May 10, 2006 |
Exclusive: Lost Star's First Post-jail Q&A
Talk about a rough couple of weeks. On April 25 Michelle Rodriguez — who was slapped with a DUI in Hawaii in December — opted to go to jail rather than perform 240 hours of community service. (She was released after serving four days of her five-day sentence.) Then, on May 3, her Lost alter ego, ex-cop Ana Lucia, was gunned down by Michael in a where-did-that-come-from twist. Just days after getting sprung from jail, the free-spirited Rodriguez called TV Guide to spill on leaving ABC's hit series and doing time.
TV Guide: Producers swear to me that the only way you'd sign on to Lost was if they agreed it was just for a year. True? Michelle Rodriguez: Yeah, that was the deal from the beginning.
TV Guide: Why? Rodriguez: The biggest fear for me is being in one place for too long. I'm a gypsy. If I stay somewhere too long, it's trouble, as you can see from what happened. [Laughs] And for what I want to do in my career... it'll be harder for me to get an independent film. Artsy-fartsy directors don't want to work with a famous TV actress. They want somebody who's not in the limelight all the time.
TV Guide: How did you feel when you read the script in which Ana Lucia dies? Rodriguez: Well, the boys [executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse] kept their promise — they made sure I went out with a bang. But it was pretty wild. Every time I go to Hawaii, I have a spiritual experience. That place is just amazing. I got into tip-top shape, I stopped smoking, and then — boom! Time to go.
TV Guide: So you had started having second thoughts about leaving? Rodriguez: Yeah. That's exactly what happened. Story of my life!
TV Guide: Did the cast offer support? Rodriguez: Oh, we partied our butts off! We had so much fun. I didn't know Josh [Holloway, who plays Sawyer] could play the guitar the way he does. He's got a good voice on him, too. Hey, I'm here to play. And learn. Life's a big, giant school. I could be staring down the barrel of a gun and I'm like, "Oh, I wonder what I'm supposed to learn from this." [Laughs]
TV Guide: And what did you learn from your arrest? Rodriguez: It was stupid to drive [drunk]. But it's something I did because — I honestly believe — I was agitated from the steroids. [Rodriguez had been taking steroids for allergies since arriving in Hawaii.] And I did a lot of stupid stuff that didn't involve just drinking. I was very "energetic" — put it that way. [Laughs] That's a big lesson: Think twice before taking your steroids!
TV Guide: A lot of fans didn't like Ana Lucia. Did that surprise you? Rodriguez: Not at all. When producers [decided to have Ana Lucia kill Shannon], I was like, "What are you doing? They're gonna hate me!" But in the middle of the season, the fan mail started to pour in and it was all positive. People were like,"OK, you're not such a bitch. Can I have your autograph?"
TV Guide: Did you opt for jail because you knew you wouldn't be sticking around Hawaii long enough to do all that community service? Rodriguez: That's a decision I would've made even if I did have to be back on the show.
TV Guide: Why? Rodriguez: Because if I'm gonna do something for the community, I need to do that on my own accord. I don't like being told to do things for the community. I'd rather be in jail for a few days than be told what to do for a month.
TV Guide: What was jail like? Rodriguez: It was so cool! [Laughs] I love people, and it was a primal crew. The only thing that keeps them going is fighting for salt and making dice out of soap. It was an amazing experience. I wouldn't take it back for anything.
TV Guide: Weren't you even a little scared? Rodriguez: At the end of my day, I have a really good belief in destiny. It's, like, if I'm gonna be killed in there, I'm gonna be killed in there. But people were cool. I represent the people, you know what I mean? If somebody picks on me, they'll get what's coming.
TV Guide: Did somebody pick on you? Rodriguez: I didn't have to handle myself is what I'm saying. I had love in there. People got where I'm coming from.
