oh my word - i was super shocked to find out earlier today that FOX has hired ellen degeneres to take over paula abdul's vacant judge spot on the next season of american idol! at first i really thought it was a big joke but after a little bit of search it turns out it's not a joke at all! now don't get me wrong - i totally love ms. degeneres - i don't have one bad thing to say about her at all but i don't think she's a good fit for the show - first off she has zero musical background (except she loves to dance to music) plus i'm worried she'll constantly be cracking jokes - which might be fun for an episode or two but certainly not the whole season! i said i won't watch the upcoming season without ms. abdul ... i thought by the time january rolls around she would have worked something out with the network to return to the show (where she belongs) but as of right now - it sounds like the door for paula's return has been shut for good! i wonder what she thinks of her replacement? this is all so unfortunate - a total bummer - i might tune in just out of curiosity but it's not going to be the same at all ... american idol has officially jumped the shark - it's sad but true! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
PS ellen will continue to do her daytime talk show while judging idol - she's going to be super busy!
oh gosh ... it's only monday and already the bad ideas are flowing freely around hollywood ... here's one of the worst ideas i've heard about in quite awhile - supposedly papa joe simpson (who should probably go hang out with joe jackson - i bet those two would get along really well) is trying to push producers of american idol into considering his daughter jessica simpson as a replacement for judge paula abdul! first off - no one is going to be able to replace ms. abdul ... certainly not ms. simpson (although i bet she'd do the show for peanuts and wine) and secondly i highly doubt this will happen but the fact that it's even being talked about truly sends chills and shivers down my spine - what a joke - just like ms. simpson's flailing music career - HA! i'm actually still holding onto a very small bit of hope that maybe ms. abdul will return for the 9th season but sadly that's looking less and less of a possibility - i still say i won't be tuning in this time around if paula's not there - it just won't be the same without her wacky yet lovable vibe! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
oh man - i think i'm still digesting the very unfortunate and awful news we all received last night from paula abdul via her twitter account - she will not be returning to american idol for its upcoming 9th season (i assume it kicks off in january) supposedly contract negotiations broke down after ms. abdul refused to accept their offer ... although i'm beyond bummed she's not coming back - i'm glad she stood her ground - producers should have paid her whatever she wanted - you can't have american idol without crazy yet super lovable paula - it just won't be the same! here's another reason it won't be the same - i will not be watching - i cannot watch that show without her! i know a lot of people feel the exact same way - FOX is going to be sorry when the ratings take a hit! even though i do love simon cowell - i really loved the relationship between him and paula - they were perfect together (i could give two shits about randy jackson or kara dioguardi) i'm so upset this happened - the show has officially jumped the shark! now i'm wondering what might be next for ms. abdul - no matter what she does - i will be there to cheer her on! last night i was playing some of her greatest hits - including cold hearted snake, forever your girl and the promise of a new day - gosh i worship those songs - i'm on paula's side until the bitter end! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
PHOTOS | SPLASH NEWS
good morning everyone! well although american idol runner-up adam lambert hasn't officially come out yet - it's pretty clear at this point he's gay (i totally knew the first time i saw him he played on my team) he was spotted out & about last night holding hands with his super cute boyfriend - drake labry (he's twenty-four years old and is an artist / interior designer) the couple was hanging at guys and dolls nightclub here in los angeles! recent rumors are suggesting mr. lambert might soon be coming out on the cover of rolling stone magazine - finally putting all the speculation to rest! i'm still feeling a little bitter adam didn't win 'idol' this year but i know he has an amazing career ahead of him - i seriously can't wait for him to begin work on his debut album - i know it's going to be a hot one! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
PHOTOS | PACIFIC COAST NEWS
