American Idol

Only Nashville Star still remains as a returning series and is the most popular. It will be the first marriage for both. This series has been imitated by many other shows, among them Cupid, Superstar USA and Nashville Star (hosted by LeAnn Rimes). Although she has been linked to many other famous men, including Nick Carter among others, on May 29, 2005 it was announced that she is to marry her boyfriend of five months, Paris Latsis. Latsis is a Greek shipping heir. One or two more cities may also be added later as there are usually late additions to the list. parent corporation CKE Restaurants) is expected to air June 2005. As of now, the current list of cities (tentative) are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Memphis and San Diego. A similar ad with Hilton for Hardee's hamburger chain (also owned by Carl's Jr.

The fifth season of American Idol will be held starting in January 2006 with auditions expected to be in the summer and early autumn of 2005. has also built a separate Web site to play a longer version of the commercial. The winner of the competition was Carrie Underwood. In addition to featuring the ad on their web site, Carl's Jr. It featured appearances by former auditioners of questionable talent, and celebrity cameos by Kenny G, Rascal Flatts, David Hasselhoff, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, George Benson, Billy Preston, Babyface and Lynyrd Skynyrd. There is no nudity, there is no sex acts -- it's a beautiful model in a swimsuit washing a car." Puzder was referring to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy. The fourth season finale featuring Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood aired May 24-May 25. Andy Puzder, CEO of Carl's Jr., says the group needs to "get a life...This isn't Janet Jackson -- there is no nipple in this.

Vonzell Solomon was the 10th contestant voted off the Top 12 on Wednesday May 18th. The way she moves, the way she puts her finger in her mouth - it's very suggestive and very titillating." The Los Angeles, California based group says they plan to mobilize their more than 1 million members to contact the restaurant chain and voice their concern. For the third and final song of the night, one of the standard judges (Jackson, Abdul or Cowell) chose each contestant's selection. The research director for the PTC, Melissa Caldwell, says; "This commercial is basically soft-core porn. In an unprecented move, Bo Bice performed his choice completely a cappella. This has drawn criticism from television watchdog groups, including the Parents Television Council. The second song the performers chose any song from any era. In the commerical, which introduces the restaurant's "Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger", Hilton wears a provocative swimsuit and soaps up a Bentley automobile and herself before taking a big bite out of the burger.

He chose the first song each performer would sing, many of which he produced in his career. television advertisement, originally broadcast in May 2005.
For the May 18 final three show, a guest judge, legendary record producer Clive Davis was added. Another controversy involving Hilton was her appearance in a Carl's Jr. The winner was Carrie Underwood, the first winner since Kelly Clarkson to not only win but avoid being in the bottom two or three for the entire competition. I want to put it on T-shirts and stuff like that." [9] (http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2004/09/18/story167128.asp). Mario Vazquez, who was originally one of the top 12, dropped out of the competition on March 11, just days before the top 12's first performance, citing "personal issues," opening a spot in the final 12 for Nikko Smith, who had been voted off in the semi-finals the previous week. [8] (http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=76604206&action=Request+Status) She wishes to market clothing with the phrase prominently emblazoned on the garments; she felt it was time to trademark the phrase because "I've been saying it forever.

Instead of competing in semifinal heats in which the top vote-getters are promoted to the final round, 24 semifinalists were named -- 12 men and 12 women, who competed separately, with 2 of each gender being voted off each week until 12 finalists were left. In 2004, Hilton filed a request to trademark the phrase "that's hot." Experts doubt that her request will be approved, but she has taken the necessary steps to re-file should she be denied. This season also implemented new rules for the final portion of the contest. The catch phrase, a synonym for "That's cool" or "That's awesome," has since been parodied in pop culture outlets such as Saturday Night Live [7] (http://snltranscripts.jt.org/04/04chilton.phtml) and even by Hilton herself, on The Late Show with David Letterman. He acquired mild fame by repeatedly yelling, "Can you dig it?" to the judges and for the inability of the judges to fully understand him. "That's hot" is a phrase popularized by Hilton (although an earlier usage is attributed to her Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie [6] (http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/9/emw157359.htm) and has been used by others for many years). Also noted was Leroy Wells from Grand Bay, Alabama who auditioned in New Orleans singing Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money". Within days, it was revealed [4] (http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2005/01/01/paris.html) that Hilton's account could be accessed by anyone guessing the answer to the "forgotten password" challenge question she chose: "What is your favorite pet's name?" As the answer to this question is a matter of public record, [5] (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1560250/) an anonymous party was able to guess it and notify the press.

