1 Month Later, Has American Idol Learned Anything?

I have been thinking a lot about the woman who committed suicide (Paula Goodspeed) in front of Paula Abdul's house. Then Abdul was on Barbara Walters and talked about how she told American Idol she was being stalked by Goodspeed and to please not let her on the show. They let her on anyway for the "entertainment value".

Fans of Taylor Hicks have often noticed the way American Idol has belittled Taylor Hicks and even the fans, by saying America got it wrong. It seems the contestants and viewers/voters are not the only ones that American Idol does not care about. Even their own judges do not rate the respect they should. If AI feels it will make good TV no one is above being hurt or embarrassed in the name of so-called "entertainment".

I also covered this Abdul/Goodspeed/Idol triangle as an Entertainment Correspondent at IndieNews.co.cc

It has been one month since Paula Goodspeed committed suicide near American Idol Judge, Paula Abdul's home. Today we ask, has American Idol gone to far just to make 'good TV'?. Because the audition phase of American Idol seems to be more based on making fun of people who feel they have talent, rather than finding great talent itself.

The entertainment factor is what keeps AI showing these horrible auditions and making fun of the contestants. We all know that sometimes making fun of a person can cause that person a huge amount of mental torment, but another big issue with American Idol and it's decisions on what to air, and who to allow in to audition, that is currently in the news, concerns Paula Abdul and fan/stalker Paula Goodspeed. In February of 2006 Paula Goodspeed auditioned for American Idol. Simon Cowell, as always, was snide because Goodspeed had braces on her teeth, and Simon of course had to say to her that she had so much metal in her mouth, making fun of her. At first, when she walked in, Cowell was commenting about how much she resembled Abdul, which was not true, and Goodspeed told the producers, and the judges, that she was a huge fan of Paula's, and that she had been drawing Abdul since she was a child.

OBSESSION LEADS TO SUICIDE?

On November the 11th, 2008, Paula GoodSpeed, who it is now known changed her name from Sandra to Paula, was found dead from an apparent suicide, near Abdul's home in Sherman Oaks, CA. Goodspeed's parents had filed a missing person's report and told police they thought she may be in the neighbourhood where Abdul lived. Goodspeed's family is coming forward now saying she was not a stalker. However one has to wonder if she was not a stalker why did the family tell the police to look for her in Abdul's neighbourhood, because on December the 8th Abdul told Billy Bush on Access Hollywood that "When I heard from 'Idol' creator Nigel Lythgoe, 'Wait 'til you see this next girl! Oh my god she changed her name for you,' and I saw her name, I got really nervous. She had been a stalker from a while back. And the thing is, that all she could do was get a hold of me through my fan club."

THE TRUTH ALWAYS COMES OUT

Then in a interview with Barbara Walters on her Sirus XM radio show Abdul said that she immediately recognized Paula as her stalker, who had been writing "disturbing letters for 17 years, almost 18 years." The Idol judge protested vehemently against allowing the potential contestant, against whom Abdul had multiple restraining orders, to audition for the show. However, the "entertainment value" proved to be too good for producers to pass up. After her unsuccessful audition, Goodspeed began sending Abdul letters that threatened bodily harm and included nude pictures of herself. It was when Goodspeed followed Abdul home, after Idol auditions, that she was able to ascertain Abdul's home address, where she ultimately took her own life.

NOT THE PRETTY PICTURE IT SEEMS

When Abdul was asked why she stays with a show who basically put her in danger her response was because she is under contract for this next year. In the interview with Barbara Walters, Abdul also talks about how Simon Cowell is constantly in her ear saying crazy things to make her laugh and with creative editing of the show and Cowell's talking in her ear all this has made her seem ditzy and has lost her lot's of endorsements hurting her career. Is American Idol out to hurt Abdul? Is American Idol really about finding the next great American star or are they more about finding ways to embarrass and make fun of contestants and even there own judges? How far are we willing to go for entertainment? How far are we as human beings going to allow a TV show to go just to entertain us? Is it worth it to diminish the self worth of a person or to put another person in danger just to air a television show?

SHOULD THIS TRAGEDY PRECIPITATE CHANGE?

We have to ask ourselves what is truly important in life? Is a reality show worth all the hurt and torment it is causing? Should we allow American Idol to continue as is, or should we the viewing public tune out until the show is changed? Do we really need to see people who have no talent, and who are clearly aired just to be made fun of, or can the show skip airing these tryouts and just show the actual talent? How many more times does a tragedy like that of Goodspeed have to happen before someone steps in and puts a stop to it? Will Paula Abdul be the one to finally make AI pay for what they do to people or will AI once again make Abdul look like a loon?

by Cindy Wright Reeves, IndieNews.co.cc Entertainment Correspondent

Simon Cowell, Doesn't Like to see Co-Workers Succeed.

December 5^th, Simon Cowell was on Access Hollywood with Billy Bush for an interview. Simon was there to talk about the new Judge added this season, Kara DioGuardi. What I found most telling about Simon's personality his reply after this question. "When asked if Kara and Paula were walking on eggshells while filming Hollywood week, which Simon and the cast taped in Los Angeles recently, the British judge said that they were."

"A little bit, but you know what it's like, Billy -- when you work with other people you never want the people that you work with to do well," he said. "You don't. It's just not in your human nature to want that. If I read about their deals, I'm not exactly opening bottles of champagne in joy because something good is happening in their lives," he said. "I'm not like that and trust me, they're not doing the same for me."

This just sounds absurd to me. How can you work around people for so long and not come to care about them in some manner? Why would you not be happy with their success? Simon Cowell has more money than he knows what to do with. Why would he not be happy to see someone else succeed?

This ego-maniac obviously does not care for anyone above his own self. So Paula's claim of Simon whispering stuff in her ear to make her laugh and seem not all there, seems to very likely be 100% true. If you do not want people to do well than why not try and sabotage them? American Idol needs a wake-up call.

Go here to hear Paula Abdul talk about this with Barbara Walters.