Well, there’s making fun of someone, and then there’s downright obliterating them.

That’s what the Kelly Clarkson judged, ABC produced, ‘Duets’ does in their 45-second promotional ad in which they are anything but nice to Fox’s American Idol, the competition that has dominated singing shows for the past decade.

Modeled after the famous Apple commercial that aired in 1984 portraying a PC  brainwashed mass population, the ABC made ad makes an attempt at depicting a propaganda laced room consumed by annoying judges that make up the magistrate that is American Idol.

“For me, it was just a little pitchy,” squeals the whimsical Paula Abdul portrayal.

“Frankly, I’ve heard 911 calls with more tonality,” barks the scowling British judge.

“It was alright, it was alright, but something was missing for me dawg,” says the Randy Jackson impersonator.

As the images seem to play over and a voice booms over the system ”In a landscape where music shows are all the same, one will break through”, in runs the Olympian style javelin thrower that proceeds to heave a microphone into the screen, shattering the stereotypical singing competition and revealing ABC’s life-saving show, ‘Duets’, including images of  Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke, Lionel Richie, and Jennifer Nettles, the judges of the new singing venture.

What’s interesting is the obvious history between Clarkson and American Idol in which she won the inaugural season of American Idol in 2002, launching her worldwide career in which she has gone on to win countless awards and sold millions of records.

Does Kelly Clarkson owe American Idol more than this? Or do you feel that she has paid her debt to the show and should be able to be free from the restrictions that come from the show?

Below is the ad that features Clarkson and the show ‘Duets’ which  premieres May 24th at 8/7 c on ABC.

Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Duets’ Promo Slams American Idol [VIDEO] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Paula Abdul has agreed to pay $900,000 to a woman who suffered a bad fall during the filming of the former American Idol judges short lived reality TV series Hey Paula.

The accident occurred in 2007 and the lawsuit was filed in 2009 after Jill Kohl claimed she had to undergo several back surgeries as a direct result from her tumble.

Not only did Paula Abdul agree to pay that huge sum, Hey Paula production company Scott Sternberg Productions has agreed to throw in an additional $100,000 for a total $1 million payday.

A trial date was set for Feb. 14 but Kohl’s lawyer Robert Rodriguez Clayton was able to broker a deal before that occurred. According to the singers team it was Abdul’s insurance company that took the lead in settling the case. According to attorney Vicki Greco:

“Absolutely no monies of the settlement will be paid by Paula Abdul. All monies agreed to be paid to Jill Kohl as part of the settlement will be funded by the parties’ respective insurance carriers. While a settlement was reached between the parties in the case, we were confident that she would prevail at trial. The decision to settle the case was a business decision made solely by Ms. Abdul’s insurance carrier.”

It’s a small win for Paula Abdul, then again it hasn’t quite been her year with Simon Cowell firing her from the X Factor along with singer Nicole Scherzinger.

The lawsuit settlement seemed to be the last thing on Paula Abdul’s mind yesterday when she tweeted:

“Having a blast on @RoyalCaribbean Oasis of the Seas this week ) so many cool things to do & plenty of sunshine!!”

Are you surprised by the $1 million settlement? I’m mostly surprised that it took more than two years to reach this point.

Paula Abdul’s Driveway Lawsuit Ends With $1 Million Settlement is a post from: The Inquisitr

“I would’ve liked to have kept [Paula]. She was very gracious, and I said that to her. She understands it’s business; it’s never personal.”

Cowell also comments on Scherzinger when adding:

“I don’t think she’s mad. I think she’s disappointed.”

Simon admits that his expectations for the show led to the firings:

“It’s only because I opened my big mouth and said we were going to get 20 million [viewers],” Cowell says. “If I hadn’t said that, everybody would be saying the show was a huge success.”

In the meantime Simon Cowell calls rumors of a Beyoncé judging slot “complete nonsense” which means she likely won’t be on the show earning $100 million per season as recently rumored

As for his choices, Simon says Madonna would be great to get but “expensive” while he thinks Katy Perry would be “fun and feisty.”

