Thursday News Update

Nigel to Rosie: We Love Fatties, Black People
Idol Executive Producer Nigel Lithgoe has fired back at Rosie for calling the show "racist" and "weightiest" for keeping Antonella Barba after booting Frenchie Davis from the competition in season two. To illustrate his point, Nigel points out that Randy Jackson is a fatty-fatty-two-by-four. (TMZ)

Rosie to Nigel: Whatever
Rosie fired back at Nigel on her blog, with, you guessed it! Bad poetry. In a post entitled "star search/american idol," daytime television's own poet laureate says:

well…
what can u say really
from the coca-cola red couch

i call it as i see it
nigel l - sam r
same same same
1985 - 2007
blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah

Oooh, burn! And by "burn," I mean, wait, what? (r blog)

Jennifer Hudson's Surprise Visit
Jennifer Hudson reportedly dropped in on the season six semifinalists last week on elimination day. The reason, she said, was to meet them and offer encouragement. Let's hope she also told them a cautionary fairy tale about a girl who found success after Idol and then acted like a giant asshole and forgot where she came from. You know, like a fictional bedtime story. (Star Pulse)

Americans Love Daughtry, Hate Good Music
DAUGHTRY, the album from Chris DAUGHTRY's band DAUGHTRY (sensing a theme?) is at #1 again, apparently breaking all sorts of records. In other news, I listen to "It's Not Over" to help me get to sleep at night.

All Antonella Barba, All the Time
If you're still into that kind of thing, Little Brother, (who despite my text last night which said "vote for antonella and suffer my wrath" still did it) more pics of the Idol hopeful acting like a drunk college girl.

Antonella Barba Says "Keep Talkin'!"
On her MySpace page, Barba has posted a message which says, "Keep talking, you're making me famous." You have to be her friend to see the rest of her profile, though, and something tells me she isn't going to want to be our friend. But you want to be our friend, Don't you?

And now for the predictions:

Moi: Stephanie Edwards and Haley Scarnato, see ya!

Dial Idol's also got their money on Stephanie Edwards and Haley Scarnato.

AOL's Idol poll has Antonella and Haley at the bottom. If only.

And just because she's my American Idol, here's Tara Reid singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart":

Poll Time: Is There an 'Idol' Double Standard?

The Antonella Barba scandal continues! Some folks are none too pleased that the not-so-camera-shy contestant remains in the running while Season Two's Frenchie Davis got the premature boot but good for the same reason.

Were Frenchie's pictures dirtier? Maybe? Is it because she's got a bit o' the junk in the trunk? Perhaps. Or did her race play a part in the decision? Rosie O'Donnell seems to think so. Because, uh, Rosie is now an expert on race relations in America? Say what you want about Rosie but at least she's consistent in having shrill, ill-informed, knee-jerk responses to just about everything. Rarely does she throw us for a loop with say, a lucid, well-researched argument.

Dumbasses aside, Frenchie rightfully wants to know why she was dismissed while Antonella remains. So, what say you...

Is there a double standard on American Idol?
	Yup
	Nope
	I dunno
Free polls from Pollhost.com

All the News That's Fit to Pinch

I know you've been foaming at the mouth and battling the shakes for your next "Idol" news fix so suffer no longer, my fellow fiends. Here's the latest:

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes! Twists and turns are afoot! According to an executive producer of our beloved program, we can look forward to "a big-event show, sometime in the middle of the season, something that will blow America away." Hmm... Anyone want to take a stab at what the surprise could possibly be? My guess is that Randy ventures beyond his usual five-word vocabulary. (MSNBC)

Fear not, all you non-techie types and poor slobs prone to the occasional TiVo/DVR programming mishap! Episodes of Season 6 will be available online immediately after the broadcast. That's a huge relief for me because I'm going to have a dickens of a time explaining the tantrum-induced crack in my cable box to my cable provider. It didn't record a results show last season and well, it had to pay. But between you, me and the lamppost, I'm telling them that's the condition it arrived in. You dig? (The Daily Reel)

In other news, "Idol" producers have finally figured out what we've known all along -- the song selections for finalists suck copious amounts of ass. So, in an effort to find something a little less shitty for the top two to warble, producers are reportedly adding a songwriting contest this season. Oh good! Now we'll have a name and face to put with the usual scorn and insults. Potential applicants: Make sure your contact info is not a matter of public record because we WILL track you down and ridicule you mercilessly, if need be. (Reality TV World)

Have you just been dying to know what John Stevens, the carrot-topped crooner from Season 3 has been up to these days? Yeah, me neither. But you can get yourself up to speed on the likes of Frenchie Davis, Kimberly Caldwell, Jim Verraros and that perky wee Diana DeGarmo thanks to the crack investigative team over at Entertainment Weekly.

Oh and as of this posting, it is 7 days, 4 hours, 38 minutes and 4 seconds to the Season 6 premiere. Not that I'm obsessed or anything...