The American Idol judges clearly have been told that they're too nice this season, and they've taken that to mean that every episode, they should go off on Haley Reinhart, since the other contestants apparently walk on water.

This week, my girlfriend wasn't having it. After she sang Michael Jackson's "Earth Song", they criticized her for singing a downer after James Durbin sang "Don't Stop Believing." Haley bit back. After Randy kept going on his anti-Haley rant, she said, "I know. I heard it. Do you have to say it again?"

Then, after the first round of songs, the judges were asked who "won" that round. The answer, from Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, was, "Everyone but Haley."

That's just ugly. Especially since these weren't exactly stellar performances by the other three contestants.

You could hear her say "Very nice."

Week after week, Haley has endured criticism for performances that seem at least as good as the others. Not just one week. Not just two. Pretty much every week.

"I'm not going to crack," she told reporters after the show. "As much as they might want me to, I'm not going to. [The judges] know that I can be very strong-willed and everything else and that's why they do it to me. Everyone else [competing] gets good feedback and they really let me have it. They don't hold back [with] me. They never have, never will."

Now I'm not generally in favor of 20-year-old girls who talk back. But in this case, I can't blame her. Not that I think it was her best performance, or even in her top five. It wasn't. What bothers me is the pass they seem to give everyone else.

Like the week before. Haley sang an unreleased Lady Gaga song. I have listened to the performance several times. It is not only pitch perfect, it's unique. A little jazzy, filled with personality and charm. She got hammered for it. The next singer, James Durbin, sang "Without You." He missed many of the notes. It was emotional for him. The judges' reaction: "t was a perfect performance: emotionally."

Come on, judges. Why beat up on my girl?

This week's episode was the weakest episode of the season, by far. The producers of Idol decided to do the songbook of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, presumably because the guy who wrote some of the best Civil War songs is no longer with us. I mean, seriously. What do any of those songs have to do with current music? Love Potion Number Nine? Really? Next week will they do songs covered by Betty Boop? Theme songs to 60s sitcoms? Geez.

To make it worse, their second category was "Inspirational Songs", which never bodes well, unless you enjoy cheese. Hey, I'm as inspirable as the next guy, but ask a 20-year-old singer to pander, and you're gonna get a lot of pandering.

That song Scotty McCreary sang about 9/11 made me violently ill. I am still throwing up from the lyrics of that song. I have liked Scotty all season long, but now I'm not so sure because he sang a song that some country asshole wrote to cash in on the tragedy of 9/11. With lyrics like this, by the way:

"I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love."

Ew.

Sorry, but that's just... yuck. And of course the judges licked his butt after he sang that song. They always do.

So Haley, girl. Keep going. Don't let them get you down. You're a beautiful singer. You might go home tonight, because America might prefer vanilla to your unusual flavor. I, for one, will be waiting for your first album.