Cowell also says that Mariah Carey would be great to have on the show but he fears that just giving birth to not one but two kids would make the commitment needed for the show hard on Mariah.

Who would you like to see replace Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger on X Factor?

Simon Cowell Wanted Paula Abdul To Remain On X Factor is a post from: The Inquisitr

Simon Cowell is cleaning house on X-Factor. It was reported earlier today that Nicole Scherzinger had been fired from the talent show and now it has been confirmed that Paula Abdul will also be leaving the show.

Speculation about Abdul’s departure started this morning when it was announced that Scherzinger and host Steve Jones had been fired. Cowell had promised 20 million viewers for “The X Factor” but the show only managed to bring in an average of 12 million viewers per show, well behind its competitor “American Idol.” Cowell is reportedly looking for bigger names to fill the vacant judges chairs.

Abdul released a statement saying:

“Yes, it’s true; I won’t be returning to ‘The X Factor’ next season. I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations… Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation.”

At the moment, Cowell and L.A. Reid are the only two people returning to “The X Factor” next season.

Abdul continued:

“Simon is, and will remain a dear friend of mine and I’ve treasured my experience working this past season with my extended family at FOX and Fremantle. I want nothing more than for ‘The X Factor’ to exceed ALL of their wildest dreams. This truly has been a blessing and I am most grateful.”

Do you think Cowell is making the right move by getting rid of the majority of people working on “The X Factor?”

Paula Abdul Leaving ‘The X Factor’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last night, former American Idol host and professional hater Simon Cowell dished the dirt to Barbara Walters on her 10 Most Fascinating People special, telling Baba some never-before-gossiped tidbits about his relationship with former co-host Paula Abdul.

If you thought watching the early episodes of Idol that the two music industry pals were keen on getting in-between the sheets together, it turns out you may not have been that far off the mark. Cowell and Abdul played off one another well within the show’s format, with Cowell acting as somewhat of a bad cop and Abdul softening the blow for truly terrible performances. When a more talented contestant surfaced, Abdul’s gushing was tempered by Cowell’s more quiet praise, and the interplay between the hosts became an integral part of the first few seasons of American Idol.

However, Simon also admits that he and Paula did not get on very well at the start of the Idol franchise- he says rather:

“We didn’t like each other in the beginning… I think it was sexual tension- on her part.”

Walters shot back:

“That [Abdul] really wanted you?”

Cowell smugly replies that Abdul indeed “wanted him,” “a million percent,” to which Barbara queries:

“What happened? Did you want her?”

Simon then admits he did entertain the idea of entertaining Paula, but that the aftermath was enough to put him off for good. He explains:

“I considered it… But then I thought, I don’t think the after would be as good as before… I’d let her stay for a few hours, but then it would have to be, ‘Good night.’”

He adds:

“If you’re watching Paula, it is true!”

Did you notice any UST between Abdul and Cowell?

Abdul With Cowell? Ex-AI Host Says There Was Sexual Tension With Paula is a post from: The Inquisitr

When Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger voted X-Factor contestant Drew Ryniewicz they probably assumed that “the show would go on” as the saying goes but instead they were met with death threats. Now the former X-Factor contestant has taken to the public pulpit to personally support Paula and Nicole.

As I previously reported Paula and Nicole received X-Factor motivated death threats on Twitter and Facebook after voting off the 14-year-old contestant, among the worst threats was the following tweet:

“F**K you paula you dumb c**t you voted off the most talented person on your f**king show. i hope you die you DUMB B***H.”

Now Drew is speaking out, telling fans who have made the threat:

“That’s not what I represent and that’s not what I want my fans to represent.”

Drew adds:

“No one deserves death threats.”

Perhaps “Bieber Fever” is becoming contagious for fans of other stars now, after all a death threat over a reality TV based talent show is extreme and quite honestly extremely pathetic on the part of the attackers.

Are you surprised by the rabid nature of several Drew Ryniewicz fans?