oh my word! i said i wouldn't do a post about american idol on twitter - but on second thought (after i calmed down - if you guys saw me - you might have called 911) i figured i should at least post something - i'm beyond disappointed and bummed that adam lambert lost tonight to kris allen - hands down mr. lambert is a far better singer and overall performer than mr. allen! i can't help but think that homophobia played some part in tonight's results - obviously adam is gay - kris happens to be a southern 'christian' boy - it just makes me upset to even think stuff like that affected voting yet i know it did (plus i doubt producers want to deal with possible right-wing protests over a gay idol) i never get up on a soapbox here on popbytes - but i do think that everyone needs to live and let live - i'm not asking for special rights/privileges - i just want to be able to live my life without feeling like a 2nd class citizen! i still don't really get why some people still have such a problem with gays & lesbians? (there's many more way important issues than someone's sexuality) in the end - i know adam lambert has an amazing career ahead of him - plus he won't be held to the constraints of being the 'idol' winner - i seriously can't wait for his debut album - his sales are bound to outdo anything mr. allen puts out! popbytes over & out for tonight - much love to all as always - especially everyone who was so very kind to me on both twitter & facebook - it's great having the support! xoxo
PS please read these two great & well-written articles - NY daily news and the daily beast
woo hoo! thank heavens danny gokey finally got the boot on american idol - leaving adam lambert and kris allen to compete in the finale which airs next week (tuesday and wednesday) i shocked myself this season by not really covering the show as much as i normally do here on popbytes - partly because i didn't think this season was all that great (except for mr. lambert) plus i actually twittered each week which ended up being a lot more fun (and i made new cyber friends - you guys know who you are!) since the start of the season i've been saying the whole time that adam will win - but i'm certainly not going to take any chances - i will be voting up a storm next week! i do really like kris (he's beyond adorable) but adam definitely outshines him - he's destined to be a huge star - adam lambert for the win! popbytes over & out for tonight ... xoxo
PS how hot was jordin sparks tonight? i love her new single battlefield!
PHOTOS | FOX
hey y'all! after three long weeks we're finally down to the top 13 american idol hopefuls! originally it was supposed to be only 12 people but at the last minute the judges announced one more person made it ( anoop desai) during the wild card show tonight ... i'm a drop bitter over the fact tatiana del toro didn't make it - she wasn't the best singer - however i totally ate up all the drama she brought to the table! there's a couple of people i do like ( danny gokey, lil rounds, allison iraheta, and alexis grace) yet i still think in the end the winner will be adam lambert but anything can happen before the big finale in may! popbytes over & out for tonight - i'm excited tomorrow is already friday! xoxo
AMERICAN IDOL: TOP 13: BOTTOM ROW L-R: Megan Corkrey, Jasmine Murray, Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace, Kris Allen and Michael Sarver. Middle Row L-R: Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta and Jorge Nunez. Top Row L-R: Matt Giraud, Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai and Scott MacIntyre.
PHOTOS | MICHAEL BECKER / FOX
hey hey! i can't believe i haven't posted anything about the new season of american idol yet - i've been faithfully watching the auditions over the past few weeks - tonight the judges made their final cuts (starting next week america gets to vote) so we're down to the top 36 idol hopefuls - all pictured below (for more info on each of 'em - go to the show's website) in the next three weeks they'll be performing individually (in groups of twelve) each week four people will go home - then we'll be down to the top 24 (i'm assuming that's how it'll go down) i like a couple of the people - i can't say who might be the final two - nobody really stands out in my mind except that one kooky guy nick mitchell aka norman gentle - he's really funny and surprisingly has a decent voice - i can't wait to see what happens with him! (as far as cute guys are concerned - i guess i like adam lambert and ricky braddy) popbytes over & out for tonight ... xoxo
PHOTO | COURTESY OF FOX
good evening y'all! i'm not the hugest fan of chef rachael ray (although i always do love a little evoo) but when i came across this picture from when she decided to crash the american idol auditions in NYC for a segment on her TV show (the episode airs on september 8th) i was taken aback by the unexpected intimate moment caught on film - apparently randy jackson and ryan seacrest decided to get extra close while tasting one of ms. ray's speciality wraps! i'm sure there was plenty to go around so i don't know quite why the guys needed to share in a bite...i bet simon cowell totally had a clever & snappy quipe for what transpired! popbytes over & out for now...xxoo
