SANJAYA IS GONE!

SANJAYA IS GONE! OH HAPPY DAY! Oops, sorry about that italicized, capslocked outburst there. But suffice it to say that we aren't exactly sad to see VoteForTheWorst.com poster child Sanjaya Malakar and his many unflattering hairstyles leave American Idol for good. Yes, after weeks of horrified speculation that the lushly coiffed but vocally challenged youngster might actually win the Idol title this season, thus driving Simon Cowell right off the shark-jumping show (and after Howard Stern, curse him, did everything in his power to help prolong Sanjaya's reign of tone-deaf terror), Sanj was finally voted off this week. So he's dunzo, but not before being forced to watch, through big girlish tears, what was perhaps the most awkward exit-montage in Idol history. (The show's too-kind editors must've had one tough time cobbling together scraps of Sanjaya footage that didn't actually depict him being torn to shreds by the judges). To be honest, after what he's been through, Sanjaya is probably as relieved as Idol's 20 gazillion viewers that this nightmare is over. But for those of you who are actually sad to see him go, fear not--for better or worse, he'll still be participating in this summer's American Idol concert tour, where you'll be able to see him rock a fauxhawk and ruin perfectly good Kinks songs night after night...