Former X-Factor Contestant Drew Ryniewicz Asks Fans To Stop Death Threats is a post from: The Inquisitr

X-Factor judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger have begun to receive death threats after they voted off Drew Ryniewicz during this weeks airing of the popular Fox TV music talent show.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that Paula and Nicole both received the cold shoulder from Simon Cowell after the show, they then began receiving disturbing messages on Facebook and Twitter which included:

– “F**K you paula you dumb c**t you voted off the most talented person on your f**king show. i hope you die you DUMB B***H.”

– “I hope you die, you selfish———-”

– “@NicoleScherzy @paulaabdul go die”

According to show officials both Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger were extremely surprised to see such an outpouring of hate over their decision to cut Ryniewicz.

Are you surprised by the length some fans will go to when supporting a new rising artist that hasn’t really produced anything of their own worth listening to at this point?

X-Factor’s Female Judges Receive Death Threats is a post from: The Inquisitr

In the clip, “internet blogger” Geo Godley seemed like your standard comic-relief contestant. Somewhat older, scads creepier and obviously less performance-focused than your average TV talent show contender, Godley showed up in a bizarre velvety silver leisure suit to perform a song he’d written.

But not long into the performance- as the words “stud” came up- Godley dropped his pants, much to the disgust of the crowd and judges. Paula Abdul in particular was very affected by the crass performance, although notably, the reaction could very well have been staged. While crowd shots as well as the judge reactions seem to indicate Godley entirely flashed the crowd- or even more plainly, that he is waving his dangle at them- what the giant “X” over the area does not reveal is that the contestant is actually wearing a thong.

As harried parents whisk kids out of the auditorium and Abdul gags, Godley isn’t made to stop- which should be a clue right there that the scene was a bit overwrought. Abdul then flees the judges’ table, and later commented:

“Something wasn’t right. It was like, ‘This isn’t a real, serious contender.’ Then, when he started stripping, I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ It immediately turned into being very shocking and disgusting. I felt bad. There were parents in the audience with their kids and seeing them leave the arena was very frustrating.”

Abdul also sniffed:

“It was completely inappropriate, and as you can see, a little bit delusional of him to say ‘I have another song’. The fact that he thought that it would be OK to do that is just rather disgusting.”

Full clip below- did Paula Abdul overreact, based on the fact it wasn’t nudity?

Paula Abdul Storms off X-Factor Set After Contestant Drops Pants is a post from: The Inquisitr

We may have finally discovered the reason for Paula Abdul’s aloof persona during her time on American Idol, apparently the performer loves to indulge in some “medicinal” brownies. Fellow former Idol judge Kara DioGuardi appeared on Lopez Tonight and told George that while staying at Paula’s house she returned home to some “delicious looking brownies.”

Without knowing what “secret ingredient” awaited her Kara says she dug in and then:

“Six hours later I was like ‘heeey what going on, how you doing?’,” and “I fell out of bed on the floor and stumbled downstairs. I was thinking brain tumor and the ambulance comes and the guy goes, ‘This b**ch is high as a kite.’”

According to Kara the brownies were brought over by a friend of Abdul for a party and the maid had removed them from the freezer to defrost.

So that begs the question? What was Paula eating before American Idol live shows? I’m going to guess magical lollipops or laced Coca Cola hidden in plain sight.

Here’s the DioGuardi interview on Lopez Tonight:

Kara DioGuardi Reveals: She Ate Pot Brownies At Paula Abdul’s House is a post from: The Inquisitr

Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are reuniting, this time as judges on Cowell’s The X Factor which will debut later in the year.

Abdul has long been a favorite to join Cowell on the new shows judging panel, however sources close to negotiations say she waited until the eve of the show’s first taping to complete contract talks.

At this time reps for Paula are not commenting and FOX, the network behind the show, have refused to comment on Abdul’s return to their network as a judge.

When questioned about her relationship with CBS and any ties that could have been holding up talks at FOX a CBS rep speaking on the condition of anonymity announced on Saturday that she was not tied to the network in any way.

Abdul will begin work immediately, showing up for Sunday’s taping in Los Angeles when judges will begin to weed out competitors for the show which will feature a $5 million prize and a recording contract, the largest single prize in game show history.

Judges already announced for the show include producer Antonio “L.A.” Reid and British pop superstar Cheryl Cole.

