So Hollywood Week, with all of its drama, wrapped up this week on American Idol, and it’s hard to know where we stand, since it’s been a bit of a cluster this season so far. However, I do think we have some clear answers on certain aspects:

– The formula is CRAZY broken! – No question, the show is about to gasp one last good breath, and then need resuscitation. When so many of your stellar contestants are 16 years old, you have to wonder if you’ve tapped all of the more seasoned talent. It really seems to might like a good idea for Fox to shelve the show next season to allow demand to re-ignite. The fact that they thought this “dramatic” decision episode would tweak things a bit was a bad move, because it only made me more angry, instead of resolving issues. Which leads me to…

– Enough with the emotional manipulation! – What EVER! We get it…people lost spouse, people come from poor families, people experience setbacks in their lives. Okay, fine. Can we spend more time seeing the true talent on the show, without “back story” taking precedent?

– Plants backfire – Joanna Pacitti. I’m not going to say anything more than that. Good luck to her and all, but sheesh, don’t forget the lyrics!

– Talent can shine through – I will, begrudgingly, use Von Smith as an example. Up until Wednesday night, I was extremely opposed to Von going on to the Top 36, based on some of the most bombastic performances ever seen on Idol. Problem was, boy actually can sing, and he apparently took Simon’s criticism to heart the final day of Hollywood Week, performing a much more subdued song in his final audition. Well played, Von…well played.

– Can we just have a little fun without it being CRAZY? – Nick Mitchell has quickly become my sentimental favorite, not because I think he can win, but because he seems like a genuinely funny guy who actually can sing, too. Tatiana, on the other hand, is genuinely unbalanced, and the producers should really be ashamed of themselves for exploiting her in the way that they have. If that’s an act, then she needs an Emmy, an Oscar, AND a Tony, ’cause that insanity is BRILLIANT!

Alright, now that the rants are out of the way, let’s talk about the real talent. I’m ready to pick my predictions for the Top 12. We’ll see if America agrees…

12. Allison Iraheta
11. Von Smith
10. Jackie Tohn
09. Jesse Langseth
08. Anne Marie Boskovich
07. Brent Keith
06. Michael Sarver
05. Anoop Desai
04. Taylor Vaifanua
03. Matt Giraud
02. Lil Rounds
01. Danny Gokey