American Idol Season 7 is coming under fire for planting “ringers” into this season — ringer such as:
Carly Smithson (aka Carly Hennessy):
1. She’s been hyped up for 2 years. American Idol knew about her since Season 5 when she auditioned in Las Vegas, and most likely knew about her long before that.
2. In 2000, Carly Smithson signed a 6-album recording contract with MCA Records (Vivendi Universal) — a major label. Not your independent Hickory Records let’s record our own CD at home label. An actual recording contract that thousands of American Idol hopefuls aspire for. In 2001 Carly Smithson said: “Some people just struggle. I was very, very lucky.†You THINK? Carly Smithson received a $100,000 advance for her first album, plus $5,000 a month in living expenses while the album was being made. She recorded her first CD “Ultimate High†for 2 years, and MCA Records spent a total of $2.2 million on recording, promotion, making a video, and Carly Smithson’s living expenses and her car.
3. Carly Smithson’s CD was a flop. Her debut single “I’m Gonna Blow Your Mind†alluded to oral sex, and just didn’t catch on with anyone. She sold 378 copies.
Now Carly Smithson is on American Idol crying that this could be her year. Her story on television is that she was disqualified and this was her second chance. But we know her real story.
Or 18-year-old Kady Malloy from Houston (the Brittney Spears impressionist) — who already has an album out.
Or Kristy Lee Cook from Selma, Oregon (sang Amazing Grace in her audition) — “a spit-shined veteran of the biz, having signed to Arista and Britney Spears’ production company… in friggin’ 2001.”
This show is no longer “American Idol” — let’s just call it what it really is: Marginally Talented but Under-exposed Professional Musicians.
If we can’t trust Simon to be honest about who the contestants are, how can we trust anything about the show? Such as the voting…
