Sarah Whitaker
Deep in the heart of the Midwest, there are apparently still people trying to pull off the Goth look. Among them is Sarah "Lady Morgue" Whitaker. The former pro wrestler’s audition ended up being forced and forgettable, but the image of her smacking Seacrest is filed permanently in the “amazing” folder of our mental file cabinet. It makes us wonder why the host hasn’t had a tough-talking handler all along.
Chris Bernheisel
Nebraska has more than its share of flamboyant farm boys with unrealistic expectations, but Chris Bernheisel is definitely the best. After bribing the judges with stuffed animals, slaughtering Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” and performing a poorly received handstand, Chris knew his fate was sealed. But that didn’t stop him from trying to bargain. After they denied his request to host the finale pre-show, Simon did say he could cover the finale for his local Fox affiliate. Chris’s reaction? "I feel like I could explode and happiness is going to go everywhere!" Us too, buddy.
Shannon McGough
Whenever an episode starts off with a pretty girl of modest means and a charming back story, we’re pretty much guaranteed a knock-out audition. So when pixie-faced, amateur butcher Shannon McGough opened her mouth to sing Janis Joplin’s “Cry Baby” after a lengthy visit to her parents’ meat market, the death cries that ensued were the last thing we expected. Way to shake things up, “Idol.”
Julie Dubela
Call it intentional suppression or a genuine case of pop culture amnesia, but we completely forgot that “American Juniors,” the 2002 ‘tween “Idol” spin-off, ever existed. Yet it did. And apparently Julie Dubela was part of it. She’s spent the better part of the last four years becoming more obnoxious and less talented, and the judges were quick to point that out. So upset with her dismissal, Julie told the audience to stop watching the show. If only, Julie…if only.
Hollywood Week is on the horizon, friends, but be sure to check back next week for one final look at the 2007 auditions.
