Contestant #6: Melinda Doolittle

Melinda sprinted ahead of the pack early with blazingly joyful, virtuosic renditions of "Since You've Been Gone" and "I'm a W-O-M-A-N." Since then, as many have noted, her repertoire has run more to musical theater fare ("Home," "As Long As He Needs Me"). Her performances are perfect--perfectly toasted Wonderbread.

But song choice isn't the biggest question in the minds of many Idol viewers. For Melinda Doolittle fans, the million dollar question is the same one asked of Holly Golightly: Is she or isn't she? Can that modesty be genuine? Can we take that sweetness to the bank?

A significant number of people have apparently decided (on scant evidence) that the answer is no. And we see this backlash as the biggest potential obstacle between Melinda and the title she undeniably deserves. But even should the backlash gain momentum, if Melinda busts out a few more performances like this one, we fully expect the Lord she so frequently invokes to reach down from heaven and set her on the Idol throne with his own two Motown-lovin' hands.

AWiBH's knock on wood: Melinda takes it all! --AMBER