TV Guide: How did you spend your time? Rodriguez: Drawing pictures for everybody on their shirts. Writing poetry. And singing show tunes with the girls. [Sings] "It's a hard-knock life... for us." I'm not surprised they kicked me out early. [Laughs]
TV Guide: You were having too much fun? Rodriguez: Yeah.
TV Guide: So, you're out of jail and out of a job. What now?Rodriguez: I'm going to start a clothing line. I thought it'd be a good idea because I can't rely on a paycheck from Hollywood. I don't want to have to do some sci-fi movie that I think is really awful. I'm tired of that. So I'm gonna go make my own money and then decide whether I want to do something in Hollywood, instead of doing it because I need to. |
Was This TV Season Harsh to New Shows?
Reunion. Threshold. E-Ring. Invasion. Emily's Reasons Why Not. Love Monkey. Commander in Chief. Heist.
What do these shows have in common? They all debuted at some point during this soon-to-wrap TV season, yet each saw their run either cut surprisingly short or handicapped by irregular scheduling. Was 2005-06 the worst year ever to sample a new show? Were the networks especially hasty in deciding the fate of freshman series? TVGuide.com consulted a panel of experts with unique points of view to examine this strange little season gone by.
Are New Shows Getting Short Shrift?Jeff Bader, executive vice president of ABC entertainment programming and scheduling, dismisses the suggestion that prime time is a crueler-than-ever proving ground for new series. "Emily's [Reasons Why Not] being pulled after one week... that is unusual. But I don't think shows are being pulled any quicker this year than in the past," he maintains, pointing out that In Justice delivered its entire 13-episode first season, and Fred Savage's Crumbs survived several airings. "A lot of shows come on for a four-, five-, six-week trial run. That's often the plan."
Yet Marc Berman, television analyst for MediaWeek.com, tears pages from the broadcast history books to argue that networks should exhibit more patience, certainly longer than six weeks, when evaluating newcomers. "This is my philosophy: You have to believe in your show, you have to believe that viewers will watch it, you have to find a time period that you think would work best, and you have to promote it and let viewers find it," he says. "It's rare a show, like Desperate Housewives, launches as a big hit. More often than not, it takes time to find an audience."
CBS' Tom Cavanagh-fronted Love Monkey, Berman believes, "got short shrift. It was bursting with promise and it got relatively good reviews, but they pulled it after three episodes."
Citing reasons to play the waiting game, Berman says, "Seinfeld, for the first year and a half, didn't have much of an audience. Cheers initially had nothing. All in the Family had nothing. A drama like The Waltons didn't have the initial audience it built that first season. There are a lot of examples where if the networks were impatient, they would not have found themselves with hit shows."
Robert Thompson, professor at Syracuse University's Bleier Center for Television and Pop Culture, concurs, saying "to introduce a show and eliminate it after three showings" — especially in today's age of multichannel offerings, where it takes viewers longer to "find" a new favorite — "is ludicrous." Still, he understands how and why certain decisions are being made, particularly when it comes to serialized dramas such as Fox's Reunion and ABC's Invasion (the latter was handicapped by extended hiatuses in its first year). "In most cases here, it's not a matter of not being patient with a low rating that might climb. It's not being patient with a rating that starts out at X and every week goes to X minus Y. That's the kiss of death. That means that the people who have tuned in didn't like it and are tuning out."
But what of the loyal and ardent few who believe in a show, who long to see its promise explored? The cancellation of Reunion, a show whose very concept lay in a murder mystery unspooling over a full season of 20 episodes, was met with disbelief and anger by its emotional audience. But as the saying goes, it's business, not personal. "[Paying mind to] the narrative integrity of a show like that is not where these decisions are being made," says Thompson. "If they saw that Reunion had started low [in the ratings] and was progressively losing its audience, there was no way they were going to keep it on to satisfy the six million or however many that were watching it. Not when it's essentially killing the time slot."
