American Idol is back

From the writing desk of Christine Mazurk

American Idol is back ... and the drama is over the top. New judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban join Randy Jackson this season. First of all, having four judges slows the show down, but listening to Mariah and Nicki  (two true divas) catfight adds to the drag.

I watched Idol for the first time during season 4, the year Carrie Underwood won. And I was hooked. The following year, my husband got hooked as well, and our new addiction took on a new role. Our favorite thing became guessing who would win during auditions! Though we haven't managed to pick each seasons' winners, we have managed to pick 4 of the 7 seasons we've watched together. Season 5 - Taylor Hicks, season 7 - David Cook, season 8 - Kris Allen, and season 11 - Phillip Phillips! That's a 57% success rate. Not too shabby, right?

Well, this year, we heard good singing, some okay voices, but the judging disputes took away from that. For the first time, no one grabbed our vote during the auditions. We didn't hear "the one". So, we looked forward to meltdown week to see if any one stood out. This week was the boys ... and honestly Wednesday night with group performances, I turned off the TV mid-way through. The groups picked song they didn't know, they forgot the words, in effect, they were not showing their best efforts, and the judges again played the drama card - It's a show about picking the best singer, so could the judges please focus on the contestants.

I turned it on again Thursday, I had to give the show another chance. And when the boys 'sang for their lives', a few stars stood out. My vote right now is Nick, followed closely by Charlie, Curtis, Devin, and Jimmy! The girls get their chance next week - and I will tune in. Even with the drama, and the judges disagreements, I'm still an Idol fan.

I look forward to finding the next American Idol. Do you?