Phil, Philnatics and Philanthropists pay it phorward

We must confess, we miss Sanjaya. Tuesday's Idol Gives Back (formerly known as American Idol) held no promise of surprise.

With the show's weakest voice (and strongest personality) finishing up his media parade following last week's elimination, we were left without any sense of drama, especially given the fact that the show was recorded earlier in the day. We're down to the top six (seis, en espanol), and solid performances, while appreciated, aren't necessarily entertaining.

But we're here to "give back," so let's get on with it.

Chris: If we could change the world, we'd start with Chris' singing style. And no, nasally isn't a style, no matter what Chris says. With his take on an Eric Clapton classic, Chris seemed to be playing a little game called "How many notes can I hit in one word?" And even though the judges seemed to approve of the game, we don't.

Melinda: There will come a day, mark our words, when this "pro" makes it way beyond the Idol stage. We are loving the new Melinda. She's sexy, confident and consistently "dope" (that's the word from Randy, and we're assuming that's a good thing).

Blake: Imagine this guy winning it all. Or imagine him exiting the Idol stage this week. Either could happen, especially after the judges' luke-warm reviews of one of John Lennon's best-known songs.

Lakisha: We (I) believe she's hitting her stride again after faltering the past two weeks. We also believe she should stop choosing songs by former Idol winners. (Last week it was Carrie Underwood; this week, Fantasia.) The judges echoed our thoughts.

Phil: The change in Phil has done him good. Phor the second week in a row, the judges unanimously applauded his performance. Paula even said the Garth Brooks' song was Phil's best yet. And while Simon advised him to stick with the country sound, he said he really likes Phil and he could "actually do well in this competition."

Jordin: You'll never walk alone off the Idol stage anytime soon. It wasn't the "show stopper" Ryan Seacrest promised, but for a 17-year-old, the Rodgers & Hammerstein number was pretty darn good. (By the way, did you know she was 17? Because Randy seems to think it's important to point that out EVERY SINGLE WEEK.)

Our bottom three: Chris, Chris and Chris.

One more thing: Voting time was extended two hours this week to benefit the charitable causes. That means two more hours to vote for Phil (1-866-436-5705 and 1-866-436-5711). Check back tomorrow to see how much these bloggers contributed to the cause.

Gary T. Mills and Erin Patterson/The Times-Union