The most notable contestant in the early episodes was Mary Roach, who auditioned in Washington D.C. Her rendition of Carole King's "I Feel The Earth Move", as well as her comments to the judges that followed her audition, brought considerable negative attention (including false rumors of mental illness) and comparisons to William Hung. Many of her notes showed heavy usage of Internet slang. Among the music featured in the program: on January 19, 2005, "Look At Me" written by Sara Hickman and performed by her 8-year-old daughter Lily (from the album Big Kid). This further added to the speculation that Hilton might be gay or bisexual. The music celebrities featured were:. In two of the leaked photos, Hilton is standing topless next to the MTV Latin America's VJ Eglantina Zingg, whom she kisses. While in the past seasons celebrity guest judges have been invited to participate during the competition, this was the first season where guest judges were invited to participate in the auditions. On February 19, 2005, conceptual art outlaws, Seahorse Liberation Army, posted the contents of Hilton's personal T-Mobile account to the Internet: phone numbers (which included many celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, Fred Durst, Eminem, Lindsay Lohan, Jay-Z, Anna Kournikova, Andy Roddick, Avril Lavigne), notes (with even more numbers and email addresses, and reminders such as her date to host Saturday Night Live), and thirty-five digital snapshots.

Auditions were held from August to October 2004. [2] (http://sify.com/movies/hollywood/fullstory.php?id=13673478), [3] (http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/25742004.htm). Louis, Missouri, New Orleans, Louisiana, Las Vegas, Nevada, Cleveland, Ohio, Orlando, Florida and San Francisco, California. In February 2005, she admitted in an interview that she has a crush on Jennifer Aniston. Auditions were held in Washington, DC, St. It has also been rumored that there exists a video featuring Paris in a lesbian sex romp with her friend Nicole Lenz, a Playboy Playmate. The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Hilton stated that she did not receive much enjoyment from sex with men.

Paul Anka made an appearance in the Season Finale. There has been speculation that Hilton may be gay or bisexual. The third season was also shown in Australia on Network Ten about half a week after episodes were shown in the US. The video received the AVN Awards in 2005 for "Best Selling Title of the Year," "Best Renting Title of the Year" and "Best Overall Marketing Campaign – Individual Project.". During the season, controversy over the legitimacy of the contest increased as geeky rocker Jon Peter Lewis and young crooner John Stevens stayed afloat while others were unexpectedly eliminated. The original video, and a rip of the DVD, are still circulating on the Internet. After a nationwide vote of more than 65 million votes in total, Fantasia Barrino won the "American Idol" title and Diana DeGarmo was runner up. All profits she received from the video were donated to charity.

The third season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2004. In July, the suit was settled, with Hilton receiving $400,000 and a percentage of the profits. Paul Anka made an appearance during the Season finale. Hilton sued Salomon for releasing the tape. Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show because of their alleged romance. On June 9, 2004 it was released as a DVD titled 1 Night in Paris. The rumor mills were buzzing once again in 2005 when Season Two contestant Corey Clark, who was himself kicked off the show because of a police record he had not disclosed to the show, alleged that he had had an affair with judge Paul Abdul. An unauthorized sex video of Hilton with her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon, who leaked it onto the Internet, was released shortly before The Simple Life debuted, causing a sensation.

Controversy arose when semi-finalist Frenchie Davis was booted from the show, after topless pictures she had taken four years before the show aired surfaced. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Hilton hosted a party to watch her performance as host of Saturday Night Live, but that Richie switched the SNL tape with a tape of Hilton's infamous sex video. Despite Studdard's win, Aiken has enjoyed more widespread popularity. Neither party has commented on the reason why, though Hilton has alluded that it is due to actions on the part of Richie. Out of 24 million votes cast, Studdard finished just 130,000 votes ahead of Aiken, although there remains controversy over the validity of the reported results. In April 2005, she announced that she severed both personal and professional ties with friend Nicole Richie [1] (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=690937). In season two with Seacrest as the lone host, Ruben Studdard was the winner with Clay Aiken as runner up. Still, it became a New York Times bestseller.

