American Idol: What's with the Haley bashing?

Yesterday on “American Idol”, contestant Haley Reinhart was viciously called out by judges Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez for singing “Earth Song” during the segment of the show where the contestants could sing songs that inspired them. On any other day or on any other season, the critiques could be taken as valid. But when James Durbin just competently sings “Don’t Stop Believin'” and is said to have “set the bar” with said performance, something just doesn’t add up. Let’s not even add in the fact that Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina also don’t receive anything in the way of critique except heaps of praise.

Not everyone loves Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song”, and that’s understandable, but it’s not as if Reinhart sang the song terribly, not terrible enough to get the lashing she ended up getting.

She defended herself after her feedback, and Entertainment Weekly’s article about the contestants feelings about last night’s show further reveals her irritation at being constantly called out. “I’m not going to crack,” she said. “As much as they might want me to, or try to [get me to], or whatever it is, I’m not going to.”

It would appear that she’s not the only person who feels annoyed about the way she’s treated on the show. Entertainment Weekly’s article also reveals that Alaina is also peeved by the Jackson and Lopez’s constant pilings-on. “I wasn’t a happy camper about that,” she said as she and the other contestants were being interviewed. “That made me a little ill. Because Haley’–she turns to McCreery and Durbin as she continues–“I’m sorry guys, but Haley has the best voice on this show, and she gets the most criticism. It’s just like, I deserve more criticism than she does.”

What do you think about this “American Idol” incident that’s developing into a scandal? Sound off below, and remember to see the results show (and possibly more judge/contestant fireworks?) tonight at 8/7 C!