Location, Location, LocationAs in real estate, location is everything. So while an audience of five to seven million is "still a lot of people... more than watch a hit show on a cable network" (as ABC's Bader points out), the science of scheduling is dependent on more factors than how many are tuning in. For example, who's not tuning in? And how many are checking out a time-slot competitor? Assessing a show's performance, Bader says, depends on "how much the network believes creatively in the project and how crucial the time period is [to that network's overall strategy]," as well as the answers to such questions as "Can you live with a lower number because no one is really blazing the time period, or are you actually benefiting a rival show by leaving yours where it is? There are a lot of factors."
Some factors are out of even the mightiest network exec's hands. Take Commander in Chief, which opened very strong last fall — to a viewership of 16 million — only to be saddled by not one but two show-runner changes and accompanying hiatuses. "You can't air episodes if they don't exist," Bader says, "and for the month of December, there were no episodes." Come February sweeps, Commander's inventory was refreshed, yet again the drama was sidelined. "We would have aired some episodes, but it really was just not working in the [Tuesdays-at-9] time period." Bader admits, "I do think the show was hurt by having to be off the air so many times in its first 13 weeks." [Commander has since been shelved for the remainder of May sweeps.]
Such time-slot tinkering can do far more harm than good, Berman believes. "Critics liked Bernie Mac and it had an audience, but then ABC moved it again and again, to the point where viewers got confused and stopped watching it. They basically killed it." [To be fair, the comedy just marked its 100th episode.] Other examples from Berman: "CBS immediately moved Courting Alex from Monday to Wednesday, then yanked it after two episodes. NBC advertised they were running [Celebrity Cooking Showdown] Monday to Friday, but yanked it after Wednesday and burned it off is a Saturday double-episode. That's not how you run a network. You have to make a commitment to your viewer. Stop moving things around."
Many point admiringly to the "24 style" of programming — blow through a full season without ever stopping for repeats — as an approach that could benefit shows with similar tones (think Invasion). While that is enticing to execs, it simply isn't always feasible. "We did that first with NYPD Blue eons ago, and also with Alias," Bader notes. "It's a nice luxury, and Invasion absolutely would have benefited from that, but that means you can't premiere a show until January. And especially with your top shows, it's very hard to hold them off that long."
What's in a Name?Trotting out again the most glaring example of the year, Emily's Reasons Why Not was met by dismal reviews, but still — it's Heather Graham, "movie star." Surely she doesn't come cheap, and ABC obviously had production and promotional monies invested in her series debut. Similarly, that was Dougray Scott of Mission: Impossible II fame fronting NBC's unceremoniously yanked Heist. How does one rationalize the bum's rush for big names?
Professor Thompson says Boogie Nights' Rollergirl is but the latest example of a film star failing to shine on the smaller screen. "Oscar winner Sally Field's The Court? Three episodes," he recalls. "George C. Scott, another Oscar winner, barely eked a year out of Mr. President. Oliver Stone tried to do a miniseries [Wild Palms] and it didn't do any business. Geena Davis, another Oscar winner, is on her third producer now at Commander in Chief. When it comes to people with pedigree, many are called, few are chosen." Conversely, holding up the tremendously successful Friends as an example, Thompson notes, "When you look at the shows that have really done well, nobody had heard of any of [their cast members]."
Has Reality TV Distorted Reality?Of course it's easy to theorize that the grotesque (in a good way) ratings enjoyed by such unscripted fare as American Idol (which is drawing close to 30 million a night in this its fifth season) and Deal or No Deal (the newbie game show reeling in 16 million a week) may be distorting the picture for programming execs. But experts doubt that is the case. "You can't compare anything to Idol," says Berman, "because it's in a class of its own. It's a different type of hit show."
Thompson adds, "It's not so much that Idol is setting the bar high. What's being looked at is when a show like Lost, which is just as complicated if not more than Reunion, gets killer ratings. With something like Reunion or Invasion, you only get a little chance to see whether they're going to take off or not. You've got to cut bait early on, because there's nothing like a complex serialized drama to totally tank once it has started that process."
