She is...Brooke White! (And she's hanging out in our conference room.)

Whether or not you wanted her to win Idol's seventh season, you might still want to check out our three-part interview with the the delightful G-rated nanny (parts 2 and 3 are after the jump). Warning: It is useless to resist Brooke's sunshine-y charms. Seriously! (And if you missed our recent four-parter with Carly Smithson, click here!)

'Excuse me, Syesha? There's a Miss Cobbins for you on line two.'

Okay Trenyce, show her how it's done.

(Check out Syesha's cover, for comparison, after the jump!)

Nightstand Inspection! (Vol. 2)

So I finally finished reading Special Topics in Calamity Physics — not bad, but really needed a good editor to dial back the irritating excesses, no? — and after an Idol-heavy week where my nighttime reading consisted mainly of backlogged issues of EW, Everyday Food, and the Blood-Horse (What can I say? I'm a pedigree buff!), I'm now about a third of the way through Thomas Mallon's Fellow Travelers. So far, this wistful historical novel about clandestine gay lovers in the McCarthy era is doing the trick of keeping me up well past my bedtime, and I suspect I'll be finished by this time next week. With that in mind, it's time for all y'all to reveal what's on your nightstand right this second. I'm thinking it might be fun to pick our next reads from the comments section below. Fun!

Brainstorming newer, fresher 'Idol' theme nights

I know, I know, I write a googillion words a week about American Idol — and I've already referenced an unfunny Ben Stiller "Idol Gives Back" joke in the first sentence of this blog item! — but all the recent press about the show slipping in the advertiser-craved 18-34 demographic, and now having a median viewer age of (le gasp!) 42, got me thinking.

As Idolatry viewer Lee Chesnut from Barnard, Vt., griped in a recent e-mail titled "Oldies Idol," the show has been bizarrely reluctant to allow season 7 contestants to sing contemporary songs. "Neil Diamond Week, Andrew Lloyd Weber Week, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Week, Dolly Parton Week, Beatles Week (twice!), '60s Week, '70s Week, '80s Week.... I mean it's almost cruel to imagine this season's winner being turned loose to compete in the 'real world'," Lee writes, before hitting the all-caps button. "WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY FAVORITE SHOW??"

Exactly. To remedy the heinoustries, I say we brainstorm some new and exciting theme weeks that will keep the MTV set happy without alienating Oldie Olsens (like me). I'll get the party started!

• Timbaland Night: Why not turn to the dude (pictured) who seemingly produces half the hits on today's Billboard chart? Lest we forget, he's even worked with Ashlee Simpson, so it's not like he can say Idol's beneath him!
• Dream Duets Night: The contestants get to choose any artist in the world for a duet partner, then collaborate with said star to select the perfect song/arrangement.
• Undiscovered Songwriters Night: Idol producers offer up a pool of, say, 100 undiscovered songwriters, and after listening to their demos, each contestant gets to choose one with whom they'd like to collaborate.

Okay, PopWatchers, there's three from me. Your turn!

Who do you have to see in concert before you die?

Last Thursday, I happened to catch the same Dolly Parton concert at Radio City Music Hall that my colleague Mandi Bierly so amusingly blogged about. Recounting the highlights to friends and family this weekend, however, I kept hearing the same question: "Dolly? Really? I didn't think you were a big country fan." But let's be real, if you're a fan of being alive on this planet right now, then you ought to be able to appreciate the one-of-a-kind appeal of Dolly. And since I wasn't aware (prior to her concert) that Parton has no plans to retire (ever) — it's her goal, in fact, to drop dead on stage, mid-performance! — I figured I'd better not procrastinate.

Similarly, there's no way I am going to miss Tina Turner's latest tour, which Billboard reports will kick off October 1 in Kansas City, Mo. Unlike so many of her colleagues, Turner (pictured at this year's Grammys)actually waited eight years to follow up her 2000 "farewell" dates — long enough to make me think she might actually make good on her promise of retirement. This time around, I'm not taking any chances, and plan to bear witness (and boogie unrepentantly) as Turner burns through (hopefully) "Nutbush City Limits," "Better Be Good to Me," "Proud Mary," and "I Can't Stand the Rain." I'll also add to my request list "Foreign Affair," an underappreciated gem from her 1989 album of the same name, which I've embedded after the jump.

