As we approach some sort of announcement on American Idol's newly cobbled judging panel for season 10, I'd like to take the opportunity to call for an end to the show's practice of lip syncing during group numbers. 

Granted, there are a number of other nauseating practices through which we must fast forward - falsely plucky Ford ads, judging-panel shuffles, maudlin visits to Africa, the prevalence of Coke cups on nearly ever stage surface - but this is by far the worst. To wit:

What message does it send that a singing competition allows singing to track during group numbers? Further, how disingenuous is it for judges to scoff, "this is a singing competition" during a critical review of Toderick Hall's flamboyant arrangement - when they sit as first witnesses to this lip-syncing drivel?

We know they can sing fairly well as a group:

Much like cerebral men "just read Playboy for the articles," I watch "Idol" for the singing. The rest of it is Fox Crap, selling me shit I don't want (with the pointed exception of "Glee" previews). So, get the singing - and judging of said art - correct or you'll lose this viewer for good.

I'm still hoping for Kara Dioguardi to return to Idol, but it's not looking that way. She was one of the few singer-songwriter voices on the panel (J-Lo is the replacement for that?) and she'll be missed. This is a cool cover of "Terrified" that she blew out of the water on the YouTubes: