Did anyone else wonder where crying girl's parents were. The girl sitting next to her didn't seem to know her. I felt bad for her because I worried she'd be on Jimmy Kimmel or Jay Leno as a joke. Or be part of an internet 'priceless' joke. Nigel was sitting behind her; could he have been her dad?

• RE: Crying Girl,selah, 12:37 PM, 03-21-07
  • RE: Crying Girl,agman, 02:50 PM, 03-21-07
• RE: Crying Girl,FOXmePUHLEEZ, 12:41 PM, 03-21-07
• RE: Crying Girl,finallytyping, 04:20 PM, 03-21-07
• RE: Crying Girl,priestdi, 04:22 PM, 03-21-07
  • RE: Crying Girl,selah, 04:54 PM, 03-21-07
    • RE: Crying Girl,agman, 05:19 PM, 03-21-07
      • RE: Crying Girl,Ricky, 05:30 PM, 03-21-07
        • RE: Crying Girl -- Good for her!,tamarama, 11:17 PM, 03-21-07

that was too weird for words.. the way the camera was focusing on her I'm wondering if she was planted there.. in the 60s it was very common for girls to cry their heads off watching their "idols" I'm a mite suspicious of it seeing as how it was British invasion week and the British invasion took place in the 60s.

Agreed. Let me see.....here is some girl crying when she sees certain Idols and there does not seem to be any parent around. Then Sanjaya just happens to go down to her after the camera had already panned her a few times. Oh Yea then Ryan just happens to call her up to meet the Idols. And this hasn't happened that we know of yet this season, yet it suddenly happens on British Invasion week. That's a bit too coincidental for me.....

What about the old Beetles footage? Girls not much older than her age screaming, crying, yelling, jumping up and down. Last night reminded me of the FIRST British invasion of the 60s.

I thought from the start that she was Nigel's daughter.
But now that talk of a plant is circulating, I would say,
definitely, she is a weeping willow.

Answer is in insider blogs.

This is the best one, from an LA Times blog:

Who's That Girl?
Wed., Mar. 21

First things first: Who was the crying girl? After the show, I chatted with Idol’s newest superstar, the crying girl, Ashley Ferl, aged 13, from Riverside. For some long minutes after the show, Ashley remained in a state of inconsolable sobbing, unable to choke out a single word. However, through an interpreter (her mother) we were eventually able to learn some facts about the young superstar.

The family, I was told, obtained tickets on a website to attend a taping of “Smarter Than a 5th Grader” a day passage that included not just the taping of the show itself, but also the dress rehearsal of either “Grader” or “Idol.” The fates were kind, and the mother and daughter found their way to the “Idol” rehearsal, where Ashley’s waterworks began. Her prowess was quickly brought to the attention of “Idol” producers who summoned the clan to a ringside seat of honor at the final taping.

Her powers of speech slowly returning, Ashley revealed that while she was on stage she had been thinking that “this was the coolest thing ever.” Asked whom she was supporting in the competition she named “Sanjaya, Melinda, Gina and Jordin” as her picks, refusing to narrow her vote down to a single choice. All my journalistic powers of persuasion, cajoling, bullying and insistence that on her vote might turn the entire competition, that “Listen to reason, young Ferl, there can’t be four American Idols,” would not convince her to name a single favorite. To my every argument, she would only repeat her mantra, “All Four: Sanjaya, Melinda, Gina and Jordin.” And so the race begins in earnest, with tears at every step of the way.

Her prowess was
>quickly brought to the attention
>of “Idol” producers who summoned
>the clan to a ringside
>seat of honor at the
>final taping.
>

Bingo! pretty sad .. very manipulative if its true.

Oh good lord, I have now lost just about all hope that anything about Idol is on the up and up. I'm starting to think that Simon and his producer buddies have already singled out some talent they want to give exposure to so they set up this rigged contest. All contestants are actors ala Joe Schmo and except for the 3 or 4 real talent the others are just a smoke screen. Look at all the money they make off of this. AHHHHHH now I feel better! Actually I am being a "bit" sarcastic as I don't think it's that contrived, but I do , however, feel that there's plenty to this "contest" that is rigged. waaaaaaaaaaa!!!boooo hooooooo sniff....sniff

The producers did know about crying girl and put her in nice seats so they could focus on her, but it seems like she REALLY WAS CRYING !!

Crying girl is not a fake !! Long live Crying Girl !!

"A new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners" - Martin, First loser on The Apprentice LA

They spotted a young fan that's soooo excited that she's completely losing her mind -- so they give her the time of her life by inviting her to the show...and get some good camera shots out of her.

So what? It was good TV - got us talking, right? And little chick was having the time of her life. I just hope she didn't wet her pants.

There's a world of difference between that and planting a child actor to create commotion....no way did they do this. Why would they need to? They could probably fill the theater with little girls like that if they looked around a little bit.

(btw, it goes back further than the Beatles too - there's old film of girls in the 40's losing it over a very young Frank Sinatra)