The more I think about Paula Abdul's now-infamous slip-up — criticizing a song that was yet to be performed on last night's American Idol — the more ridiculous it gets. Popwatch has a report from inside the auditorium on what they've dubbed PaulaGate, saying even the audience was audibly snickering as Paula launched into her critique.
Paula's since given two explanations for what happened — one that she accidentally gave Jason Castro the critique meant for David Cook, the other that she gave Jason feedback based on her notes from the dress rehearsal. Considering that Paula's feedback for Jason was negative but her comments for David were positive, the first theory seems pretty implausible — but the second one could make some sense.
Of course, there are a few other possibilities, too — namely that Idol is more scripted than it claims to be and/or that Paula is crazier than we even thought. So, consider this your opportunity to post your conspiracy theories on PaulaGate and Idol in general. Is it scripted? Does it bother you that the judges could give feedback based on a performance the rest of us didn't see? Is Paula just nutso? If you haven't seen the video yet, check it out after the jump. If you're ready to weigh in, just read more.
Photo courtesy of Fox
By Malene Birger
I think it makes sense that they were notes from the dress rehearsal. It's what I assumed when I was watching. I also think Paula was noticeably loopy for the entire show. It must be hard to keep your notes straight when you're high as a kite.
Anyhow, we've always known the judges watch the dress rehearsals. They've made comments to that effect before when a contestant performs significantly worse than in rehearsal. It makes sense that they would be organizing their critiques - at least in their minds - from the rehearsal performance. That way they don't have to be jotting notes during the live show, they have time to think about what they want to say and Paula can boogie woogie the whole time and not pay attention.
1Paula probably was reading notes from last season.
2She's such a fruit loop.
Nobody has mentioned that she had TWO not one but TWO slip ups last night!!! First was the obvious mistake of thinking they had already done both songs (just proves she doesn't pay attention at all and just regurgitates whatever Randy says) and the second mistake was she called Syesha Brooke!! Go back and watch it...its right after Randy finishes his comments and the camera is on Syesha, Paula starts talking and calls her Brooke. She is losing her mind!
3Drunk, possibly. I think it's more of a meds high than alcohol. I know what a meds high because I've seen my mom go on those trips before. Spaciness, laughing, and a bit of blubbering ensue.
4christin78 — thank you! I thought my ears were playing tricks on me! I kept rewinding the Syesha/Brooke part to see if I could catch it, but my boyfriend kept claiming he didn't hear her say "Brooke." I feel better now.
5Idol is scripted!! I think the producers decide who they want to win and coach the judges to comment accordingly. Also, Idol refuses to announce exactly how they count the votes-- there's no guarantee that the person who goes home REALLY got the lowest votes!
How else do you explain that Archie never gets a harsh word and Carly never gets a glowing review? Or the fact that no judge has ever metioned how cheesy Archuleta can be, or that he's botched lines a couple times. Scripted, I tell you!
6Oh yeah, also: Even if Paula was using notes from dress-rehearsal, how does that count as fair that their show critique should be judged on how the did at rehearsal? Especially with the old showbiz superstition-- bad dress rehearsal, great performance, great rehearsal, bad performance!
7I think the show's scripted to some extent...I've been thinking that for awhile now.
8I think its somewhat scripted. I wouldn't be surprised if shes told to mess up so that they will be in the news more. It worked.
9Paula is bat-scat loopy and tweaked on drugs. [Allegedly!]
I also think the judges frame their comments based upon rehearsal, so they have a foundation to form current criticism during the live show. They adjust their comments accordingly.
10I am actually worried and think that there is something wrong with Paula (medically, neurologically) and it sutprises me that no one else sees that. I can see how Simon and Randy have lately become very overprotective of her;pats on the back, reassurance etc. i think if a collegue was purposely messing up others would want that colleague out but if it is something that she has no control over than colleagues would be more compassionate.
I don't like that she is attacked so much and called loopy or drunk. It's insensitive
11My family was all wondering what is really in that Coke cup. Maybe some old-fashion Coca-Cola?
12Hasn't this been explained thoroughly already? Didn't PA describe some chronic disease that she has on various entertainment networks/shows that keeps her in constant pain? Constant pain = copious amounts of drugs. I guess her disease wasn't sexy enough for anyone in Hollywood to take notice and create a charity event/foundation around it.
On a serious note, I know that it is difficult to even find a doctor willing to manage chronic pain patients probably due all the side effects that have to be juggled and perhaps the risk of addiction. PA is lucky to be in treatment, but I don't think she's doing herself or anyone in a similar situation any favors by appearing in public in such a confused state. I guess fame is the most addictive drug of all.
13Let's just get it out there that I am not an avid American Idol fan, I love the auditions and then stop watching when they're done. I live in AZ and a local radio station talks to Paula Abdul all the time. It's like they're BFF's, a weird relationship which they also had w/ Enrique Iglesias. Anyway, I didn't watch AI last night but I heard her on the air today telling what happened so I watched it online. It's too long for me to get into here, but your second theory of what happened is closest to the truth. go to www.johnjayandrich.com and i'm sure you can hear a podcast of the interview. Her explanation makes sense in a jacked up, seemingly cracked-up sort of Paula Abdul way. Her explanation of why she was at the rehearsals is legit because she was talking about it the day before on their program. I think her comment about her saying it was David's song was her way of trying to save face on the spot on national tv. Once you hear her true explanation, and yes it's long, I think you can understand it from her side.
