Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Hey, it took three episodes, but the Idol judges are finding their teeth.

Well, not Jennifer.

The worst critique she can muster is: “It’s a ‘no’ for me.”

But Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler are getting better at being brutally honest.

So awarding tonight’s Snarky Simon Awards wasn’t so difficult.

Snarky Simon #1: After one contestant tried a Lady Gaga tune, Randy Jackson said: “If Gaga was here, she’s run out of the room screaming, ‘What have I done?'”

Snarky Simon #2: Before auditioning, one singer compared himself to Frank Sinatra. After the audition, Steven couldn’t help but remember.

“Frank Sinatra, huh? Where was Frank in that?”

Dang, call it the ghost of Simon.

Meanwhile, 15- and 16-year olds are getting golden tickets at an alarming rate.

When I started researching the New Jersey and New Orleans winners, it seemed like one out of every three or four was auditioning in their first year of eligibility.

And you just know most of them are going to be crushed under the Idol pressure.

That said, the most impressive auditioner during Wednesday’s Milwaukee audition episode was 16-year-old Scott McCreery.

This guy is no novice. Check out the videos of him performing on YouTube, and you’ll soon realize he’s the real deal.

Whether a male country singer can become the American Idol … well, that remains to be seen. But this former Elvis impersonator should be a front-runner.

Other favorites from Milwaukee included Haley Reinhart, who reminded me of a young Carrie Underwood in looks and voice; and Tiwan Strong, one of the better R&B / soul singers we’ve seen so far this season.

Oh, and it’s going to be tough for me not to root for Chris Medina after that episode-ending segment.

I’ll try to bring you more on some of tonight’s top contestants as soon as possible.