‘American Idol’ Top 9 Visit ... TMZ?

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In a clear (and somewhat surprising) case of if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, the ‘American Idol’ top 9 spent time this week visiting the gossip center of the universe, TMZ.

Apparently, they lived to tweet about it.

‘What better place for our #idol top9 to learn proper paparazzi etiquette than with the MASTERS themselves, @tmz!!’ read one tweet posted Tuesday on the official ‘American Idol’ Twitter feed. It linked to a photo of the ‘Idol’ kids hanging out in what is apparently the TMZ newsroom.

But they didn’t just enter the lion’s den, they actually bonded with the lion himself, TMZ founder Harvey Levin.

‘Here we are with the main man, @HarveyLevinTMZ! We had alotta laughs w/ him! And, keep an eye on @tmz for our segment...’ read another official ‘American Idol’ tweet, this one showing the smiling contestants arm-in-arm with Levin, who looks like the cat who ate a canary the color of his bright yellow shirt.

So what do you think? Was it a good idea for the ‘American Idol’ powers that be to lead their little lambs right into TMZ’s clutches — or a very baaaaaad one? And more important, the next time TMZ reports that the contestants have moved out of their house because it’s haunted, does this mean we have to believe it?

Full Show Tracker coverage of ‘American Idol’

— Amy Reiter