'Idol' Judges Overrule the Voters and Save Matt Giraud From the Gallows -- for Now

"American Idol's" four judges ignored the results of this week's more than 36 million votes and saved Idolette Matt Giraud from elimination last night -- so he can be one of two Idolettes whom viewers surely boot next week after he performs during Tuesday's disco-themed performance night.

"I didn't think you were as good as last night," said judge Simon Cowell -- speaking also for the three other judges -- of Matt's re-singing of the same tune from the night before, which so unimpressed viewers that they voted to give him the hook.

"I don't see that you have really any chance of winning the competition," Simon added for good measure.

Which prompts the question: So why did they save Matt Giraud?

Apparently this year's Judges' Save is the same as the knife introduced in Act 1 of a play -- it absolutely must be used on someone by the end of Act 3. It's a rule.

Likewise, with the "Idol" judges only having two more weeks left in which they could even use the Judges' Save -- and with the two Idolettes about whom they really care, Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert, having never even come within spitting distance of becoming a week's Bottom Three vote-getter and thus in need of saving -- the judges apparently could not stand the prospect of not using their new toy.

And so they saved Matt. Even though his performance after the voting results were announced -- the performance they are supposed to base their decision upon -- was even worse than his singing Tuesday, or so Simon said. And even though Giraud has absolutely no chance of winning this competition.

On the bright side, the show came in on time. And the Judges' Save totally upstaged Miley Cyrus, in a strapless evening dress, who came down from the tweener movie-star firmament to sing some twangy number while doing her annoying head flick and flapping her arms wildly. And the enormously talented former Idolette Jennifer Hudson came back to remind the producers, several times: "I was kicked off" the singing competition. Too bad they didn't have the Judges' Save back then -- they could've used it.

* * *

NBC is off to a great start in its campaign to revive the dead ABC reality series "I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here," casting indicted Illinois ex-governor Rod Blagojevich as one of the 10 "celebrities."

Blagojevich tops the rogues' gallery of pop icons and celebrities flirting with the wrong side of the law who are increasingly gaining acceptance as the hot blond chicks of reality TV.

That club includes the likes of Lil' Kim -- now happily mamba-ing on ABC's ultra-forthright, family-viewing "Dancing With the Stars"; incarcerated boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman, who is pitching a reality series deal with producer Jonathan Murray of "Real World" fame; incarcerated NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who's reportedly looking for cameras to document his made-for-TV redemption. And, of course, felon-vision trailblazer Martha Stewart.