American Idol, the men

Maybe I'm delusional, but I thought the men were so much better than the women. I can't really rank them because I have mixed feelings about almost all of them. So, here are my thoughts, in order of the performances:

1. Patrick Hall -- I missed him because I went to my spinning class and stupidly forgot to set my TiVo.

2. David Radford -- Ack. Horrible. I'd like to hear him actually sing in a normal voice for once, instead of doing his Dean Martin schtick. On the other hand, he is cute and sort of charming. I honestly felt a little bit sorry for him. To be 17 and in a position where millions of people are going to judge you? That's a very vulnerable position.

3. Bucky Covington -- Why is this person on my TV? Seriously, I didn't see anything in the auditions or last night that justified his presence.

4. Will Makar -- It is sort of unseemly how much I love him, but Simon was right: this performance was average.

5. Sway -- This is where the potentially delusional part comes in. This performance took a lot of guts, but I think he pulled it off. Of course, I love 70s soul music.

6. Chris Daughtrey -- This was a good performance and he's clearly a talented rock singer, but I just don't think a rock singer can be the American Idol. I think there's always been tension in rock music between authenticity -- having something to say -- and just wanting to have fun. But the earnest striving of American Idol does not fit anywhere on that spectrum.

7. Kevin Covais -- This just made me sad, like seeing a puppy in danger. He seems like a really sweet, nice kid. But that was not good, and I felt nervous for him and his parents.

8. Gedeon McKinney -- He sang "Shout," and did great. But it seemed too easy, like the back-up singers did most of the work.

9. Elliot Yamin -- Good performance. He is not an attractive man -- he looks sort of Amish.

10. Bobby Bennett -- Are we in the Catskills? No more fat jokes, please. And no more bad, bad renditions of Barry Manilow songs.

11. Ace Young -- I am probably going to hell, but as cheesy and boy-bandy he is, he is the only man with any real sex appeal (except Will Makar, but that is wrong). The attempt at a seductive stare struck me as very deer-in-the-headlights, though.

12. Taylor Hicks -- I am a little sick of his Joe Cocker mannerisms, so I listened with my eyes closed. I thought he was excellent.

Bobby Bennett has to go. And one of David Radford, Bucky Covington, and Kevin Covais.