On the same day that Secretary of State Colin Powell presented his case against Iraq before the United Nations, "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul made a quiet statement for peace Wednesday on the hit show by wearing a necklace from the Love+Peace+Hope jewelry collection and by presenting the symbols of peace to the contestants.
But that's not really why viewers tuned in to Wednesday's edition of the FOX talent search.
In the contest, Patrick Fortson, 22, of Terre Haute, Ind., after singing "Unbreak My Heart," discovered with the rest of America that he didn't impress enough audience members to stay on the show.
Still, the Hoosier received good feedback from Abdul, 40. Both she and fellow judge Randy Jackson predicted the home audience would support him, despite Jackson's mixed review and Simon Cowell's usual dismissal.
Clearly, viewers sided with Cowell -- who didn't attack Fortson's performance so much as he did the contestant's wardrobe, which consisted of a knee-length black suitcoat and white open-collared shirt.
"I'm not being rude," said the generally rude Cowell, 43, "but I think the outfit sucks. That is a terrible image."
Of Wednesday's finalists, Julia DeMato, of Brookfield, Conn. (who delivered Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man"), and Charles Grigsby, of Oberlin, Ohio (who sang Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed"), made the cut to move on.
As for Abdul's necklace, the collection is supposed to signify the resilience, optimism and determination of the human spirit, according to the Business Wire news service.
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