Rather, if you want to debut a drama, Berman suggests thinking CSI versus thirtysomething. "You have to remember that in television, there haven't been too many relationship-drama hits. That's just the nature of the game."
When All Is Said and Done, Is Patience a Lost Virtue?While the examples and certain opinions discussed above might indicate that fans' pleas for patience never again will be heard, Berman, for one, says not to lose hope. "Look at a show like Arrested Development. People can complain all they want, but Fox ran it for almost three seasons. They couldn't walk away from it because it was up for so many Emmys, so they gave it time to try to find an audience. Scrubs is not a hit show and has never been, but NBC has been patient and they brought it back for a fifth season. So no, I don't think the days of showing patience are over."
Still, the consensus among the experts is that there always will be fans who latch onto a new series only to wonder weeks later where it went. As the song goes, everybody loves somebody sometime. Or, as Bader sums it up, "Every show is somebody's favorite." |
Furonda Loses Top Model, Then Her Cool
Although America's Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker rightly noted that she resembled E.T. in a wig, Furonda Brasfield made it nine — count 'em, nine — weeks into the CoverGirl competition. How on earth did she outlast witty knockouts like Leslie and Mollie Sue? As her TVGuide.com interview reveals, it certainly wasn't because she exhibited any trace of self-awareness or even a hint of the good humor that wins friends and influences people. (Folks, this one is so out there, she makes Jade seem humble.) Maybe Tyra Banks and Co. were just impressed that they had in their midst a celebrity of such magnitude that she didn't expect to ever have to answer "irrelevant" questions? Whatever the reason, brace yourself for a case of the warm-fuzzies as, in anticipation of tonight's episode (airing at 8 pm/ET on UPN), we cozy up to America's sweetheart. TVGuide.com: I've committed your pamphlet, "Furonda's Tips for Successful Interaction," to memory, so before we get started, I just want to make sure that I am speaking to the best person to discuss you with.Furonda Brasfield: That's me.
TVGuide.com: Swell! So what possessed you to strike poses on your way out of panel after being eliminated?Furonda: I was thinking, "They can put me off the show, but they can't take my pride or anything like that. I'm gonna strut out of here."
TVGuide.com: You sure did! What's it like to model on top of an elephant?Furonda: Interesting. My only thought was, "Please don't fall. And whatever you do, don't piss the elephant off so he goes crazy." It was a surreal experience.
TVGuide.com: I don't know how many times in a model's life that particular skill comes in handy, though. Maybe you'll have more use for Thai dancing. What would you call your unique style?Furonda: I'd probably call my version of Thai dancing "The Furonda Boot-Scootin' Boogie."
TVGuide.com: Did the judges call you out for raising your hands above eyebrow level — a no-no and a sign of arrogance in Thai dancing?Furonda: They did not. If they'd shown my entire [performance] instead of just the piece after piece after piece that they used to try to make me look silly, it would have made more sense. But they cut and pasted all these silly-looking parts together.
TVGuide.com: The audience seemed to enjoy it. They laughed their butts off!Furonda: Oh, I had a ball. I had to turn my back to the audience because I couldn't hold my laughter in. I kept cracking up.
TVGuide.com: In the last episode, you were determined to change how the judges perceived you so that you'd be allowed to stay. Looking back, was there anything you could have done that you didn't? Furonda: At that point, I think I realized that I'm not what they're looking for at Top Model, and that's OK. I'd just rather leave now than prolong it. I had a really good attitude about the whole thing.
TVGuide.com: You also had a bit of a diva attitude. I mean, your "Tips for Successful Interaction" was a riot! What kind of reaction did your housemates have?Furonda: At first the girls were kind of shocked, saying, "Why are you doing this? You don't have to do this!" But that same night, Jade went off on one of her Jade tangents. Actually, she did it on Joanie. At the end of that night, everyone was like, "Why don't we just follow Furonda's rules? Then maybe we can all get along."