14I would assume that she was using her notes from the dress rehearsal and got confused by Ryan suddenly asking for their thoughts. After all, he was asking for quick notes and she was suddenly going into something much more in depth than her usual feedback. So I think that she was forming the basis of her notes from the rehearsal - since the show is live, and she doesn't seem to be the quickest of people, it's a legitimate shortcut for her to make.
That said, I still think that there's something wrong with her that she does need to make that sort of a shortcut. In the beginning of AI, she was the gentlest of the judges, but she actually had some decent feedback. And as the seasons have gone on, she's just deteriorated. After watching "Hey Paula" and then this last season... there must be something wrong with her.
15There is something wrong with her, it's called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (the latter being the most recently preferred term in medical lingo) and I have it. It's a chronic pain syndrome that is neurologically based. Your brain sends signals for pain to parts of your body when you shouldn't be having that amount of pain. Hers, I remember correctly, stemmed from a cheerleading accident. It's usually starts from some sort of trauma, mine however seems to have a genetic link (plus I have lupus along with it).
I'm sure she's in constant pain and therefore constantly on medication to help make this pain liveable. Right now I have an electric device called a TENS unit hooked up to my leg because I'm in horrible pain and this relieves it somewhat by intercepting the pain signals (from what I understand). But you can't easily wear this out, and so I'm sure she has to take quite a bit of medication.
And who knows, maybe she's just weird along with being medicated..
Chronic pain conditions don't get nearly enough coverage as they should.
16Sort of off-topic, but did anyone see the recent episode of Intervention with the woman in constant pain from RA and Lyme Disease? Heartbreaking. Her family treated her with so little compassion because they thought she was just a pill-popping drug addict. The interventionist brought in a doctor who specializes in pain control to explain that she is indeed suffering with chronic pain and needs medication. They really seemed take it to heart and felt terrible. Very sad on all fronts.
17Paula = nutso
18This is so weird. I think its both. I think its scripted and Paula's a flake.
I could see the argument that she was giving it based on a past performance, but then again, that could just be a quick save that some of the producers thought up.
We'll probably never know! But is anyone even watching this season anyways? What are the ratings like?
19Paula acted like I do when I am caught off guard and asked a question in a meeting--and I had been day dreaming. Rather than say, "Oh, can you repeat that? I was totally not listening" I try to pretend I know what's going on by rambling off something vague (until I can regain my composure). Sometimes it works and sometimes it backfires.
I think Paula was off in La La land, and when it was time for her to give her two cents, she rambled off something really vague about the performance. She seemed really nervous as she was making the comments, too--like she knew she was talking sh*t.
But now I have to wonder about the legitimacy of all her past feedback!
20I agree with elizabethgracef that Paula might be a little loopy because of her chronic pain, much like Jeff Conaway on Celebrity Rehab. I hope that her condition doesn't force her to take so many meds that she ends up being as completely uncogent as Conaway. And it makes sense that because of Paula's pain meds, she may have been confused about dress rehearsal vs. the live show.
21I still think that the line-up that they did after the first song actually happened after the second song, and she forgot that she wasn't supposed to provide both comments so soon.
22I am sure the notes were from practice sessions and that due to the medication she is on she just wasn't 'with it'. I don't think she is taking any illegal drugs. I do know however that she does have a lot of spinal/joint problems and I am certain she is on medication for that. From what I saw on her show "Hey Paula", she is also a bit too driven and overworks herself as well, so she doesn't get the proper amount of sleep. If you combine all of that you have one loopy lady. It's just sad though that either she or her handlers don't recognize the need for change. She needs either a different medication or a different time that she takes it. Taking the time to get the sleep she needs is a must as well. I think she is a very lonely and sad person dealing with a lot of pain issues and that she overworks herself to keep from being alone too much. I hate to see people get giggles or be entertained by her problems. Yes she is a public figure and the problem is unfortunately in front of the public, but she is still a human being with feelings.
23I also heard her call Syesha, Brooke! I went back several times, and she DEFINATLY called her Brooke. As far as the other "oops"...if you watch it again, as she starts talking about Jasons second song, no one flinchs. Ryan doesn't look bothered by it, the contestants don't seem fased by it, and Randy and Simon don't even try to stop her. She gets through her whole second critic before someone offscreen tells Ryan that was a mistake, and then he corrects her. SO, that makes me think that maybe they did the line up after they did both songs and so no one flinched when she started talking about it. AND then some producer yells at Ryan to stop her because they just wanted the judges to pretend that they had only heard one song. I don't know, the whole thing just was weird to me.
24My theory is simple: Paula is always drunk and/or drugged. Seriously, can anybody remember the last time she acted normal? If that's true, she should be fired. It's a family show. She hasn't said or done anything morally inappropriate yet, but how long until she does?
25OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
26OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
OH SHUT UP f*ckING LOSERS !!!GO AWAY AND GET A LIVE OR A WORK
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
27f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
f*ck YOU !!!PAULA IS THE BEST WOMAN EVER OK !! SO KILL YOURSELF
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE!!!!
28PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
PAULA IS THE BEST DANCER EVER , SHE IS UNIQUE !!!!
IQUE !!!!
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