Odd talent creates overnight sensation
by Sandy Stamper
south news editor

   With American Idol in full swing, I shudder at some of the supposed talent of the contestants this year.
   The audition process was full of hopeful superstars, some good and some nauseating, but only 12 made it through to the next phase in the competition.
   One vividly memorable audition is that of William Hung, who seems to have become an overnight success by butchering Ricky Martin’s song, She Bangs.
   The Idol judges said Hung bombed his gotta-see-it-to-believe-it rendition of the song, but rejection has turned out to have a silver lining for Hung.
   The audition was so awful judge Randy Jackson hid his face to keep a timid Hung from seeing his smirks.
   “ You can’t sing; you can’t dance, so what do you want me to say?” judge Simon    Cowell asked Hung after the painful butchering of the song.
   After the comments from the judges were made, Hung was very gracious and had no regrets about the experience.
   His audition was nothing compared to last year’s Keith Beukelaer, who did a frightening version of Madonna’s Like A Virgin, complete with booty shaking and    other various movements no human should have to see.
   Cowell described Beukelaer as “possibly the worst singer in the world.”
   Since his booting from the TV talent show, the 21-year-old Hung has become what seems like an instant celebrity, sought after by talk shows, record producers and Idol dreamers everywhere.
   Hung has appeared on the Ellen Degeneres Show, as well as on Entertainment    Tonight and in the pages of Time, People, U.S. Weekly and Star magazine.
   What has people so hung up on Hung? Is it his shy, toothy smile? The accent?    The dance moves, just a few funks short of funkadelic? Who knows?
   Even after the horrendous audition, Hung was offered a record deal from Koch Entertainment and a check for $25,000 from the Fuse music channel.
   Fuse agreed to let him make his own music video that will air on its station.
   On the recent American Idol: Uncut, Uncensored and Untalented, host Ryan    Seacrest asked Hung if he had accepted the record offer. Hung said he is going over the contract with his lawyers because of the importance of such matters.
   If I made a complete fool of myself on TV, I wish someone would pay me big money and give me celebrity benefits.
   Maybe I’ll do that next year.