Kristy Lee Cook was on MTV's Total Request Live this week (alongside Fergie, apparently) and she showed off the engagement ring given to her last week by boyfriend Andrew Dobner.

Very good to see Kristy Lee doing so well after her American Idol elimination.

Carly Smithson recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss her experience on American Idol. Here are excerpts:

Entertainment Weekly: You were fantastic on Tuesday. What happened?
Carly Smithson: I have no idea. Who knows? It's American Idol, so I think I just have to kind of move on and have a good attitude about it. Everybody's going to leave at any time.

Entertainment Weekly: You seem to be taking it really well. You appeared to be in high spirits last night after being eliminated.
Carly Smithson: Obviously, I would have loved to go further. People are thinking this morning that I'm stoked to go home. That's not the case. I just feel like, what's the point in going out all upset and pissed off? There's no point. What happens happens. Everything happens for a reason. I truly believe when it's your time, it's your time, and I'm just excited now that I'm free to make a record. The show's only got a few weeks left.

It's not like I went out top 100 or whatever. I made the top 6. That's huge! I'm really, really pleased and very satisfied with that. I definitely think that's a huge achievement, and it's more than I ever thought I would get. So I'm stoked. I was stoked top 8, 7, whatever.

Read the full article now.

The most recent American Idol blog entry in The Los Angeles Times expresses shock and dismay over the elimination of Carly Smithson this week. Its general message:

It seems as though weekly performances don't matter at all. How else to explain Brooke White remaining on the show... despite having forgot the lyrics the night before? Here are excerpts from the insightful piece:

What we learned from this week’s results show isn’t pretty. The performances of any given week don’t matter on this season’s “Idol.” This is not, at this juncture, a singing competition. Nor does this season reward the virtues usually associated with champions -- courage, determination, a strong sense of self.

Carly Smithson’s booting is not simply unjust; it threatens to undermine the very premise of “American Idol.”

If this show is now officially about well-marketed personalities rather than vocal charisma or even dynamic performance skills, then why not make it a chronicle of the packaging of a pop star, more like MTV’s “Making the Band” or even (though I dread it) “The Search for the Next Doll”?

Read the complete article now - and let us know if you agree with it.

We still can't believe Carly Smithson got eliminated last night. Can you?

Sadly, though, the following American Idol video is proof of this shocking result. Check it out now:

It wasn't as shocking as the elimination of Michael Johns, but we didn't imagine anyone except Brooke White would get ousted from American Idol this week.

Instead, Carly Smithson was shown the door.

We're flabbergasted. It's nice viewers felt bad for Brooke after she forgot the lyrics Tuesday night and all, but come on - it was her time to go. Smithson's performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar" was inspired in our view.

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It was the end of the line for Carly Smithson tonight. Do you think she deserved to go?

The latest album from Clay Aiken, "On My Way Here," comes out on May 6.

Here's a look at the CD cover for it:

And, remember: Aiken - who many people compare David Archuleta to - will perform all-new songs on Monday, April 28 at 7 p.m. on QVC.

“Starting my career on national, live television, it seems fitting to be unveiling my new album live on QVC,” Clay said. “To be able to connect with QVC’s viewers and broadcast my performance to over 93 million households is an amazing opportunity.”

We're still curious to hear your thoughts on the best American Idol performances from this week, but first a quick update on our favorite champion in the show's history.

Carrie Underwood is on the cover of the latest In Style.

Inside, Carrie names Charlize Theron, Katherine Heigl and Reese Witherspoon as some of her fashion icons, while adding:

“My personal style changes day to day. But at the end of the day, I love sweats. I do enough glamming up for awards show and whatnot. So I can wear sweats whenever I want and it kind of evens itself out.”

Have you had time to think about your favorite performance from last night's Andrew Lloyd Webber-themed American Idol?

While we felt terrible for Brooke White after she forgot the lyrics to "You Must Love Me," the lasting impression from the evening was Syesha Mercado showing personality - and sexiness - with her rendition of "Rock n Roll Too Many." Check it out:

We were also blown away by David Cook serenading the audience with the ballad "Music of the Night." This guy really can sing anything:

Take a look and a listen at the other American Idol finalists singing show tunes now. Which was your favorite?

We'll review tonight's American Idol broadcast in more detail later on - complete with photos, videos and more - but, for now, we have one simple question:

Who do you think did the best job? Leave a comment. Let us know.

The American Idol finalists, pictured here with Andrew Lloyd Webber, sang Broadway show tunes this week.

American Idol made big news today in The New York Times. Just not the sort of news those associated with the show probably want made public.

Here's an excerpt from a feature story on the reality competition:

From the placement of local sorority members along camera sight lines to the instructions to the audience members about when to stand and how to wave their hands, American Idol is as scripted as a “reality” show dare be.

At the end of every performance you will stand on your feet.

That is one of the commandments offered by Cory Almeida, the indefatigable warm-up man who exhorts and instructs the audience for 15 minutes before each performance and during the numerous commercial breaks.

For the audience members who stand in the “mosh pit,” the area immediately in front of the stage, special instructions are required.

“When you are applauding after a performance, we need your hands above your head,” Mr. Almeida said before a recent Tuesday performance. “Otherwise we can’t see that you’re clapping.”

As he spoke other stage technicians offered more individualized guidance to mosh pit enthusiasts, including how to wave their arms from side to side over their heads during slow songs.

Read the full article now (subscription may be required) - and then answer this question: Do you care if these elements of the show are staged?