Top 4 Results Show: Here's What You Missed While Blogger Was Away

So for the first time since I’ve been doing this, Blogger was down for maintenance. It was beyond frustrating. Especially since it was in Read-Only mode, which meant people could read my blog and wonder why I wasn’t updating it. But I couldn’t tell them why I wasn’t!

Now that we’re finally back in action, here’s what you would’ve seen last night as it happened…

A little while ago, Ryan Seacrest tweeted that tonight will be a VERY interesting show. Now he could be talking about Lady Gaga’s performance, or he could be saying that he was surprised by the results. But my Idol, Michael Slezak is putting something else out there…

What if no one goes home tonight?

I don’t think that’s a possibility, but wouldn’t it be cool? That way we could have all three of the people who deserve to be there…and James…

I’ll be back in less than 10…

7:59 Ryan walks around the Idols standing in the dark. Haley is all smiles while Lauren and James look sick…THIS…Opening credits…I don’t think Haley cares anymore...Judges intro…

8:01 Ryan says the show got 72 million votes last night. WOW! It’s the highest Top 4 total every…Ryan tells us what’s happening tonight. At least they’re trying to fill the stallfest with some decent stuff tonight…Ryan intros the Top 4…Recap of last night...It’s a fairly long recap…The first part was edited to make the show’s chosen three look good, but they couldn’t make Haley look bad in the second part. No way…

8:06 The guys singing “Start A Band.” James reminds us he has no lower register at all…Scotty! What did Gaga tell you about holding the microphone sideways?...Scotty is totally outsinging James…After the break…

8:12 Ryan adds San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Houston to the list of Season 11 audition cities. I’m guessing we’ll see a lot of Tri-Staters go to Pittsburgh…Haley and Lauren are doing “Gunpowder and Lead”…These two both SO deserve to make the Top 3. They sound great together…Notice Haley sang “Hell”…

8:15 Ryan walks the guys over to the girls at the center of the stage…Video of the Idols connecting with their families courtesy of Windows 7…

8:18 Dim the lights! Three urinal stools reserved for the top three…The first person is…Lauren…I think that totally seals Haley’s fate of going home…She’s in tears. I think I saw Steven breathe a sigh of relief…OOH, the urinal stools are gold…After the break…

8:24 We’re back…Video of Top 4 watching Lady Gaga performance. THAT’S the Lady Gaga performance they promised us? COME ON!...It’s “You and I,” the song Haley did. But of course, the Top 4 were not really watching it, so we don’t get a reaction from Haley…And since it’s “You and I” there are no crazy theatrics…

8:28 Ryan intros Enrique Iglesias to do “Dirty Dancer” and “I Like It.” He’s on tape…Usher is on the video screen for his part…Not really much to say about this…After the break…

8:35 We’re back…Jordin Sparks just tweeted that she has nerves. Me too!...Ryan plugs tour tickets for sale tomorrow…A beach ball gets batted around the studio and Ryan dives for it and lands in the audience…Ford Music Video…“Fireflies”…They’re drawing parts of the Focus with a neon pen or something like that. You had to see it…Actually they’re giant balloons that were floating around and Scotty and James have them in their laps. Ryan makes them get rid of them so he can get serious…Lauren is alone in the urinal stools…James looks sick but Haley is just smiling away. I don’t think she cares anymore…

8:37 Ryan intros Jordin. They play an intro video of her with a clip of her win and clips of her songs…The new single is called “I Am Woman”…She struts out of the back of the stage…She looks great…This song has MAJOR attitude…Jordin removes her silver trenchcoat to show a sexy black number. This is definitely a different Jordin. I like it…Casey Abrams in the audience again…Some feedback is heard…After the break…

What? Was Ryan afraid to talk to her? That was hot!...

I am starting to feel some nerves…

8:45 Ryan intros Steven Tyler’s video, while Steven mouths hellos to all of his kids…The song is “It Feels So Good”…He seems to be walking through his life or something and then these weird characters show up that I can’t explain…Now he’s singing next to an elephant. Okay…And if that girl is supposed to be who he’s singing about, she’s WAY too young…It’s a good song, though…Ryan Seacrest just tweeted that the onset doctor just checked him out to make sure he’s okay after his fall into the audience. And he is…Why is Nicole Scherzinger in this video?...Oh she’s singing on the song. And she’s a hot girl for Steven to interact with…That was pretty cool…Back in the studio, Steven stands up and acknowledges the audience and they love him…

8:49 Dim the lights! Now I’m really nervous…Ryan reminds everyone about the buzz around how strong the guys are…TWO GIRLS are in the Top 3. WAY TO GO HALEY!...Surely Scotty’s not in trouble, is he? Tell me America did the right thing and sent James home…James is about to cry…Scotty looks nervous for the first time…I’m so frustrated I’m not blogging this, but if America does the right thing, I’ll get over it...After the break…

Now I’m really nervous. I’ve told two people already there is no way Scotty is going home. It CAN’T be him, can it?

8:54 We’re back…HOLY CRAP!!!...James has been crying…It’s…Scotty…YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! I love America!!!...Randy is stunned. What’s wrong Randy, upset your manipulation didn’t work?...Goodbye video…JLo is crying big time…James is VERY upset. I think he’s angry. But this was the right thing. I know the producers are mad but I couldn’t be happier…James is doing “Maybe I’m Amazed”…Scotty looks a little stunned…James’ performance is a little painful to listen to as he misses every single scream…I don’t think Haley knows what to do. Surely she thought she was going home…James throws his jacket into the audience…Scotty is having a hard time as he hugs James…And we’re out…

WOW! I am so mad I can’t blog this right now. I’m SO happy. I just lost my voice screaming…

Final thoughts in a moment…

The brilliant headline for my “Idol” column this week (which I wish I could take credit for) was “Talent rises above ‘Idol’ judges manipulation.” That perfectly summed up my column and it perfectly sums up what happened this week. America recognized that James did not deserve to be in the Top 3 as much as Lauren, Haley, or Scotty—or as much as Randy and JLo or the producers wanted him there.

Maybe they shouldn’t have thrown Haley under the bus so much. Clearly it only managed to rally her fans…

So did America do the right thing? I never dreamed they would, but they sure did. I’m still beaming just typing this.

Let me say that I believe James is very talented and he brought a lot of new things to the show we had never seen before. And he’ll be great on the tour. But regardless of what Randy and JLo might have tried to convince us, “Idol” is a singing competition. And James just doesn’t measure up—especially after the last two weeks of off-key performances.

Now we have a big time contest with Scotty, Lauren and Haley. And I have to believe that Scotty is absolutely the frontrunner, but this IS Season 10, the remix…

This week’s column is totally writing itself as we speak…

What do you guys think? Were you sad to see James go or did you do a happy dance like I did? And are you as psyched as I am about next week’s performances?

Let’s discuss…