What’s the point in having weekly performance on American Idol if a contestant can forget the lyrics and remain on the show?

That’s the essential question posed by a recent article in The Los Angeles Times following this week’s surprise elimination of Carly Smithson. It reads:

“It’s hardly unusual, in the pop game, for image to trump musical talent – who can forget the scandal when plus-size Martha Wash was replaced by svelte models in the marketing campaigns for a string of 1990s dance club hits?

Tonight proved that we can no longer dream that American Idol rises above such gimmicks. At least Syesha Mercado survived, by a thread. But the loss of Carly not only robs this season of its best pure singer - it wipes unbridled passion and humanity from the stage…

Read the complete article now.

After Michael Johns was eliminated from American Idol a few weeks ago, we figured we couldn’t be surprised again by any results.

Consider us mistaken.

Carly Smithson was voted off the show last night, despite the fact that fellow finalist Brooke White flat out forgot the lyrics to her song the evening before. Smithson was joined in the bottom two by Syesha Mercado.

We’ve been huge fans of White all season, but come on. She deserved to go. You simply cannot make the sort of blunder she did on such a big stage.

Moreover, Smithson’s rendition of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Tuesday night was lively and well done.

What do you think? Who deserved to go home this week on American Idol?

Only one American Idol contestant truly bombed on Andrew Lloyd Webber night - and even Brooke White recovered nicely after initially forgetting the lyrics on “You Must Love Me.”

But the performances that stood out the most last night didn’t belong to David Cook and David Archuleta for a change. We were most blown away by Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson.

Take a look at each right now, starting with Syesha:

And Carly:

Which American Idol performance was your favorite? Write in. Let us know. 

As the top 24 contestants on American Idol begin singing for their reality show lives tomorrow night (voting is now on you, viewers), USA Today is running a feature that outlines the professional backgrounds of a few finalists.

Perhaps in response to the timid album sales of Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis, American Idol has passed a quintet of supposed ringers on to the finals, those that have actually had a recording deal with a label in the past. But that’s a negative in the eyes of many.

“The reason I watch is to see someone journey from nowhere to stardom,” Kevin Kotke, a fan from Milwaukee, told the newspaper. “The only kind of record a contestant should be able to claim is the $5 self-published kind from the mall.”

But Season 7 contestants can claim quite a bit more than that:

• Carly Smithson recorded for MCA, which lavished more than $2 million on her debut album, then dumped her when it sold poorly.
• Kristy Lee Cook signed with Britney Spears’ production company in 2001.
• Michael Johns’ band, The Rising, was dropped by Madonna’s Maverick label.
• Robbie Carrico sang with Boyz-N-Girlz United, an Orlando boy/girl band.
• David Archuleta won $100,000 on Star Search in 2003.

While some fans are bothered by this sort of experience, American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says the flap “is a storm in a teacup… Let’s just let the stories unfold.”

He adds that show rules require only that contestants not be currently under contract: “We’re looking for ‘great,’ and, yes, those people in all likelihood have had dealings with the industry before.”

What do you think? Should American Idol contestant be wholly undiscovered?