American tragedies

Following the apparent suicide of Paula Goodspeed - one of those deemed not to be an American Idol and who has spent much of the past few months turning up unannounced at Paula Abdul's house - The Insider invited Carrie Underwood and Diana DeGarmo to comment. Underwood, wisely, knew she had nothing to say and made the equivalent of low dove coos, but DeGarmo seized the story with both hands:

"To hear that something like that has happened makes you very scared as a celebrity of some sort, because we all [like to get all dressed up for events like the CMAs] -- it's all glitz and glamour -- but it's things like that that people don't normally get to know; it's also a double side of celebrity stardom. I think that's just a terrible, terrible tragedy and I feel for the person that was out in front of her home, for her family, and especially for Paula, because she's a lovely person and I can only imagine what she's going through."

Yes, it's Paula who is the real victim here, not the person who was dragged through the ringer by the show of which Abdul is a part and wound up so damaged she ended up committing suicide. Let's just hope Paula is okay, shall we?

DeGarmo hasn't finished, though, because she also had the luck to have been on the cycle of American Idol which featured Jennifer Hudson. Another smashing chance to emote emptily:

"She's definitely in my thoughts and prayers like she always is, but even more so. Her mother was a wonderful, wonderful person, and I wouldn't even know where to begin if something like that happened to me."

She's in my prayers. I mean, obviously, I'm always praying for her, it's just now that I'm praying so, so much harder for her. Round the clock. And thinking? Oh, if I'm not praying for Jennifer, I'm thinking about her. Apart from the times my thoughts are with Paula Abdul.

Sometimes, there is a lot to be said for the gentle coo.