I just want to set the record straight to everyone. Ashley Ferl didn't get on American Idol by a serendipitous work of “luck” she was next door at another taping , nor was it a masterful piece of premeditated “planting” by Fox, nor the lame joke that she was given the chance to be there by "Make A Wish".

The whole truth... Ashley and her friends had registered for tickets online and attended, weeks back, the Jeff Foxworthy Fifth Grader show and they all had returned this week, with Ashley's Mom, specifically for their added opportunity to be at the American Idol rehearsal. And yes, when the producers saw Ashley’s... well let's just say "Happiness"... Ashley was obviously given a seat up front.

However, I also want the world to know that Ashley was also sitting in the audience with her best friend (sitting to Ashley's left/camera's right) who is also my wonderful niece. Ashley's Mom and other friends were given seats in the VIP room because they only gave them two seats for the live show. I know Ashley very well and she is a sweet girl (as well is my niece). The two of them just absolutely love American Idol and were absolutely ecstatic to be in the audience. The only thing is, we all now know who American Idol producers were thinking... show the girl that weeps uncontrollably... not the normal teenager, who was also happy to be there, but was able to maintain a sense of calm, and then practically wink at the camera as it went by -- showing her face to millions of people.

I agree with many out there who worry that Ashley’s lovable, happy tears are being manipulated to get ratings for the show and votes for a “star” the the show wants to sell tickets for on tour. I am not a regular watcher of American Idol. However, after seeing this year's group of contestants last night (while searching for my niece in the audience), I agree with many that think Sanjaya isn’t the best and could be easily dropped without a little help from his friends behind the camera. But then again, in my opinion, he's not far worse than Taylor Hicks, the now "famous" Idol winner from last season. Yeah, what's Taylor done that's been so successful? ... that Ford commercial? The main point is I don't think American Idol plans on making Sanjaya win, but I also don't think they didn't want him to stay home during the tour. So, what you see here is a little bit of obvious manipulation on American Idol’s part to use Ashley’s love of American Idol (in general) to their advantage.

But the most important thing for us to all remember is that all this is happening on a "Reality Show" and not in actual Reality. Shows are about ratings... reality is about enjoying the moment (like Ashley and Jessica were doing... you go girls). So … the banter may be “planned” between Simon and Ryan… … they prop up contestants to make to the top ten so they can sell more tickets to tours or higher paying commercials. And last, but not least, the producers were thrilled to find a real girl in a “reality show” audience showing genuine emotions and they locked on to her like Al Gore locks onto a hamburger these days.

I know for a fact that Ashley and my niece love American Idol so much they want to try out when they are old enough. I know this, because I have given them a hard time about it (hey, it's an Uncle's responsibility). To be honest, I was a part of this Ashley craze 2 years back when I met Ashley and her love of American Idol. However, I also want to point out that Iencourage them and I find it sweet that they have dreams of being singers. I just hope the venom I am seeing out there in the blogosphere about Ashley now isn’t as bad three years from now when the two of them are both old enough to try out.

By the way, stay tuned for Ashley on the talk show circuit starting this morning on the Today show. I sincerely hope they treat her well and she has a great time in New York! She's a very sweet girl and sincerely loves American Idol. Too bad my niece is not there with her showing everyone how fun it is to love something as innocent as music and singers. Some people (my self included) are very protective of their own family and thankful they are not in harms way of venomous snakes and blood sucking leeches. So instead of feeling sorry for my niece, I'm just happy she doesn't have to listen to people vilify her for being cheerful and happy or being supportive of a friend. I'm also happy for Ashley and hope she gets something positive out of this... and not just a bunch of snake bites that will take decades of psychotherapy to heal.