Alexis Cohen: Death of an American Idol contestant

Will Cohen be remembered for more than her rant after being rejected by Idol judges?

"Even after her death," said Kitty Caparella in The Philadelphia Inquirer, "fans are still arguing about Alexis Cohen," who was rejected by American Idol judges in season 7 and again in season 8. Some remember Cohen for her "expletive-deleted" rant against the Idol judges, who rejected her during Idol's season 7 in 2007. But some bloggers said Cohen—a 25-year-old known as "Glitter Girl" because of her sparkling makeup—was "kind" and "fun"—despite the bad impression she made in her infamous tirade. (watch Alexis Cohen's American Idol rant)

Alexis Cohen was definitely one of those memorable American Idol contestants, said Radar Online. Who can forget "her liberal use of glittery-eye makeup, and comparing herself to Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin, and Grace Slick." And the video of her season 7 rant against judge Simon Cowell was one of those viral Internet videos no one forgets.

"The glittery makeup, the bellowing voice, and the nationally televised harangue may have garnered Alexis Cohen a brief, idiosyncratic stint in the spotlight," said Brian Callaway in Cohen's hometown newspaper, the Allentown, Penn., Morning Call, but Cohen's mother wants people to remember her daughter as more than comic relief on American Idol. "She was a great kid,'' Mindy Cohen said Sunday, the day after Alexis Cohen's death in Seaside Heights, N.J. "Nobody gave her the chance to show them the nature she had."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

(Police have arrested a 23-year-old New Jersey man, Daniel Bark, and charged him with causing Cohen's death by reckless driving and then leaving the scene of a collision.)

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.