Spoiler: Rumored Hollywood Contestant Joanna Pacitti Totally Outed by the New York Post

MJ, your commitment to finding everything Idol is amazing. You found the 20/20 clip?

You know, I’m okay with having people on the show with musical pasts. I just hope, if she does make the Top 24, that the show will have learned its lesson from Carly. Be open and honest about people’s background. If the storyline for a given contestant is “Had a major record deal that fell through and looking for a second chance,” run with that storyline, rather than trying to treat the contestant as more of a neophyte. And then let the audience decide. I think that they thought that they were helping Carly last year, but in the end, it hurt her. Just my opinion.

I’m starting to think these plants are purposely designed to drum up controversy more than to have some real talent on the show. Ratings is ratings.

MJ, your commitment to finding everything Idol is amazing. You found the 20/20 clip?

No, Vote for the Worst did. I linked to them above.

Ah, missed that.

After last year, I’m not so concerned about the plants. If they have outrageous talent and an ability to connect with the audience, great, let em at it.

But if they’ve been given big chances and haven’t connected– they prolly won’t be the next Idol.

Of course, Carly and MJ are a small sample size, and anything can happen– but there are reasons people get fired from Bway shows, recast in movies, and lose record deals.

She is very cute, but after reading the article, I bet she would be a real liability to AI, if she went too far (if it is true).

Dare I say that she looks to me like the type Simon would love. . .

Haven’t they learned their lesson yet? I think the plant thing is a drag, personally.

Though Carly and MJ did well, obviously, what America really loves is seeing someone who has not caught a break and has plugged away in obscurity — until this chance to get vaulted into the limelight.

Remember Kelly? Fantasia? Taylor? Ruben? Jennifer? I can’t believe there aren’t other folks out there, ripe for that first big opportunity.

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something creepy about this woman, and all the scandals she’s been involved in since starting her professional career at (gulp) 12. She brings a lot of baggage. And her backstory is an inside-show biz one she’ll either have to gloss over, or skip.

You also do have to wonder why someone with as many breaks as she’s had is still scrambling….

I’m fine with the plants, but agree TPTB should be up front about it and let the viewers decide. This story underscores how brutal it can be to “make it” in the entertainment business, even when you are given multiple shots.

You also do have to wonder why someone with as many breaks as sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s had is still scramblingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.

Yeah, when you’re not meant to be a star, you’re not going to be. She’s had so many chances given to her already. But oh well, she’s following her dreams, can’t fault her for that.

Which is why I am still undecided about this whole plants thing. Experienced musicians are fine, but someone who has had a major record deal and released an album under that major label is a different story.

Oh well, I’ll probably not like her, just like I didn’t like the plants of AI7.

I think the “plants” are dragging the show down too. If you had a record deal before and you’re album tanked, then you’re not likely to do much better when you get on Idol.

All the previous Idol winners were all singers who had been slogging it out for years on their own and were just waiting for their “big break”. Kelly, Ruben, Fantasia, Carrie, Taylor and David, their stories are all very similar if you think about it.

They were all on the “verge” so to speak. That was the appeal of the show. I just can’t get into singers who had their big break, blew it and are now desperate for a second chance.

Yeah, when youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re not meant to be a star, youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re not going to be.

I don’t know about that. How many sitcoms and B-movies was George Clooney in before he did ER and became a star? (answer: a lot)
Now, that said, I hate the plants.

Too much drama. They’ll find a reason to cut her…Anyway Idol voters seem to favor the nice and wholesome (even Jason’s *dreads* were an issue for some people, sheesh)

That Circus song is actually pretty good

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I so totally remember this girl from the Annie scandal. I watched the 20/20 story when it originally aired. She was also in a documentary released a couple years ago about all the kids that were in Annie, discussing the scandal and that she was working on music. I don’t really mind if the contestants have had record deals in the past, but the top 40 Billboard charting bothers me a little. There should be a point where you just cut it off and designate somebody too professional to be a part of the show.

She actually has a bunch of music videos on youtube

Dare I say that she looks to me like the type Simon would love. . .

Oh yeah, I agree. Simon breathes controversy, and then she also has the looks, and seems to be the kind of pop girl he likes.

Oh well, beeing a plant didn’t really work that well for MJ, Carly and Kristy, does not mean the audience will love you.

All the previous Idol winners were all singers who had been slogging it out for years on their own and were just waiting for their à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“big breakà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Kelly, Ruben, Fantasia, Carrie, Taylor and David, their stories are all very similar if you think about it.

They were all on the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“vergeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  so to speak. That was the appeal of the show. I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get into singers who had their big break, blew it and are now desperate for a second chance.

I agree with this. I think that has more appeal. It’s not that I am against those plants, but I just can’t get as interested, don’t know exactly why.