Co-Hosting the show will be British TV personality Steve Jones and Pussy Cat Dolls frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger.

Contests 12-years-old and up are allowed to audition and the show will feature both solo artists and groups.

Paula Abdul Joins Simon Cowell On ‘X-Factor’ Judging Panel is a post from: The Inquisitr

Disney-owned Dreamworks are one of the scared studios. According to The Hollywood Reporter Cameron Diaz and Mike Myers are affected by the new clauses. God forbid someone should make any free publicity for Shrek 5 or is it 6? (I’ve stopped counting).

This could also explain Miley Cyrus’ Twitter exit earlier this month. The Disney talent contracts forbids confidentiality breaches via “interactive media such as Facebook, Twitter, or any other interactive social network or personal blog.” Dreamworks are restraining eager writers with a similar clause in their contracts regarding sharing of press releases on “a social networking site, blog or other Internet-type site.”

Maybe Ryan Seacrest scared them when he announced Ben Silverman’s resignation as co-chairman from NBC on Twitter before it was officially announced.

Or perhaps it was when Paula Abdul quit American Idol using Twitter?

It could also be because Greg Grunberg tweeted a goodbye to the Heroes crew. “Tough to say goodbye to crew not knowing if any or all of us will return next year.” Fans instantly thought that Heroes wasn’t coming back for another season until he tweeted ” Heroes IS coming back but some crew take other jobs, so it’s tough.”

This is just another example of, why Hollywood is afraid of Twitter and other social networks. They still haven’t seen the benefit of it. Hollywood wake up, you have no idea of the potential. I would worry more about making quality film.

Hollywood Studios to Movie Stars: Stop using Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

Paula Abdul may be joining So You Think You Can Dance as a judge after her very public decision to not return to American Idol this year over money.

So You Think You Can Dance producer Nigel Lythgoe told Variety that he met with the occasionally drunk on stage washed up singer and that he was keen to sign her up.

He said nobody else had Abdul’s “experience of being a dancer, of being a choreographer and of being a judge.” However Lythgoe didn’t say exactly what her role would be, meaning she may only appear as a guest judge or a choreographer.

The possible switch comes as speculation mounts that the whole thing could be a publicity stunt. A promo running for TMZ TV shows the sites editor confirming from a high ranking source that Abdul is definitely returning to Idol.

Paula Abdul heading to So You Think You Can Dance? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Negotiations between Paula Abdul and the producers of American Idol broke down this afternoon, and Adbul shared the news that she won’t be return to Idol this year on Twitter.

Abdul wrote on Twitter over three tweets: “With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to #IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent,but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day1become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me.”

Adbul leaving the show came down to money: she wanted more than the producers we willing to give. She doesn’t mention this though on Twitter, going on to say of her fan support: “It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month. I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all.”

The news of Adbul leaving the show follows word earlier today that 4th judge Kara DioGuardi had signed on for another year. Show creator Simon Fuller said in a statement that “We are so happy to welcome back Kara for her second season with Idol. She is a breath of fresh air, and her passion for music and her understanding of talent is invaluable. This show is all about discovering new talent, and Kara’s championing of Adam Lambert is proof positive of her great instinct.”

Paula Abdul tells Twitter she’s not returning to American Idol is a post from: The Inquisitr

David Sonenberg, Paula’s manager, is reported to have told The Times that despite Paula wanting to return to the show there has been no new contract offered to her by Idol producers FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment.

“Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on ‘Idol’,” Sonenbe said in a statement. “I find it under these circumstances particularly unusual; I think unnecessarily hurtful. I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven’t stepped up and said what they want to do.”

Co-host Randy Jackson is on contract until 2011, Simon Cowell has one year left on his contract, and Ryan Seacrest is reported to have signed a new contract for a staggering $45 million. The show recruited new judge Kara DioGuardi last season, and after a year of four judges the rumor mill has strongly speculated that one would go. A similar attempt to use four judges on the Australian version of the show “Australia Idol” resulted in a cut to three after one season in 2007.

