Idol Chatter & Voice Views

It was the ouster heard round the Idol world.

Pia Toscano, clearly one of the best singers of Season 10, sent home in ninth place? How could it be?

Fans are calling for her return. For a recount. For someone’s head.

I’ll offer up candidates for that. Idol’s three so-called “judges,” who fail to judge. And Idol producers, who have repeatedly failed to address a faulty voting system that makes it almost impossible for a female to succeed.

Anyway, Pia is taking time to talk to the media about Idol and her future this afternoon.

She already did a post-show interview with EW.com. You can go here to hear it.

Pia told EW she had a sense she might wind up in the bottom three, called that experience “terrifying,” and said she doesn’t regret going up-tempo this week

Had she survived, Pia says she planned to sing “Somewhere” from West Side Story next week.

Then she appeared to be sooshed by an Idol handler. Apparently even ousted candidates aren’t supposed to talk about what they would have performed the following week.

* Pia reiterates that she had a sense in her stomach that she might wind up in the bottom three and told her parents so. They told her to have confidence and not to worry. But, sure enough, she landed in the bottom three.

* She said the judges were right to encourage her to change it up. She said she was looking forward to this week’s performance and that performing the Tina Turner song wasn’t out of her comfort zone.

* Pia admits she’s gets stage fright and has trouble loosening up on stage. And she says that’s something she plans to work on. She says it’s “really intimidating” to get out on a stage like Idol. By the time the tour arrives, she plans to “own the stage.”

* She calls Jennifer Lopez “absolutely stunning, inside and out” and says she appreciated all of her constructive criticism.

* To have the support of celebrities — everyone from Tom Hanks to Snooki has expressed dismay over her ouster — as well as the support of fans, helped her get through the last 12 hours.

* She hopes to eventually release a pop album, with a bit of R&B flavor, that would include some “power ballads” as well as “fun dance tracks.”

* The entire time she and Stefano Langone were awaiting the decision, she said Stefano kept reassuring her that she would not be eliminated and that he would be the contestant going home.

* “You can’t really say why I was voted off,” Pia said. Whether it was a lack of connection or people thinking she was safe.

* Can a woman win Idol again? “Definitely,” Pia said. “It’s anyone’s game right now. Everyone of the contestants in it deserves to be in the top eight.”

* Her perception of the show vs. reality. She notes that she auditioned since season five. “This is everyone I imagined. The show is amazing … Everybody wants the best for you. They don’t want you to go home.”

* She says she feels like she “flew under the radar” the first few weeks on the show, not being shown much on the show, but says she “was alright with that.”

* She says it was very hard to get through her farewell song, that she was getting very light-headed and admits she had a medic walk her off stage.

* In addition to recording music, she says she’d like to appear in movies and commercials.

* She holds no grudge against Casey Abrams for getting the save that could have saved her. She says Casey deserved the save.

* She thanks everyone for the support, but says fans shouldn’t hold a grudge against the show. “Everyone’s going to be voted off. There’s only going to be one winner.” She says she’s much better off for having gotten the exposure the show provided.

My reaction: Very classy exit interview, Pia.