There are two kinds of Americans.
The kind who can tell you why Ace Young was eliminated, who cheer from the sofa when Kellie Pickler sings, and who phone in repeatedly to vote for their favorite “American Idol.”
Then there are the kind who wouldn’t know Simon Cowell from Paula Abdul.
Massachusetts state Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, fell into the latter category.
Until his daughter got on the show.
“We had never really even watched ‘American Idol’ before, and then there she was up on stage,” Sen. Brown said with a smile yesterday as his daughter, Ayla, performed for a group of young singers in New Bedford.
Ayla, 17, of Wrentham beat about 15,000 people at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and made it through four other elimination processes to be among the top 24 contestants selected to sing live for America on Fox Television.
When she was eliminated March 9, she was in the top 13.
Yesterday, she talked to, and sang for, 27 children who are taking part in a performance arts camp, Showstoppers, at the Unitarian Church in New Bedford.
She gave a Q&A session, asked trivia questions (”What was the first song I sang on American Idol?”; “Who was the first person eliminated from the Top 12?”) and handed out autographed, 8-by-10-inch, glossy photos as prizes.
She then sang “Reflection” by Christina Aguilera (her favorite song, and the first song she sang on “Idol”) and “I Want You to Need Me” by Celine Dion.
“You guys are a great audience. Much better than Simon Cowell,” she told the kids, who were wildly screaming and cheering, after she finished her performance.
Now, whether you hate or love “Idol,” you have to face this fact:
It’s popular.
Created during the “Survivor” craze, and now in its fifth season, the reality show is one of the most popular on TV.
And there are millions of people — many of them kids — who love this show; who TiVo it or who ask their parents to; who create online blogs about it; who know the names of, and have opinions about, every contestant.
This was all obvious yesterday.
During the songs, kids whipped out digital cameras and cell phones to take a picture of their idol.
During the Q&A, the campers, who range in age from 5 to 14, sounded like seasoned reporters:
“Do you regret any of your song choices?”
“Is it true you have offers from two record companies?”
“What’s Simon Cowell like in real life?”
And as Ayla was about to leave, about a dozen little girls, clutching cameras and autographed pictures, ran up to her.
They hugged her waist like they were hugging their mother.
“Ayla, I’m going to practice singing!”
“Ayla, you’re so pretty!”
“Can I have a hug?”
“Ayla, I’m going to play basketball!”
A basketball player at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, the 6-foot small forward is headed to Boston College on a full basketball scholarship. She was a 2005 McDonald’s preseason All-American at Noble and Greenough, where she is the all-time leading scorer, male or female, in school history.
“I think I’m going to cry,” said Ayla, as she walked to the parking lot with her father.
“This is what I love. I love being a role model. Especially reaching out to these young kids; these are the kids that will follow me through my career.”
Ayla is under contract with “American Idol” until Aug. 23. Until then, she is performing at charity events and youth organizations.
She has been contacted by two record companies, and her father said she is writing lyrics and speaking with producers.
“Little girls especially seem to look up to her,” he said, watching his daughter surrounded by pony-tailed, squealing fans. “A lot of them don’t know females who are both athletes and students.”
Founder of the Showstoppers camp, Kelly Zucco of Mattapoisett, is a clinical social worker from New Bedford.
“Our mission at this camp is to help the kids build skills and feel good about themselves. Being a youth herself, I think the kids looked up to her, and even some of the older ones said: ‘Wow.
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