good evening! i just finished watching hillary clinton's speech at the DNC in denver which i thought was amazing & inspiring - i'm totally on board to elect barack obama the next president of the united states! speaking of ms. clinton - her supposed favorite TV show is american idol which is switching things up by adding a 4th judge when the 8th season kicks off in january - i'm glad that the producers are adding in a judge rather than replacing one (once paula abdul, simon cowell, or randy jackson leave - the show will have totally jumped the shark which we know will happen eventually...probably sooner than later)
i'm actually a huge fan of the new judge kara dioguardi who i discovered by way of platinum weird (an album she wrote & performed with dave stewart (of eurythmics) and was previously featured on popbytes here & here - quick sidenote: one of the album's tracks taking chances became celine dion's lead single off her latest album!) kara has also worked with a number of other pop artists including pink, natasha bedingfield, gwen stefani, and leona lewis to name just a few - i think she'll be a perfect fit on american idol! i'm glad she'll be getting more exposure (and no worries she's already a good friend of ms. abdul's - no catfights for now...) she's really talented and will bring some new life to idol which i still enjoy a whole lot yet we are heading into the 8th season (i'd still say my favorite season was when fantasia won and we were first introduced to jennifer hudson) below are some pictures of the idol gang over at NYC's chelsea piers where they officially introduced ms. dioguardi as the newest AI judge! popbytes over & out for now...xxoo
speaking about the moment she was offered the role, kara dioguardi says, "i almost fell off the chair" and adds that she hopes to create "a new chemistry as well as keeping the old". and asked how she felt about judging wannabe pop stars, she says, "i'm a little nervous. i'm going to be a straight shooter and say it like i see it and maintain that philosophy. i'm somebody who's really honest and gives an opinion. if i feel i need to be hard, i will be. and if i feel i need to be more nurturing, i will be."
PHOTOS | WENN
oh my goodness! i just landed here in los angeles - i raced home as fast as i could to catch the big finale of american idol - and i'm THRILLED that my favorite david cook won! i was totally convinced little david archuleta was going to win - he's a great singer but i find him to be completely boring - mr. cook for sure has an edge over him - and he managed to pull out the win in the end (i didn't even get to vote last night - i planned to vote for david cook like crazy but i just couldn't get to it) one of the best parts of the evening was george michael's stirring performance of praying for time (which moved paula adbul to tears of course) i so need to see him in concert when he swings by southern california! as for the final song of the evening the time of my life - i thought mr. cook did a superb job with it but overall i'm not so crazy about the song - have a listen over at popeater where the song just premiered!
anyways i'm really drained - the flight was ok - the funny thing was i spotted joey mcintyre ( new kids on the block) with his wife barrett williams (wearing a huge rock on her finger) and their baby boy griffin thomas who for being only six months old was very well behaved - in fact they sat directly across from us in the same row! joey looks adorable in person - and his wife looks great for being a new mom and the baby was so damn cute - i couldn't get over it - he was smiling at everything! after seeing adam levine & gisele bündchen - my pal joey and i were convinced we would run into someone else - since things tend to run in threes - and mr. mcintyre was our 3rd boston celeb sighting - how random! popbytes over & out for now...xxoo
PHOTOS | MICHAEL BECKER FOR FOX
hey kids! i'm so sorry i didn't get to my normal wednesday evening american idol post - since i was at the kate nash concert last night there just wasn't enough time - anyways as expected syesha mercado (the last lady standing) was given the boot last night (who really started to grow on me over the past few weeks) leaving us with our final two idol contenders - david cook & david archuleta (pictured below standing together) i swear this has been one of the worst seasons of idol - i do like mr. cook a lot but there have been past seasons that i was way more into - i'm totally ready for all the idol hoopla to come to an end! the good folks over at AOL television asked me to make a prediction as to who would most likely win this season along with a few other bloggers which you can check out here - i will be voting like mad for rocker david cook to win although i have a sinking feeling little 'awww shucks' boy david archuleta will walk off with this year's title :( next week i'll be in boston on business for a few days so i'll be getting my vote on from the east coast - i'm excited to get out of town although i always get stressed over dealing w/ popbytes while on the road - posting will of course carry on - maybe just a little lighter than normal! popbytes over & out for now...xxoo
