Past American Idol contestant Danny Gokey showed up to please the crowd at the Milwaukee auditions, as it’s his own hometown (and he’s not that busy with music right now). The show spent a lot of time on the city and the judges (Randy Jackson isn’t familiar with Aerosmith banner hit “Sweet Emotion”) before introducing us to the first contestant of the day.

Did any of them stand out? Will one of them be the next Idol? Tuesday's was a long episode … but did it provide a big payoff?

Scott McCreery, 16, is a small-town, American boy who loves country music -- because that’s not an Idol cliché. His voice is twangy, deep and absolutely perfect for the country genre. Steven Tyler asked him to sing a second song, so McCreary chose “Put Some Drive in Your Country.” But no matter the song, his deep voice has the same tone. “That’s beautiful,” Tyler told him. All judges said "Yes" to give McCreary a ticket to Hollywood. He’d do much better to go straight to Nashville with those pipes, but Randy Jackson believes that McCreary is “on his way.”

Emma Henry, 15, drove 16 hours to reach Milwaukee from Colorado. Emma bravely chose “True Colors,” warbling the tune out unsteadily for the judges. There’s a good voice buried in there somewhere. Steven Tyler found “a certain something in there.” “There’s something there to build on,” Jennifer Lopez agreed. J-Lo said "No," Tyler said "Yes" and Emma began to cry. Randy Jackson “really, honestly” believes that she’ll “get swallowed up in this whole thing.” He encouraged her to pursue her dream and keep working at it. But in the end, Jackson caved and gave Emma her golden ticket. This is why the panel needs Simon Cowell.

Naima Adedapo is colorful, exotic and very committed to music. She sang “For All We Know” with a powerful voice. It was a horrible song choice, but Naima is a good singer. “That was great. I say yes,” Steven Tyler told her. Randy Jackson cried “I love this girl!” J-Lo agreed, and Adedapo won herself a golden ticket. Hers was a quick audition, but we've got it on good authority that Adedapo will be seen again.

Jerome Bell, 27, is already a performer. He sings for weddings and other special events. Boldly, Bell sang “Let’s Get It On” for his Idol audition. He was a little loud, but Bell has some vocal talent. Randy Jackson laid it on a little thick, calling Bell’s some “hot, crazy vocals.” J-Lo also enjoyed him, and Tyler found him “outstanding.” “Remember that name,” Jennifer Lopez instructed as Bell left the room.

Thia Megia, 15, was going to wait for her Idol audition … but since the age limit was lowered this year, there’s no reason. She sang Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” for the judges with way too much twang, but Megia has a nice tone to her voice. The judges quickly gave her a golden ticket. But don't get too excited -- at the end of Day 1, all the 15-year-old auditioners were given a free pass to Hollywood.

Molly DeWolf Swensen, 23, is a Harvard graduate and an intern at the White House. She’s in love with the president ... but not in a Monica Lewinsky sort of way, she was quick to assure cameras. Early in the day, Randy accidentally punched her in the mouth while high-fiving contestants in the holding room. After calling him out on it, she sang “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” with a very sexy, low-pitched voice. Molly’s sultry voice is actually rather pleasant, and Steven Tyler loved her “attitude.” Randy Jackson shouted “Yes,” the rest of the panel agreed, and Molly is going on to Hollywood.

Haley Reinhart is blonde and gorgeous. She was going to Hollywood even before she opened her mouth. Haley auditioned in Chicago last year, and was told to come back so she did. She sang “Oh! Darlin’” with a lot of soul and tons of emotion to wow the judges. Steven Tyler adored her singing, Randy Jackson immediately agreed and J-Lo called for a vote. The panel’s sole female chose to wear a horrendous white blouse with a music note in the middle, and she was really tough to look at on Day 2 of the Milwaukee auditions.

Tiwan Strong, 29, has a very smooth voice and tons of confidence. In previous Idol years, he would have been too old to qualify for the competition. It seems the show has changed the age limit on both ends of the spectrum, though we're having trouble finding any info on what the new age limit just might be. The judges were quick to give Strong the unanimous “yes” vote, and he’ll also be going to Hollywood. The new, kinder Idol makes everything easier.
 

Scott Dangerfield, 22, has a look that doesn’t quite match his very rich, soulful voice. “You might be my favorite that I’ve seen so far!” Jennifer Lopez cried after hearing his smooth vocals. All three judges gave Scott a resounding yes vote, and he’ll be joining the massive crowd of Idol hopefuls going to Hollywood.
 

Chris Medina, 26, was also excited to be in front of the judges. He’s been dating the same girl for 8 years and proposed to her about 2 years ago -- but they still aren’t married. A traumatic car accident gave her severe brain damage 2 months before their scheduled wedding. “What kind of guy would I be if I walked out when she needed me the most?” he asked cameras. Idol‘s known for trying to rip our hearts out with touching stories … but it was hard not to get teary when they showed footage of Chris tenderly caring for his fiancée. He strongly sang “Break Even,” and the judges allowed him to croon practically for ever. And if they'd given him his ticket and sent him on his way, everything would have been fine.

But that's not what Idol did.

The panel told Medina to bring his girlfriend into the audition room, so he wheeled her inside. That’s when things got to be way too much. The severely-damaged woman trembles constantly and seems unable to speak. When Medina wheeled her into the room, the whole thing just became way too exploitative. Idol doesn’t even attempt to toe the line of decency … but that’s FOX for you. Nothing is quite as tacky as parading someone so ill before reality television cameras in hopes of boosting flagging ratings.

But if you think you can take more, American Idol returns on Wednesday from Nashville, the famous town known as Music City. We'll keep you updated on everything, so keep reading all our American Idol 10 posts.