“American Idol”: Killing Gladys Knight For The Sake Of Ratings?

From the “so ludicrous, it’s probably true” file: “TMZ moles say the finale will include a virtual hologram of Gladys Knight singing “Midnight Train to Georgia” with Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Downey Jr. singing backup as the Pips. Holy Nat King Cole! Idol did this last season when Celine Dion sang alongside a virtual undead Elvis. For the record, Gladys Knight is still alive.” You know what makes this item amazing? The fact that it sounds like something that Frank Cross would be commissioning in the opening scene of Scrooged II: Now He’s Really Scrooged. Also that you’d think the Idol producers would not want to get so blatantly “inspired” by The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, 30 Rock, and a Geico ad in its big, CGI-busting finale, but I guess that sort of creativity-lacking moxie is what I should expect from the show by now. [TMZ]