‘The X Factor’ results: Who made the top 10?

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

‘There is no one disposable contestant left,’ L.A. Reid said at the outset of Thursday night’s ‘The X Factor’ results show, in which the final 11 would shrink to the final 10.

He was right. There were two. And after we …

… sat through an instantly forgotten song by all the remaining acts that host Steve Jones called ‘wondahful, wondahful, wondahful’

… heard Reid admit to being the jealous type and apologize to Melanie Amaro for not saying nicer things about her performance the previous night

… watched Willow Smith (without much hair to whip back and forth) strut around onstage while singing about being a fireball

… spent way too long contemplating British singer Jessie J’s blue-hair/striped-body-stocking getup

… amused ourselves with all of Jones’ funny pronunciations (‘It’s aboot to get tense -- trust me’)

… and listened to Jones read off a list of the nine who would definitely survive to sing another week,

those very two disposable acts remained.

Sadly for groups mentor Paula Adul, the two disposable acts that landed in the bottom two constituted all that was left of her category: the Stereo Hogzz, who had also been in the bottom two last week, and the four pretty women thrown together by ‘X Factor’ who call themselves Lakoda Rayne.

Both groups performed for the judges in the ‘final showdown.’ Lakoda Rayne looked lovely but struggled with pitch and harmony on Jordin Sparks’ ‘No Air.’ Stereo Hogzz turned in a not-bad rendition of Michael Jackson’s ‘You Are Not Alone.’

Based on these two performances, you might have expected the judges to send Lakoda Rayne home. But no. Both Reid and Nicole Scherzinger opted to save Lakoda Rayne over Stereo Hogzz. (Scherzinger cited her dedication to ‘female empowerment’ as a deciding factor.)

Then there was some unpleasant business in which Abdul tried to abstain – ‘Can’t do it,’ she said, tearfully pushing away from her mic -- and Jones didn’t seem to want to let her. But when Simon Cowell explained to Abdul that if she abstained, she was effectively sending the Stereo Hogzz home, she threw her vote their way. (Why, really, did Jones have to make her say she was voting to send Lakoda Rayne home? That seemed unnecessarily cruel.)

Cowell could have made it a tie, in which case the act with the fewest votes would be sent home, or he could save the beautiful damsels in Lakoda Rayne and definitively send the Stereo Hogzz home. Which way do you think he went?

Yep, he rescued Lakoda Rayne, and I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with female empowerment. The Stereo Hogzz – yawn -- were sent packing.

So what happens next week or the week after, when Lakoda Rayne, the last of the groups, gets the boot? How will Abdul amuse herself between shows? I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.

Do you think the right act was sent home? RELATED:

‘The X Factor’ recap: The top 11 tackle movie songs

‘The X Factor’ results: And then there were 11

‘The X Factor’ recap: It’s now in your hands, America

‘The X Factor’ recap: It’s down to 12

-- Amy Reiter