More Confused Than Ever

I think I’m having a Dan Rather moment. This whole Paris Bennett rumor may be a hoax initiated by a malicious manipulator, possibly one using the name Idol Fan. As of this posting, I am still trying to assemble the facts, which are in short supply.

I can only hope that Dan felt as gullible as a Kellie Pickler fan like I do right now – but I don’t think he ever did.

This afternoon, while recuperating from a 4-day (thus far) stomach flu, I was checking out different American Idol message boards that I usually don’t have the time to read. Several of them posted the same report about Paris Bennett attributed to Rodney Ho. I researched the rumor for more than two hours before posting it. Nowhere was it contradicted – not on the Access Atlanta site where I confirmed that the post existed. Not in the thread where I found it, which included comments that seemed to corroborate it as a legitimate Rodney Ho post. Not on the message boards treating it as gospel from an extremely reliable source.

As of now, there is no clear confirmation or denial. But here are the tiny tidbits of clarification I found at the Access Atlanta American Idol Buzz site. The links below are live so that you can check them out for yourself. I would have posted this sooner, but my blog and especially Rodney Ho's are experiencing high traffic. For the record, his site was congested long before I posted a link to it.


Exhibit A: the post that started it all under the name Rodney Ho - linked to Rodney Ho’s professional e-mail address

April 13, 2006 05:13 PM Link to this

Hi all, I’m in between classes, so there’s no time to create a new blog, but the Fox execs let me have 8 minutes with Paris today. She told me she’s thinking of dropping out of the competition becuase singing is really not her thing. She said she realized that she’s doing it moreso for her family than herself. Don’t know if she will stick with it or not. Stay tuned….


Exhibit B: posted under the name Idol Fan – but linked to an MSN e-mail address beginning with the name Renee

April 13, 2006 09:19 PM Link to this

Any truth to this rumor? It has been reported on a couple of Idol sites that you interviewed a contest that is supposedly leaving the show because singing isn’t for them. I’m told it’s posted on one of your blogs, but I can’t find exactly where?


Exhibit C: the only clear denial posted by a seemingly good Samaritan under the name Know It All

April 13, 2006 10:08 PM Link to this

Idol Fan,
No truth. I think that was a ghost blogger.


Exhibit D: a confusing post under the name Rodney Ho - linked to Rodney Ho’s professional e-mail address

April 13, 2006 10:05 PM Link to this

Hrm, apparently anyone can post as “Rodney Ho,” so maybe the bit about Paris is not legit.

Sincerely, NOT Rodney Ho


Exhibit E: posted under the name Rodney Ho but linked to the same MSN e-mail address beginning with the name Renee as Idol Fan

April 13, 2006 10:11 PM Link to this

Breaking News, Paris is staying until the end. I’ll keep you posted.


Exhibit F: posted under the name Rodney Ho but linked to the same MSN e-mail address beginning with the name Renee as Idol Fan

April 13, 2006 10:16 PM Link to this

Paris is staying posted by Singing 102!



Will the real Rodney Ho please step forward and clarify? I guess we will know for sure tomorrow if I have tangled myself in a web of shame.

Please leave a comment if you have any helpful information.