Guarini's self titled album was a flop, selling just 130,000 copies to date. Some in the media panned the writing as amateurish, and the book was parodied by Robert Mundell on The Late Show with David Letterman. Since then it has sold nearly 2 million copies, and includes such hits as "Since U Been Gone" (#2 on Billboard) and "Breakaway" (#6 on Billboard). In the fall of 2004, Hilton released a book, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose, which brings full color photographs of her and gives her tips on the dos and don'ts of living as an heiress. Her first album Thankful debuted at #1, went double-platinum, and spawned the grammy-nominated hit "Miss Independent." Her sophomore album Breakaway debuted in November 2004 at #3 on the Billboard Charts. Tinkerbell was found a week later, having been left at the home of Hilton's grandparents. Since winning, Clarkson has gone on to a successful musical career. In August 2004, Tinkerbell was reported lost and a $5,000 reward was offered for her safe return.

Numerous television specials starring the ten finalists followed, as well as the box office bomb entitled From Justin to Kelly. Hilton owns a teacup Chihuahua named Tinkerbell. Kelly Clarkson won, with Justin Guarini coming in second. She is also a spokesmodel for various products including the T-Mobile Sidekick and Creative Zen Micro. In the first season the show was co-hosted by Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. She is the founder of Heiress Records, a label on which she plans to release her debut album in 2005. The number next to a contestant's name denotes the number of times he or she was in the "Bottom Three". Despite her successes, Hilton's recent attempts to start a modeling company and a makeup line seem to have been unsuccessful.

Kelly Clarkson came in second after Norway's Kurt Nilsen. On top of her acting career, she has also helped to design purses for Samantha Thavasa and Toys for Tots. In December 2003, winners of eleven different national Idol competitions were collected for a World Idol competition in London. She was also the subject of a South Park episode entitled "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" in which she opens a store called "Stupid Spoiled Whore" selling girls everything they need to emulate her. A spin-off series called American Juniors premiered on June 3, 2003. Highlights of the show included the girls performing poorly at various jobs, making out with the local boys, and numerous instances of them shown as "fish out of water." On March 19, 2004, she suffered a horseback riding accident while filming The Simple Life 2, requiring treatment at a hospital. This process is repeated each week until the one remaining contestant is declared the winner. She and her former best friend, Nicole Richie, starred in the 2003 FOX hit reality series The Simple Life, in which they lived with a family on their farm in rural Altus, Arkansas.

Over the course of the episode, two are revealed as being "safe" for the week, and the loser is sent home after performing one final song to end the episode. She also appeared in the short subjects QIK2JDG and L.A. Knights, as well as minor and supporting roles in the feature movies House of Wax, The Hillz, Wonderland, Uptown Girls, Raising Helen, The Cat in the Hat, and Nine Lives. Pictures of her have appeared in several magazines, including GQ, Vanity Fair and FHM. The bottom three vote-getters are separated from the remaining contestants. She has had cameo appearances in Zoolander (2001) and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004). In any case, each week on the following night's live "results" episode, the contestant with the fewest votes is sent home. Hilton has an acting career on top of her other fame. However in Season Two, in the final three, one song was chosen randomly from a bowl, with one chosen by the performer and one by the judges. Hilton has danced on the top of bar banquettes, worn shirts reading "Got Blow?," and other times worn no top at all. One of her more famous quotes is: "What's a soup kitchen?" Her most famous quote, however, is "That's hot," which is used by Hilton in a myriad of situations.

Instead, each contestant sings three songs: one of their own choice, one chosen by the judges, and one chosen by record executive Clive Davis. She has been said to have pushed in front of others in line for a public bathroom, saying she only wanted to look at herself in the mirror. When there are three finalists remaining, themes are no longer used. Hilton has also received a lot of press for a variety of other incidents, mainly party antics. Artists around whom themes have been based include Barry Manilow, Gloria Estefan, and Elton John. She was also blamed by the media for breaking up the relationship between Australian tennis player Mark Philippoussis and singer Delta Goodrem. Some themes are based on music recorded by a particular artist, and the finalists have a chance to work with that artist in preparing their performances. A few months later, she announced that those "bruises" were from a magazine photo shoot (just when the magazine was coming out).

Themes have included Motown, disco, big band music, and Billboard #1 hits. This rumor was neither confirmed nor denied by Hilton at the time. In the finals, which last eleven weeks, each finalist performs a song live in primetime from a weekly theme (two songs in later rounds). While Hilton was dating Nick Carter she sported bruises, which caused rumors that Carter may have beat her. They can however watch movies, since they have no known distracting effect on the contestants. In 2000, the National Enquirer reported a casual friendship with Leonardo DiCaprio as something far more intimate. She has, however, dated several notables, including actor Edward Furlong, boxer Oscar De La Hoya, model Jason Shaw, Chicago Bears football player Brian Urlacher, and singers Rob Mills, Deryck Whibley, and Backstreet Boy Nick Carter. The only time when a contestant can be free from this rule as if he or she gets voted out. Hilton has been widely discussed by tabloids.

