I have two juicy tidbits of gossip that are widely available and in no way exclusive to this site, but I want to talk about them anyway.

First, Brian Dunkelman will not be back next year. I found this out by waking up to Howard Stern on my alarm clock. I didn't get the full scoop, but it seems as if he doesn't like the 'negative exposure.' He is pursuing his career as a stand-up comic and thinks that another year of Idol will hurt more than it will help. He is turning down a ridiculous amount of money. I'm sorry, but regardless of how talented he is as a comic, he should take the cash. The entertainment industry is so hard to break into, he did it and now he's backing away. Put aside your morals for another few months and you'll be able to live comfortably for the rest of your life.

Second, the mysterious fourth judge backed out. She's a New York radio dj/hip hop artist and she couldn't handle crushing the dreams of budding singers. I guess a few girls cried after being rejected by her in the early rounds. So, she quit. It hit too close to home, so she says. I guess I understand this. In theory, I would love to tell all these hilariously untalented people that they are hilariously untalented, but I could never do it. I think I'm too nice.

These are my gossip pieces. Wheeee!*

*For me, "Wheee!" is a lot like "And then I found five dollars."