'Idol:' A Little Bit Country

Ouch. Some minor damage control on "Idol" tonight, I think; I can't be the only one to have caught that shot of Simon rolling his eyes, just as Chris Richardson was sending out a tribute to his friends at Virginia Tech. I'm assuming the producers saw it, too, which explains Simon's clumsy effort to make amends by acknowledging the tragedy at the end of the show.

It raises a few questions about the strange and expanding cult of Simon. He's key to "Idol" mainly because his criticism is so credible and so unflinchingly honest; it's fun to gauge your reaction against his, and pat yourself on the back if you agree. (Or even if you think you agree but aren't entirely sure, because he's using some expression like "chalk and cheese.") But his efforts at meanness have become part of the show's DNA, too, and the more Ryan plays into it, the more ornery Simon seems to get, and the more likely the cameras will catch him looking nasty at some highly inappropriate moment. I doubt Simon was rolling his eyes at the substance of Chris's brief speech, which seemed both impromptu and honest. He was probably still caught up in whatever little spat he and Ryan were having at the moment -- or still reacting to Chris's declaration that "nasally" is a style of singing. But man, it looked bad, in that way that briefly takes your breath away.

Almost made me forget about music, but yes, there was music tonight -- most of it better than I expected, since last year's Country Week left me with severe indigestion. This time, the guys picked songs that were more uptempo, the women didn't look so strangely out of place, and there was no Kellie Pickler. Color me satisfied.

Brief thoughts:

1) Will Phil's not-so-bad performance keep him safe for another week? Possibly, though, as Honest Simon pointed out, he's always on the bubble. Not a bad effort, though I think it's a mistake to shake hands with the audience while you're singing, lest you fall behind the beat. And speaking of inappropriate moments: At one point while Phil was crooning, in the corner of the frame, you could see Simon pulling on Paula's nose as she mouthed the word "Ouch." It makes me wonder a) what the true Simon-Paula relationship is, and b) whether they actually listened to the song.

2) Jordin is terrific, and this was another song she really seemed to feel. That's the difference between her and Melinda, I think: Melinda always acts out her songs quite well, but Jordin seems to truly believe what she's singing. She's honest, and it's affecting.

3) Sanjaya, Sanjaya, Sanjaya. After last week's surprisingly decent performance, he had to go and remind us why "Vote for the Worst" pumped him up in the first place. Sigh. I'm not even sure his bandana can save him here.

4) LaKisha was at a big disadvantage this week, since country is not her genre. Seemed Simon was trying to give her a boost by reminding the world that once - long, long ago - she looked unstoppable.

5) Chris Richardson. See above. There seem to be a number of different reasons why he should not try to talk back to Simon.

6) Melinda was excellent as usual. And again, Non-Naughty Simon seemed to be trying to help her by pointing out - gently, in Simonspeak - that the rest of the world is getting fed up with the modesty routine.

7) I love the way Blake manages to turn every song, from every era, into a single by The Cure. Even when he doesn't hit the notes, he's still compelling. And even though his facial expression never changes - only his mouth and his eyebrows move, check it out - I remain a fan.

Join me tomorrow at 1 for our weekly "Idol" chat on Boston.com. If you think I'm wrong to give Simon the benefit of the doubt, speak up.