We're four weeks into the biggest show of the summer in terms of ratings: America's Got Talent. We're four weeks in to it, and I'm not sure America does.

However, this show has proven to be worth the wait given that it's produced the most successful reality show winner in history. I'm still not sure the masses know who Terry Fator is, but I doubt he could care less given that he's the headliner at the Mirage in Las Vegas, a deal worth $100 million today and soon to be upped to $200 million.

Terry Fator is bigger than Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken combined.

While I have to admit that his commercial success surprised me a bit, I do appreciate that AGT produces acts that are outside the mainstream. Sure, we get singers and pickers and what-not, but we also get acts like Victoria Jacoby, the 11-year-old contortionist from Tuesday night's episode.

Contortionism is cool. On a pre-teen though, it's creepy. Nevertheless, she is no doubt talented.

On the other hand, tonight's episode opened with a girl whose singular talent it was to whip her dad's ass. She danced around, squinted and flexed hard and loud and pretend-hit her father. It was an act that showed the other side of AGT ... the talentless.

Color me the fool though, judges David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan sent her off to the next round.

Dance troupes are big on AGT, and we've had tumblers, aerobicizers and African tribal dancing specialists. Unless one of them can do some Cirque d'Soleil type of act, I can't imagine any of them winning.

On the other hand, a quartet calling themselves The James Gang wasn't half bad. Adorning clothes from another era, perhaps the 1930s, this Harlem group combined old and new.

However, the act that caught my eye tonight is 19-year-old Sarah Lenore, who auditioned with her version of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," proving not only that she definitely had vocal talent but also that she should be placed on Nashville Star immediately.

A quick look on YouTube indicates that Sarah already has a solid amount of experience and even more talent than this video indicates. And vocally, it's pretty much better than anything we've seen on Nashville Star this season. Furthermore, she plays the guitar well. She's gorgeous. She's young.

Sharon recommended that Sarah work on her "individuality," and to that I say phooey. Nashville is a cookie-cutter warehouse, and this kid fits the mold. No need to fix what ain't broke. Seriously. She's not in the least bit original; however, she's money.

Somebody should just sign her now.

Perhaps the thing I like the least about AGT is its tendency to go all Extreme Makeover on us with the sap stories and the close-ups and the tears. Just because Terry Fator is a $100M man now doesn't mean anybody's life has changed because of one audition.

But by the tears streaming down the face of Kyle Rifkin, you wouldn't know it. He cried before he even performed "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," and while he was good, I wouldn't say he was great. He's guilty of the same thing a lot of "soul" singers are: He yells under the premise that loud is powerful.

Alas, he was good, and he'll join a bucketful of others for the next rounds in Las Vegas, the second part of a summer-long process. To this point, we've had a little girl who sang "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" make it through in a fashion eerily reminiscent (copied) from Britain's Got Talent last season.

Likewise, we've had a big fellow singing opera get a ticket to the next round, again just like happened on Britain's Got Talent last season. To be honest, the blatant copying turns me off considerably. Given that we all have the Web now, it should stand to reason that we had already seen clips of the little girl and Paul Potts.

However, the way AGT is produced as a whole treats the audience like idiots, playing to the lowest common demoninator. The cut-ins of an audience giving a contestant an ovation. The looks of wonder. The clapping. The cheers. It's all a production sham for the most part, and it's painful to watch.

On the other hand, the Simon Cowell vehicle did create the world's most successful reality show winner of all time last season. That alone makes this season worth a watch, even if I've only season a couple of acts worth even a second look.