Blog Posts by Lyndsey Parker

Astro, aka the Astronomical Kid, was undoubtedly one of the most electric and charismatic performers of "The X Factor USA" Season 1, and sadly, very few of the contestants who followed him in Season 2 made as lasting an impression. Admit it: You may have loved Astro, you may have loathed Astro...but I bet you didn't forget Astro.

I certainly didn't forget about this talented Brooklyn teen MC (he's got the X factor, for sure), and he certainly hasn't stopped working since leaving the show, going about his career the respectable, old-school way by recording one hot underground mixtape after another. And now he has finally released a music video, "He Fell Off," from his forthcoming mixtape, Deadbeats And Lazy Lyrics (out February 18).

Last night, "American Idol" went to Baton Rouge for a blissfully feud-free episode focused entirely on the contestants, not the judges, for a change. How refreshing! Of course, I instantly fell in love with quirky redheaded misfit Charlie Askew (I am so predictable, aren't I?), but in general, I was overall impressed by the diverse array of talent that Mariah, Nicki, Keith, and Randy found in Louisiana.

Today, my "The Day After" co-host Matt Whitfield and I discuss last night's auditioners, plus we go off-topic a few times (clowns, white jeans, and "The Glee Project" are discussed, for instance), and we nearly get into a Nicki/Mariah-style skirmish before we air-kiss and make up. Good times. Enjoy our latest chatfest, and feel free to chime in on the message board below!

Covergirls, it is time for you to put the bass in your walk and put on your most sickening date-night outfit: Dance music diva/reality superstar RuPaul (yes, that RuPaul) is looking for a new girlfriend, and he's taken his quest for lady love online.

Apparently Ru finds it a drag to watch "RuPaul's Drag Race" (Season 5 of which premieres on Logo this Monday) at home alone, while the Pit Crew is presumably off doing the bar scene. So he is desperately seeking a Susan, or a gal pal by any other name, to accompany him on actual Monday night dates. Ru has even joined personals sites like Plenty Of Fish, Zoosk, Alikewise, and BlackSingles.com to help him find that one special girl (or two, or three) that will make him want to say, "Shante, you stay!" forever--or at least for as long as Season 5 of "Drag Race" is still in syndication.

Of course, a major concern for a celebrity like RuPaul, in this post-Manti Te'o day and age, is catfishing. Has that happened to him yet? Has he been

Charlie Askew, age 17"American Idol" went totally askew (or Askew) during the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, auditions this Thursday--but in the most awesome way possible. Although much of this tricky 12th season has so far focused on the icky infighting and Springer-style drama behind the judges' table, on Thursday a brilliantly bizarre boy brought so much sunshiny rainbow-striped radness to the show, he may as well have entered the audition room on a unicorn.

That magical, mythical boy's name was Charlie Askew.

Last night, "American Idol" finally aired its Charlotte episode, returning to the scene of the crime where that infamous TMZ-"leaked" feud took place. Finally viewers got to see what went down (albeit a heavily edited version of the events)...and it turned out to be much ado about nuthin'. This was what producer Nigel Lythoge had been hyping for months--at the expense of the contestants, and even at the expense of the series' credibility? Really?

Today, my "The Day After" co-host Matt Whitfield and I discuss last night's feud--who was in the wrong, who was in the right, and whether it was right for that TMZ footage to ever "leak" in the first place. (SPOILER: No, it wasn't.) We also remain cautiously optimistic about "Idol's" future going forward, hoping that this whole silly bickering bizness will finally be put to rest, and the show can just move on and refocus on the contestants, not the judges.

Sarah in the kitchen [photo: Justin Goode]"American Idol" Season 10 alum and food blogger Sarah Sellers has been posting her viewing-party snack recipes in Reality Rocks for two "Idol" seasons now, and now she is back to get your mouth watering on every night of Season 12.

Tonight, "Idol" moves on to the auditions in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "Of course for Baton Rouge I had to do something Cajun, so I decided to do a simple and snacky version of a shrimp cake with spicy remoulade sauce for dipping," says Sarah. Enjoy!

Nicki Minaj walks off the "Idol" set"This is where it all happened," host Ryan Seacrest ominously intoned at the start of Wednesday's "American Idol" episode. Ryan, of course, was referring to Charlotte, North Carolina, the infamous audition city where catfighting alpha-female judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj went from frenemies to full-on enemies--and some intrepid TMZ spy was conveniently on the scene, flipcam in hand, to document what went down. This Wednesday, viewers would finally find out what really happened to set off the feud heard 'round the Interweb back in October.

But the real question was...would viewers even care anymore?

Sarah in the kitchen [photo: Justin Goode]"American Idol" Season 10 alum and food blogger Sarah Sellers has been posting her viewing-party snack recipes in Reality Rocks for two "Idol" seasons now, and she's back to get your mouth watering on every night of Season 12.

Tonight, "Idol" moves on to Charlotte, North Carolina...where that big TMZ-leaked feud took place. So two types of cuisine are in order for tonight's viewing: Southern food, in honor of the locale, and comfort food, to ease all the icky vibes that will surely come from watching Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey go at it.