american idol

so my roommate susan got tickets to a taping of the results show a few weeks ago. after school, i rushed home, only to drive back to cbs studios next to the grove. we stood on the sidewalk and didn't make it in. as a consolation, they gave her priority tickets to a future taping. that taping was today. i have parent conferences all next week (30 of them), grades are due, and i have portfolios of student work to put together, in addition to the normal amount of school stuff i have to do. to say that i'm swamped and stressed is kind of an understatement.

anyway, this was probably the worst week to get these tickets, but i left school earlier than in a long time and made my way over to the grove. the studio looked the same as the last time i went (2 years ago for a dress rehearsal of performance night with alexandra), except now only the VIPs get to sit. the rest of us stand in the pit for the whole 2.5 hours. so, ryan is still a small guy, but taller than i thought - we estimate 5'8" maybe. randy is thinner and shorter than i imagined. paula is tiny. she was hard to even find in the crowd. simon needs to wear an undershirt and button a few more buttons. some pseudo-celebs were in the audience:

• kimberly locke (season 2) performed a new song. she looked great.
  
• former contestants onstantine (season 4) and gina (season 6) sat next to each other.
  
• natasha bedingfield was front and center behind the judges table.
• rapper (lil') romeo - ok, i didn't recognize him, but since he had a bodyguard with him, we assumed he was somewhat famous. i heard somebody whisper, "romeo." then later, on my way home, i was thinking he kind of looked like master p. i just googled him, turns out he's master p's son! susan couldn't get over the bling around his neck. she claimed it was a jewel-encrusted keropi. somehow, i don't think that adds to his street cred.
• the boy that plays justin (betty's little brother) on ugly betty was there. he's a cutie.
• AI producer/director Nigel was running around.

and they don't count as pseudo-celebs yet, but booted contestants david (former male stripper according to my other roommate susan) and danny (a waifish looking boy) signed autographs for the teenybopper set.

i think that's it. i have to say, this show makes it super awkward for the bottom contestants. they are made to sit apart for the duration, though they get called over to the couch of safety during commercial breaks. when i watch on tv, it's like whatever. but seeing the person 30 feet away from you sweating it out is kind of sad. chekezie was booted from the show. poor guy. he seems like a pretty nice person. we really did feel super bad for him. oh well. i wish good things for him.

i also left the taping with a tiny crush on the australian guy - the accent helps, as does his singing. plus, he's a cutie too.