# American Idol 5-3 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 3, 2005, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170 "2005-05-03T10:57:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/201 "2005-05-06T17:00:41Z")
> [@Queen Tonya](#): > > 1. Rumors about substance abuse surface, causing Camp Paula to tell the tragic story of the dark side of cheerleading, and the chronic lifelong pain that can result from a pyramid gone horribly awry. Oh, and there’s a syndrome, that’s it, a rare syndrome that no one’s ever heard of that causes folks to abuse substances and appear stuck on stupid. According to People magazine’s article on May 2, she had been reading the AI boards and saw that people were saying she is on drugs. She claims to simply be happy because she is finally pain-free. I don’t know how much of it’s true, but she did have 12 surgeries on various parts of her neck and back. That sounds excruciating to me. Chronic pain causes many of it’s sufferers to abuse painkillers, alcohol, anything to numb it. Her rare syndrome is RSD, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and she takes Enebrel for it, according to People. “No one wanted to be around me becuae they couldn’t stand seeing me in pain. I didn’t know how to deal without feeling like a burden. That’s the insidious mystery of pain. You can’t see it. You can’t explain it. It’s hard to diagnose and treat. People think you’re crazy. And you feel that way.” Now, I don’t know Paula, but I do know chronic pain, and I don’t think someone who hasn’t been through it could speak to it with such accuracy. Just my .02 of course. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/202 "2005-05-06T22:14:55Z")
Just a little extra information. 1)I got the impression that the telephone records were landline calls from Corey’s parents’ house to Paula. While anybody can call a celebrity, I find it hard to believe they would stayon the telephone for over two hours. 1. Oprah did a behind the scenes special on AI Season 2 and showed Paula at home. I could describe her house as well as Corey did. They showed the dog ramps and named the dogs. (She actually has a little arched doorway for the dog door). 2. Kim Locke had a relationship with Simon Lythgoe, son of producer Nigel Lythgoe. He is neither Simon Cowell, or Simon Fuller (head of 19E). According to Kim, they started dating only after the show. They have since broken up, but she has never hidden the relationship. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/203 "2005-05-07T06:13:03Z")
> [@KSO](#): > > If Simon was tagging a contestant, it HAD to have been Goat Girl. She sucked and he continued pimping her and pimping her and pimping her. Plus, wasn’t she the wild card he brought back??? I don’t think he was, though. IIRC, Carmen Rassmussen was only 16 at the time (or whatever the minimum age was). I doubt Simon would have been THAT dumb. Though he did like her. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/204 "2005-05-07T12:16:04Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > IIRC, Carmen Rassmussen was only 16 at the time (or whatever the minimum age was). Plus, Carmen wasn’t that cute. And she sounded like a goat. Kim Caldwell was more Simon’s speed, I think. ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/205 "2005-05-07T13:49:37Z")
Local newspaper reports this morning that during AI Season 2, OPRAH did a “Paula Abdul at Home” segment that showcased her interior, including the ramp, the doggie door and named all the doggies. Hmmmmm. Also says Pauler’s gonna be on SNL tonite. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/206 "2005-05-07T14:59:42Z")
I think the less publicity this asshole gets, which is conveniently timed before the release of his new album, the better. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/207 "2005-05-08T08:53:29Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Plus, Carmen wasn’t that cute. And she sounded like a goat. Kim Caldwell was more Simon’s speed, I think. :shrug: I’d take Carmen when she turns 18 over Kim Caldwell. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/208 "2005-05-08T09:02:14Z")
Carmen’s 20 now, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170/209 "2005-05-08T09:02:39Z")
Even better ;). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-5-3/302170.md?page=10)