Any of you guys planning to catch Turner in concert? And more importantly, who's atop your "concert bucket list" and why?

What should the Idols sing for 'Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night'?

Jessica Shaw and I come up with some utterly insane positively daring song suggestions, and also discuss her recent trip to Hollywood to witness the Idol song-selection process. Read Jessica's full report by clicking here, check out the 500 eligible songs here, then post your suggestions for the final 4 in the comments section below.

'Idolatry': Somebody sticks up for David Archuleta!

I admit it: I'd prefer a Cook-Castro, or even Cook-Mercado finale. (Idol blasphemy?) But Dave Karger dropped by the cubicles to try to talk some sense into me. Does my dapper co-host have a point? Discuss!

Idol's Josh Gracin performs 'We Weren't Crazy' in our conference room!

There may not be any country singers left on American Idol's seventh season, but not to worry: Season 2's fourth-place finisher Josh Gracin stopped by the EW.com studios conference room to play his new single, "We Weren't Crazy" (currently at No. 23 and rising on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart). Enjoy!

What should the Idols sing for Neil Diamond Week?

Dawnie Walton and I could probably use a little help in the song suggestion department, so check out our latest installment of Idolatry, then weigh in with choices for the five remaining Idol contestants in the comments section below.

Jennifer Love Hewitt to ban C&C Music Factory from wedding playlist?

That's right! According to our corporate cousins at People.com, not even Freedom Williams and Martha Wash are gonna make her do what she doesn't want to do!

Happy birthday, Kim Gordon!

Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon turns 55 today, and to celebrate, I am embedding the band's "Bull in the Heather" video after the jump because, well, it totally rocks.

And yet while I've always enjoyed the song on its musical merits alone, I'd be lying if I said there wasn't another reason the track is still in regular rotation at Casa Slezak. Indeed, the title of the song comes from the name of 1993 Florida Derby winner (and Kentucky Derby starter) Bull inthe Heather (who's enjoying a happy retirement in the Bluegrass State), and as a lifelong horseracing buff, I always get an extra rush hearing a musical reference to my favorite sport. After all, aside from Peter Paul and Mary's "Stewball," the sport of kings doesn't exactly get a lot of love in popular music.

So again, here's wishing Kim Gordon a very happy birthday; may she keep on rockin' for many years to come. And since it just so happens to be Kentucky Derby week, I'll pass on my live longshot for Saturday's big race -- Smooth Air, who's gotten over his fever (whew!) and therefore gets my vote to spring the upset in the most exciting two minutes in sports.

The 'Earth' trailer makes you feel [pick adjective(s)]

I can't say the trailer for Earth, the first feature release from the Disneynature imprint, hypnotized me in quite the same way as that plastic bag did Wes Bentley's character in a certain Oscar-winning film, but I will say it's a rousing reminder that there's so much beauty in the world. (Get the high-def version here.) Seriously, that polar bear making a snow angel, and the baby bird leaping out of his nest, and that herd of antelope plunging into a river… I'm not the only one who's feeling all tingly and exhilarated, right?

p.s. Also, let's be honest: Any documentary featuring a shark and/or killer whale leaping out of the water to capture its prey is totally gonna rule.

p.p.s. Don't you love the way Patrick Stewart pronounces "year" as "yea'h," all classy-like?

What do 'Idol,' 'South Park,' and 'Run Lola Run' have in common?

This week's episode of Idolatry (of course)! Watch for yourself, then weigh in on whether American Idol voters got it right this week by sending home the lovely and talented Carly Smithson. (Of course they didn't!)

Kristy Lee Cook discusses her 'Idol' strategy

She refused to be pigeonholed as this season's Haley Scarnato, and instead fought back with smart song choices and sly stage antics. Now, Kristy Lee Cook drops by the Idolatry cubicles and explains how she did it. Check out part 1 (below) and parts 2 and 3 (after the jump).

Forgive them Carly, for they know not what they're doing!

iPod inspection: Shuffle like you mean it!

