Washington Post TV columnist Lisa de Moraes will be online from California on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m ET to talk about the season premiere of "American Idol" and catch those of you up on what happened Tuesday night with the return of her "We Watch So You Don't Have To" column. Be there.

We Watch So You Don't Have To: 'Idol's' Trying Times

Bethesda, Md.: Whos telling these people they can sing? Or do they know they can't sing and if they act strange or cry, etc., they will get on the show?

Lisa de Moraes: Hi. Sorry for delay -- NBC Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly's Q&A session at press tour ran long. NBC is happy these days with its numbers and he likes answering questions. Now, to your question. I do not have access to the little people in their heads who are telling these people they can sing. Juggling/dancing/singing man was defintely the scariest.. and how about his comment that he "wanted to start famous" in his career. Yikes.

Wake Forest, N.C.: I only watched a few minutes of it last night. I think I will just wait for when they all get to Hollywood. My question is why do they let all these losers in? Can you imagine how many pretty good singers they didn't allow in just so we could all watch the truly awful ones that are just there for their one moment of fame?

Lisa de Moraes: Because, sadly, people like me really enjoy watching the lousy auditions.. Last night's episode aveaged between 37 and 38 million viewers. That's the show's biggest debut -- ever.

Lexington, Ky.: Paula sober and normal? Looked like she was hammered and snoozing. Seemed like Jewel got more face time than the average guest judge. I know it's a stretch, but could we be seeing potential judge auditions for Paula's replacement? You have to figure, as out-there as she is, it's a matter of time before she does something so nuts they have to make a move.

Lisa de Moraes: You say potato and I say pohtahtoh....I doubt they're going to whack Paula. You don't start messing with the lineup on a show that's clocking nearly 38 million viewers... She'd have to do some thing pretty extraordinary to get pulled....

Washington, D.C.: Do you think any of the military performers on "Idol" last night were planted to help with military recruitment efforts?

Lisa de Moraes: ya think?....pretty creepy, if you ask me. There's product placement and then there's product placement....

Madison, Miss.: I thought the first segment with the Jewel wannabe dragged on way too long. Paula seemend lost in space somewhere. I thought the hard rocker that sang ABBA was the best part of the show.

Lisa de Moraes: Didn't you get the feeling if you could get him to stop trying to sound like he had gravel in his mouth there was a sort of nice voice hiding there somewhere? Butg yes, his manic search for an ABBA song -- or even anyone who knew what ABBA was -- was priceless..I liked Urban Amish Guy. His comeback line to the judges was wonderful, that he never claimed he could sing or that he was the next American Idol. That shut them up -- and so refreshing...

Glen Ellyn, Ill.: Given that Simon Cowell has said he'd rather listen to Kelly Clarkson than to the young Bob Dylan, why should we take him seriously as a judge of musical talent?

Lisa de Moraes: Remember this is the guy who dismissed Jennifer Hudson...Notice how when they do the "Idol is the biggest thing since the invention of the TV" bits they no longer focus on just the winners -- because of course some of them have gone on to mediocre things. Now they're including clips of Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls, Chris Dawtry, etc....

Columbia, Md.: "Because, sadly, people like me really enjoy watching the lousy auditions ..."

Yep ... and many people like me only watch the auditions, because they're funny. Once they get to Hollywood, I quit watching.

Lisa de Moraes: But you've already invested about a workday of your life that you're never going to get back --

Boston, Mass.: I remember two years ago that before the new "A.I." season started, Paula and Randy did lots of publicity saying that group was the most talented they and the producers had seen (this was the group with Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice and temporarily, Mario Vasquez). I don't remember hearing such praise last year or this year -- are we in for a year without blockbusters, like last year?

Lisa de Moraes: Maybe -- and yet, last season was one of the more interesting, I thought...