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It isn't so much idiotic as it is a result of both sides of the case acting for the sake of their constituents. In the case of the prosecutor, they want jurors more likely to go along with their case. In the case of the defense, they want jurors more likely to be sympathetic to their client. In the end, those who walk the center road of opinion are the most likely to remain, since extreme cases on both sides will almost always be excluded if both sides are competent. The system breaks down occasionally - incompetent defense lawyers, prosecutors deliberately choosing jury members likely to be prejudiced against the defendant - but in most cases, things work out fine. Also, considering that they pay you only forty dollars a day for what can sometimes run to nine hour sessions, it makes sense to give jurors an out by acting crazy or prejudiced.

It gets a bit more extreme in general toward the end. One of those 'the happy moments enhance the evil' setups...

Can't you pretend to be incredibly prejudiced to get out of jury-duty? I've always questioned the validity of a system where the fate of the defendant lies with 12 people who really don't want to be there xD