Michael Becker / Fox

New "Idol" judge Nicki Minaj is adding some much needed spice to the singing competition.

Opinion: When "American Idol" judge Nicki Minaj is unhappy,  she's not afraid to show it. Just last week, after it was revealed that contestant Curtis Finch Jr. was in danger of being sent packing, she threatened, "If you go home, I’m going home." And when the hopeful got the boot, Nicki left the stage.

Her exit was great news for the vocal portion of the Internet who would've been thrilled had she carried out her plan and stayed away for good.

But she didn’t, and thank the reality TV gods for that. Though the Nicki haters may be muting their sets whenever she opens her mouth, she’s the best thing to happen to “Idol” in ages.

The "Starships" singer is clearly polarizing. She says wacky things. She shows up late sometimes and -- as viewers saw last week -- departs early when it suits her. There are some nights when she seems to be paying limited attention.

And who among us can turn away from that action?

Judge drama essential
As judge Randy Jackson reminds us every time he can’t think of anything else to say, "American Idol" is a singing competition. It’s a high-end talent show, the likes of which go on in every small town in the world and are available 24 hours a day to anyone with a basic cable TV package. Particularly given the increasing competition in the marketplace, “Idol” needs more than its brand name and Ryan Seacrest’s smiling face to avoid being tossed off its perch and lumped in with every other network’s copycat effort.

“Idol” found its secret right away: drama from the judges. Simon Cowell was the original bad boy who people thought they hated but secretly loved. For all the faux outrage over all the barbs he's thrown to guileless teenagers with outsized dreams, he guaranteed that every week, “Idol” would have something worth watching other than forgettable vocalists singing disco tunes.

Ever since he decided to leave the show for “X Factor” (and how’s that working out for him?), "Idol" has drifted into dullness and safety, relying heavily on the idea that viewers in the habit of DVRing the show will keep watching on autopilot.

Replacing Simon and the rest of the crew (aside from Randy, who’s apparently indestructible) with Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler was a great way to add buzz, and there was always the chance that Steven would do something wacky like hit on a teenage female contestant or show up in drag. But most weeks, viewers saw average contestants given below-average and unmemorable feedback from the judges, and sitting through the commercial-padded episodes got harder and harder.

Newbies to the rescue
The show needed a reboot, and it’s gotten one. Keith Urban has been outstanding in his opening season, offering encouragement, advice and gentle but firm criticism as warranted. Mariah Carey provides the tight outfits and forgettable prose. Randy is also back to remind people that this is technically the same show that saw Kelly Clarkson burst from obscurity to stardom in its first season.

But Nicki is the key. She’s the one person on the show who’s impossible to ignore because she’s impossible to predict. You literally have no idea what you're getting when you turn on the TV every Wednesday and Thursday. She might use an upper-crust British accent in the night’s commentary, or she might cause the Fox censor to work overtime. She might undress all the men with both her eyes and her feedback, or tell her favorite woman that she reminds her of pancakes with syrup and butter. It’s like combining a talent show with performance art.

She’s the first judge since Simon whose comments are impossible to ignore, and she’s under no pressure to conform. She’s a top-selling artist who’s only going to gain credibility among her fans if she’s controversial. She has a lot of rope, and she knows it.

What’s with the kindness?
Surprisingly, where she’s not like Simon is in her evilness.

Simon was, let’s face it, a jerk. Many thought that given her status and reputation in hip-hop, Nicki would have more to gain by being cutting than being nice. She fed into that soon after taking the job, noting that she didn’t plan to advance people just because of their touching backstories.

She hasn’t done that. If Nicki doesn’t like something, she’ll say so, but there’s no likening a bad performance to a lounge act on a sinking cruise ship, or whatever simile Simon is beating into the ground these days. She’ll offer useful ideas when she has them, and she’ll passionately urge those she doesn’t like to mend their evil ways.

Put bluntly, Nicki makes "Idol" worth watching again.

Has Minaj made the season more interesting? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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Ray Mickshaw / AP

Curtis Finch, Jr., was eliminated from "American Idol."

“American Idol” made a bit of  history on Thursday. For the first time, Ryan Seacrest revealed the top three vote getters, and then relayed the exact order of finish from fourth to 10th. No more mysteries about who finished where.

We almost had another first that would have been more consequential – the first “Idol” strike.

Curtis Finch Jr. and Devin Velez were announced as the two lowest vote-getters, which was no surprise to anyone who watched Wednesday’s show. But Nicki Minaj was not happy at Curtis being in danger. “If you go home, I’m going home,” she said.

