America’s Got Talent has entered its seven season, having reduced 48 contestants down to the top 40–and I can’t help wondering if the show is running out of talent.

Here’s what bothers me and this season’s contestants:

• “Talent” that isn’t a talent: take the contestant Horse (photo, center), whose “talent” is getting repeatedly hit in the crotch. And I’d argue that the real talent at Olate Dogs lies with the dogs, not their trainers.
• Contestants who have already appeared on Got Talent: acrobats Donovan & Rebecca debuted their act on Britain’s Got Talent, while cloggers All That! appeared on Season One of America’s Got Talent where they finished in the Top 3! I’m fine if people audition more than once, but shouldn’t you be precluded from doing so if you made it into a previous season’s finale?
• Talent that isn’t “America’s”: Surely there’s enough talent in the U.S. that AGT producers  don’t need to recruit performers who hail from other countries. And how can you be both Britain’s and America’s talent?
• Business as “talent”: All Wheel Sports is a company, Inspire the Fire is a non-profit organization.
• Professionals as undiscovered talent: Many of AGT 7′s competitors have spent decades perfecting their craft and rising in their professional fields. For example, comedian Tom Cotter has his own series, Two Funny on the Woman’s Entertainment Network. How successful can someone be and still compete on America’s Got Talent?

Of course, not all of the contestants on America’s Got Talent Season Seven are hampered by these issues.

I just don’t understand why any of them need be. I know there is enough talent out there in our country to fill the spots of reality talent competitions for decades to come. But sometimes it doesn’t feel like we are really seeing the cream of the crop on these shows. And I wonder why.

What do you think?

Photo of Horse (center), an AGT contestant whose talent is being hit in the groin. © NBC.