LA Times: American Dunkleman is 'hilarious'

We told you yesterday about American Dunkleman, the great new scripted comedy series starring American Idol veteran Brian Dunkleman. Our pals at Frozen Pictures have just begun shopping the project, and today the Los Angeles Times ran with the story-- and posted the video clip-- on its Idol Tracker blog:

Los Angeles Times
January 23, 2009
Idol Tracker: What you're watching

The return of Brian Dunkleman

"American Idol's" original black sheep is back. It's hard to remember a time when then-surfer dude Ryan Seacrest shared the stage as one of two hosts, but that's how it was in Season 1 of "American Idol." And while we all know what happened with to the Man Who Became Dick Clark, his vanquished other half has largely disappeared from view -- except for the occasional embittered interview.

Now, as seen in the hilarious trailer above, Brian Dunkleman has returned, shooting a series about the travails of being the Man Who Did Not Become Ryan Seacrest. The press release from Frozen Pictures, the show's producer, explains:

"American Dunkleman" is a fictional account of the actor-comic's life, based on his reputation for having made "the biggest mistake in the history of show business" when he walked away from his role as co-host of "American Idol" after its first season in 2002 (Dunkleman's cohost was Ryan Seacrest).

The series follows the fictional Dunkleman as he tries to work his way back to the television industry, embarrassing himself and disappointing his friends while constantly being reminded that he "could have been a millionaire" had he stuck with "Idol."

The episodic arc runs from realism to absurdity, including Dunkleman's misadventures hosting a cable reality pilot; disaster in a stand-up comedy appearance when he offends an audience of young teens; his surprise at a convention event when he's forced to host an Idol-like contest among "furries"; a desperate decision to become a patient on a Hollywood rehab reality show (even though he doesn't have a substance abuse problem); an embarrassing mugshot; and, in a twist, a stalking by a deranged celebrity.

The series pitch tape is running at AmericanDunkleman.com and other industry outlets.

Series was created and written by Brett Hudson and Burt Kearns of Frozen Pictures. Their credits include the 2005 Fox movie comedy "Cloud 9," Showtime's "My First Time" and "The Seventh Python," the Neil Innes film bio now making the film festival circuit.

"Brian Dunkleman is a great comic actor," says Hudson. "He's a very self-aware personality who's got the timing, the face -- and the name -- for comedy. Dunkleman (the character) fits somewhere between Rodney Dangerfield and Charlie Brown. The audience can't help but identify with and root for him."

Check back next week when we hope to bring you an interview with the one-man lost colony of Idol Nation, Brian Dunkleman.

-- Richard Rushfield

National Enquirer boosts American Dunkleman!

American Dunkleman, the new television comedy series created by our pals at Frozen Pictures got a huge boost this week as the National Enquirer is running a prominent story, spread over two pages, that not only promotes the show starring former American Idol host Brian Dunkleman, but gets in the comedic spirit and ratchets the satirical edge one step further!

Ex-'Idol' host resorts to begging
fans to help revive his career

runs the hilarious headline, which spins off the satirical Facebook group, "American Dunkleman is the next great television comedy," that's been promoting the proposed scripted series among the industry movers and shakers who communicate on the site.

The Enquirer article also gets to the heart of the series, which is a takeoff on Dunkleman's real-life plight of making "the biggest mistake in the history of show business," while at the same time showing off the actor's great acting and comedic skills.

"The Enquirer is the best," Burt Kearns, who created the series with fellow writer-producer Brett Hudson, tells us exclusively. "As a veteran of the tabloid industry, I appreciate the humour and spin of the headline-- it'll grab the millions of readers out there in America and will help them identify with the 'Brian Dunkleman' character in the series.

"I mean, it's genius. The Enquirer writes of Dunkleman's 'agony' and desperation when it's the producers who put up the Facebook site as a stunt! They're treating the star as if he's the character, like doing a story on Larry David as if he's really the guy in Curb Your Enthusiasm! Brilliant! Hey, we may even use the article in one of the episodes!"

The full article runs below-- as you can see above, they even showed the Facebook page.

As for the rest of Hollywood... stay tuned... after the release of the promotional trailer (below) led to a tremendous publicity blitz that included raves in places like the Los Angeles Times ("Hilarious!"), the Dunkleman series, including its pilot script, is just now beginning to be shopped.

Ex-'Idol' host resorts to begging
fans to help revive his career
Brian Dunkleman
still can't live down his
'biggest mistake'

FORMER "American idol" co-host Brian Dunkleman has gone from becoming a living room fixture in millions of American homes to begging fans to help him land a new TV show.

Dunkleman was Ryan Seacrest's sidekick when "Idol" debuted in 2002, but to his lasting regret, left the mega-hit s how after the first season. Now he's desperately seeking a new gig-- in a series about himself!

The title: "American Dunkleman"!

"Let's be honest-- I didn't think 'American Idol' would be successful. Had I known, I would have stayed," he told The ENQUIRER exclusively.

After the 37-year-old entertainer announced his departure, Simon Cowell declared Dunkleman had "made the biggest mistake in the history of show business."

In his drive to return to the spotlight, Dunkleman, who's found sporadic TV work, is opening up about his personal agony on the Web site Facebook.