TVGuide.com: That's a theory.... Although some of your rules seemed kind of mean-spirited. I mean, "I will treat you identical to, or worse than, the way you treat me"? That's not the Golden Rule as I remember it!Furonda: That was kind of an editing tool or what would you call it...
TVGuide.com: I call it a threat!Furonda: [Getting impatient] No, no, no. The rule starts off as, "I will respect you and all of your belongings. Please show me the same courtesy. I will treat you in a way identical to, or worse than, you treat me." So the first part of that rule was kind of left out. It's not, "If you treat me well, I'm going to treat you like crap." It means that if you start trouble, you might get more trouble than you started.
TVGuide.com: I must give you credit for managing to put a positive spin on it! But then rule No. 3 is, "If you need anything other than emergency items, please do not ask me." That's not exactly friendly!Furonda: [Sighs] Once again, they didn't read the entire rule. The end of that rule says, "If you need anything other than emergency items, please do not ask me. I will be happy to loan Tylenol, tampons, etc, if I can. But this is a competition, so please do not ask me for cosmetic items." I don't think that's mean at all!
TVGuide.com: Aren't you basically saying, "You are not going to like me, and I am not going to like you. If you're bleeding, I will give you a Band-Aid. Other than that, back off!" Furonda: No. And I cooked dinner for the girls all the time. We didn't have much food in the house, but I gave girls the sandwich out of my mouth a lot of nights. So it wasn't like that. I was saying, "Don't ask for my dress to wear to panel, and don't ask for my makeup to wear." It's a competition. Why would I give you those things when it's all about appearance?
TVGuide.com: Maybe because someone would do the same for you?Furonda: [Patience exhausted] No. Next question, please.
TVGuide.com: Okaaaaay. Your wig made a big impression on the judges when you first auditioned. Do you still travel with one around at all times?Furonda: [Uh-oh] What kind of questions are these? "Do I travel with wigs?!"
TVGuide.com: Well, you had a wig at the —Furonda: No. Right now I have a weave.
TVGuide.com: You don't seem to enjoy interviews very much. Am I right? Furonda: I love interviews, but I like to be asked relevant questions. Some of these... it's like I'm being beaten with a stick. Like with the rules question, even after I explain it, you seem to want to have your own thoughts about it. I don't know why people ask questions when my answer really doesn't matter.
TVGuide.com: It does matter. But aren't I allowed to have an opinion, too?Furonda: Sure. I value your opinion. [Pause] How many more questions do we have?
TVGuide.com: Honey, we can be done right now. We don't have to do an interview at all. A lot of the Top Model contestants like a bit of publicity as they start their careers.Furonda: I feel like I'm being berated by questions that you wouldn't ask an actual actress or a model.
TVGuide.com: If an actual actress or model did a reality show on which she presented a list of rules for dealing with her, I would most certainly ask her exactly these questions. I thought you might appreciate the opportunity to explain your motivation. But I won't "beat you with a stick" anymore.Furonda: Thank you so much.
TVGuide.com: Oh, no, thank you.
Are you addicted to shows like America's Next Top Model? Find out the real reason why reality TV is a hit. |
Your Veronica Mars Questions Answered!
With the much-anticipated season finale of UPN's Veronica Mars upon us (tonight at 9 pm/ET), many fans are still trying to recover from the shocking not-guilty verdict delivered at Aaron Echolls' trial in last week's episode. Meanwhile other readers are already looking ahead to a potential third season. In his latest exclusive Q&A, Mars creator Rob Thomas provides plenty of insight about recent happenings and answers TVGuide.com readers' burning questions about Veronica's future.
Question: First, I trust you. Second, please tell me the whole STD thing will make sense after seeing the finale. I'm torn between whether Duncan slept with Kendall or Aaron paid the doctor.... Do tell! — HolliRob Thomas: All will be answered in the finale.