This is to keep the contestants safe from terrorists, epidemics, paparazzi, and to distance contestants from distractions that might be detrimental to their singing ability. Paris and her sister Nicky, with whom she is often mentioned, are known for their jet-set lifestyles, though Paris has more readily sought the spotlight as a celebrity. This stops contestants from using cell phones (unless between family members or during an emergency), the Internet (especially chatting and message boards), leaving the Hollywood jurisdiction, leaving their apartments without consent, watching TV (especially News and Sports), listening to radio stations, and reading newspapers during their duration in the competition. Instead, she worked as a fashion model for Catherine Malandrino and Marc Bouwer, and on an ad campaign for Italian label Iceberg. Also contestants are contracted to be "conclaved" from the outside world. After secondary education, she decided not to go to college. Contestants who failed the test have not been allowed to proceed in the competion. Hilton moved between several homes in her youth, including a suite in the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons.

Semifinalists are also subjected to drug tests, in order to avoid scandals involving drug usage. On the maternal side of her family, Hilton is a niece of two popular Disney child stars of the 1970s and 1980s, Kim Richards and Kyle Richards, who appeared in the motion picture Escape to Witch Mountain and TV series like Nanny and the Professor, Little House on the Prairie and ER. Several finalists have been disqualified for revelations that surfaced late in the competition. The family worth of Barron Hilton and his descendants is estimated at over $335,000,000. Semifinalists (and in some cases, other contestants as well) must submit to background checks and may be summarily disqualified for past behavior deemed undesirable, such as an arrest record. Her granduncles are Conrad "Nicky" Hilton and Eric Hilton, and her grandaunt is Francesca Hilton, whose mother is Zsa Zsa Gabor. This was changed to the procedure (see above) in the 4th season due to the abundace of females (and no males left in the final 4) in the third season. He was the second child of Hilton Hotel chain founder Conrad Hilton and Mary Barron.

In season 1, 5 contestants were chosen, and judges chose one to advance to the finals. Her paternal grandparents are Barron Hilton and Marilyn Hawley. Each judge chose one semifinalist to advance to the final round, and a studio audience vote determined the final wildcard spot, rounding out the field of twelve finalists. Her sister and brothers are Nicholai Olivia "Nicky" Hilton, Barron Nicholas Hilton and Conrad Hughes Hilton. When all the semifinal shows had been completed, there was a wildcard phase. She is the eldest of four children born to real estate mogul Richard Hilton and former actress and model Kathy Richards. Each week for four (three for season one) weeks, one group would perform with the top two (three for season one) vote-getters from each group advancing to the finals. She is commonly referred to as being "famous for being famous.".

In the first season, they were 30 contestants, divided into three groups of ten. Paris Whitney Hilton (born Tuesday, February 17, 1981 in New York, New York) is an American heiress of the Hilton Hotel fortune, a socialite, model and actress. During the middle seasons, the semifinal round consisted of 32 semifinalists who were divided into four groups of eight. Address book hacked (http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/21/technology/personaltech/hilton_cellphone/index.htm). At the end of the semifinal rounds, the six men and six women who remain advance to the finals. SpicyBurger controversy (http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/24/news/newsmakers/carls_ad/). On the following night's episode the results of the nationwide vote are announced, and the bottom two vote-getters are eliminated each week. The movie White Chicks.

Callers are allowed to vote as many times as they like for any number of contestants. South Park---December 1, 2004: "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset.". Viewers have two hours following the broadcast of the show in their time zone to phone in votes for their favorite contestant by calling a toll-free number (viewers may also send text messages to vote). episode: Original One. Each contestant performs live (in the eastern and central time zones), in primetime, a song of his or her choice, and receives critiques from the judges, who, from this point on, serve almost entirely in an advisory capacity, with little direct influence on the results. Archive Footage as Herself/Paige Edwards of House of Wax.. On three consecutive weeks, the male semifinalists perform only against the other men, and the women only against the other women. KL Minute (June 2, 2005) ..

