If you watched American Idol tonight, you have come to the same realization that I have – this is the problem with building up kids’ self esteem. We’ve worked so hard to build up self-esteem, and make kids feel warm and fuzzy that we’ve completely forgotten about working hard to build up talent. I’m more and more convinced that this is the problem. Maybe this really is this really the first time someone has told them that they can’t sing. See America – it’s really our fault. Ok, maybe not…

It’s just that the singers tonight were SO bad. And the show is completely dependent on the talent that shows up to audition. This is why some of the episodes are so much better than others – there’s really nothing that the producers can do about it. An episode with an equal mix of talent and, well, for lack of a better word, freaks, is much better than an episode like tonight. They just didn’t have the talent show up in Austin, and there was little the producers could do about it. Even the ones who went through to Hollywood weren’t spectacular – if they had auditioned in a different city, they may not have made it.

So, only one more night of this stage of the auditions to go, and they’re in my hometown of Boston. Now for me, this means hearing people who sound like “home” – I honestly can’t even hear the Boston accent, it just sounds good. (yes, my accent has faded over the years, except when I go home or to a Red Sox game…then it sounds like I never left!) But for people like my husband, who feel that a Boston accent is one of the most grating out there (like he can talk with that midwest-Wisconsin thing he has going on), the combination of the accent and the bad singing will be spectacular. I just hope I don't see anyone I know...