Indeed, Curtis was the lowest vote-getter, and indeed Nicki walked offstage – but only temporarily. She came back during his “sing-for-the-save” performance, perhaps realizing that it’s hard to lobby her fellow judges if she isn’t actually within shouting distance. It didn’t make a difference.

Perhaps her pleas went unheeded, or the other judges were hoping she would carry out her threat and walk out for good. Perhaps they reasoned with her that there was no point in using their save this early when they will likely have plenty of other chances to use it on a guy later in the season, given how poorly they all did in the voting. Or perhaps they reminded her that she joined “Idol” claiming she was going to the tough judge who didn’t just pass people along because they were nice guys

Either way, kudos to Nicki for extending her own streak. After arriving late on Wednesday and ducking out for part of the finale Thursday, she’s now gone two episodes in a row without working a full show.

Women dominate the voting
The first three contestants to learn their fate were the top vote-getters, though Ryan made it plain that they weren’t necessarily announced in order. Candice Glover, Kree Harrison and Angie Miller start things off in a class by themselves, though Kree got the added bonus of having the mayor of her Texas hometown come onstage and give her the key to the city. Imagine what she’ll get if she actually wins!

Fourth place was a bit of a shock, as Lazaro Arbos was the class of the men despite two consecutive weeks of subpar performances. If he ever sings to his potential, he looks like the best bet to keep the streak of male winners alive.

But he was the only bright spot for his gender. Amber Holcomb and Janelle Arthur were fifth and sixth, which means the bottom four vote-getters were all guys. To the “Idol” folks in charge of making sure that the women broke the men’s five-year winning streak, great job so far!

And Florida goes to…
“Idol” also added a few more wrinkles to liven up the results show, and I’m not just talking about Jon Bon Jovi, who opened for Phillip Phillips among the guest stars.

Ryan broke down some of the votes by states and territories. We learned that Devin won Puerto Rico, Janelle won Tennessee, Lazaro sneaked past Angie in Florida, and Karl Rove isn’t sure who won Ohio. OK, that last part was made up. But give Ryan time.

Also coming back were the sixth-place finishers from last week: Charlie Askew (really?) and Amber Cleland. They each got one more chance to sing for the extra-special 11^th spot on the “Idol” summer tour, and the selection will likely have a huge impact on ticket sales in their individual hometowns.

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• Three 'Idol' women are setting pace for season
• 'American Idol' is giving its girls the edge
• 'Idol' reveals its top 10 finalists

FOX-TV

Angie Miller, Candice Glover and Kree Harrison shone on Wednesday night's "American Idol

“American Idol” couldn’t have asked for a better night Wednesday in its season-long effort to put the focus on its women.

Between Candice Glover, Angie Miller and Kree Harrison, “Idol” has a trio of women with talent, poise and confidence that hasn’t been seen this early in the competition in ages. After two strong weeks in a row, Amber Holcomb isn’t far behind.

And with Nicki Minaj as a judge, “Idol” also has a woman who makes things interesting on the panel, epitomized Wednesday by her notably late arrival.

Women stand out
The theme for the night was “songs sung by former ‘Idol’ winners,” and the selections made it obvious why the show has been hyping its women. Every female winner had at least one season 12 finalist paying them tribute. Meanwhile, of the last six male winners, only Scotty McCreery got a shoutout. Taylor Hicks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee Dewyze and Phillip Phillips all went unloved.

It’s been all men, all the time over the last five seasons, but if Wednesday is any indication, that winning streak is in big trouble. The top women seem know exactly what they’re doing, a big departure from the struggles we usually see at this stage of the competition.

Angie was her usual solid self with “I Surrender,” causing Nicki to go stream-of-consciousness in her response.

“You look like a billion dollars today,” she said. “Your legs are giving me everything I need in life today, and I love how you walk in heels. You personify perfection. Your voice is flawless. I can't critique anything.”

Then Candice eclipsed her on center stage and earned a standing ovation from three of the four judges (Mariah Carey said her skirt was too tight) when she belted out "I (Who Have Nothing)."

“It would be in everybody's best interest to never ever perform that song ever again. You just destroyed and annihilated it," Nicki says.

“I’m telling you, this was one of the greatest performances on the show this season,” Randy said. Wow! All the way back to JANUARY!

Kree was the next woman to shine. She inspires Nicki to ridiculousness like no other on a weekly basis, and on Wednesday, Nicki compared Kree to a waffle with butter and syrup. Note to those avoiding carbs and sugars: That was meant to be praise.

“If you made a record tomorrow, I would go and buy that record,” Keith Urban added.

Amber closed the show with a flourish, though it’s not clear that her version of “A Moment Like This” deserved the standing ovation it got. Still, it’s the second excellent performance in a row from her, and if she’s not quite at the level of the top three at this point, she’s awfully close.