"I'M TRYING TO GET FANS to support a new TV comedy series called 'American Dunkleman.'

"The show is based in how every day of my life I'm reminded of the biggest mistake I've ever made-- leaving 'Idol'-- and how I can't go anywhere without being reminded of that career decision.

"I'm appealng to members of Facebook in an attempt to get one million fans to support the show before we pitch it to the networks."

by LISA LUCHESI

Idol rocked by Jordin Sparks controversies!

Now that Jordin Sparks has moved into the forefront of the American Idol race, the backlash is underway, with conspiracy theories in full swing-- and a political hot potato that's jumped from the back burner to center stage.

We told you about the initial controversy over Jordin's entry into this season's contest (aided by Idol sponsor Coca Cola), and suspicion that her victory has been in the cards all along. Now, photos showing Jordin with Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, supposedly taken three years ago, have led to speculation that the judges may have pretended not to know her when she auditioned-- and that she's indeed been groomed for Idoldom in some secret lab.

And now add the Christian Right to mix!

Jordin's never been shy about her Christian faith. She recorded a CD with "Jesus music" pioneer Matthew Ward, toured with Christian singer Michael W. Smith, placed second in 2004 at the Gospel Music Association's Music in the Rockies national competition for aspiring Contemporary Christian Music artists (the same one that Chris Sligh competed in two years earlier). And the GMA says it recognizes Jordin and fellow finalist Melinda Doolittle as Christian artists who are "keeping the faith."

Not that there's anything wrong with a big organized Christian Idol voting bloc (remember those phone centers in India?), but the controversy gets down to politics, in the form of abortion.

Though she's only seventeen and probably won't have to think seriously about the issue until she goes on the Idol tour and finds out she's been knocked up by Sanjaya, Jordan is well-known in her home state of Arizona and among the Christian crowd as a "pro-life"-- or anti-abortion-- crusader. And until recently, she apparently had this picture on her MySpace page:


Photos of Jordin at anti-abortion events and stories about her activism have been on line for months, but only reaching mainstream attention now that she has the best chance of taking the American Idol title.

The stir that's brewing is similar to last year's storm over contestant Mandisa and her connection to the "ex-gay" movement. And with some expressing concern that Jordin will use her American Idol platform to preach against abortion, this sort of fight is one that will bring out votes on both sides.

American Dunkleman makes The Globe!

The Globe, the edgy supermarket tabloid that's scarfed up by millions of Americans each week, is highlighting American Dunkleman!

You remember American Dunkleman. It's the proposed television comedy series starring former American Idol host Brian Dunkleman, was hailed as "hilarious" earlier this year when a trailer for the based-on-real-life laughfest hit the Internet. The series from our pals at Frozen Pictures got great attention from the likes of the Los Angeles Times and The National Enquirer, which had fun with the producers' tongue-in-cheek Facebook campaign.


Now the current issue of The Globe tabloid features American Dunkleman. The fact that the weekly tabloid with a finger on the pulse of Middle America chose to seek out and publish a story on the show is yet another indicator of American Dunkleman's mainstream appeal.

The story is another juicy tease with an A+ tabloid headline:

'IDOL' IDIOT PLOTS SITCOM SALVATION

FORMER American Idol host Brian Dunkleman is attempting a TV comeback by shopping around a sitcom about his life.

Called American Dunkleman, the series plays on Brian's real-life reputation of having made "the biggest mistake in the history of show business" when he walked away from his role as "Idol" co-host after the show's first season.

Since leaving FOX's talent fest, his career has nose-dived, while his co-host Ryan Seacrest went on to make a fortune as a radio DJ and TV producer.

The comedy series follows the fictional Dunkleman as he attempts to get back into the television business.

A source says: "His character embarrasses himself and disappoints his friends while constantly being reminded that he could have been a millionaire if he'd stuck with the show."

So what about the show?

"We're negotiating, we're pitching and we've got one especially hot prospect we hope will become a reality soon, says Frozen's Brett Hudson. "This series will introduce America to a Brian Dunkleman who was never revealed on reality television. He's a true comedy idol!"

Presidential candidates reveal reality TV faves

President Bush may be out of step with the American people when it comes to Iraq, but his handlers were smart enough to get him to follow up his veto by showing up with his wife and saying the name "Bono" on American Idol. Unfortunate though, that he could have been talking about Sonny Bono, because with their bad makeup, stilted reading and awkward comedy, the Bushes come off like a couple out of the Sixties.

So when it comes to voting on his successor, we know what we're basing our decision on:

The Candidate's favorite reality TV show.

The Associated Press asks:

What is your favorite reality TV program?

DEMOCRATS:

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden: "Don't have one."

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: "American Idol."

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd: "American Idol, which I say often reminds me of running for president sometimes."

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards: College basketball.

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich: C-SPAN coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives. No time for other TV.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama: "Other than the U.S. Senate on C-SPAN? I don't watch them too often."

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: "Fox News."

REPUBLICANS:

Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback: "None this season; too busy. Last season it was The Amazing Race."

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani: Baseball.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: Nashville Star.

California Rep. Duncan Hunter: Watches Versus, previously called the Outdoor Life Network.

Arizona Sen. John McCain: Arizona Diamondbacks baseball.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: American Idol.

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo: "None."

