Idol Chatter & Voice Views

As American Idol faces the prospect of losing Simon Cowell in the face of declining ratings, I’m offering up 10 tips for saving the show. We’re up to …

Tip 8: Play fair

Sorry, but the last two performance shows of American Idol have reeked in that respect.

First, we had the duets. Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze — Idol’s front-runners long before the week of four — should have been thrilled. They were paired up with one another.

How about Michael Lynche? Casey James? Might their fate have been different if they’d been able to look Crystal in the eye and sing “Falling Slowly” opposite her?

Look, the duets aren’t a bad idea. In two years, they’ve produced two great performances — the one by Crystal and Lee and the “Slow Ride” duet by Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta last season.

But it’s simply unfair to pair contestants up in a solo singing competition on a voting night.

You want duets, Idol?

Move them to the results show. They’ll be just as special. And fairer.

Then there were those judges’ choice songs from last week.

I mean, no wonder Simon had a giant smirk on his face the entire second half of the show. Lee should have been smirking, too.

He got the song from the smart judge and wound up singing “Hallelujah,” a great tune that’s hard to miss with.

Casey was stuck with “Daughters” and Crystal was stuck with “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

That Crystal was able to keep a straight face while repeatedly belting out the line “Baby, I’m a man” is remarkable.

Meanwhile, “Daughters” is a fine song. But not one, as Simon pointed out, that you hand a contestant looking for a vocal moment that will launch him into the Idol finals.

Unfair? Absolutely.

What would have been fair?

Letting all three contestants sing “Hallelujah.”

I, for one, would have loved to hear Crystal sing the song.