‘American Idol’: Who’s that girl?

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First things first: Who was the crying girl? After the show, I chatted with Idol’s newest superstar, the crying girl, Ashley Ferl, aged 13, from Riverside. For some long minutes after the show, Ashley remained in a state of inconsolable sobbing, unable to choke out a single word. However, through an interpreter (her mother) we were eventually able to learn some facts about the young superstar.

The family, I was told, obtained tickets on a website to attend a taping of “Smarter Than a 5th Grader” a day passage that included not just the taping of the show itself, but also the dress rehearsal of either “Grader” or “Idol.” The fates were kind, and the mother and daughter found their way to the “Idol” rehearsal, where Ashley’s waterworks began. Her prowess was quickly brought to the attention of “Idol” producers who summoned the clan to a ringside seat of honor at the final taping.

Her powers of speech slowly returning, Ashley revealed that while she was on stage she had been thinking that “this was the coolest thing ever.” Asked whom she was supporting in the competition she named “Sanjaya, Melinda, Gina and Jordin” as her picks, refusing to narrow her vote down to a single choice. All my journalistic powers of persuasion, cajoling, bullying and insistence that on her vote might turn the entire competition, that “Listen to reason, young Ferl, there can’t be four American Idols,” would not convince her to name a single favorite. To my every argument, she would only repeat her mantra, “All Four: Sanjaya, Melinda, Gina and Jordin.” And so the race begins in earnest, with tears at every step of the way.

Back to the show: last night, there was an awkward run-up in the Idoldome. Last week’s warm up act, Corey, was absent. The hyper-peppy warm-up dance caller whose chants of “SHAKE! THAT! BOOTY!” make Ryan Seacrest seem a laconic sophisticate in comparison, was replaced by the ironic, subdued Billy, who’s anti-fanny pack material tread on dangerous ground with the studio audience.

More potentially cringe-inducing was the quiet, almost unnoticed entry of ousted contestant Alaina Alexander who wandered in to watch the show as mere spectator. The obvious but too-cruel-to-ask question (how awful is it to be sitting here just watching?) hung in the air above her as she sat, all but unrecognized. Finally, mercifully, her quiet vigil broke as a young girl recognized Alaina and approached. As Alaina signed an autograph, the girl broke into spasms of hysterical, out-of-control sobs of joy (insert major foreshadowing alert theme music). For Alaina Alexander the ride is not completely over.

The Show:

You have to be something of a sociopath to win “American Idol”; the ability to take and absorb criticism without being affected by it, to exude “fun” while delivering highly controlled, rehearsed performances, to supposedly not care about winning while caring deeply about each performance - these are not skills learned by the average person.

It also is an open question whether it is better to be a “normal person”, as Melinda Doolittle seems to all indication to be, or to act like a normal person, at which last year’s champion was very skilled. And can someone who doesn’t even try to be a “normal person”, like LaKisha, who’s diva-ness grows with each episode, stand a chance on a show which is, as much as Simon may insist otherwise, much more than just a singing competition.The judging is the lynchpin of each show; and as the moment of each contestant’s greatest vulnerability, it is also when they reveal the most about themselves. Drawing on my years of experience as an unlicensed clinical therapist, I made a study of the contestants’ various reactions to this critical moment of criticism.

Here are my findings based on Tuesday’s show:

+ Hayley. Grows more confident every week, but still very susceptible to the judges’ every word.

+ Chris Richardson. Very subdued. Enjoyed the reaction, but seemed confident enough with his performance to enjoy the praise but not to need it.

+ Stephanie. Feels every word the judges say. Struggles to pull back to the gracious manner that she prides herself on.

+ Blake. Completely results-oriented. The inner wheels are exposed as he adds up where he falls on the positive/negative scale. Listens to their words just for their value, but doesn’t absorb their meaning.

+ LaKisha. Does not care one damn bit what these fools think.

+ Phil. A good soldier, listens respectfully. But his good humored, normal-guy persona crumbles when given the criticism; he becomes defensive and stumbles, trying to reassert the “fun guy.”

+ Jordin. Constantly giddy and giggly. Too much energy and good spirits to stay serious very long.

+ Sanjaya. As noted last week, squirms through the judging, bored and uninterested like he wants to go out and play.

+ Gina. Was her most nervous this week. Visibly shrank in stature before her lukewarm notices.

+ Chris Sligh. Gets very very serious when being judged, belying his earlier wiseacre persona.

+ Melinda. Lights up completely when praised, totally awed by being well received.There is an interesting distinction between how Melinda and LaKisha end their songs. LaKisha steps away like she is shrugging out of a boxing ring, leaving her opponent a rotting vegetable behind her. Melinda, on the other hand, commands the room with such seeming ease but then, as soon as the song ends, seems almost embarrassed by what she’s accomplished.

But there is a masochism in the human species that somehow makes us enjoy having our deepest flaws exposed and ridiculed. At least if you are Alaina Alexander. No contestant has ever been judged more harshly than she, but there she was at the breaks, racing forward to chat with Simon and Randy, dying to catch up on old times.

--Richard Rushfield