Jordin Sparks: Idol's stealth contestant?

The big question from last night’s American Idol isn’t when Barry Gibb started talking like Sean Connery (well, okay, that is a big question), but whether an eventual win by 17-year-old Jordin Sparks has been in the cards from the start.

A month ago. Idol was shaping into a clash of the divas Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones, but in recent weeks, thanks to some overpraising of pleasant performances (and criticism of the frontrunners) from the judges and unfortunate song choices by the competition, it’s looking more and more like the next American Idol will be the seventeen-year-old football player’s daughter who's big enough to play linebacker herself.

Which is what brings us back to January, before the season launched (but months after the auditions), when Entertainment Weekly quoted judge Randy Jackson “cryptically” predicting the winner will be ''someone with curly hair."

And then there were the auditions in Seattle, where Jordin’s inclusion, how she arrived there-- and the reception from judges-- raised a red flag when the auditions aired.

Until now, the Seattle auditions— the last ones for the season-- were memorable for Blake Lewis, Sanjaya Malakar, the Bush Baby— and the accusation that a “ringer”— a professional— was planted among the contestants.

That was Tom Lowe, a flamboyant British boy band singer who was once signed to a label that employed Simon Cowell, and profiled in the version of Idol that was shown only in the UK.

But the real ringer of the Seattle auditions may have turned out to be Jordin Sparks. In fact, the morning after the Seattle episode aired, TV critic Melanie McFarland wrote about it, indignantly, in the Seattle-Post Intelligencer:

“… one shining star stood out: 16-year-old Jordin Sparks from Glendale, Ariz. She's beautiful, has a smile that can light up L.A., and tore apart Celine Dion's ‘Because You Love Me.’

“Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

“Seeing her is supposed to drive home the reason we keep running back to Idol. Young, ambitious and undiscovered, she embodies the dream of Idol, the idea that someone with small but bright embers of talent can, within the space of a few months, shoot from obscurity to superstardom.

“Except that's not exactly the case with this young woman.

“Out of nowhere, Abdul says she recognizes Sparks' name -- and Sparks reveals she is the daughter of former New York Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks. What a coinky-dink!

“And that's not all! Jordin Sparks has an exhaustive Wikipedia page, where you can find out interesting facts such as: She was the Coca-Cola Rising Star in 2002. Coca-Cola, of course, being Idol's major sponsor. She also appeared in America's Most Talented Kids in 2004, toured with Michael W. Smith and sang in Alice Cooper's Christmas show. Winning Arizona Idol netted her a Ford Fusion and a trip to Seattle. Wonder if she had to wait in line?”

So... the sponsor’s favorite gets a trip from Arizona to Seattle for an eleventh-hour spot in the final, controversial audition session. Randy predicts a winner with “curly hair” (a clue that many mistook as pointing to Chris Sligh)— just as his executive producer promises (accurately) Entertainment Weekly that Sanjaya Malakar won’t make it through. The judges begin to heap extravagant praise on the young girl with the beauty pageant-High School Musical talent. She begins to overshadow her more gifted opponents.

Was her victory in the cards from the start?

Then again, Jordan could be eliminated tonight. Stay tuned.

Bush Baby & Fat Jon: Reality TV's latest idols

The two Seattle wannabe pop stars who were shortchanged by genetics and then ridiculed by American Idol, are embarking on a now-standard journey into that bizarre new realm of post-reality show fame and exploitation.

And while Kenneth Briggs and Jonathan Jayne lift off into the unknown, Fox Television is taking a strong stand against Rosie O'Donnell and others who've claim the Idol judges were meaner than ever to those poor boys and others this time around. "I think it's part of what makes American Idol American Idol," Peter Liguori, Fox entertainment president, told television writers at the summit in Pasadena today. And he added--presumably with a straight face-- that folks have told him the show's been "toned down."

Tuesday and Wednesday's shows, which featured auditions in Minneapolis and Seattle, pulled in about 37 million viewers. Simon Cowell got the heaviest criticism for making fun of the saucer-eyed and stunted Kenneth, and the slow, portly Jonathan.

Simon told Kenneth: ''You look a little odd... you look like one of those creatures that live in the jungle, with those massive eyes. What are they called? A bush baby." And when rotund 20-year-old Jonathan followed, Simon asked him if he'd borrowed Randy Jackson's pants. The New York Times pointed out the next morning that "an online biography from a private school in Seattle where Mr. Jayne graduated in 2004 notes that his hobbies include participating in the Special Olympics." It's also been revealed that Jonathan is autistic to boot--and lost his job as a grocery store for skipping work for the Idol audition! Oops.

But no worries. For Bush Baby & Fat Jon, the fun's just begun.


The morning after his Idol appearance, Jonathan was interviewed on The BJ Shea Morning Experience (home of "Hot topics, hot shots, hot bitches" and the "H-Hole Army") on Seattle's KISW-FM. Jonathan was scheduled to return to sing on the radio Friday morning, but he was hijacked, along with Kenneth, by the producers of Jimmy Kimmel Live for an appearance in LA last night. At the end of the interview, Kimmel invited Kenneth and Jonathan to the Bob Hope Classic celebrity golf tournament (taking place now in Palm Springs) to interview celebrities for him.

