Am I blaming Simon Cowell for this unfortunate event?
Of course not... but although we tend to get great entertainment value from watching others being publicly humiliated in front of millions of viewers, is it worth it?
How many others before Paula Goodspeed may not have been as desperate but certainly wanted to crawl under a rock or move to a Non American Idol Country and disappear forever?
Some of these people really do "suck" and should know better but they still have feelings and deserve a little common courtesy.
According to ABC News... "The woman whose body was found near Paula Abdul's home was a one-time "American Idol" contestant who, despite being ridiculed during her audition, maintained her infatuation with judge Paula Abdul.
Paula Goodspeed, 30, was found dead, an apparent suicide, Tuesday evening in her car, which was parked a few doors down from Abdul's Los Angeles home. Reuters reported that prescription pills, along with CDs and pictures of Abdul, were found in the car.
"It appears to be a suicide by overdose," Detective Robert Bub of the Los Angeles Police Department told Reuters.
On her MySpace.com page, Goodspeed posted a seductive photo of Abdul, with her mouth open and tongue exposed, below the words, "My secret crush, shhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"
In a statement Wednesday to ABCNews.com, the singer and former Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader said: "I am deeply shocked and saddened at what transpired yesterday. My heart and prayers go out to her family."
Goodspeed's Austin, Texas, audition in 2005 was featured prominently on "Idol," after she made it to Round 3 to sing before the judges. In an interview with host Ryan Seacrest, she admitted to being a diehard Abdul fan.
But the judges flatly rejected Goodspeed after her off-key rendition of "Proud Mary."
Abdul said she was "speechless," adding, "that's not a great thing."
Randy Jackson, the third judge, said, "That was terrible. What was that?"
Cowell attacked Goodspeed's braces. "I don't think any artist on earth can sing with that much metal in your mouth anyway. You have so much metal in your mouth. That's like a bridge."
"It's very hard reading such awful things being written about yourself," she wrote. "Not like alot [sic] of people would understand what it's like having so many haters just because I made the mistake of trying out for a singing competition before I was even ready vocally, emotionally and physically."
"I have to believe there is something good about me," Goodspeed wrote.
Posting a comment on Goodspeed's MySpace.com page yesterday, "Julie" wrote: "Rest in peace, the world knows your name."
That was a beautiful gesture by "Julie"... unfortunately I'm sure that isn't the way Paula Goodspeed wanted to be known.
