Petesophizing...

Re: the performance of one Nicholas Zitzmann on last night's American Idol, Munraven raves:

I watched the show last night. I was appalled.

The software guy from Utah looked like a textbook case of Asperger's Syndrome.

The Thinking Mother writes:

I think American Idol has crossed the line now.

I saw two if not five people on the show 1B who seemed to me to have symptoms of being in various places on the Autism Spectrum, such as Asperger’s Syndrome or being a highly functioning Autistic person, if not having Pervasive Developmental Delay or some other kind of real issue such as possibly even, mild mental retardation.

tvsquad offers:

Does 'Idol' Need To Be Such A Spectacle Of Cruelty?

I consulted JR, a clinical psychologist with a specialization in autism, a top expert who works with Asperger's every day. Re: Zitzmann, she says:

I'd bet on it.

The armchair diagnosis is all over the web, an extraordinary sign of the times. So is the backlash against Idol. But I think Zitzmann, a 27 year old software engineer from Midvale, Utah, was triumphant, and American Idol should be commended, not vilified.

Even a cram-course understanding (mine) of the Americans With Disabilities Act and the litigation arising from this wonderful legislation is enough to commend the Idol producers, whose goal is a parade of the genuinely delusional, talentwise. They cannot, and should not, screen out the Nicholas Zitzmann's of the world. Nor can they ask him if he is in some way disabled.

Zitzmann has a right to make a fool of himself singing, like anyone else. He did. He also had moments of shy dignity. The above clip is worth viewing to the end, if only to watch Simon Cowell ask him:

What the bloody hell was that?

To which Zitzmann replied:

It was me.