Paula Abdul likely leaving American Idol is a post from: The Inquisitr

Was Paula Abdul Lip-Syncing on American Idol? The internets are abuzz about tonight’s (Wednesday May 6th) episode of American Idol where Paula Abdul debuted her new single, “I’m Just Here for the Music.”

Yes, Paula Abdul can still dance and she looks great but what’s up with her singing? It was “OK” but that’s about it and to top it off, she was definitely lip-syncing the song.

Paula Abdul Lip Syncing Comments from Twitter

Paula Abdul’s AI performance makes Britney’s lip syncing look authentic (didnt watch but sounds as bad as expected.)

Idol was good tonight, although I could have done without the Paula Abdul lip synch. Really now, a pitch perfect voice upside down? Yeah

if you’re watching a Paula Abdul performance for the singing, you need to straighten out your priorities.

What did you think of Paula Abdul’s Lip Syncing? Hint aula stop singing, it was bad..lol

can we vote Paula Abdul off of American Idol?

WTF paula abdul?? Britney’s vma disaster was less embarassing!!!

paula abdul was DEFINITELY lip syncing. completelyy obvious!

Paula Abdul Lip Syncing “I’m Just Here for the Music” on American Idol

So what do you think:

Was Paula Abdul Lip-Syncing in her May 6 American Idol Performance?

Was Paula Abdul Lip-Syncing “I’m Just Here for the Music” on American Idol? is a post from: The Inquisitr

An initial coroners report on Paula Goodspeed’s cause of death has failed to declare what she died from. The no official cause of death finding though is open until reports of a toxicology test are available in six to eight weeks.

Another report claims that an overdose of prescription drugs has been blamed for the death of Goodspeed, as prescription drugs were found with the body.

Charles McIntyre, Paula Goodspeed’s brother has spoken publicly to E! News, claiming that Goodspeed was not stalking Abdul. “She didn’t have any mental problems, as far as I know. My sister doesn’t’ have a criminal record, she’s clean as clean. She doesn’t even have a traffic violation.”

McIntyre though seems to be in a state of denial, repeating a claim that his sister had claimed she had met with Abdul personally. “She told me she had coffee with Paula Abdul at a restaurant in 2005,” said McIntyre.

On the Paula Abdul is bat-shit crazy front, Abdul is reported to have hired psychic healers to cleanse her house of ghosts, or more specifically the ghost of Paula Goodspeed. A story in the New York Post’s Page Six claims that the fan’s death has left Abdul “freaked out,” and that Paula won’t go back into her house because of the ghosts.

Abdul is also denying reports that she will quit American Idol at the end of the next season. Jeff Ballard, Abdul’s personal publicist told the media that the reports are “absolutely untrue.”

Paul Abdul, Paula Goodspeed latest is a post from: The Inquisitr

American Idol judge Paula Abdul is said to be leaving the show after the end of the next season starting January 17.

Abdul, often accused of being drunk or on drugs while judging, will have done eight years in the judges chair, and a couple of memorable YouTube clips.

According to OK Magazine, Abdul is developing new TV projects and is hoping to “transition” out of the Fox hit. A Paula insider explained “She knows that every season could be her last. Now she’s got a new secret venture that she’s really excited about.” OK suggests that the addition of Kara DioGaurdi as a 4th judge will make it easier for Abdul to leave.

Paula Abdul reported to be leaving American Idol is a post from: The Inquisitr

From various reports, it would seem that at the very least Goodspeed had an “obsession” with Paula Abdul (a quote apparently attributed to Goodspeed’s parents) but she may have been stalking Abdul as well.

Local police Capt. Jim Miller told the media that the death appears to be a suicide. Officers responded to a call about 6 p.m. Tuesday and arrived in the Sherman Oaks area to find the body.

Goodspeed may have had a track record of mental problems, with another report suggesting her family asked the LAPD and L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. to locate her after she went missing in January, and that the family was concerned at the time that she might try to harm herself.

TMZ has exclusive footage of Paula Goodspeed’s American Idol audition here.

(in part via Zimbio)

Former Idol contestant Paula Goodspeed found dead outside Paula Abdul’s house is a post from: The Inquisitr