Janelle Arthur was more of a disappointment, and the problem with picking her Montgomery Gentry song is that it meant the title, “Gone,” was displayed in bright lights behind her as she finished. Not the best omen.

At least Janelle had the courtesy of all four judges at the podium when she began her performance. Nicki showed up after the first singer had already finished, and arrived in a black hoodie, sunglasses, and bangs that indicated she didn’t stop in the stylist’s chair first.

Blame the traffic, Ryan Seacrest said. Or, you know, make up your own theories as appropriate.

Guys? There were guys?
The “Idol” men paled in comparison, as they have all season.

The singer to watch on Thursday’s results show will be Lazaro Arbos. He picked “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson, a terrible song choice that he struggled with until closing strong with the last 15 seconds or so.

Based on Wednesday’s performance, Lazaro should be bottom three at best. If he’s not, that’s a great sign for him going forward.

Helping him out was a series of uninspiring performance from the rest of the men.

Curtis Finch? “I Believe” was solid, but not as memorable as his red jacket.

Devin Velez? “Temporary Home” was a dull choice that got mixed reviews and was easily forgettable.

Paul Jolley? “Amazed” was far from amazing.

Burnell Taylor was the best of the lot, but “Flying Without Wings” was at best the fifth-best vocal of the night. The women were once again the stars of the show, and if Wednesday showed anything it's that the guys have a lot of catching up to do.

Who's your pick to win this season? Tell us on Facebook.

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Michael Becker / FOX

"American Idol's" female finalists, from left, Candice, Amber, Angie, Kree and Janelle.

Opinion: Girls, girls, girls! “American Idol” has been hyping its ladies this season since the first auditions. The show's message to the audience is clear: It’s time to end the stranglehold that the men have had on the competition.

But as the final 10 prepare to start the sprint to the finish line, it’s evident that all of the hype around the women is not all the show has done to boost things for them this time around.

It’s hard to blame "Idol." For five years in a row, confetti has rained down on a white guy with a guitar during the finale. No woman has won since Jordin Sparks in season six, and only three times in the last five years has a woman even made the final two.

Season 11 champion Phillip Phillips has nothing to apologize for, as it’s hard to go three minutes without hearing “Home” on the radio or in an HGTV promo. But though Jessica Sanchez's fanbase was loud a year ago, he was the predictable choice to win. Same with Scotty McCreery over Lauren Alaina the year before. As for the Lee Dewyze-Crystal Bowersox debacle, the less said about that season, the better.

You might say that “Idol” should give the people what they want, but any competition gets boring when the winner can be predicted so easily. And spending big money on high-profile judges with funky hair and/or chest tattoos only gets you so far.

Giving the girls the edge
Let’s start with a few assumptions. The “Idol” folks aren’t going to ignore the popular vote in their results. The cost of having a guy win again are far less than the tremendous blow that would be caused by any scandal suggesting the results were rigged.

I’ll even stipulate that the judges will call it like they see it: If they think the girls are terrible and the guys are great, they’ll say so. I’m not one of those people who thinks executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is whispering in their ears and telling them what to say, although it is funny to think of him uttering Nicki Minaj’s dialogue every week.

But what the judges say is not the only way to influence the outcome.

If “Idol” fans are going to choose a guy for the sixth year in a row, they’re going to have to get out of their comfort zone to do it. One way to make sure the winner looks and sounds different than the previous five is to make sure that there are no such candidates to vote for.

There was only one singer among the final 10 guys who resembles the past five winners even superficially: Paul Jolley. Even he needed a Jimmy Iovine “tiebreaker” vote to get that far.

Among the other men in the finals, Curtis Finch Jr. has a big voice, but his background is as a church singer, and church singers tend to fall short of the mark on "Idol." Lazaro Arbos and Devin Velez are both unpolished and would have to grow a lot to be true contenders.

For all of Nicki's gushing about Devin’s ability to sing in both English and Spanish, Jorge Nunez went out the first week of the season eight finals, and Karen Rodriguez lasted just one week longer in season 10. The freshman judge may think those skills are marketable, but so far, fans haven’t made them popular.

Burnell Taylor is the wild card. He’s a good story and has a big voice, but he’s also 19. Scotty McCreery is the only teenage boy to win “Idol” so far, and he and season seven runner-up David Archuleta are the only two to even make the finale.

Bottom line is that unless one of the five unexpectedly both catches fire and breaks out a musical instrument every week, we’ll have a different sort of “Idol” winner this season. And to have a chance, the guys would have to soar past five women who look both more talented and better prepared.