That promises another Kimmel appearance next week, which means that Kenneth will probably again be a no-show on the BJ radio show back home, where he's now set to perform Monday morning, and "the Morning Experience staff intends to help him find a new job."

Welcome to show biz, h-holes...

Exclusive! Will India make Sanjaya America's Idol?

Are outsourced tech support workers in India using their speed-dialing phone resources and technical expertise to keep Sanjaya Malakar on American Idol? That's the chatter we're picking up on blogsites catering to the Desi community ("Desi" in this case referring to people of South Asian descent spread throughout the English-speaking world-- see MTV Desi).

Leading Desi blogsite Uber Desi addresses concerns that "support for Sanjaya equals racism" because of the claim that most of those voting for Sanjaya (a "half-Desi") are of Indian descent or in India:

"MeraGussaII on O3 alleges that the voting for Sanjaya has racial overtones. The blogger alleges that most of the votes Sanjaya is receiving is from Indians or people of desi origin. I say Sanjaya is this year's version of Chicken Little... unless tech support people from call centers in India are dialing in to American Idol on their clock, the majority audience and voters for American Idol is the teenybopper crowd."

It's an open secret in the television industry that American and UK series featuring phone-in voting by viewers rely on phone centers in India to take calls-- and occasionally, pump up the numbers.

Idol is seen in India on Star World TV, and the Indian and South Asian media have followed the Sanjaya saga closely and prominently-- ever since Sanjaya and his sister Shyamali auditioned.

And it's a shame that big sister Shyamali didn't make it to the finals.

It looks like she might have given Antonella Barba a run for her money.

For as you can see from the photo at left, the wide-eyed, innocent-looking beauty was a Hooters waitress in Tacoma!

How Carly Smithson can win American Idol

Yes, we keep track of American Idol, and no, we wouldn't phone in a vote for any of the Top Nine ringers and pros, especially not Carly Hennessy, the failed multimillion dollar contract Irish pop star (with a double entendre tune about oral sex) who's masquerading as "Carly Smithson"-- not unless that lady who's tattooed on her right arm starts singing along like the talking boil on Richard E. Grant’s neck in How To Get Ahead in Advertising!

On a related note, deep in the Tabloid Baby archives, a posting in which we exposed Carly’s past and the show’s conflicts of interest has generated a steady stream of comments, the majority in support of the old gal.

Here’s a sampling:

anonymous said...
fyi, carly is a hardworking waittress at a local pub who sang her heart out for two years for pennies to the utter enjoyment of many patrons who paid no cover . I personally passed the hat for her one night because I have so much 
respect for her hard work & talent.
So give a nice girl a break & just let her sing to the world , you'll be glad she did. Marie N. 
S.D.

anonymous said...
This girl worked in a bar as a waitress to pay her way has sang for buttons so she obviously loves music whats wrong with that????
Its what she loves to do obviously so give her a chance. 
All the Irish americans will be behind her as Ireland and America have such a bond.

princess paddy said...
OK Tabloid Baby, wanna know the facts ? Or are you all about copy and past internet crap ! She did not have $2.2 million spent on her or all the fancy extras that go with having a "deal". A demented revengeful journalist wrote a story that was all crap and it went wild all over the papers internationally saying all this stuff about Carly. So as usual everybody jumps on board and believes all they read. Bull Bull Bull. Do yourself a favour, go down to the pub where she sings her heart out on a Saturday night like the majority of singers looking for that break and see if she can sing ! She has no record deal and wants one just like all the other hopefuls. And by the way there is a constitution in place in case you don't know and when you marry an american man you are entitled to live and work in America. Ever heard of John F Kennedy ? Thank you. I rest my case ! Go Carly. You're a friggin legend girl ! The owner of the pub will be missing out !

anonymous said...
Hi, I saw Carly's audition she is married to Todd Smithson I would guess that's why she used that name, I also think she is very genuine. She deserves some luck she had a deal before and made no money that's probably not her fault, she has a fantastic voice and probably the best in America. What you fail to say is that her career was lunched at the same time that America suffered the second biggest attack since Pearl Harbour, (911) around that time nothing sold and her album failed to make an impression great that it was... I hope she wins I think she is great and i think your being nasty to her unfairly... she is talented and been through the mill try to feel for her and put yourself in her position. I wish her every success, give her a break.

anonymous said...
She needs to go back to Ireland, after all Americans cant go to Ireland and work. Besides now that the setup is out of the bag continuing on with the setup and letting her win is impossible now. But I'm sure thats what they had in mind.

anonymous said...
She may deserve a break, but "AMERICAN" idol is not the place. This if for undiscovered amatuers not record company retreads. For her to be there is an insult to the viewing audience and the real contestents.

anonymous said...
I don't see anyone complaining about the Australian in the competition. Get off the anti-Carly kick, give her a chance to prove herself on stage. If you don't like what you hear then you can vote her off.

anonymous said...
Carly is amazing. Carly has an amazing voice, and wonderful stage presence. Carly deserves a break.
Carly obviously knows how to work hard for a living. 
I hope you sweep the boards Carly.

anonymous said...
...many of the Idol contestants who make it to the finals have essentially already had a shot at stardom, whether it was Kelly Clarkson's record deal that didn't end up producing anything, or others who don't make it on their own, change their name or their image and try again. Don't you want the best singer to be able to produce an album, I do, regardless of other chances they've had...

chase said...
For the record, from one fellow Irishman to all you Irish out there blindly supporting Carly, WAKE UP, she's NO ONE WORTH SUPPORTING!

