times^^... bottom 3 never^^... seriously, ^^she's still here?

I don't know what America is doing with their votes, but they certainly aren't giving them to the people who deserve them the most. This year's talent on Idol is not particularly great, contrary to what everyone else seems to think, but none of them are bad either. This is one of the few years I can honestly say I like every single one of the people who are left. Which, yes, makes it hard to decide who has to go home each week. But that is no excuse to vote based on anything but talent.

Last week, the best voice (in my opinion) was almost kicked off the show. She had never been in the bottom 3 before, and BAM, she was almost gone, just like that. The only logical explanation for this is that people got lazy, or comfortable, and thought they could get away with not voting for the most talented person. And last week, they were right. Because the judges saved that person.

This week, not so much.

Here are the four people who I think should be the top four, in no particular order:

-Jessica Sanchez- that voice, and the things she can do with it, are reason alone to win the whole thing.

-Phillip Phillips- okay, I confess, I might be a little bit in love with Phillip Phillips. Dude's got a killer smile and a killer attitude ("Oh, you don't want me to wear gray? Okay, I'll wear a gray t-shirt with a gray button-up over it."), but he can also sing. Or, as Matt Giraud would say, saaaang. There's argument out there that he sounds the same every week, but even if I thought that were true, why is it a bad thing? There's a difference between sounding the same because you don't know how to change things up, and sounding the same because you don't want to change things up. Phillip knows who he is and what he wants to do, and he's not going to change it for anyone. I can respect that. He's not a one-trick pony, he's frickin' Seabiscuit. Yeah, I went there. Horse analogies for the win. You keep on wearin' gray, Phillip Phillips.

-Skylar Laine- I haven't always liked Skylar very much. The nasaly voice kind of irritated me at the beginning, but these days I just love watching this chick perform. She's one of the most charismatic people I've ever seen on the show, and she's got the talent to go with it. She's like an even more spunky version of Lauren Alaina, if that's possible, and I'm jumping on board. Excellent hair, also. 

-Colton Dixon- I loved Colton last year. I love Colton even more this year. He knows how to change up a song and Colton-ify it, and THOSE PIPES. And THAT FACE. He's like Chris Daughtry, if Chris Daughtry were young, had a faux-hawk, and knew how to look good while he was singing. Personally, the songs that make me love Colton are the more ballad-like ones, because he makes them so deliciously dark and angsty. I love me some angst.

To me, nobody else in the competition is doing anything that hasn't been done before. Hollie has a nice voice, and this week she finally, finally learned how to loosen up and show it off, but she just sings songs. She doesn't create anything on the stage. She doesn't perform. Joshua is the same way, and Elise just kind of annoys me. Her performances always have a slight cheese factor to them, and her voice isn't anything to die for. Any of these people could have been kicked off tonight and I wouldn't have cared much. 

BUT WAIT! Colton Dixon got kicked off tonight.

What?

Yeah.

Colton Dixon. Got... 7th place? Why, this is worse than what happened to Chris Daughtry! This is Pia Toscano all over again!

Colton fans, you got too confident. I know you're out there, because he has never even been in the bottom 3 before. Everyone was sure he'd make it far. Seventh. Place.

You should be ashamed of yourselves. I hope Colton's swan song broke your hearts as much as it broke mine.

Gloomy Colton is gloomy.

So here is my open letter to American Idol voters:

If you love someone, set them free.
NO. DO NOT DO THIS. Pick up your phone and dial the number until your FINGERS HURT.

Do not think to yourself, "Oh, a bunch of other people love him, so he doesn't need my love." IT WILL NOT WORK. Trust me, I have been there. The flashbacks to season 7 are all too vivid right now. *voted for David Archuleta dozens of times but still hangs head in shame*

But this is not my most important advice to you, dear voters. The real advice is this: vote based on talent. Just because Colton has a pretty face doesn't mean that's the only reason you're voting for him. Don't let anyone tell you someone doesn't deserve to be there because they're better-looking than the others, or funnier, or whatever. If they've got a voice like Colton's, they deserve to be there. Even if they're pretty. Even if they're funny (not the case with Heejun, but it was the case with Michael Johns). While all the cynics are complaining and acting superior, here is what you do: CALL THE NUMBER. Vote some more. It is the only way.

Because if you do not, things like this happen.

And I have season 7 finale flashbacks.

And I get very upset.

Please.

Thank you.

-Paige.

The bright side: it's looking like a girl might actually win this year. But I have no idea who's going to be in the finale. Ideas?

I'm pulling for a Phillip/Jessica or Jessica/Skylar or Phillip/Skylar finale. Yeah?