Like Simon, country music is not my cup of tea. So I came into "Songs Made Popular by Members of the Grand Ole Opry" night with great trepidation.

Country music week is usually one of the toughest weeks of the season and this year it comes so early on in the game. Would the weak rise? Would the confident falter? Would anyone pick a song I like?

Talk about a daunting task. First time on the big stage with a big audience and you're staring down Michael Jackson's catalog. This wasn't a task for the faint of heart. What song do you pick? Do you sing it straight or change it up? It was clear from the beginning that this challenge would test the contestants mettle.

Anyone tuning into American Idol for the first time ever Wednesday night will likely never tune back in. The second group competing for spots in the Top 12 offered us bad singing and horrible song choices.

Not everyone disappointed, but in some cases the commercials were more interesting than what was happening between them. Here's hoping next week's crew learns a lesson from last night or Idol's viewership may take a hit.

Talk about pressure - one night to wow America and convince them you are a must-have for the Top 12. American Idol hasn't worked this format since its early years and frankly, it makes me nervous. There are so many good singers to worry about now, rather than fixating on bad singers that need to go.

The cheerleaders, the screamers, the back-flippers - it seems we've seen it all when it comes to the antics of some of the delusional people that audition for American Idol. Sure, sure, there are those previews of upcoming audition scenes where a man dressed in a giant bunny costume picks Simon up, but overall the magic of bad auditions could finally be losing its appeal.

Season eight of the wildly popular American Idol began last night and as per usual, the show kicked off with a slew of both bad and bizarre auditions - this time from Phoenix, Arizona.

With it came the introduction of a fourth American Idol judge, Kara Dioguardi. The songstress took her place between Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson and wasted no time getting down to business.