 Has everyone failed to notice her lack of creativity? Has everyone failed to notice that, besides (in the words of the judges) singing very "nicely" she has nothing to offer the musical world? 

The reason her album went nowhere is because she is utterly forgettable. She attacks every song in the same dreary way, with the same level of non-emotion... I'd say she's a modern day Debbie Boone... and sings in an empty, hollow, emotionless and I dare say BLAH way that leaves one cold on the inside after hearing it.

anonymous said...
WOW...I just wanted to know if Carly had recently gotten married because I didn't realize she was married until last weeks show, but somehow I stumbled onto this crap! Apparently there are WAY too many people stirring up some stories...I'm not even sure what to believe anymore! Can't we find anything better to do?? Don't you all have jobs? Regardless of all of this, I think Carly has a beautiful voice and she deserves to be there just like the rest of them!

luke220 said...
Ok, I'll say it. The reason she was in the bottom three last night was the looks of her friends and husband. Sorry, face tattoos weird me out, and many others I'm sure. She's a good singer but the show is a popularity contest, and people don't like the tattoos.

barahir said...
Her album came out in 2000 and flopped. Since then she has worked hard just like everyone else, ending up waitressing and performing in a pub. I don't see how a flopped record 8 years ago, in any way, negates her ability to compete in American Idol. I have a friend who "cut a CD" in high school and actually sold about $100k worth of them. I certainly would still call him "undiscovered."

anonymous said...
Fully agree 100% that the tattoos are disgraceful and a tremendous turnoff....even worse when we get subjected to pictures of her husband who has totally disfigured his body so hideously that nobody would ever hire him so he will always be a "tattoo artist", a fad that is quickly on the fade out. What was once a competition to find new talent, and fresh-faced ingenues, has become a repository for tired old hacks who have already had their kick at the can and failed, and circus act tattooed ladies.

j mcdade said...
Talent is talent, which Carly does have. Look past the body art and really listen to her voice, it will tell you real talent amongst, the rest of the pack

anonymous said...
congrats carley, i think youre great, have a great time on american idol, cannot vote because i live in EIRE, so go n-ére an t-adh leat,,,,,JJ

anonymous said...
Carly has the best voice in AI7. She like anyone else deserves a second chance whether or not a previous album flopped. She is not only a very talented singer but is a very beautiful person inside and out. GO CARLY!!! You have my vote along with many others.

anonymous said...
For whoever said that Carly leaves one feeling cold inside after hearing her, that is just one person's opinion. I wanted to cry last night when she sang "Here You Come Again." She has a beautiful voice, and she has incredible talent. I feel drawn to her everytime she opens her mouth. I hope she rocks it out to the final 2.

And click here if you want to add your own comment.

It's 'Antonella Night' on American Idol

Tonight is Antonella Night on American Idol. The poor little vixen looked terrified (and uncomfortable, too) in the brief audience shots during Sanjaya Night-- but one thing's certain-- she will not be disqualified by the producers. Word came last night, believe it or not, from the Idol judges and host-- at a party at the The Playboy Mansion!

Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest were partying with Hef last night.

And they all, craftily, took Ms. Barba's side in the naughty photo scandal.

Sez Simon: "These people haven't done anything illegal; that's their private life. (The photos should) not affect her standing on the show, and if the public wants to keep her in, they'll keep her in."

Randy: "Nobody's clean in the entertainment business."

Ryan: "It's just tacky, disgusting. You've got a girl who's trying to make it on a show where she needs a vote, and someone's trying to tear that away from her. (I'd) absolutely let (Antonella ) stay on. If American Idol is a true representation of American youth, we're going to find imperfections. And it's OK to be imperfect."

Producer Nigel Lythgoe confirms that it will be up to America (and a few phone calls from India) to decide if Antonella has violated some unwritten moral code and deserves to be eliminated.

And it turns out that, as we predicted, those sex-act photos (that came through that source that first presented the tamer snaps), have actually helped Antonella...

With general agreement that Antonella's not the gal in the hardcore pix (NSFW!) (thanks to additional photos (NSFW!) that confused the issue enough for everyone to give the poor kid the benefit of the doubt), she's got the sympathy vote.

Now, showing off her butt crack, posing on the toilet, grappling topless in group shots, grinding up against other coeds, peeling off her thong and groping herself soaking wet on a national monument-- even imitating Jessica Simpson-- seem pretty wholesome.

Even the lady at the New York Times rewrites history and cleans up the mess today by referring to "an amateurish Internet scandal involving fake dirty pictures." Then again, she calls Paula Abdul a "mom I'd like to sleep with"-- how's that for cleaning up a phrase?

So tonight, all eyes are on Antonella. Will she play the minx ala McPhee? Or will she cry? And the bigger question: Could she actually get to the finals? Does she have a chance to actually win? A few gambling sites are laying out the odds.

