‘American Idol’: Syesha Mercado faces the Idol Extra reaper

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As soon as an ‘American Idol’ contestant is eliminated, before he or she even has time to cry, scream or kiss their mother, JD Roberto appears. He is the host of ‘American Idol Extra,’ a behind-the-scenes ‘American Idol’ post-show that runs Thursday nights on the Fox Reality Channel.

‘Idol’ alums Constantine Maroulis and Gina Glocksen serve as JD’s co-hosts on the show, conducting interviews with a lively mix of celebrities, ‘Idol’ judges and ‘Idol’ experts. It is JD’s portion, however, that truly sets the ‘Idol Extra’ apart from other ‘Idol’-themed after-shows. Because JD meets each contestant for the first interview of their post-Idol career, he is like the grim reaper of ‘Idol’ lore. When JD approached Carly Smithson after her ouster, she reacted by shielding her face in mock-horror. ‘Oh, it’s you!’ She exclaimed. ‘I never wanted to see you!’

After exchanging a few words with JD and soaking up some love from Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowell, the fallen Idol gets an hour of much-needed down-time, away from the press and their fans. What the eliminee does during that hour of relative solitude remains a mystery. My uneducated guess is that some sort of coaching occurs, preparing the fallen Idol for the impending deluge of press.

After the hour expires, the eliminated contestant heads to the set of ‘Idol Extra’ for the first formal interview since his or her ouster, again with JD Roberto. On Wednesday night, it was Syesha Mercado’s turn to face the man, the myth, the legend, the reaper.

Typically, ‘Idol Extra’ is filmed on the ‘Idol’ stage, but since the flagship show moves to the Nokia Theatre next week, stagehands broke down the ‘Idol’ set on Wednesday evening, leaving ‘Idol Extra’ to shoot in the parking lot. The setup in the parking lot was primitive and the air was chilly, but the audience didn’t seem to mind. They were easily placated by a steady stream of ‘American Idol’ T-shirts and Reese’s Pieces.

The show began with an appearance by Syesha’s loyal entourage. Her mother, father and fiancé confessed that they pray together before every show. ‘We hate Wednesday nights,’ Syesha’s fiancé revealed. ‘We’re like, ‘Why’s she always on the bottom?’ ‘

And then she emerged. TV doesn’t do this woman justice. Dressed in simple dark jeans, white sneakers and a low-cut white tank, Syesha was effortlessly gorgeous. ‘You’re beautiful,’ shrieked a fan from the audience. ‘Thank you,’ Syesha replied, her Cheshire cat grin stretching across her face. And from that first mile-wide smile, Syesha’s pride never faltered. Sure, she had just been booted off of the nation’s largest television show, just one week shy of winning it all, but you never would have known it.

‘I love you,’ shouted a voice from behind the camera. ‘I love you too, daddy,’ Syesha replied evenly. Turned out that after leaving the stage, Syesha’s entourage had not gone far. They were lurking in the shadows behind the bleachers, ready to give her a word of encouragement if ever she needed it. Which she didn’t. Syesha was unshakable.

Next, Syesha was subjected to clips of remaining Idols David Archuleta and David Cook bidding her adieu. Archuleta talked about the way Syesha had ‘blossomed,’ and Cook told her, ‘You know, you could take over the world with your voice.’ It was a sweet tape, sure, but there was something undeniably sinister about watching the victors compliment the loser. Still, Syesha retained her impeccable composure, perching on her petite stool with a Miss America-perfect smile.

When asked how she had defied the oddsmakers and rocketed into the final three, Syesha attributed her success to visualization. She had visualized herself in the top 6, 5, 4 and 3, and her dreams had come to fruition. ‘My last goal was top 3, and I accomplished it, so I’m really happy,’ she explained. ‘I’m at peace now.’ Syesha also cited ‘meditating’ and ‘reading positive books’ as crucial steps on her journey to the top.

Throughout the interview, Syesha’s fiancé waited on the sidelines, eager to embrace his ladylove between segments. Syesha obliged but never came anywhere close to crumbling in his arms or breaking down. As much as she showered praise on her family during her interview, it was clear that Syesha’s strength came, first and foremost, from within.

Now, I know that Syesha’s unshakable demeanor and omnipresent supersmile led some viewers to question her sincerity. It was all too reminiscent of a pageant queen, perhaps. A bit too Broadway, maybe. But for the elimination, it served her perfectly. Syesha left with her dignity intact, nay, enhanced. Syesha must be great at getting dumped. She would just flash her pearly whites and say (as she did in her ‘Idol’ bio), ‘Someone will always have an opinion about you, but what’s most important is what you think of yourself. ‘ And she might show a little cleavage too, just for good measure.

Before she left the ‘Idol Extra’ stage, Syesha autographed a stack of headshots for the audience. She was sweet and accommodating but a little distant. When she got to the awkward, black-clad teenager in front of me, however, Syesha slowed down. ‘Are you shy?’ Syesha inquired, gazing at the girl whose down-turned expression betrayed a critical lack of self-confidence. The answer was inaudible. Syesha looked deep into the troubled girl’s eyes and gave an answer both loving and firm: ‘Don’t be shy, girl!’

-- Stephanie Lysaght