PHOTO CREDIT | MICHAEL BECKER FOR FOX
good evening y'all! even though it's getting late in the day - happy mother's day to all you lovely moms out there - of course i sent my own mom a nice gift but unfortunately i mailed it out a bit late (ummm...like this past friday) so it won't get there until tomorrow - gosh when it comes to mailing stuff i'm the worst! this weekend american idol's most sensible judge simon cowell took his dear mum julie (who looks like a delightful older lady at around age 83) out to lunch at the ivy on robertson blvd which i should probably do next time my mom makes it out to los angeles (of course my dad is welcome too) i've never been and i'd love to try their famous crab cakes (although the restaurant seems more about having your picture snapped than the food...) as for 'idol' we're now down to the final three - in less than two weeks we'll be voting for the winner - i'm still in camp david cook - nothing can sway me now! i fear david archuleta (who annoys me to no end with his whole 'i'm so sweet' vibe) will probably win the idol title but i'm going to be voting like a fiend for mr. cook! popbytes over & out for tonight...xxoo
PHOTOS | WENN
hey hey! we're now down to the top three on american idol as expected blue-eyed cutie stoner boy jason castro got the boot tonight - as much as i found him to be adorable - over the past few weeks he was seriously lacking (last night he forgot the words to 'mr. tambourine man') mr. castro should be super happy he actually made it to the top four! as for syesha mercado she has totally stepped up to the plate yet she'll most likely be going home next week - although i'm still not all pumped up over this season - i will be voting hardcore for david cook to win this year's idol title! he's great and is way cuter these days (his hair is better plus he lost a little weight) then there's david archuleta who just annoys me - he's a kick-ass singer but he's so damn boring and his whole 'gee whiz' vibe is freakin' annoying but i fear he may win this year...at least this season will be wrapped up in two weeks time and then we've got so you think you can dance? which i became a big fan of last season! popbytes over & out for now...xxoo
PHOTOS | FRANK MICELOTTA FOR FOX
we're now down to the final four on american idol after brooke white got the boot tonight - no big surprise - it was her time to go! ms. white has been hanging on by her fingernails over the past few weeks - i do like her 'girl w/ a piano' style but for sure she was not cut out to win the competition! next week syesha mercado will leave followed by jason castro...leading up to david cook (who should win) & david archuleta (who will win) battling out for the idol title...hello boring! this season has been seriously dragging ass - i'm barely buzzed over the finale - by now i should be way pumped up but i'm just not feeling it this year at all (i'm more excited over the premiere of the new season of so you think you can dance? on may 22nd) popbytes over & out for tonight...xxoo
PHOTOS | FRANK MICELOTTA & RAY MICKSHAW FOR FOX
just as i suspected brooke white was safe (and very lucky) on american idol tonight - and tattooed carly smithson got the boot - i think people felt bad for brooke (and voted) after last night's dramatic fiasco (i gasped when she forget the lyrics and had to start again) my pal joey and i were convinced she was going to sing i don't know how to love him from jesus christ superstar which would have been the PERFECT andrew lloyd webber song for her - instead she went with that after thought of a song from evita and totally murdered it - she was horrible but i do like her - last night just wasn't her thing! yet i know in the next two weeks we will say goodbye to ms. white and syesha mercado (who kicked ass last night - totally her best performance by far!) then jason castro will leave - the finale will for sure come down to david cook vs. david archuleta (i loved his rendition of think of me last night) my votes are already lined up to make sure that mr. cook takes the idol title this year - he is also way cuter these days - the haircut is working for him and i think he lost a few pounds...at first i thought david was cute but now i think he's pretty freakin' hot! we're down to the final five - i still say this season of idol has been one of the weakest - all the hype about this 7th time around being the best season ever was just pure & simple hype! popbytes over & out for now...xxoo!