Sadly, the oddsmakers don't think she has a chance. Her current odds to win at 5Dimes.com are "+4000." That means a $100 bet on Antonella to win would result in a $4,000 payout. BetUS.com oddsmakers believe Antonella may end up posing for Hef or one of his competitors: "She will appear nude in Playboy +600*"... "She will appear nude in Penthouse +800*".

(See the latest NSFW Antonella pix here).

And hey, what's Ryan Seacrest doing at the Playboy Mansion?

American Dunkleman is the next great TV comedy

So say our pals at Frozen Pictures.

We told you the Brian Dunkleman comeback is underway. Check out the trailer for the show they're now shopping. Visit AmericanDunkleman.com and see the news release:

Frozen Pictures Pitches 'American Dunkleman'
First comedy series of the Obama years
features "Guy Who Quit American Idol"

Hollywood, CA (Frozen Pictures) January 23, 2009 -- Brian Dunkleman continues his television comeback with the starring role in 'American Dunkleman,' a new scripted comedy series being shopped by Frozen Pictures.

American Dunkleman is a fictional account of the actor-comic's life, based on his reputation for having made "the biggest mistake in the history of show business" when he walked away from his role as co-host of American Idol after its first season in 2002 (Dunkleman's cohost was Ryan Seacrest).

The series follows the fictional Dunkleman as he tries to work his way back to the television industry, embarrassing himself and disappointing his friends while constantly being reminded that he "could have been a millionaire" had he stuck with Idol.

The episodic arc runs from realism to absurdity, including Dunkleman's misadventures hosting a cable reality pilot; disaster in a standup comedy appearance when he offends an audience of young teens; his surprise at a convention event when he's forced to host an Idol-like contest among "furries"; a desperate decision to become a patient on a Hollywood rehab reality show (even though he doesn't have a substance abuse problem); an embarrassing mugshot; and, in a twist, a stalking by a deranged celebrity.

The series pitch tape is running at AmericanDunkleman.com and other industry outlets.

Dunkleman is featured again tonight (Thursday) in the second two-episode arc of NBC's My Name Is Earl, playing another version of himself.

Series was created and written by Brett Hudson and Burt Kearns of Frozen Pictures. Their credits include the 2005 20th Century Fox movie comedy Cloud 9, Showtime's My First Time, and The Seventh Python, the Neil Innes film bio now making the film festival circuit.

"Brian Dunkleman is a great comic actor," says Hudson. "He's a very self-aware personality who's got the timing, the face-- and the name-- for comedy. Dunkleman (the character) fits somewhere between Rodney Dangerfield and Charlie Brown. The audience can't help but identify with and root for him."

Dunkleman is repped by Susan Haber of Haber Entertainment.

Brian Dunkleman profits from former co-host Ryan Seacrest's cheap shot on American Idol

The American Idol studio audience gasped and began to applaud when host Ryan Seacrest announced last night that Brian Dunkleman would co-host next week's Idol Gives Back charity show-- only to mutter in disappointment and distaste when Seacrest quickly said it was merely his latest misguided attempt at humour. It was a cruel, bitter joke from a guy who's profited so greatly from the starmaking Idol gig that he shared with Dunkleman on the show's first season (and which Dunkleman walked away from on moral grounds). Seacrest, who'd developed into a classy television presence in preceding seasons, has fallen apart this time around, with lame attempts to one-up professional comedian Ellen DeGeneres and uncomfortable sexual set-tos with his friend Simon Cowell. This latest display, following his dance with a male former contestant during one hopeful's performance and a reference to gay Adam Lambert's "tongue talents" made last night's episode especially unappealing.


The one who comes out on top, of course, is Dunkleman, who'd already won many new fans and was applauded for his self-deprecating hipness with his fictional comedy series American Dunkleman (produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures). In the aftermath of Seacrest's cheap shot, Andy Denhart writes:

"Brian Dunkleman is the real winner here, especially because he’s self-aware and humble in a way Seacrest will apparently never be."

Now it's up to Idol's producers to do the only right thing: book Dunkleman as a surprise co-host or guest on the Idol Gives Back show. The move will inspire goodwill and bring in the donations.

UPDATE: Click here to check out Lyndsey Parker's follow-up, "Brian Dunkleman back in the spotlight," at Yahoo music.

Idol pulls a fast one: Tattooed 'Carly Smithson' is actually failed professional pop star Carly Hennessy

American Idol saved the biggest lie for last in last night's San Diego audition show. The young woman who showed up "from Arizona" with the sleeve tattoo and boyfriend with the face tattoos, was identified as "Carly Smithson," a poor girl who missed her chance in Season 5 because her Irish visa didn't come through (translation: she's not even "American"-- betrayed byher strained attempts to hide her brogue). Well, Carly Smithson is actually Carly Hennessy, the "ringer" we've been hearing about for the past week-- the contestant that Idol producer Nigel Lithgoe predicted would win.

He should know. Carly Hennessy-Smithson (seen above) is no amateur. In fact, she's the gal who'd signed a multi-million dollar, six-album contract with MCA Records (Vivendi Universal) in 2000. She reportedly got a $100,000 advance and living expenses for two years while MCA spent $2.2 million on recording and promoting her album Ultimate High, that flopped.

Coincidentally, one of the songs on the debut album from the first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, just happened to have been featured on Ultimate High.

Carly's one of several singers on this season's Idol who've had bigtime contracts and chances in the past, and her story has been well publicized this past week, so it's strange that Idol producers would be so blatantly deceptive. and the stealth activity is far more serious than last year's shenanigans with Jordin Sparks, who was delivered to the auditions by sponsor Coca Cola. It seems that as the show's charm fades and talent pool gets more generic and annoying, the producers are pulling strings and deceiving viewers in order to re-create a proven commodity and make some money on the musical end.

!!EXCLUSIVE UPDATE!! How Carly can win!!
(or at least get our vote!!)
!!CLICK HERE!!

!!NEW UPDATE HERE!!

More scandal pix for American Idol's Antonella

The hits just keep on coming for American Idol hopeful Antonella Barba, as the Cindy Crawford of the Top 24 is turning into the Storm Large. Yesterday, photos of the 20-year-old sitting on the loo and discreetly topless showed up on the Internet. Today there are more-- and they don't come from from some nasty tabloid but thanks to her local newspaper!

The Phillyburbs newschain website has printed a portfolio of topless, boozing, authority-flaunting and girl-grinding pix (someone suggested they look like MySpace grabs).

That's a hazard of MySpace. And one thing we can be pretty sure of... there will be more to come.

We'll see if Antonella's pipes hold up on tonight's show. And if the producers don't find her image to be too tarnished for an Idol. A toilet bowl's one thing, but giving the finger? That's Rock Star Supernova territory.

Anyway, if Antonella doesn't make it as the American Idol, she can always go for Miss USA. She'd be a shoo-in.



(See the whole batch here. NSFW!)

America gets its Right-To-Life Idol

Jordin Sparks is the new American Idol.

After a bloated two-hour show whose highlights included a performance by an 80-year-old man, a human beatbox duet, the indelible memory of Ruben Studdard singing "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds," and the lower half of Kelly Clarkson's body, the questions this morning are whether Jordin, a 17-year-old Christian and anti-abortion crusader, will use her new role to spread her controversial agenda-- and whether Idol producers played a little in-joke by having Jordin sing background on the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home"-- a song about a girl sneaking out of the house to have an abortion.

And there will be debate today about whether Jordin's victory was in the cards from the beginning, even before judge Randy Jackson predicted that the winner would have "curly hair." We direct you to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that followed the Seattle audition episode-- Jordin's first appearance on Idol:

Seattle Post Intelligencer
January 19, 2007
On TV: Seattle's 'Idol' auditions: Hurt so good
By MELANIE McFARLAND
P-I TELEVISION CRITIC

..."Idol," in turn, gave us a young, bright, charismatic, pretty contestant who looks so much like the show's idea of the total package that she could be a ringer....

...One shining star stood out: 16-year-old Jordin Sparks from Glendale, Ariz. She's beautiful, has a smile that can light up L.A., and tore apart Celine Dion's "Because You Love Me."

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Seeing her is supposed to drive home the reason we keep running back to "Idol." Young, ambitious and undiscovered, she embodies the dream of "Idol," the idea that someone with small but bright embers of talent can, within the space of a few months, shoot from obscurity to superstardom.

Except that's not exactly the case with this young woman.

Out of nowhere, Abdul says she recognizes Sparks' name-- and Sparks reveals she is the daughter of former New York Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks. What a coinky-dink!

And that's not all! Jordin Sparks has an exhaustive Wikipedia page, where you can find out interesting facts such as: She was the Coca-Cola Rising Star in 2002. Coca-Cola, of course, being "Idol's" major sponsor. She also appeared in "America's Most Talented Kids" in 2004, toured with Michael W. Smith and sang in Alice Cooper's Christmas show. Winning "Arizona Idol" netted her a Ford Fusion and a trip to Seattle. Wonder if she had to wait in line?

Ryan Seacrest's former American Idol cohost Brian Dunkleman is sitting on his own multi-million dollar goldmine

Word that Ryan Seacrest signed a well-deserved $45 million deal to host three more seasons of American Idol has apparently led to a barrage of Brian Dunkleman jokes on Twitter, the radio and across the universe (Tabloid Baby pal Nili informs us that "Howard Stern was making fun of Brian Dunkleman on his show today... Artie Lange said he was doing stand up in Peoria and Howard said he was cutting coupons out of the Pennysaver...") Dunkleman was Seacrest's cohost on the first season of American idol, but quit the show-- yes, he quit-- because he thought it was "mean to kids."

On the surface, Dunkleman has not achieved the same level of success as his former cohost, but he has carried on an is sitting on a multimillion dollar goldmine in the form of a scripted comedy series about his travails, mishaps and public persona called American Dunkleman. Check out the trailer above and, agent and network pals, set up a meeting.

Idol return puts spotlight on Dunkleman

The debut of the ninth season of American Idol and Simon Cowell's coinciding announcement that he'll bolt when it's through has brought Tabloid Baby pal Brian Dunkleman back to the entertainment spotlight, putting his decision to leave American Idol after its first season in a new, perhaps prescient, light. Dunkleman, who has spent the past seven seasons honing his comedic chops, has developed into a top standup comic and comedy performer, as demonstrated in the proposed series American Dunkleman, produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures, and for some reason in a zucked-up TV world looking for a smart hit, has as yet not gone to pilot.


Dunkleman is showcased in an interview on AOL's Television webpage. Some highlights follow:

Everybody wants to know: What are you up to these days?
What am I up to? Right now I'm on the golf course, so that about sums it up. Doing that and doing standup. Making America laugh is what I'm doing.

What about more recently?
I actually just shot a comedy special for Showtime that should be airing in a few months. I don't have an official air date yet, but that's what I've been working towards for the last few months...

That first season looked fun. Did it seem fun at the time to you?
It was fun sometimes, and sometimes it wasn't so fun. I think that's the same with every job. Some days are good, some days are bad.

That's the reason that you left, right?
It was more than one reason. I mean really, I wanted to have a career as an actor. That's what I had done. This was actually the first time I'd done any kind of hosting. And all my experience was as a standup and as an actor. I hadn't done a ton of stuff, but I'd probably gotten like 12, 15 little guest-star appearances and co-star stuff. [So it was] mainly that reason, and I didn't think ... Here's my poor judgment. I didn't think the whole reality television thing was going to last. And neither did a lot of people, actually...

I saw somewhere that you're pitching a series called 'American Dunkleman.' What is that?
Do you remember a show called 'The Hudson Brothers' many years ago? A guy named Brett Hudson, he's a producer, he was on the show. And he was kind of a teen idol; he and his brothers got very famous, very quickly. So they got approached by McDonald's, who were like, we want you guys to be the McDonald's brothers -- you'd have a big M on your sweaters. And he's like, I'm not gonna sell out, are you crazy? There's no way we're doing that. And obviously they'd be billionaires right now. So he looked me up and had an idea for a show, just kind of like about the situation of my life, kind of a 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'-type, 'Extras'-type show, revolving around me. So we shot a little demo a while ago, and we're in the process of developing it and trying to pitch it.

So why hasn't this gone to pilot? TV genius pals, get in touch with the Frozen boys.

...and a tip of the Tabloid Baby hat to Michael Karp for pointing us to the story...

Sex Idol Antonella: Now there's a video!

The Antonella Barba sex photo scandal was overshadowed for a few hours by the Oscars® hoopla, but we kept you up-to-date over the weekend as the story jumped to the "mainstream" international news media (wouldn't you know, all it took was a little oral sex). And now that we're into a new work week, new photos of the American Idol contestant continue to be doled out by whatever forces are behind the move to turn the would-be singing star into the next Porn Idol. (Catch up with the coverage here.)

And now... there's a video!! Click here to see it (NSFW).

We're waiting for the other shoe to drop from Idol producers. On Friday, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said he hadn't seem the most explicit (NSFW) sex photos, but expressed sympathy for Antonella, on the asssumption that she did not expect her private photos to be made public (though some had apparently been posted on her own web pages).We expect that to change. We'll keep you updated. See the latest photo collection here and here. NSFW!

Meanwhile, "American Idol CSI" contests the validity of the oral sex photos:

Sanjaya: The making of a super villain?

Forget Heather Mills doing backflips on Dancing with The Stars with a bionic leg. There's real outrage this afternoon over Sanjaya Malakar's performance on American Idol last night (see his performance here).

The Chicago Sun-Times writes of death threats against an ironic Sanjaya promoter, USA Today claims that Idol's "credibility" may be at stake, and the L.A. Times suggests he "made a mockery" of the show and compares him to a prisoner at Guantanamo!

"Surely Sanjaya is aware... of the counter-Idol movements that are promoting him. Has he taken up their banner as Idol's anti-hero? If so, this introduces a toxic element which has never been unleashed on the Idol stage.

"Another factor... if it is true... that Blake, the Chrises and Phil Stacey are all roommates, this means that in the guys' dorm, the surviving gentlemen contestants are all in one room together -- except Sanjaya, who then would be in a room by himself.

"...So we can visualize the specter of Sanjaya, after watching his roommates be killed off one by one, sitting along in his cavernous, cold, bare dorm room while the cool kids party down the hall, surfing the web and seeing how one girl is starving herself demanding he be kicked off while at the same time he has become a hero to a generation of Idol haters. . . . you don't need to be a Carl Jung, just someone who reads enough comic books, to know that this is how super-villains are born..."

Ah... and what of the Desi factor... and suspicions that he's remained on the show thanks to automated call centers in India?

Uber Desi, the website tagged as a prime mover on that front, has offered sharply-debated denials-- but the most interesting clue appears today:

Update: The number to vote for Sanjaya this week is 1-800-IDOLS-04. Remember you can vote as many times as you can dial till 2 hours after the show concludes.

Meanwhile, Dial Idol has him in the Top 4 right now... so who's behind it?

C'mon. We like conspiracy theories as much as, and more than, the next guy. But in Sanjaya's case, his appeal seems obvious. Amid the big diva belters, boy band scale riders and karaoke wannabes, Sanjaya looks like a teen idol. He's got a twisted charisma. Every week, he gives the audience something to look forward to.

And for two weeks in a row, he's made us laugh out loud!

For Idol, Sanjaya is good for ratings. He's helped people forget Antonella Barba. Yes, he seems to have taken the hate to heart. But he won't be around forever. Soon the producers will clear the decks to give attention to the big charity event. And they'll turn to the call centers in India to pump up the vote against him.