Winning women
Of course, there’s a second way to make sure a woman wins “American Idol.” It’s a wacky strategy, one that hasn’t been tried much in recent memory. It’s called “picking talented women who sing popular music.”

The word of the year for the judges has been “marketable,” but another key one is “relevant.” All five women have radio-ready voices and a style that doesn’t require much imagination to see succeeding at the professional level.

Janelle Arthur and Kree Harrison are country singers. Country girls tend to do well when they make it this far. Carrie Underwood won season four. A really unpolished Kellie Pickler was one of the stars of season five. A really, really unpolished Lauren Alaina came in second place two years ago. So the path to success for both Janelle and Kree is there.

Candice Glover has a huge voice, as does the surprising Amber Holcomb. It’s not hard to see a scenario where either or both lasts until May.

Angie Miller, meanwhile, is poised and polished beyond her 18 years. She doesn’t sound like any former winner, but she combines artistry and vocal talent in a way that makes viewers feel, as Keith Urban said last week, that she’s ready to be a star now and only needed the break that “Idol” provides.”

Watching the finalists perform their victory songs last Thursday was like watching two separate competitions. The boys went first, and the nerves brought out their weaknesses. None sounded particularly polished. When the women followed, it was as if they had been practicing their numbers for weeks. They looked and sounded ready for prime time.

The show's strategy is clear: To ensure a woman wins this year, give people better women and worse men to vote for.

And if we see theme weeks like “Carrie Underwood songs,” we’ll know for sure.

Do you think a woman will win this season? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Oskar Garcia / AP

Steven Tyler testifying on celebrity privacy in Honolulu.

Steven Tyler is more than pleased that his proposed bill, named the "Steven Tyler Act," has passed in Hawaii, and now he's excited to just let it all hang out while on vacation.

The Aerosmith frontman expressed his joy to Billboard about Hawaii's senate approving the measure -- which protects celebrities from paparazzi and giving stars the right to sue over unwanted photos and recordings taken of them on the islands -- and shared his future plans to celebrate.

"Now at least Joe (Perry) and I can go to Maui and walk around naked in the back lawn and write some crazy songs," he joked. At least we think he's joking. 

Hawaii passes Steven Tyler Act

On a serious note, Tyler mentioned that, "(In Hawaii), they are allowed in with their lenses and they get the most intimate of shots, which is what they are really looking for to make money. Not on my watch!

"It's really about privacy at its utmost -- when you're inside and the doors are closed.... They chase my kids and get in the way of traffic. We almost got in an accident, and so before it happens, you want to do something about it. They're just looking for a taste of blood. They're not gonna get it."

Perry was proud of Tyler's legal achievement and predicts that this is just the beginning.

"The great thing is now that it's passed, people can bring it to the courts in other states," Perry said. "It's going to snowball, I bet, because it's not just a problem in Hawaii. It's here. It's there. It's everywhere."

Let's face it, the paparazzi can get a little pesky from time to time

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Michael Becker / FOX

The finalists of season 12 are, from top left, Lazaro Arbos, Amber Holcomb, Paul Jolley, Curtis Finch Jr., Janelle Arthur, Kree Harrison, Devin Velez, Burnell Taylor, Angie Miller and Candice Glover.

“American Idol” cut its field in half Thursday to reveal its 10 finalists for season 12. Surprise! There weren’t many surprises.

Paul Jolley, Burnell Taylor, Curtis Finch Jr., Devin Velez and Lazaro Arbos will represent the guys during the rest of the competition and on the summer tour. Representing the ladies are Janelle Arthur, Candice Glover, Angie Miller, Amber Holcomb and Kree Harrison.

Paul and Amber might have been mild upsets, especially given the judges’ praise for Elijah Liu and Aubrey Cleland, but it wasn’t anything worthy of outrage. And Charlie Askew again looked to be near tears with tension and disappointment, which makes it a kindness that viewers sent him home before the pressure really ratchets up.

(And if you’re furious about someone getting eliminated, you may get a second chance to see your favorite again: The male and female who finished sixth in the semifinal voting in their groups will take the stage once more next week. The winner of that match will get a bonus 11^th spot on the tour.)

The format change this season saw the singers separated by gender, with the results being announced one by one as the anointed 10 got to go onstage and sing a victory song. In addition to killing the 90 minutes of airtime, this also kept the judges from offering their criticisms of the fans selections, which is good because that’s what Twitter is for.

Slideshow: 'American Idol's' top 10

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Launch slideshow

The reveal of the finalists made it abundantly clear the women are a lot more prepared for prime time than the guys.

