Was the 'American Idol' Group Segment Too Hard?

Last night's "American Idol" contestants met their biggest match yet, and no, his name is not Randy Jackson or Steven Tyler. Many of the "American Idol" contestants floundered and only a few excelled thanks to the group segment of the competition.

The group segment is a grueling and not-so-kind portion of the show where personalities collide more than voices harmonize. A few groups rose above the rest, and some individuals were the "best" of their groups, but too many early favorites floundered under the pressure.

Earplugs, for J-Lo, Please

During the Feb. 16, 2011, episode of "American Idol," Jennifer Lopez looked as if she was in some serious pain. She may have been wishing she had whatever Paula Abdul used to have in her Coke cup. But this is J-Lo, and her cup is for Vitamin Water. Her emotions showed on her face and ranged from deep disappointment to anger when watching contestants squelch their own opportunities in less than three minutes

Top Contestants

There were some bright and shining spots in last night's group show. They included the Minors; Four Plus One; Guaps; Sugarmama and the Babies; and Ebony, Ivory and Every

"American Idol" Group Segments: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

The advantage of the group portion of the competition is that it provides a quick way for the judges to find not only talented singers, but the ones who can work with other people. However, "Idol" is not MTV's "Top Pop Group" or "Making the Band." It's an individual competition, but the judges need to see which contestants can work with others. If the singers cannot work with each other, how will they be able to move forward and take constructive criticism from celebrity mentors on the show?

How well they work with each other is also an early indicator of their work style, flexibility and commitment. In the music industry, like any other creative profession, singers have to work with a whole team of people in order to get their music from the lips of their mouth to the radio airwaves. For these reasons, the group segments, as excruciating as they are to watch at times, are a necessary evil on "American Idol."