Ladies show guys how it’s done on ‘Idol’

The two girls who get sent home Thursday night won’t just have the American people to blame for their early exit. The “American Idol” producers will have to accept a large chunk of the responsibility as well.

The culprit? A ridiculous quota system that mandates that six men and six women be selected to the final 12. Never mind that this season the women have left men in the rearview mirror when it comes to talent and showmanship. Two of the eight female semifinalists will be sent home anyway, even though at least seven women would be among the 12 finalists if the voting could cross gender lines.

In contrast to the men, the women generally offered strong performances. The judges praised almost everyone, but Simon tipped his hand by saying that Stephanie Edwards, LaKisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle and Sabrina Sloan were a cut above anyone else in the competition. Of course, given the voting system in place, one of them could be sent home tomorrow, while someone like Sanjaya Malakar moves on to the final 12. Only in America.

Jordin Sparks, 17, Glendale , Ariz.: As far as revealing secrets go, Sparks came through very small by saying she loved football. No kidding. Her dad’s a former NFL cornerback, and she loves the sport? Who woulda thunk it? She rocked out to begin the show with Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker,” though she seemed to run out of breath towards the end. It wasn’t her best vocal, but the energy level alone was a million times better than any of the guys, and set the stage for what was to follow.
Grade: B
Stay or go? The judges all said they expected her to stay, and maybe they’re right. But someone good will have to go, and it’s never a plus to lead off.

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Sabrina Sloan, 27, Studio City , Calif.: Former high-school news anchor Sloan has a big voice and a lot of talent, which came through in her version of En Vogue’s “Don't Let Go.” Randy did her no favors by starting the commentaries with tepid praise, and Simon called it something akin to a hotel resort performance. But though the judges may have thought it too mechanical, all three quickly said she deserved to be in the top 12.
Grade: B+
Stay or go? Sloan deserves to be among the final 12, and likely stood out enough that she doesn’t need to worry. But like Sparks, she can’t be happy about having to sing so early in the show on a night as big as this one.

Antonella Barba, 20, Point Pleasant , N.J.: Pretty much everything about Barba has already been revealed on the Internet, but the fact that she plays the violin will no doubt lead to a new round of drama on the Web. The judges — who probably regret picking her for the final 24 in the first place given what’s transpired in recent weeks — were nicer than they’ve been in the past after she sang Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On.” Simon gave her full props for handling herself in the media, but said it all when he said, “I just wish you could sing better.”

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Grade: C
Stay or go? Barba is clearly one of the bottom two performers among the eight semifinalists. That hasn’t stopped anyone from voting for her before. But if this isn’t the end of the line for her, it means someone with a lot more talent will get voted off instead.

Haley Scarnato, 24, San Antonio , Texas: The injury-prone former gymnast went a little bit country, singing Faith Hill’s “If My Heart Had Wings.” The judges felt it lacked pizzaz (or in Randy’s words, a “Yo!”). Then she got the dreaded, “but you looked great up there” from Paula, which is what she says when she doesn’t have anything else nice to say about someone. And Simon all but begged America to put down their phones by saying he didn’t even know her name.
Grade: C+
Stay or go? “Every week I’ve gotten bad comments — you’ve got to clock in and clock out,” Scarnato said afterwards.  But this was probably the last Wednesday she’ll need to worry about punching the “Idol” timecard.

Stephanie Edwards, 19, Savannah , Ga.: Edwards claims she used to be shy, though viewers have seen no evidence that this is the case.  Randy gave her an A for effort for her version of Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing,” but wasn’t thrilled with the vocals. Simon also called her a bit of a copycat. Paula called her almost flawless, and all three think she should be in the final 12.
Grade:  B
Stay or go? Edwards stood out enough that she’s probably safe.

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