Let’s make allowances for the fact that the hopefuls undoubtedly spent 98 percent of their focus this week on their performances, and much less on a potential victory song. Let’s also make an allowance for the emotional swing that everyone felt leaving the tension of the offstage holding pen, walking with Ryan Seacrest to the spotlights of the sold-out stage, and then being handed a microphone. It’s not a recipe for a masterpiece.

Even with that caveat, the men have a lot of work to do if they’re going to give their gender a sixth “Idol” title in a row based on how they sounded Thursday. With the possible exception of Burnell’s cover of “Ready for Love,” the five best vocals of the night? The five women.

Janelle, who hasn’t been at her best in either of her last two performances, shined on her version of Dierks Bentley’s “Home.” Angie and Candice were predictably awesome. Amber knocked out “I’m Every Woman.” Kree was fantastic doing “Evidence” by Susan Tedeschi.

The guys? Meh. Singing Heart’s “Alone” is almost always a terrible idea given how well others have done with it in the past, and Paul’s attempt at the cover was brutal. Curtis and Lazaro were average. Devin was sweet but bland, and also caused Nicki Minaj to make a slip when she said that he was the first “Idol” singer she knew of to sing in both English and Spanish. (Nicki, season eight’s Jorge Nunez and season 10’s Karen Rodriguez say hello.)

The strength of the ladies might not mean much as the competition progresses. “Idol” voters have definitely favored the guys in recent seasons, and there’s a long way to go until the finale. The men better get to work.

What do you think of this group of finalists? Were the right hopefuls voted in? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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Michael Becker / FOX

Charlie Askew's performance did not impress the judges Wednesday.

Quirky Charlie Askew has been one of the most prominent “American Idol” guys so far in season 12. He’s appealingly eccentric with a big voice and a pleasant demeanor, but he’s also a 17-year-old kid who has always seemed like he’s one high-wire act away from collapsing.

That collapse occurred on Wednesday night, as everything about his night was ill advised. As he performed Genesis' "Mama," he looked like a kid playing dress-up with his sleeveless top, ponytail and wispy mustache. He sounded like a cover singer in a random high-school garage band. Finally, and perhaps more worrisome, is that he shrank onstage and had a tough time holding it together upon hearing criticism that, in the “Idol” universe, wasn’t even all that harsh.

“Something feels not fully genuine. It just feels disingenuous a little bit,” Keith Urban said. That’s something a kindly music teacher would tell a star student having a bad day, but Charlie looked devastated.

“Last I time I saw you I wanted to cradle you in my arms,” Nicki Minaj said. But this time? Not so much.

“I don’t want to see your arms, I don’t want you working out. Charlie! I don’t want to see that ponytail. I don't want to see that earring. Lose the mustache immediately, honey! Charlie, seriously, babe, I want my cute, cuddly Charlie back,” she said.

Randy Jackson and Mariah Carey offered similar comments: gently critical, like what a parent would give to a high-school student. And Charlie looked sadder and sadder.

“All I can say is I needed to vent a bit,” Charlie said when Ryan Seacrest asked him what he was thinking when he decided to go down this unsafe road. “The message I was really trying to send is that a lot of people think I am a happy buoyant person a lot of the time and the only reason I smile so much is that I have to.”

“Charlie,” Ryan said, a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got some friends here, OK. We appreciate your courage and your honesty, and there’s nothing easy about having those feelings inside and standing up here and having to do that tonight.”

And then the teenager started to cry, and Ryan mercifully let him go backstage.

The whole night would seem like a bad sign for Charlie, as the sympathy votes will probably be outweighed by those who think it would be cruel to bring him back to go through this suffering again. Of course, he might still be marketable, and marketability is a big theme for the “Idol” judges this season.

They liked that Devin Velez sang Perry Como's "It's Impossible" in both English and Spanish, which means there’s a 100 percent chance he’ll keep doing it each week for as long as he’s around. They loved teenager Elijah Liu and his performance of Rihanna's "Stay." Nicki said she could imagine seeing his face on cups and pillowcases and likened him to New Kids on the Block. We assume that’s a compliment in this context, though it rarely would be otherwise.

Burnell Taylor and Curtis Finch Jr. were also their usual strong selves, with Burnell getting another rave review of his audition song "I'm Here," and Curtis receiving a standing ovation and a host of hallelujahs for "I Believe I Can Fly." Given that Lazaro Arbos had a nice comeback performance with “Feeling Good,” the men’s final five looks set barring some wackiness in the voting.

That’s bad news for Nick Boddington, whose voice is really sweet but might not be a great fit for the competition, and for Taylor Swift wannabe Paul Jolley. Vincent Powell will get some extra votes because he closed the show and people will therefore remember it, but “End of the Road” is always an unfortunate song choice because it lends itself to dumb puns when you get sent home. Cortez Shaw was entertaining, but sang early in the show and was eclipsed by those who followed.

