A few weeks ago, when season 5 American Idol reject Paula Goodspeed was found dead of a possible drug overdose/suicide near the home of her own idol, judge Paula Abdul, I questioned whether or not AmIdol producers tend to exploit the mentally ill for the purposes of "entertainment." (Read my original blog here).

Well, after listening to Abdul's shocking recent interview with Barbara Walters, I'm beginning to think the answer to that question is YES. In this tragic case, it seems the show's powers-that-be not only exploited Paula Goodspeed, but that they exploited the not-exactly-100-percent-mentally-stable Paula Abdul as well.

This week during an interview on The View--and later in more depth on Sirius XM Radio--Abdul told Barbara Walters that the Idol powers-that-be allegedly allowed Goodspeed to audition for the show, even though they knew she'd stalked Abdul for years.

Why would they put their star center judge in possible danger like this? Because, according to Abdul, "This was

Obviously,the 2008 holiday season for the surviving members of the Hudson family will not exactly be a joyfulone. On October 24, Jennifer Hudson's mother (pictured here), brother, and nephew were brutallymurdered in Chicago...thus ensuring that there would be little cause for celebration between Halloween andNew Year's Eve this year.

But perhaps today's news will give the Idol and hergrieving relatives a little bit of much-needed peace this season.

Today WilliamBalfour--Jennifer's brother-in-law and the prime suspect in this tragictriple-homicide, who refused to take a lie-detector test when the policeinvestigation began weeks ago--was officially arrested. According Chicago policespokeswoman Monique Bond, he will be formally charged with the killings of DarnellDonerson (Jennifer's mom), Jason Hudson (her brother), and Julian King (hernephew).

Balfour, age 27, is the estranged husband of Jennifer's sister, Julia, andthe stepfather of 7-year-old murder victim Julian (Julia's son). He

I gave David Cook a tough time a couple of blog posts ago, because I'm disappointed by his new single. It's pretty much the audio equivalent of a lump of coal. But after watching this Good Morning America clip, I'm loving me some David Cook again:

It's a Christmas miracle! David is COOL again! And I for one am pretty jolly about it.

Now I just hope Clive Davis and the people at BMG give David Cook what he really wants for Christmas: some decent songs. Come on, Santa Clive--David's been a good boy, he deserves them!

There was a time not so long ago when the words "Paula Abdul stalker" conjured up only feelings of snarky amusement. Because the phrase was mainly associated in American Idol viewers' minds with this guy:

But this week, the term took on much sadder--and much more literal--meaning, when a 2005 Idol reject and self-confessed Paula Abdul fanatic, troubled soul Paula Goodspeed, was found dead of an apparent drug overdose (possibly a suicide) outside Abdul's home.

Here's Paula Goodspeed's ill-fated Idol audition:

Now, I'm not going to say that Simon Cowell's vicious remarks to Goodspeed, not even the pointlessly cruel ones about her orthodontia, caused her to become suicidal. No one forces any of these wannabes to audition, and by now (or even by 2005, for that matter), anyone who walks into that audition room knows the drill and humiliating risks involved. I'm not saying they ASK for it, but they should at least EXPECT it. Plus, in Goodspeed's case it was clear she was unstable and had