Idol Judges are Singing to the Band

Jennifer, Steven and Randy have forgotten that most people watching AI don't know much about music. We know what we hear on the radio. Or maybe we took a couple years of piano lessons as a teenager. But we don't know our crescendos from our fortes or our pizzicatos.

Night after night they heap praise on everybody, but especially upon contestants who reach for the edges of accessibility. It's going to be the artist who gathers the most votes who wins; the singer who sings right down Main Street and turns off the fewest fans.

On Wednesday, Casey was their man-crush. He really "found his voice" by busting out the stand up bass and giving us a Michael Buble inspired jazz number. The trio was practically crawling over each other to touch him ... he who remains true to his inner artist-child.

I think Naima did that a few weeks ago. The artist in me loved her for that. The radio DJ in me realized we wouldn't be hearing from her again.

Simon criticized, but he also spoke for Mainstream America. He let contestants know what would work with the soccer moms and blue collar dads who don't know much about music, but "know what they like." Casey was great, but it wasn't the right song. How many jazz purists watch 'American Idol?'

This season's 'American Idol' Judges need to spend more time in WalMart