Not amused by the plants. I think Carly was a little less conspicuous. This girl, Joanna, has been around the block more than a few times. I don’t care to see the entire show comprised of Josiah Lemings, but there is a definite disparity between this girl and other contestants. And, I tend to feel that it’s a bit unfair to both sides. For one, Simon was relentless with Carly…I think he felt that he needed to level the playing field by criticizing her so harshly. It just seems sooo contrived.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really mind if the contestants have had record deals in the past, but the top 40 Billboard charting bothers me a little.

I agree! I understand the second chances to a point, but her story is really stretching it!! Also, her deals were all pretty recent unlike Carly’s whose was when she was a teenager. Most of the contestants that make it far have some kind of musical history and that’s cool, I’m even fine with most of the “plants” but I don’t know why this one rubs me the wrong way. Sometimes it’s best for me not to know these things cuz if she makes it on the show she’ll already be starting about 3 steps behind everyone else in my eyes and I’ve never even heard her sing :laugh_tb:

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know about that. How many sitcoms and B-movies was George Clooney in before he did ER and became a star? (answer: a lot)
Now, that said, I hate the plants.

Of course there are always exceptions to the rule And the movie industry is different from the music industry. And equating that situation to the music industry, it would be someone jumping off indie label from indie label, trying to make it with small time gigs, and then landing that major label contract and then making it big.

If I’m reading it right, this girl has gone through two major record labels already. Has released an album and a single that made it in the Billboard chart (Carly in all her planty glory never had anything like that), I think this is too much for AI already.

I agree with this. I think that has more appeal. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not that I am against those plants, but I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get as interested, donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know exactly why.

Yeah, I am predisposed to not liking plants for some reason. I guess I don’t really think it’s fair.

Hardkandy is right.

The movie industry is a whole other ball of wax. A lot of people pay a lot of dues in “bit” parts. A good analogy would be an AI fave of mine, Melinda Doolittle. She did her thing as a backup singer, which is like being a bit player, and finally got a well-deserved break.

That’s a lot different from recording for a big label, charting, starring on Bway, etc.

Also, didn’t the AI brass criticize themselves for the past season’s failure to really exploit the interesting personal sagas of the contestants? It wasn’t until we got to the top 4 or 6 or whatever that they dug in and started showing us the struggles, the family background, all that. The human interest!

I mean, what would a Carly candidly say about her life? I had a chance, my label debut tanked, now I’m just hoping this cheesy show obliterates all that and treats me like a fresh-faced newcomer? Naw……. :rolleyes_wp:

Yeah, acting is totally different. Actors tend to work their way up through bit parts in TV, films, stage work. That’s what George Clooney did. He worked his way up through bit parts until “ER” became his big break in television. Then he moved onto film.

Last season I was predisposed to dislike Carly based on her “plantyness” but by mid-season, I was rooting for her just because of her undeniable talent. I don’t think her getting booted when she did was due to a backlash against her prior record deal but some poor song choices and a personality that came across as too desperate and needing of Simon’s approval (though, I think he was unfairly tough with her as Cookforhubby pointed out).

What has always attracted me to Idol is what I call the “Charles Grigsby factor” i.e. watching a grocery bag boy wearing a hideous patchwork outfit sing before an audience of 30 million people and when Idol fills the ranks of the top 24 with people like this Joanna (come on–she’s got a song that Britney Spears is covering!?!?!), the show loses its appeal to me in a big way. I guess the fact despite all her insider connections she is trying out for Idol just goes to prove that exposure on Idol, no matter how brief, is the best way to get ahead in the music business.

I have a theory. The facts in the NY Post story are definitely ones that are causing a lot of debate, but IMO, the tone is not particularly negative. Is there any chance that the Post story is a plant (no pun intended) by AI? They know that VFTW has these facts, and they know what happened to Carly. So, they get this story planted in the Post as a first step of creating her character arc. Maybe I’m nuts, but this doesn’t come off to me as an attack piece.

I had never heard of Carly and Michael before last year, and never cared about the whole ‘plant’ thing. But I actually had one of this girl’s songs on my ipod! That’s just weird to me.

I agree with what most of the people here have said… one thing is a second chance, but there have to be a line where you can no longer compete, in this case this girl have had a lot of exposure that copuld work for or against her…

THE JOANNA PACITTI SONG COVERED BY BRITNEY SPEARS is **NOT** “CIRCUS.”

It is on Spear’s new album, “Circus”, but the cover is of the song “OUT FROM UNDER.”

There are a lot of YouTube videos of both versions of “Out from Under”, and some even splicing together Pacitti and Spears singing so you can compare the two. Most comments over there seem to agree that Pacitti is the better singer.

In 2003, she appeared on MTVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s True Life, which followed three kids trying to break into the music business

I think I remember this episode. But I don’t recall Joanna. I just remember the Indian guy who was trying to get a record deal but his parents wanted him to focus on school.