And that leaves no place for Charlie. Which, under the circumstances, is probably a good thing.

Were the judges too harsh on Charlie, or does he need to toughen up? What did you think of Wednesday's performances? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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FOX

"American Idol" judge Nicki Minaj and contestant Kree Harrison.

“American Idol” has done so much cheerleading for its women this season, it’s a wonder that Ryan Seacrest doesn’t show up each week with pom-poms and a megaphone.

On Tuesday, the 10 remaining girls did a fine job of letting their performances do the talking, again making viewers wonder why only five of them can make the top 10 on Thursday’s results show (though Randy Jackson did drop a hint that he’d like a wild card, so stay tuned). In case the performances weren't enough to draw in the votes, Nicki Minaj and the judges got their chance to add their own ... creative praise.

Who did the panel love the most? Particularly for Nicki, the answer changed with every new singer.

Angie Miller gave another showstopping performance with her Colton Dixon cover. "The trumpets should sound when you walk in the room, little girl," Nicki said. “I love that you do not stray too far from what you are.”

Who knows how Angie handle disco night or whatever random themes make her step away from the piano, but she set the tone as the woman to beat right now.

Then again, Amber Holcolmb got even more raves when she followed Angie. “Your vocals are surpassing even this competition. Nothing that came before you is even on that level.” Nicki said as Angie sat backstage and likely thought, “How could you forget me so quickly? I’m sitting right here!”

But Amber, too, had to stand aside.

“You already know that you’re my wife,” Nicki said to Kree Harrison. (Which if true would be a rules violation.) Much like she would a spouse, Nicki covered Kree with praise, as did Keith Urban. “The first letters in 'Idol' are 'I' 'do,' and I do love to hear you sing,” he said.

Candice Glover got a standing ovation from Keith, a “that was ridiculous” from Randy, and a “goosebumps” from Mariah Carey. Plus she got to sing last, and it’s always good to go right before the phone lines open.

But Candice didn’t get anything funny or wacky from Nicki, so she can’t feel totally perfect about her performance.

All four sang in the final hour of the show, which made it tough for the girls who went earlier to be memorable. Janelle Arthur was the star of the early singers, now that she’s learned not to sing Lady Antebellum songs. “You are back! You are a little marshmallow that I want to eat,” Nicki said.

“I loved that, baby! I love how you have that classic country voice and blend it with modern vocal runs,” Keith added.

Aubrey Cleland didn’t get those kind of raves ... except from Mariah, who gushed, “You so obviously have multi-platinum potential.” It isn’t a bad quote to have on your resume.

On the other hand, it looks like the Zoanette Johnson experience may be coming to an end. “If we were giving the award for the most joyous, unbridled, free-spirited, confident girl, you would win it,” Keith told her. But they aren’t, so she won’t.

The judges also didn’t have nice things to say to Adriana Latonio, which was surprising considering her vocals were pretty good. "After Angie, Amber and Kree, I would suggest you work a little bit and come back next year," Nicki said.

Breanna Steer sang very well, but got mixed reviews. Keith predicted she’d make the next round, Nicki predicted she wouldn’t, and Randy and Mariah hedged their bets. Tepid praise for what seemed to be excellent vocals.

But it was Tenna Torres who got the strangest performance of the night from Nicki, which shouldn’t have been a surprise. Last week, the jduge focused on how she didn’t like Tenna's hair. Tuesday ... well, things were different.

“I liked your hair like that. Good job,” Nicki said, then added, “I liked your boobs too.” That made Torres smile uncomfortably and Randy giggle and stammer like a schoolboy.

Wednesday night, the boys take the stage for their own semifinal round, and Nicki gets to fall in love all over again.

Which performances were your favorite on Tuesday night? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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The Oscars are over, and so are the January-February new-release doldrums. Good films are starting to roll out again, including James Franco as the Wizard in "Oz the Great and Powerful." Here's a look at our three top entertainment picks for the week ahead.

TUESDAY: 'American Idol' goes live
The "American Idol" auditions are always crazy, but the show really kicks into gear when the live episodes begin this week. The show's narrowed its talent pool to 20, 10 men and 10 women, and will cut that group in half by Thursday. On Tuesday, the women will show their stuff, and on Wednesday, the guys -- whether or not they all deserve it -- get a chance. (March 5-7, 8 p.m. each night, Fox.)

