We don't even have our Top 12 yet, and already there is word of cattiness among the American Idol select.

Word from TMZ is that some of the girls have singled out Syesha Mercado for barbs, referring to her as "nappy-headed." Of course, that cost Don Imus his radio gig a year or so ago.

I presume that some of the girls feel threatened by her? They shouldn't. They should feel threatened by Brooke White, who I think will become very popular over the next three to four weeks. Mercado's only saving grace commercially is that she looks good and that I suspect she'd be a fair actress, perhaps.

She is NOT winning American Idol though.

What is not surprising whatsoever is that the guys have reportedly started to gang up on 17-year-old David Archuleta. Not sure if that means they take his lunch money or if they brutally beat him with soap while he sleeps.

However, this is a browbeat well deserved because that kid is week-by-week sending them all back to obscurity.

Perhaps the impetus for alot of the cattiness was Archuleta's tears during Thursday night's elimination show. When Alexandrea Lushington was eliminated, Archuleta was on the verge of being distraught.

When Lushington finished her song, she literally ran over and hugged him, producing an "aww" moment for 33 million people -- and it will do nothing but help the kid build an already devastatingly big fanbase. However, a bit of context here for those who don't know.

Alexandrea was the one singer David knew beyond this show.

They performed together in the junior division of Star Search back in 2003-04. When it was learned that Alexandrea was in the competition, Lushington's dad reintroduced the teens, and they hit it off ever since.

In an interview with MTV.com, Lushington talked about Archuleta's growing popularity:

It's the girls, trust me. I remember telling him from the beginning, "You're going to be a huge chick magnet." He is a phenomenal singer, and he's going to do great. It was so funny, because we were getting picked up form the airport and he was sitting next to us, and my dad said, "Isn't that that kid who was on 'Star Search' with you? Was his name David?" I looked over and was like, "I don't know!" because he looked different. My dad asked him and said, "Do you remember her? She was on 'Star Search' with you. She sang 'My Funny Valentine.' '' And he was like, "Oh my God!" ... From then on, we were just really close.

Of David getting upset when she was eliminated, she told MTV:

I probably would have been the same way if he would have left. It was kind of weird, because I've never seen him that emotional before. It's always sad to see someone that you're close to leave.

From a critical perspective, America absolutely, positively got it wrong last week in sending Lushington, Alaina Whitaker and Robbie Carrico home. On one hand, eliminating these singers makes it a tad easier for some of the favorites, at least I think.

But to be fair, there is something very, very commercial about Lushington. Her voice is good enough, but she comes off much more as a TV star than a singer, like she ought to have her own Nickolodeon show.

Whitaker is a prime example of somebody attempting this show way too early. The Tulsa native should have waited until she was 20 or 21 and grew into her voice and her body a bit better. Shame, too. Simon Cowell referred to her as a dark horse for a reason. She's a talented kid.

And while Carrico wasn't and isn't my cup of tea (my hair is real), he has a good voice. Better than Luke Menard for damned sure. His primary failure was in staying true to himself. Carrico could say he was a rocker all he wanted to, but it would be the same as me telling the world I'm really a girl.

First, it ain't true. Second, trying to make people believe it is futile.

On the other hand, speaking of girls, I still say folks should watch out for Danny Noriega.

But for those of you who didn't catch the first "aww" moment of Season 7, here it is. You might want to skip to the part where Lushington is eliminated.