It's a Family Show. Just Not Your Family.

This is hilarious. In all of the AI producers' machinations to manipulate the audience, they've stumbled across a bit of a snafu by going to a Top 13 format for the finals. One of the commenters put it nicely and succinctly:

JJRRutgers Mar 8th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

1-866-IDOLS-01 through 12 is owned by AI.
1-866-IDOLS-13 through 99 & 00 is owned by a phone sex line. That’s the skinny.

As the producers know, the dialing public in America isn't the brightest bulb in the shop, so futzing with new numbers is going to be a mess. The current speculation to avoid this, ahem, impending iceberg seems to be "immunity" of some sort for a contestant each week.

Immunity challenges! Favoritism! Conspiracy! I hate/love/puke on/adore this show.