Don’t get me wrong: I love American Idol. The Ashley is probably the most devoted fan you could ask for. Seriously, if these people tell me to drive a Ford, I’ll do it. If they tell me to drink a Coke, I’m guzzling it. I love this crap. I can’t help it.

However, I think you all will have to agree with The Ashley that there are a few things that the producers (or the network, etc.) do that  really suck. Sometimes it seems that they get off on making their contestants feel bad.

So The Ashley has composed this list of five things that happen on American Idol that are just f’d up.

1) They create a Top 12 (or 13) and only take 10 on tour.

This has always bothered me. If you know that you’re only going to take 10 of the Idols out on the summer tour, why the hell do you have to make a Top 12? Why can’t you just make it a Top 10 so everyone goes? It’s really sad to see the two kids get all excited because they made it into the Top 12 and they think their lives are going to change, only to have them cut first and go home with nothing to show for it but a broken heart and an American Idol t-shirt.

Does anyone else think this is totally messed up? If they’re good enough to be in the Top 12, they should be good enough to go on tour and make some money.

“Gotcha! It’s actually your life that’s ruined, not his! Ha Ha HA!”

2) They make Ryan Seacrest do those crappy fake-outs when he’s eliminating people.

Ryan always does shady things when he’s about to hack someone’s dream down. Why is it that whenever there’s three people standing up there, waiting to hear who is going home, Ryan has to f**k with them? For instance, he’ll have Tom, Dick and Harry up there and he’ll say, “I’m sorry Tom, but you’re going home.” Dick and Harry breathe a sigh of relief, right before Ryan screams, “but not today, Tom. It’s actually Harry that leaves us tonight!”

It’s like they get glee out of giving false hope to these poor kids.

3) They hire the world’s worst stylists to dress these kids.

Seriously with the budget this show has, and the money it rakes it, you’d think they would be able to put these kids in some better clothes. Poor Lauren looked like she was wearing a kitchen curtain last night.

4) They stretch out the stupid judges’ save thing?

I understand the point of having a judge’s save; sometimes America forgets to vote for someone who deserves to stay.

However, the judges pretty much know in their heads which two to three contestants they would even consider saving. The rest of the singers have no chance in hell of getting the save, so why give them false hope? The judges sit there and pretend that they’re discussing the situation, when we know, they know and the singer knows that they’re going to end up going home.

I respected Simon so much last year when he told Didi Benami straight out that they would not be using their save on her, and she was free to sing her “swan song” and enjoy it, instead of fretting over if she was doing enough to save herself.

The producers make them do this because it adds intensity. But it’s really messed up.

“Time to sing!!!”

5) They make these poor kids sing right after they find out that their dream is ending?

This has bothered me since Season 2! This poor kid finds out that America is tired of him and that he’s voted out…he realizes that his dream is ending and his shot at fame is gone. THEN, they make them watch their “hit the road” video, showing the contestant’s time on ‘Idol.’ This almost always makes the contestant break down into tears. Just when they’re sobbing hysterically, Ryan shoves a microphone in their faces and says, “Here, sing for everyone.”

They’re all choked up and can barely talk but now they have to sing the very same song they were just eliminated for singing. OMG.

That is all. I’ll get off my soap box now.