Question: A lot of people are commenting on how Aaron Echolls' attorney obtained Veronica's medical records to reveal in court that she was treated for an STD. Were her medical records obtained illegally? — JamieThomas: Probably. I'm not sure how they were obtained. I'm not even particularly interested in how they were obtained. At the end of the day, Aaron Echolls got off — like O.J., like Michael Jackson, like Robert Blake — because he's famous. Finding 12 jurors who would convict this famous man was simply not going to happen. It's a noir world. Unfair things happen.
Question: Wasn't Kendall the last to use Duncan's shower? Yet she pulled "evidence" pointing to Duncan and not herself from the drain.... — DanThomas: She could tell the hairs apart. Duncan's are shorter.
Question: Is there any significance to the ring Veronica has recently been wearing on her right ring finger? — SherryThomas: No.
Question: After Keith and Veronica's fallout in the "Donut Run" episode, I expected there would be a little more tension between our favorite daddy-daughter team. In "Happy Go Lucky," we saw that tension resurface for an instant, when it was clear Veronica is still hiding things from Keith. In your mind, where do they stand? Did Keith really forgive Veronica for her con so quickly? Or was it repressed and the aftermath is still pending? — CourtneyThomas: In truth, I think we underplayed the Keith-Veronica riff in the aftermath of "Donut Run." I'm sure everyone is aware that by the time we cut together an episode, the next three episodes are already written and are prepping or shooting. I don't think I was quite prepared for how powerful that moment would be. It's the curse of working with really good actors. After we filmed the scene and cut it together, I realized that we'd kind of already blown the aftermath. I think we had a similar problem after Episode 20 ["Look Who's Stalking"] — the final Logan-/Veronica scene begged some fallout in Episode 21 that we really didn't have in the script. We live. We learn. We try to do better.
Question: Have you considered giving Veronica some self-defense classes at some point, so she can at least defend herself a little bit? — JessicaThomas: I don't want the show to be about Veronica kicking ass. Alias and Buffy were great at that sort of thing. Veronica outwits people. And occasionally Tasers them. That's how I like it.
Question: The rich kids are always referred to as "the 09ers." I watch and watch and still don't get why there are called this. Can you help? — SalieThomas: The rich kids live in a zip code that ends with 09.
Question: Loved, loved, loved Dick's Texas T-shirt in "Look Who's Stalking"! Hook 'em Horns! Whose idea was it for him to wear the shirt? — SusanThomas: Sal, our head of wardrobe, put Dick in the UT shirt. I think he knew it would make me happy.
Question: Do you or someone else on staff have a background in police or detective work to make this show some of the best television ever? I'm truly intrigued about the creative process behind the show. — JillThomas: No. In fact, quite the opposite. In television drama, writers are often thought of as either "character writers" or "procedural writers." Procedural writers tend to write for police shows, law shows, medical shows. Character writers tend to write things like Freaks and Geeks, The Sopranos, Northern Exposure. I haven't hired any procedural writers for the show; everyone comes from a "character" background. We do have a private-investigator adviser whom we call on pretty regularly.
Question: Just curious — are any of those tattoos that Weevil [played by Francis Capra] sports real? Thanks. — DianeThomas: All of them are real.
Question: First, I wanted to thank you for giving the fans such quality week after week. Now my question: Were the kids in the back of the van [in the "Plan B" episode] Weevil's niece and nephew? — StacieThomas: No. Those were just random kids waiting for their mom to come out of church.
Question: Is Mac going to be a regular for Season 3? Is she going to Hearst? Will she and Veronica be roommates there? — LisaThomas: We hope that Tina Majorino will be back with us next year. We're trying to negotiate a deal to bring her on as a series regular. We absolutely want her. As for the roommate/college situation, we're still figuring that out.
