Megan Joy is the Latest Casualty on Season 8 of American Idol

It is actually amazing that she managed to last thing long. They call her hip and original, but realistically she had an average voice that got whiny and was extremely clumsy with her dance movements on stage. Winning American Idol is about a lot more than just having a good voice, you also have to have a stage presence about you that will allow you to become a superstar. Megan Joy simply did not have it.

With there only being 8 contestants left, it is time to take a serious look at who can actually win the contest and become the next Underwood or Cook. When you honestly evaluate them, you can probably eliminate half the field and have 4 serious contenders to be this year's American Idol.

Anoop Desai - This is an easy elimination. He is nothing more than a good Karaoke singer. He cannot move on stage and he has yet to have an original take on any song. He at times has shown that he can sing, but that is not going to be enough to get him past the next 2 rounds.

Scott MacIntyre - Another easy elimination. When you talk about someone having zero stage presence, he is it. Can you honestly say that you can see him selling out a venue. His vocals are weak and it is almost comical to watch him smile and attempt to play to the crowd. The hairstyle that he sported this week was atrocious and it would be a huge surprise to see him make it to the final 5.

'Lil Rounds - There is no doubting this girl's talent, but she has to start letting loose beginning next week. She may be one of the best pure singers in the competition, but she sings not to lose. She is going to be up against and still has a shot at making the final 3 or 4 if she starts to open it up a little bit. Can she win? Probably not because of the fact that too many of the other contestants have gained way too much momentum for her to catch up. She is going to have to have back to back rock your world performances to get into the finals.

Allison Iraheta - The teenager has great performances and then lays an egg. This is merely inexperience and it is actually a shame that she didn't wait a year or two before competing. There is little doubt that you will hear a lot more from her after the competition, but others are much more polished at this point and she will be out soon.

Danny Gokey - Danny is an interesting member of this year's American Idol cast. He has a great voice and a great presence on stage. He does pick the wrong song sometimes and that kills him. If he keeps hitting his stride as he did this past week, it is likely that he will be around for the top 4, but the question remains can he win it all. I would love to say yes, but a couple of the other singers have much larger followings. He is another safe bet to hear from after the competition as he is quite talented and entertaining to watch.

Matt Giraud - Easily one of the most talented competitors left and should be on the stage in the final three or four. One thing that is a concern is that he had a very strong performance last week and he was in the bottom three. He can play the piano and the girls absolutely love him. That is why it is even more baffling as to why he was in the bottom three last week. Then he flops this week and manages to get an automatic safe. On pure talent and stage presence, he makes the top 3 but will have a hard time getting past Adam and Kris.

Adam Lambert - I still do not understand why he has the judges so firmly behind him. He has moments of pure brilliance and has a beautiful voice, but when he gets into the screaming and shouting, it ruins it for me. You listen to the judges applaud him for being a rocker and making every song his own, but then they rip other contestants for doing the same thing. I am not going to challenge his voice, when he did his Motown song, it was far and away the best of the week. I know he is a rocker, but that does not mean that he needs to scream and shout every lyric. Regardless, he is going to be tough to beat and will more than likely be on the stage for the final show.

Kris Allen - My choice for the champ as he is easily the most talented singer in the field. He has proven time and again that he can sing just about anything and do it well. Week in and week out, his performance is in the top 2 or 3 and you can expect more of the same in the future. If Kris is not on the stage in the final week, it will be a crime. Regardless of whether or not he takes the crown, he is all but guaranteed a recording contract at the end of the season.