National Coming Out Day is October 11, but don't tell my iPod, which automatically waves a rainbow flag every time I decide to publish a "Shuffle Songs" countdown. Alrighty, here goes:

Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"
Diana Ross, "Give Up"
Tricky, "Black Steel"
Dolly Parton, "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right"
Abbey Lincoln, "Another Time, Another Place"

Now it's your turn: Hit that shuffle button, and share the first five songs that play. Editing to make yourself (and your taste in music) sound cooler is strictly verboten.

What should the Idols sing for Andrew Lloyd Webber night?

Missy Schwartz and I try to create a six-song set list that won't turn the Idol stage into a hot honeyed mess. Check out our picks for Jason, Carly, Brooke, ballad-crazy Syesha, and the two Davids, then suggest your own!

Help plan your favorite characters' exits from 'L&O,' 'CSI,' 'SVU,' and 'ER'!

It's a tradition as time-honored as Law & Order's "dun-duhn" and Horatio Caine's sunglasses: Every now and then, network crime procedurals and/or ensemble dramas like to shake up their casts to boost ratings and revitalize their plotting prospects. And the end of the 2007-2008 TV season will prove no exception: Gary Dourdan is leaving CSI; Diane Neal and Adam Beach are exiting Law & Order: SVU; and Khandi Alexander is fleeing the ridonk world of CSI: Miami. If that's not enough, Jesse L. Martin's final Law & Order episode airs Wednesday, and Maura Tierney, who's cutting way back on her ER workload, tells AOL Television that she's been (unsuccessfully) begging the writers of her long-running hospital drama to kill off her character before the series ends its run.

I, for one, am glad to hear Tierney's Abby won't be paying the ultimate price for drama, because, let's be honest here -- isn't it almost too easy for TV writers to enlist the Grim Reaper when it's time to write off a character? Wouldn't it be a greater (and more fulfilling) writing challenge for these scribes to tackle workplace exits the way they actually happen?

In fact, if SVU hasn't already decided the fate of Neal's ADA Casey Novak, how about this scenario? On a lazy Friday afternoon, Benson is catching up on some paperwork, when she hears the siren call of her email "ping," which turns out to be an announcement that Novak will be resigning in two weeks to pursue a lucrative gig at a private firm uptown. As Benson and Stabler spend the episode solving the latest "especially heinous" crime, they secretly plan a farewell pour for their coworker at a local pub. By episode's end, the beer begins to flow. Toasts are made. A few tears are shed. Somebody makes an awkward plea to move the festivities to a nearby karaoke joint. And scene!

There, now doesn't that sound like a fitting exit? Any other ideas for how the aforementioned actors can exit their series without ending up six feet under? By all means, get to brainstorming!

Has a stellar TV guest star ever driven you to IMDb or Netflix?

A couple of days ago, I gave my husband rare control of the DVR decided to catch up on some backlogged hours of Doctor Who, and caught a particularly awesome (albeit atypically structured) episode called "Blink." The plotline centered on a young woman named Sally Sparrow, who had to solve the mystery of her best friend's disappearance with help from the Doctor (who happened to be trapped in 1969 and transmitting messages through DVD "Easter eggs"). The episode was riveting -- filled with romance and thrills and terrifying stone-angel statues -- and hinged entirely on the star-making performance of the actress playing Sally. Thanks to the power of IMDb, I found her name (Carey Mulligan, pictured) and a list of her credits within seconds of shutting off my TV, then added her 2005 miniseries Bleak House to my Netflix queue. (I'd been meaning to watch it anyhow, and now I've got the perfect excuse.)

All this got me wondering: Who was the last unfamiliar actor you became obsessed with thanks to a TV guest spot? And did your fascination continue after you'd seen them in a followup role? All must be revealed, PopWatchers!

Pop Quiz: The 'My Best Friend's Girl' trailer…

A. may cause dry mouth, nausea, and feelings of grimness.
B. proves that Dane Cook has gotten the good end of a pact with Satan.
C. is a great reminder to watch Overboard/Private Benjamin/Protocol on cable this week.
D. makes you want to devote the next twelve hours to drunkenly banging out a cliché-filled romantic comedy script (preferably involving an unlikely "relationship fixer" character and a pratfall-filled wedding scene) which will free you from the drudgery of everyday work life and make you the toast of Hollywood.
E. looks freakin' awesome.