TUESDAY: 'Wreck-It Ralph' on home video
Parents with fond memories of early video arcades and games can bond with their tech-generation kids this week when "Wreck-It Ralph" comes out on DVD and blu-Ray. In this charming animated film, John C. Reilly voices a video-game bad guy who's tired of being the villain. When he goes "game jumping" and ends up in a candy-themed race game, he bonds with little Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) and learns that his game role isn't what really matters. (On home video March 5.)

FRIDAY: "Oz the Great and Powerful"
The Wizard himself got short shrift in "The Wizard of Oz," which played him off as a kind of dumpy little dude behind a curtain. In this new take on L. Frank Baum's classic, James Franco plays a Kansas magician who takes a hot-air balloon into the magical land, meets its witches and Munchkins, and discovers the people of the troubled land need him to become someone else in order to save them. (Opens March 8.)

Related content:

• 'Wreck-It Ralph' spins up some controversy
• Did all 10 male singers deserve to be in 'Idol' top 20?
• Zoanette beats 'Idol's' Sudden Death round

Michael Becker / Fox

Lazaro Arbos survived the Sudden Death Round of "American Idol" on Thursday.

After dominating "American Idol" for the last five years, guys don't seem to be the front-runners this time around. It actually took a gender equity rule to get the men 10 spots in the final 20 Thursday night. Based on what fans have seen over the past two weeks, if it were left up to the skills of the 40 who began the fortnight, the ratio would skew a lot closer to 2:1 in favor of the women.

Lazaro Arbos is a great story, even on a night when he wasn’t at his best. Cortez Shaw showed something, even if the vocals weren’t consistent. Nick Boddington got some redemption after his painful cut in Las Vegas a year ago, when he was forced to say goodbye while the other four members of his group moved onto the semifinals. L.A. Reid lookalike Vincent Powell and weight-loss machine Burnell Taylor also moved on.

(If you didn’t recognize Taylor, there’s a good reason for that: He’s down about 40 pounds since his audition and looks totally different. Maybe alum Jennifer Hudson should drop the Weight Watchers gig and endorse the “Idol” plan instead.)

None of those guys stink. All could be compelling with the right backstory emphasis and editing package (like the kind Arbos is getting already and Taylor got on Thursday).

But if you tuned in for a showstopping performance, the closest thing you got was Zoanette Johnson’s brief interview after the cameras caught her grooving to Powell’s performance, reacting in a way that made him look both pleased and uncomfortable. Star power wasn’t apparent in anything other than a scattered chorus or two.

And if you were looking for energy from the judges, forget it. Apart from Nicki Minaj’s gushing praise of Burnell, there wasn’t anything memorable said there, though Keith Urban did raise eyebrows when he gently suggested Lazaro shouldn’t have picked his own “Tonight I Wanna Cry” to sing.  When a judge is telling you not to sing one of their songs, that’s rarely a good sign.

What was evident is that the judges had made most of their decisions before the night began. That’s been true throughout Vegas, and it’s understandable that the four on the panel (perhaps working with Nigel Lythgoe and other execs) know what they’re looking for in the live shows and that this was simply a chance for the long shots to fight for the few spots already unspoken for.

If it was solely based on Thursday’s performances, David Oliver Willis has something to complain about. He sounded fresh and original on “Fever,” even if he looked like a throwback to previous generations, but caused the judges to respond with a whole lot of meh. And Bryant Tadeo’s “New York State of Mind” either sounded better on TV than it did to the fearsome foursome, or he was already out the door before he took the stage.

Moreover, if it were based on sheer ability instead of gender, some of the also-rans among the women, such as Juliana Chahayed or Shubha Vedula, would still be around.

But the five men who moved on Thursday took advantage of the opportunity, and now “Idol” has its final 20. Next week: the live shows, where the field gets cut in half again. But regardless of how the guys do compared to the women, five of the men are going to make the top 10. That’s the rules.

What did you think of the guys' performances? Did the right five move on? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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Fox

Zoanette Johnson.

Up until this week, Zoanette Johnson’s role has been to provide the comic relief on the “American Idol” audition and Hollywood clip shows. She looked like the traditional contestant who is brought along for drama in the early stages, then quickly hustled out the door before she actually gets a chance to make the live rounds.

Wednesday night was her first night to perform unfiltered, without having her work sliced and diced by the producers and editors. And while it’s still hard to see her being anything other than the “Vote for the Worst” candidate for season 12, she at least showed a bit of what the judges see in her -- that is, if you’re not too cynical to think they actually see anything besides an oversized personality with a big, but perhaps uncontrollable, voice who gets people talking.

Johnson received the much-coveted spot at the end of the show, and her song choice was brilliant. Her version of “Circle of Life,” complete with the animal-print outfit, got three out of four judges out of their seats for a standing ovation, and the platitudes seemed to go on forever.

