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 something that would make good television."
Abdul told Walters that Goodspeed had written her "disturbing letters" for nearly 18 years, and that she'd even taken out a restraining order against Goodpseed in the past--but Goodspeed was nevertheless brought on the show "for entertainment value."
"I said, 'This girl is a stalker of mine and please do not let her in,'" Abdul claimed. "[But] it's fun for [the producers] to cause me stress."
Abdul also claimed Fox made her home address public...which might explain how and why Goodspeed was in Abdul's neighborhood at the time of her death.
Wow. Is it any wonder Paula does wacky stuff (like critique Jason Castro songs that were never performed, or appear drunk during live TV interviews, or clap like a seal) when she has to work under such stressful conditions?