Question: It seems pretty obvious that Veronica will be at Hearst College next year and the serial rapist story line will also show up again. Can you give us some other clues about what to look forward to next season? — JessicaThomas: The biggest news is that we will be going to a three-mystery-per-season format next year. This way, the mysteries will play uninterrupted by repeats or preemptions. We're hoping this will help us cast guest stars in smaller arcs, allow newbies to jump in easier, and lessen the too-much-going-on complaint we heard in Season 2.
Do you have questions for the producers of Veronica Mars? Ask them here. And if you're curious about questions that have been answered previously, check out the TVGuide.com Q&As from April 25, April 5, March 15, Feb. 15, Feb. 1, Dec. 20, Nov. 9, Oct. 5 and Oct. 19. |
Paris Evaluates Idol's Final Four
When all was said and done, she simply couldn't squeak by. Paris Bennett's fate on Fox's American Idol (Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9 pm/ET) was sealed with a "Kiss" — Prince's, namely — as her first performance of the week was deemed by the always quotable Simon as "screechy and annoying." Not even Paris' solid spin on Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" could keep the reality contest from proceeding without her. Does the 17-year-old Georgia peach think she fell prey to the "I won't bother voting for her because everyone else will" syndrome? "Not at all," she tells TVGuide.com. "People chose wisely as they decided each contestant's fate. In my mind, it was already planned that my journey was going to end somewhere.
"I'm not saying that I never had this [dream] of being the American Idol," Paris continues, "but I never thought too much about it."
As for the question asked (and never really answered) each week of the newest castoff — "Who do you think will win?" — Paris... has no answer, despite the field being narrowed down to just four. But she did offer up her personal take on each of the remaining contenders. Starting with Elliott Yamin, she says, "What makes him so special is that he possesses something so deep within himself. For [a diabetic] to be able to do the things that he does when he's on that stage... I honor him for that. He's the real deal."
Turning her attention to Taylor Hicks — aka "Tay-tay," aka "my big brother" — Paris declares that "he is as sweet as pie. He has so much soul in him." Chris Daughtry she sums up as "definitely the rocker. He is so intense at the things that he does, and that's what makes him a great person."
As for the lone gal left in the competition, Paris described Katharine McPhee as "very sweet, very, very classical. She's just... Katharine. The beauty queen. The Barbie. There's not one person like her."
In a conference call with reporters, Paris also had this to say about...
... turning the tables on the judges:"I honestly took every negative thing they said and every positive thing they said, and I made the negatives be positive. I never, ever really took it to heart and dwelled on it, because every week I knew I was supposed to be ready for a new judgment."
... her Best. Week. Ever."I know this will sound so weird, but I was most proud of my rock week, [singing a song by] Queen. No one ever expected me to be able to get through that week, but I was happy that I made Queen happy and that I was able to sing a song by Freddie Mercury. That was the best week for me."
... her plans for her 18th birthday, on Aug. 23:"I'm thinking about having a big party, maybe at a roller-skating rink. I love to roller-skate."
... the rumor that she's signing on with Beyoncé's manager-father, Matthew Knowles:"It can't really be confirmed. I can say that he is definitely a person that I would love to work with. Hopefully by the time my album [is ready], he'll be a part of that."
... that... that... speaking voice:"This is what I was blessed with. It's what makes me unique and different from the contestants I was with, and people in general. I wouldn't change anything that was created [about] me. I appreciate my voice in every aspect."
... being utterly uncontroversial (for better or for worse):"That's who I am. 'The lovable one.' I'm not a person to start things up. I always have to be the squeaky-clean one, but I will let you know when you're out of place."
... "sticking it" to Ryan Seacrest last week:"I always have a piece of gum at the roof of my mouth. So when he said, 'OK, Paris, you're going to sing' and held his hand out, I said, 'Ryan, you want to hold this for me?' And I took it out and gave it to him — just to show America that I'm ready for any given moment. There'll never be a time they'll catch me off guard!"
Why do so many people risk making fools of themselves on shows like American Idol? Find out. |
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