“Zoanette! Zoanette! Zoanette! Good Lord!” Keith Urban said. “I love that I have no clue what you’re gonna do. I sometimes wonder if you do too.”

Nicki Minaj got teary. “The reason that you make me so emotional is that when I think of you coming from Liberia … I am so proud of you. I don’t care what people say about you. You’re the person that we’re going to remember after tonight! You’re unforgettable! You’re a superstar! That song was such a smart choice, because it matches who you are, where you’re about to be, where you’re from.”

“I’m proud that this place right here gives people like you and me that came from absolutely nothing, from a country that we probably didn’t think we’d make it out alive -- it gives us a shot,” Minaj added.

Point of fact: Minaj was actually a pretty big deal in the music business before signing up to be a judge, so she didn’t need “Idol” to get her shot. But let’s continue.

“I know a lot of people out there were wondering what the judges were thinking, what Zoanette was doing out there,” Randy Jackson said. “That was the reason she’s here. That spirit that you have is the spirit of the lion, the champion. That’s what it’s about.”

There were indeed a lot of people wondering what the judges were thinking – but perhaps not as many who were wondering what Randy himself was saying Wednesday. It just wasn’t his night for useful or memorable commentary, and part of the effect of the hipper panel of judges is that it accentuates how passé and predictable he can be.

Mariah Carey completed the love fest. “I’m so proud and happy for you. It’s almost like your spirit is too big to be contained, and that’s what you wanted to give tonight,” she said.

That’s was the closest to the truth. Johnson is over-the-top in every respect, and how she was portrayed over the first two months was designed to make her seem like a lovable loon rather than a serious singer. That changed on Wednesday -- sort of.

It’s indisputable that she’s the one who made Wednesday’s show memorable, and the judges in their loud praise gave people a reason to root for her, always important in a popularity contest. It’s also indisputable that if she had a quieter personality, she never would have made it this far.

Part of the problem that “Idol” women have had over the past five seasons has been their tendenency to be solid but boring, easily cast aside in favor of the men. Nobody’s ever going to call Zoanette Johnson boring, and that’s a big reason she’s still here.

In other news, Janelle Arthur, Aubrey Cleland, Breanna Steer and Candice Glover also advanced.  Arthur had to survive a surprisingly average performance to win the last spot, while Juliana Chahayed has to be cursing the fates that had her singing this week instead of last week. Her toned down “Skyscraper” was excellent, but the 15-year-old showed just enough nerves that she missed the cut. Melinda Ademi was also good enough to advance on a different day, but not amongst this group.

Based on their performances since January, Arthur and Glover are both stronger candidates to win than Johnson. But based on how much the judges seem to love her, Johnson could last a lot longer than people think.

What did you think of Johnson's performance? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Chris Weeks / Getty Images file

Steven Tyler talks about his use of cocaine in a new interview with Australia's "60 Minutes."

Steven Tyler has spent more money on drugs than most people will make in their lifetimes. The Aerosmith frontman, 65, recently opened up about his past cocaine use in an interview with Australia's "60 Minutes" -- and it's nothing short of shocking.

Asked whether it was true that -- as written in his 2011 memoir, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?" -- he spent some $20 million on blow in the 1970s and '80s, the rocker said no. But the real number wasn't that far off. 

Photos from  Us: Famous bad boys

"Probably, realistically, 5 or 6 (million), easy," he revealed. "But it doesn't matter. You could also say I snorted half of Peru, but, you know, it's what we did."

Indeed, Tyler has spoken candidly in recent years about his history with drugs. In 2011, he revealed to "Dateline" that during Aerosmith's heyday in the 1970s and '80s, the band's tour rider included a small off-stage cubby where they could tend to their coke habit. 

Photos from Us: Celebrity meltdowns

"I needed blow," he told Matt Lauer. "I needed that cocaine. I needed it." That need nearly ruined him, he added. "It took my children away, it took my marriages away. I was on my knees."

Tyler got sober in the mid-'80s, but he later relapsed. In 2006, he became addicted to prescription medication while being treated for hepatitis C. That led him back into old habits, and in December 2009 -- after a Thanksgiving binge on cocaine and pills -- he checked himself into the Betty Ford Clinic.

Photos from Us: Celebrity rehab centers

A short time later, the musician found a new way to get his thrills: by taking a job as a judge on "American Idol," serving on the Fox series for seasons 10 and 11 in 2011 and 2012. Last year, he told Time magazine that he took the job because he needed something risky in his life. "I'm one of those people that -- obviously, since I've wound up in rehab eight times -- take dangerous things and jump in with both feet," he said. "I think I'm addicted to adrenaline." 

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