Sounds like Joanna has had alot more experience and exposure than Carly and Michael since we never heard of either of them before they were on Idol. Whether they were “plants” or not doesn’t matter to me-they are both talented and deserve another chance in my opinion. Plus Carly’s prior record deal was when she was a teenager, so I don’t see how Joanna can be compared to her.

This “new news” reads like “old news”. I think I’m becoming really cynical about this show. Yawn.

I am also extremely concerned about a kid who became a superstar so young, because I think it is very unhealthy. I smell a Brittany Spears or Lindsay Lohan coming on in the future- extreme personal problems. I know in Lindsay’s case, she came from a very troubled homelife. Not sure about Brittany or this Joanne.

IMO they should give people with a previous major record deals a own show, where one of them get a new record deal.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like them on Idol, because they take the chance away from new talents.

THE JOANNA PACITTI SONG COVERED BY BRITNEY SPEARS is **NOT** à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“CIRCUS.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Thanks for the correction…

BTW George Cloony was on “The Facts of Life” and saw him recently on a repeat of “Murder She Wrote” I do not believe the hair…
Yes I also remember the 20/20 show and the process of the audition .I guess it is how American Idol handles it and would not call call her an amature in acting or singing…

The slight problem the girl is used to the big stage and preforming while others may not have that expeariance but sing as well or better.

It doesn’t bother me. Many idols have had albums, etc before they came on idol. Including our most current winner.

It doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t bother me. Many idols have had albums, etc before they came on idol. Including our most current winner.

I think the distinction here is “major label album”. Any struggling musician can record his own material and sell it online or from the back of his truck (as Cook did). That’s quite different than having execs sink millions into you, making connections within the industry, and actually getting a break, which makes one a “plant”.

Sounds to me like this Joanna has had more than one break. I say give this chance to someone who needs AI to get a foot in the door, not to someone who was already inside the room but wasn’t good enough to stay.

Entertainment Weekly has just given you props, mj!

I’m not going to dash anyone’s dreams and I don’t much care if this girl makes it because either way it’s not going to make her win, but the red flag for me is that I’ve heard of her before Idol. The second I heard her name I knew who she was. At least with Carly and MJ, I could say I’d never heard of them before therefore it didn’t bother me. When I already have this much familiarity with a possible contestent before the season even starts, it seems like a line is starting to be crossed.

Yeah, whatever. The reason I prefer Rockstar to Idol is it has more experienced(older) contestant that could give better performances. Micheal and Carly’s problem was they were not good during semi, where the real competition began, so they seemed quite overrated.

There are a lot of YouTube videos of both versions of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Out from Underà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , and some even splicing together Pacitti and Spears singing so you can compare the two. Most comments over there seem to agree that Pacitti is the better singer.

Well, duh. I think I can sing better than Britney, LOL. But Britney is the one who became the star. As Simon would say – when you’ve got it, you’ve got it.

I do not like plants. Tsk.

What has always attracted me to Idol is what I call the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Charles Grigsby factorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  i.e. watching a grocery bag boy wearing a hideous patchwork outfit sing before an audience of 30 million people

Yes, me too, in the general way and also the specific. I really liked Charles, thought he was a great opener on the AI2 tour. It’s too bad he didn’t get any push – he could have been the “pre-Chris Brown” Chris Brown, so-to-speak.

I remember the Barbara Walters piece, and I think the vast AI audience is going to also. It may sour them on Joanna or OTOH give her an unfair advantage. It doesn’t seem right, either way.

I guess I always get my hackles up with the word ‘plant’ itself. The implication being that AI solicited this person particularly because of their past ‘success’, for lack of a better word. The way I see it is these people are entitled to audition if they meet the criteria. Period.

That being said, the way they fenagled around the Carly story sucked, and she was duplicitous in that. Instead of just saying ‘when I was a wee lass, I had a record deal that went horribly wrong…”, she was defensive and that made her seem fake. Her past did not preclude her from being on the show, and frankly didn’t give her an advantage either.

I think that everyone deserves second chances. I usually don’t even look at the spoiler threads because it colors my perception of the people when I know too much. I like to watch the show with as little prior information as possible so that I don’t watch it with biased eyes.

So I guess, like always I will watch and see. If I like her singing her past will be insignificant to me. If her singing sucks it still will be.

Considering that I live in CT, and not all that far away from NYC, I DEFINITELY remember Joanna, and all of that mayhem…

She will be interesting to observe in the coming months…

I dislike plants as they take away what I consider a basic premise of the show – finding undiscovered talent. Those type of contestants makes the show more exciting and what fun it is to see them develop into terrifc singers and/or entertainers.

Oh well, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll probably not like her, just like I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like the plants of AI7.

I was also predisposed into not liking them. There has to be a lot of singers out there that would love the exposure AI gives. The plants can stay home as far as I am concerned. My all-time favorite “American Dream” is Anthony Fedorov.

The New York Post article makes it sound like she was signed to A&M, dropped, and signed to Geffen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interscope-Geffen-A&M