PHOTO CREDIT | FRANK MICELOTTA & MICHAEL BECKER FOR FOX
hey hey! i finally got my wish - for the very mediocre and boring as wood kristy lee cook to get the boot on american idol tonight! although i was betting that my dear brooke white was going to be leaving - so i was really happy when ryan announced that brooke had another week! although i know it's going to come down to the guys - i still don't have an ultimate favorite just yet - right now i'm rooting for both david cook (who is looking cuter each week to me) and oh so dreamy jason castro - i'd love to see them battle it out for the final two but i just know that david archuleta (who completely annoys me on many levels but he is quite talented) will take one of the final spots!
as for mariah carey i thought she did a great job performing her second single bye bye which i bet will also land her another #1 hit - i've listened to her new album E=MC2 a few more times and i really like the whole thing - i wonder if she'll get grammy nominations again like she did for the emancipation of mimi? at work earlier today we were all talking about her sense of style which is almost non-existent at times but damn her body looks great right now - yet girlfriend could really use some styling help - some of her hoochie momma mall getups are just plain awful (part of the blame can be placed on long island - and don't forget i'm from there which allows me to make occasional digs!) tonight mariah's black dress was halfway decent and i loved her microphone & stand all covered in what i assume must be swarovski crystals - mimi is such a complete diva and so over the top (i bet she's the type of person it's fun to play practical jokes on) but that's why i adore her along with that killer voice! popbytes over & out for now...xxoo!
 PHOTOS | FRANK MICELOTTA & MICHAEL BECKER FOR FOX
oh my gosh! shocker elimination tonight on american idol! i was actually over at the popsugar / techcrunch party here in hollywood (which was a great time plus i ran into a number of people who i've been wanting to meet) when i heard the shocking news about hottie aussie rocker michael johns unfairly getting the boot! (he looked shocked along w/ everyone else... paula abdul of course was beside herself) this reminds of when chris daughtry got the boot (he went on to way bigger & better things) no worries about mr. johns - i am sure we'll be hearing from him again at some point! i really thought it would be syesha mercado's time to leave - last week she covered whitney houston (big mistake) and then this week she tried to top previous idol winner fantasia which is a pretty impossible feat for anybody to attempt - she's in danger for sure along with kristy lee cook - who keeps hanging on...ugh! (yet sadly she wasn't even in the bottom three!) anyways i just need to say - woo hoo - tomorrow is friday! word is the temperature could hit 95 degrees this weekend in southern california - i'm so taking myself to the beach - in fact i just picked up a really cute swimsuit from paul frank! popbytes over & out for tonight...xxoo!
PHOTO CREDIT | FRANK MICELOTTA & MICHAEL BECKER FOR FOX
hey hey! i totally got trapped into watching all 2.5 hours of idol gives back - and once teri hatcher started to sing - i immediately donated to the worthy cause with the hope that she'd shut up and never sing in public again - but kudos to her for tossing herself out there this evening! i got way hopped up on fergie singing 'barracuda' along with heart - one of my top bands of all time...i fucking love those ladies! then when miley cyrus performed see you again - i was in complete pop heaven - that song is like the ultimate guilty pleasure of 2008 - i don't care who sings it - the track is an incredibly delicious pop single! another one of my favorites kelly clarkson is also getting in on the charity action - with these limited edition california stamps (pictured below) featuring ms. clarkson (it's like a trip down memory lane...since you've been mailed!) all the proceeds are going to help support the great causes at hand! popbytes over & out for now...xxoo!
PHOTO CREDIT | FOX
hey hey! i had a feeling all day long that ramiele malubay would get the boot on american idol and i was right - i really liked her in the beginning but she never really grabbed me again - she's so cute though! thank heavens kristy lee cook came close to leaving tonight - next week girlfriend needs to go! it's also great to know that david cook is feeling much better - sadly his older brother has brain cancer and the situation is worsening so he has been under a lot of stress plus apparently he has high blood pressure which led to heart palpitations last night and a quick trip to the hospital - tonight david seemed fine and thankfully he's safe for another week and now we're down to the final eight - all of 'em pictured below!
the best part of the entire evening hands down was seeing dolly parton perform an amazingly uplifting song called jesus and gravity - the second single off her brand new country album backwoods barbie ( watch her performance) dolly is such a total national treasure - not only is she a great singer & performer - ms. parton is also an incredibly talented songwriter whose career has spanned over forty years! i can't wait for the stage version of 9 to 5 (with music & lyrics by dolly!) which first comes to los angeles in september - before it hits broadway! it's one of my favorite movies of all-time - it'll be interesting to see how it translates into a full blown musical! popbytes over & out for tonight...xxoo!
PHOTO CREDIT | FRANK MICELOTTA FOR FOX
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