Of the few auditions we have seen, is one of them the next 'American Idol'?

In Dallas, Kara DioGuardi made one of the stupidest remarks I've heard yet. And that's saying something.

To Barney Dominatrix Erica Rhodes, Kara said, "It's really rare that someone comes in here and they're like, 'I'm just gonna do my thing. This is who I am. And here it comes.'" Then Randy Jackson agrees with her.

WHAAAAAT?!?!?!?!? Um, what auditions have they been watching? Isn't that what happens in every single city? Some fool comes dressed in a mask and a cape, another wears a shirt with a misspelled nickname, a few sing original songs but more sing songs that haven't been on the radio in 20 years or more, one dude rips his pants and a civil rights activist increases belt sales. Aren't they all just being their own crazy, sometimes talented, selves?

Don't the judges use the word "authentic" almost as much as they say "sweetheart" or "no"? Once the voting begins, it's all about "making it your own" and "putting your own spin on it." For the life of me, I cannot figure out what it was about the former child actor that Kara thought was "rare." Trying to portray that sex sells may be the least original thing we've seen this season so far.

We're in the home stretch, one last week of auditions before Hollywood week and Ellen DeGeneres. None too soon, in my book.

Have we already seen the next American Idol?

OK, I'll admit it, I didn't start watching until Season Three. I know, it was me and two other people who were out of the loop. So I don't know how those seasons played out, I only know who won. But from Season Three on, I paid attention and there are a lot of auditions that I still remember including Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry (I still can't believe he did not win), Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks, Blake Lewis, Sanjaya Malakar (how I wish I could forget!), David Cook, David Archuleta, Carly Smithson, Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey and Anoop Desai. That's some of the more memorable Top 12 contestants and all of the recent winners not named Kris Allen.

That list suggests we've seen our next Idol winner, or will during this last week of auditions ... if it weren't for Kris Allen. He was considered cannon fodder for the judges by most Idol watchers, when the voting rounds began, since no one knew a thing about him. So much for the voters listening to the producers!

So who is memorable so far? And who have we missed so far? About 150 have earned a golden ticket so far, and we've only heard a fraction of them.

Michael Castro has his second golden ticket. Not even a second shot and a brother who was a finalist earned him more than a snap shot of air time in Dallas (we never heard his brother Jason sing until the semifinals).

What hope is there for an unknown without a heartbreaking/inspiring back story or cute child along for the ride? There are a few stories, and a lot of bad acts, but not a lot of voices that have stuck with me.

I remember Seth Rollins, Jermaine Purifoy and Matthew Lawrence from Orlando; Justin Ray, John Park and Angela Martin in Chicago; Dave Pittman, Todrick Hall and Lloyd Thomas in Dallas; Vanessa Wolfe and Bryan Walker in Atlanta; and Justin Williams and Katie Stevens in Boston. I'm not sure I'd pick up the phone for any of them yet. And I definitely don't expect all of them to make it to the Top 24, probably not even most of them.

But it means there are a lot of singers left to learn about and see in Hollywood.

Just so long as it won't include a repeat performance by Ms. Rhodes. I'm still having nightmares from the first one! I never did like Barney.