Once in Hollywood, the three judges narrow the initial field of several hundred down to a group of 24 semifinalists, divided equally between men and women, who are invited to perform in the live portions of the show. Ashley ...episode: Something Wicca This Way Goes. His case was not taken up by the EEOC. Charmed (May 20, 2005) .. In early 2003, a 50-year-old college professor named Drew Cummings filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charging the show with age discrimination because producers denied him an audition due to his age. Becky ...episode: The Truth. For the fourth season, the upper age limit was raised to 28 to attract more mature and diverse contestants. The Diary (May 8, 2005) ..

citizens and, for the first three seasons, had to be 16 to 24 years of age. With the cast of House of Wax. Contestants must be U.S. Live at Much Music (May 3, 2005) .. Some poor performances have attained notoriety on their own; these have included season two's performance of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" by Keith Beukelaer and season three's rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" by William Hung. Barbara Eden of "I Dream of Jeannie". Typically the judges express disgust or dismay or suppressed laughter. American Dreams (March 16, 2005) ..

Poor singers often face intense and humbling criticism from the judges, and especially from Cowell, who can be harsh and blunt in his rejections. Hosting ... These "contestants" have been selected by the preliminary panels in a negative sense, a typical combination is lack of singing ability combined with vanity regarding their "talent." Others are selected for human interest potential, the 2005 auditions featured a "cannibal" who had sampled human flesh in an anthropology class and an aspiring female prize fighter. Saturday Night Live (February 5, 2005) .. These early episodes focus mainly on the poorest performances from contestants who often appear oblivious to their lack of star talent. Herself. One of the most popular portions of each season are initial episodes showcasing American Idol hopefuls auditioning before the panel of judges. The Simple Life 3: Interns (2005) (reality series regular) ..

The contestants selected despite lack of singing talent for appearance before the panel provide a major attraction to the viewing audience as they simultaneously proclaim their talent while turning out gut-wrenching performances which are ridiculed by the judges. Caitlin Ford ... episode: Credit Where Credit's Due. Those who impress a majority of the judges move on to the second round auditions which take place in Hollywood (typically only several dozen out of the thousands in each city move on). Veronica Mars (September 28, 2004) .. Contestants are required to sing a cappella. Herself. In order to be eligible, the contestants are not permitted to have any current recording or talent management agreements (but may have had one at some point in the past). Based on turnout and availability, producers select a certain number from the crowd to audition before the three judges (this may take several rounds). The Simple Life 2: Road Trip (2004) (reality series regular) ..

These are generally held at large convention centers where thousands of people wait in line for auditions. episode: The L.A.. In the show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, hopeful contestants, after being screened by preliminary panels which select for singing talent or humorous potential and human interest, audition before three judges (Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson) in cities across the United States (sometimes a celebrity fourth judge is added). Kate .. Each contestant gets a contract by one Bertelsmann's many music labels because Bertelsmann owns a 50/50 stake in Sony BMG. The O.C. (March 24, 2004) .. American Idol is produced by Fremantle North America which is owned by German Bertelsmann AG. episode: Jason Tutors Max.

The show is a competition in which viewers can call in and vote on contestants to determine the best "undiscovered" young singer in the United States, with the winner receiving a major record deal, although some runners-up have achieved enough fame to ink record deals of their own. Ashley .. American Idol is a television show featured on the Fox Network in the United States, based on the popular British show Pop Idol. The George Lopez Show (February 27, 2004) .. American Idol Season 4: The Showstoppers (2005). Madison ... episode: Things That Go Jump in the Night. American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics (2004). Las Vegas (February 2, 2004) ..

"What the World Needs Now" (single) (2003). Herself. "God Bless The U.S.A." (single) (2003). The Simple Life (2003) (reality series regular) .. American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics (2003). Bottom's Up (2006) (currently in post-production) (Lisa Mancini). American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs (2003). National Lampoon's Pledge This! (2005) (currently in post-production) (also executive producer) (Victoria).

American Idol Greatest Moments (2002). House of Wax (2005) (Paige Edwards). February 2, Brandy. The Hillz (2004) (Heather). February 1, LL Cool J. Raising Helen (2004) (Amber). January 26, Kenny Loggins. Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004) (Herself) (Cameo).

January 25, Gene Simmons of KISS. The Cat in the Hat (2003) (Female Club Goer). January 18, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray. Wonderland (2003) (Barbie). Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003) (Herself). Knights (2003) (short subject) (Sadie).

L.A. QIK2JDG (2002) (short subject) (Strung-Out Supermodel). Nine Lives (2002) (Jo). Zoolander (2001) (Herself) (Cameo).