Only the strong will survive on ‘Idol’

Meanwhile, the Kellie Pickler thing is getting ridiculous already. This week, she told the videographer that she’d had her first spinach salad and her first calamari in Los Angeles, and also saw dogs with more clothes than she had. Next week, we’ll hear about those horseless carriages that shuffle her around town, and the week after that it’ll be the lack of stoplights in her hometown. If they find oil in her backyard and move to Beverly Hills, there will be no voting her off ever.

Pickler sang Bonnie Raitt's “Something to Talk About,” which wasn’t taking much of a chance. But it didn’t matter, because she sounded fine and moved around fine, and everybody really likes her. Pickler is the most genuinely likeable candidate in “Idol” history thus far, because she has both the small-town innocence and the personality to make the audience feel that she’s sharing a lot of herself with them.

Mandisa closed the night with a little “Cry,” by Faith Hill. It was another weird song choice and didn’t win her any new fans, but she already has a big one in Simon.

The usually cutting Brit said his usual negative things, but then added “when you’re on, I don’t think there’s a better singer in the competition.”

And the producer’s must agree. After all, they aren’t letting any other contestant drop their last name.

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