And Your Top 12 Are ... WHO??? Really?

**Before I dissect tonight's results, I want to say that I sincerely hope that Bo Bice gets the opportunity to record some music that's not quite so bubblegum as what's on his current album. I think "The Real Thing" is a good, be-boppy single that will win the hearts of teenaged girls everywhere. But it's just so ... so ... manufactured, you know? I think Bo is great, but this is not his thang, man! He needs to rock almost as much as Chris Daughtry and shouldn't be shoehorned into some pre-packaged mold that they've got waiting at '19 Entertainment'.**

Well, CRAP! Tonight's show just wrecked my whole average. I was only 1 for 4 on tonight's cut-ees. I'm probably not as upset about it as the four who're going home, but still and all and stuff. If you had asked me before last night's show who I thought would be in the Top 12, I absolutely would have included Gedeon and Ayla, and Will, for that matter. Ahhh ... America. I thought I knew you so well (*sniff*) ... when did we grow so far apart? Does anyone have a tissue?

I can't imagine that anyone, including Kinnik, was surprised that she had successfully reached the bottom of the barrel (yeah, that's sounding pretty bitter and pithy, I know). Unfortunately, she wasn't able to do anything to get herself noticed until this week when what got her noticed was the fact that her performance was almost good enough to be mediocre. I will say, however, that she carried herself with charm, class and grace this evening, so she gets full snaps for that.

I thought Ayla's choice of Unwritten for Tuesday night's show totally missed the mark, but I wouldn't have thought it would send her back to Boston. And you had to feel for her, you know? You could tell that this was the first time she hadn't won at something; she couldn't have looked more shocked when Ryan announced it was Melissa who had made it into the Top 12.The really sad thing, though, is that she's going to look at this as a failure for her, when nothing could be further from the truth. It just goes to show you, though, that one bad performance in this competition can fry you in a second.

I was nothing less than stunned that Will was the low vote-getter for the guys. I really thought that there would be enough pre-teens out there who thought he was oh-so-dreamy to get him through. Look at me NOT having my finger on the pulse of the nation!! Shucky darn, as a wise woman once said! I don't think that Will's performances SHOULD have moved him into the Top 12, but I thought his Osmond-esque wholesomeness WOULD.

The things that sent me positively REELING, however, were:

(A) the fact that Kevin Covais made it to the Top 12. Are you freakin' kidding me?!? I'm not going to rehash my opinions about him right now, but ... SERIOUSLY?? I'm poppin' Rolaids like they're M&Ms, here!

(B) GEDEON was out the door before Kevin AND Bucky. Really? I mean, Gedeon is freaky-deaky with a capital "F" and a capital "D", but the boy's got mad skillz, yo! For him, it had to have been the un-likeability factor that knocked him out. It's true that [when you see him smile] he looks a lot like a caricature of Eddie Murphy and he seems to be channelling a cable-access preacher man, but he can still sing his butt off.

So, America, you asked for it. Your Top 12 for Season 5 are:

Chris Daughtry, Mandisa, Ace Young, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Paris Bennett, Elliott Yamin, Lisa Tucker, Bucky Covington, The Gherkin, Melissa McPhee and, yes ... Kevin Covais.

I've got to go rearrange my sock drawer now. That's the news, and I am outta here!