Will stutterer clinch ‘AI’ singing title?

ARBOS. Last male finalist standing.

We’ve lost sustained interest in “American Idol” and thus no longer view it regularly, so we were surprised last week to see that the singing tilt was down to its final seven bets—and that five of them were women!

To make things even more surprising, one of the two remaining guys was voted off that night, so the competition now has only one male finalist (Lazaro Arbos) left as it barrels to its conclusion in only a few weeks’ time.

The fact that female bets are trouncing the guys on “AI” isn’t all that unusual a development on the program, which has featured standouts like Katharine McPhee, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood, but the weird thing is, when push comes to shove in the final-finals, the winner is usually a guy! That must be because the tilt’s target audience is made up of female teens and tweens.

So, will Lazaro romp off with the title this year? Not if Amber, Kree, Angie and company have any say on the matter!

Speaking of Lazaro, he’s one of the most unusual contestants to ever compete in the singing tilt, because he’s got a huge stammering and stuttering problem that makes it very difficult for him to speak clearly.

But, wonder of wonders, the second he opens his mouth to sing, the impediment vanishes! —Which is why he’s made it to the show’s finals, with sympathetic viewers supporting him with their votes, even as the tilt’s jurors point out his musical deficiencies and worry about his ability to “survive” from week to week.

—Well, they shouldn’t fret, because Lazaro clearly has the support of millions of viewer-voters. Last week, even as the jurors put him in the competition’s bottom two, it was revealed that he was in fact one of  the top three!