For such a limp-eyed season of American Idol, this is what passes for scandal: contestant Joanna Pacitti, who has acknowledged a previous recording contract, has close ties to the show's producers, 19 Entertainment.

Star magazine is breathlessly telling us that Pacitti, who is a good singer and looks the part, is supposedly close personal friends with 19 Entertainment execs Michelle Young and Roger Widynowsk. They apparently have called each other "best friend" and stuff. And they all lived in the same apartment complex for a while, Melrose Place-style. But then Michael tried to kill Sydney for like the ninth time and Kimberly blew up the building.

So Star is calling this Idol's "Biggest Scandal Ever" (" 'It really seems unfair,' an insider tells Star"), when it's really not. I think that title belongs to Paula Abdul's trip to the future that laid bare some bad stuff about how the judging goes down. Or maybe the time that Idol producers dragged that crazy lady on the show and she was obsessed with Paula and then later she killed herself. Compared to that, a singer on a singing competition being a good enough singer to have professional contacts within the industry seems... tame.