Ellen DeGeneres may not have years of experience in the music industry, but who cares? Her ability to sit still, be quiet, and (oh. em. gee.) actually pay attention to what’s happening on the stage in front of her could set an exciting new precedent for American Idol’s generally frustrating judges’ panel: Yes indeed, the show is actually about discovering the next generation of music superstars, not watching four nimrods at a table drawing mustaches on each other, misstating pertinent facts about music history, and finding new and annoying ways to make the phrase “you gave it 100 percent” their own.

So yes, despite my early fears that Ellen would be too focused on punch lines to give legitimate critiques, I’m exiting her first hour of Idol feeling relieved, hopeful, and maybe just a little psyched. Not only did the comedian/talk-show host treat the Paula Abdul Memorial Chair with a level of dignity and purpose that it had never before experienced, but she wasn’t afraid to dole out tough criticism when necessary. Tonight, with just a few minutes of screen time, we heard Ellen telling Idol wannabes (Read full post)

Hollywood Week begins tonight on American Idol, and over the next two weeks, we’ll see 181 Golden Ticket recipients whittled down to 24 semifinalists. There’ll be tears. There’ll be fights. There’ll be Ellen DeGeneres in the Paula Abdul Memorial Chair! But before we get there, I’m going to count down the top 20 contestants from the last four weeks of auditions, and then ask you to vote for your fave in the handy poll that’s embedded after the jump. Just FYI, I had to leave off karaoke hostess Danelle Hayes, who reportedly ended up not going to Hollywood, and I took the liberty of adding links to all 20 performances for your convenience. (Oh, and for all my Idol ridiculata, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak!)

20. Lee Dewyze (New this week): Choice of “Ain’t No Sunshine” (plus srsly lustrous locks) got us thinking about Kris Allen, and much like last season’s champ, Lee scored only a few brief seconds of airtime with his audition. Still, while dude’s gruff, soulful voice piqued our interest, we could’ve lived without the “pants on the ground” moment when he raised his Golden Ticket in the air, and inadvertently showed off too much underwear.

19. Katelyn Epperly (Last week No. 19): Producers inexplicably played up her divorcing-parents backstory, and (don’t all clutch your pearls at once!) the shaggy-maned blonde admitted she’d long been “stand-offish” about auditioning for the show. Still, Katelyn’s choice of Duffy’s “Syrup and Honey” was refreshingly left-field, and as Shania Twain noted, girlfriend has the kind of voice one might hear on a hit record.

18. Crystal Bowersox (New this week): Crystal’s “Piece of My Heart” — which got smashed into the same brief package with No. 20 Lee Dewyze — brought a big smile to Simon’s face, and that’s no small accomplishment this early in the season. What’s more, the dreadlocked blonde had a guitar slung over her shoulder when she entered the audition room, meaning she’s got an extra weapon in her arsenal should she crack the season 9 finals. (Read full post)

And then there were 181. Yep, after tonight’s eighth and final audition episode of American Idol’s ninth season, we’re down to fewer than 200 aspiring singers who have a chance of inheriting Kris Allen’s crown and sash at a confetti-covered ceremony to be televised on Fox in late May. (No swimsuit competition included, unless the eventual winner is Casey “I took off my shirt for Kara” James.)

The “Road to Hollywood” episode — which patched together the good, the bad, and the deluded from Idol’s trips to Boston, Atlanta, Orlando, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Denver — included familiar faces (welcome back, Jessica Furney, Rose Flack, and Frankie Jordan), hardscrabble backstories (“it’s hard for theater majors to connect, yo!”), and one additional word (“yeah”) from catatonic guest judge Joe Jonas. (If you missed my pal Annie Barrett’s full, hilarious transcript of The Eyebrowed One’s Dallas audition episode, please click here and check it out.)

But the good news is, over the next two weeks, the fight for the season 9 title — as well as Ellen DeGeneres’ attempts to redefine the Idol judging panel — will begin in earnest. Elvis impersonators and “crazy accordion ladies” will be strictly verboten, but emotional breakdowns, petty infighting, and ultimately brilliant singing will be strongly encouraged. I couldn’t be any more excited if I heard that David Cook was coming to New York City to tape a scoop-filled Idolatry interview. Oh, wait, he already did! And we’ll be posting the footage on our PopWatch blog in the very near future. (If you want to know about it the second it goes live, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak.) And until then, head on down to the comments to share your thoughts about tonight’s show, and your favorite season 9 auditioner to date. (For me, it’s still Janell ’she’d better get some serious screentime next week’ Wheeler. But y’all probably already knew that!)

Today is a major day in pop-culture history. Avatar and The Hurt Locker scored nine nods apiece as nominations for the 82nd annual Academy Awards were announced. Punxsutawney Phil (now on Twitter) got his shadow on at a place called Gobbler’s Knob, PA. [Insert Beavis & Butthead-esque chuckle here.]  As I write this, the premiere episode of Lost’s sixth and final season is underway on ABC. And over on American Idol, a dude scored a ticket to Hollywood by taking his shirt off for Kara, Posh, and Randy. What a fun, sexy time for all of them!

Surprisingly, ’twas the Dawg who demanded full torso strippage; the “fourth judge” only asked him to dispense with an extra button, but I digress. Because while Idol proved its depressing stance as an equal-opportunity exploiter — and yet somehow let football player Aaron Austin Paul go home without so much as a simple ab flash — it also showed me a couple Golden Ticket-getters worth getting semi-excited about, and even managed to be halfway entertaining with the parade of rejects (see aforementioned Austin Paul). Okay, so I’ll need more evidence in Hollywood Week before making a full emotional commitment to the “miracle child” who wants to be the first black female mainstream country star, and the headkerchiefed karaoke hostess (super-hella talented, if a tad histrionic), but considering we’re only one week (and one audition hour) away from the true competitive start of season 9 (and the introduction of Ellen DeGeneres to the panel), I’m seeing the beer bottle as half full. What do you think, Idoloonies? Did you dig the Denver scene tonight? Any contestants you’re Google-searching with anticipation? Share your thoughts in the comments below, then come back to EW.com first thing tomorrow morning for my full TV Watch recap. (UPDATE: Click over to read Michael Slezak’s full recap of American Idol’s Denver auditions now.) In the meantime, check out my review of Fantasia Barrino’s new single and my countdown of the top 20 contestants from season 9’s first three weeks, then follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak!