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Paula Abdul pokes fun at self, denies Broadway run, loves Siobhan

Posted: 29 Mar 2010 08:05 AM PDT

Paula Abdul at Perez Hilton's birthday party When Paula Abdul walked on stage at blogger Perez Hilton's birthday party Saturday night, we'll admit, at first we feared a Kanye moment. After all, she was following a four-song set by none other than Liza Minnelli (can you really top that?). When she grabbed the stool that was there for the diva, then hunching over in faux despair (see photo), well, no one quite knew what to make of it.

But in no time, and to everyone's delight, Paula had the place in stitches! She was self-deprecating in the best way, like when she told the crowd, "I'm here proving to everyone that I'm totally open to employment opportunities. … I found this gig tonight on Craigslist!" Plus, her delivery was spot on. Paula's first words after making a dramatic entrance (albeit nothing compared to Katy Perry's arrival atop a live elephant) were straight out of the Perez Hilton dictionary: "This party is amaze-balls! I mean this is ridonculous!" Later on, she leafed through a stack of jokes and commented that one wouldn't work because it might "hurt Simon's feelings." Another piece of paper she hid away for safekeeping, telling the revelers, "This one's actually my prescription." Paula wrapped her five-minute stand-up act with this Perez-dedicated zinger: "I wanted to get you the best birthday gift I could possibly find, but Zac Efron wasn't available tonight."

All kidding aside, earlier on the pink carpet, Paula denied recent rumors (thanks, Perez) that she's looking at Broadway as her next career move; specifically, the musical "In The Heights." As for a possible judging spot on Simon Cowell's "The X-Factor"? "We'll have to see on that," she told reporters.

Naturally, we also had Season 9 on the brain, like Andrew Garcia's take on her hit "Straight Up." "It was fun," she said. Paula's stand-outs so far? "There's that quirky girl, Siobhan [Magnus] — love her!" she told Idol Tracker. "And Crystal [Bowersox] is wonderful too." Asked whether either or both were too oddball for "Idol," Paula answered, "Talent is talent."

We couldn't agree more. Imagine that.

– Shirley Halperin

Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter

Photo: Paula Abdul takes the stage at Perez Hilton's birthday party at Paramount Studios. Credit: Shirley Halperin

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Fantasy ‘Idol:’ 10 exit song alternatives

Posted: 29 Mar 2010 08:05 AM PDT

It's been several weeks now, but we still can't wrap our heads around Season 9's exit song. Sure, Will Young's "Leave Right Now" is a pleasant enough tune — actually, we quite like it — but subbing the love song sentiment, while not uncommon in the annals of "Idol" history, doesn't really jibe all that well in this instance, does it? On its own, the title sort of stings and, if you listen to the song in its entirety, you're met with lyrics such as: "And I'd love to say I do / Give everything to you / But I can never now be true…" Not exactly elimination material.

Plus, "Leave Right Now" was released in 2003 as the inaugural "Pop Idol" winner's first single off his sophomore album. It was a huge hit in England, but to us here in the U.S., it's an old song we haven't heard by the winner of a show that no longer exists. So since the "Idol" producers are allowing pop relics with little relevance to the task at hand — namely, giving a proper send-off to the week's eliminated contestant — we thought, why not offer a few more exit song options worth considering? Like:

1. "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis

If it's British pop pride the producers are after, why not go with the country's most talked about brotherly duo and the song that helped make them international superstars? After all, "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?," from whence "Don't Look Back in Anger" came, just won a BRIT Award for greatest British album of the last 30 years!

2. "Dream On" by Aerosmith

"Sing with me now, if it's just for today / Maybe tomorrow, the good lord will take you away…" Truer words have never been sung. Maybe it's time to retire this popular "Idol" go-to from the competition round and just use it for a final bow? That way, no one will ever have to attempt that note again.

3. "Don't Come Around Here No More" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Similar in sentiment to "Leave Right Now," but eternally cooler, the Tom Petty classic says more with less: "I've given up. Stop."

4. "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles

Forget the weepy ballad, how about we wave goodbye to the hopefuls with this upbeat ditty? It was a No. 1 hit for Ray Charles in 1961 that amazingly is just as relevant today — just substitute "Tim" for "Jack."

5. "Homeward Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel

References to cigarettes and one-night stands may not apply, but a "suitcase and guitar in hand" brings to mind Alex Lambert, Lilly Scott, Didi Benami, Andrew Garcia and so on. No matter who the cast-off, this Simon & Garfunkel classic leads to a common destination for "Idol" contestants: "Home, where my music's playing."

6. "Take A Bow" by Madonna or Rihanna

Sexual overtones aside, Madonna's 1994 hit is strangely appropriate to the travails of an "Idol" finalist. Case in point: "Take a bow / The night is over / This masquerade is getting older / Lights are low / The curtains down…" Ditto for Rihanna's 2008 smash, which begins with, "How about a round of applause?" and later laments, "That was quite a show / Very entertaining / But it's over now…"

7. "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House

"We know they won't win." 'Nuff said.

Don't Dream It's Over @ Yahoo! Video

8. "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" by Mötley Crüe

The Crüe's ultra-poppy fourth single off 1989's "Dr. Feelgood" album is another ode to good times on the Sunset Strip, which speaks of holding "our dreams in our hands," but also references a bus back to Nowheresville.

9. "Goodbye to You" by Scandal

Here's another up-tempo option with weirdly appropriate lyrics. "I remember the good times… and the bad times, too," sings frontwoman Patti Smyth in this early MTV classic. "These last few weeks of holding on…"

10. "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode

We dedicate this last song to Andrew Garcia and really do hope he'll take it to heart this week.

Some others we were considering: The Jackson 5 classic, "Never Can Say Goodbye," U2's "With or Without You," Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," and Glass Tiger's (remember them?) "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)."

What would be your picks?

– Shirley Halperin

Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter

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