Is Ethan Right For Hollywood On 'American Idol'?

It's great to find young talent — and shows like American Idol and The Voice do it all the time — but where do you draw the line? 15-year-old Ethan Kuntz auditioned for American Idol last week and caused quite the debate between the judges. His performance of The Allman Brothers' "Stormy Monday" was good, but there was a sense of immaturity in his voice — he just wasn't ready to take the next step to Hollywood. This was something that the judges could sense, which is why they were so torn. After a split vote between Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick, Jr., Keith Urban had the final say. Which way to he vote? He said "yes" — Kuntz is on his way to Hollywood.

Let's be honest here, if Kuntz were 25 instead of 15 and sang with the same technical issues he had in his audition, he would not have made it through to Hollywood. He was pitchy and his voice wavered many times, which means it wasn't strong enough to carry the song he was singing. But because Kuntz is a cute, young artist with "potential" he was sent through. The judges even admitted that the 15-year-old wasn't ready for Hollywood and sent him through any way. The judges, that is, except Connick Jr. who knew that Kuntz wouldn't excel in the Hollywood setting and decided to say "no." But thanks to Lopez and Urban, Kuntz is on his way to Hollywood. The question is, will he make it any further than that? Sadly, probably not.

Don't get me wrong, Kuntz has a good voice, he's just not Idol ready. He still needs training and it's not training he will receive on American Idol. There may be an equally (or even more) talented, but older contestant out there who won't get a chance at Hollywood because Kuntz took his spot. The 15-year-old still has so much time to "make it" in the industry, but he needs the right training before he gets there. Hollywood isn't the right next move for Kuntz, and it most likely won't work out for him, but, because he's a "cute, young artist" he'll have the chance to experience it anyway.

Image: Ray Mickshaw/FOX