Did Mario quit because of ‘Idol’ contract?

Before we get to the questions, let's tackle a hot issue.

Nothing about Mario Vazquez's mysterious departure from "American Idol" makes a whole lot of sense — he first blamed family problems, which his mother denied; later, despite "personal reasons" for quitting, he appeared on David Letterman and other shows, so clearly those problems aren't too pressing.

One of the theories about Vasquez's departure involves the show's notoriously restrictive contract. While Mario himself has denied that the contract had anything to do with his departure, all 24 semifinalists, including Mario, signed a contract preventing them from signing with another label or company until three months after the "American Idol" winner is crowned. But last week, Mario hired the lawyer who helped rescue Clay Aiken from under its clutches.

So what exactly is in the "American Idol" contract, besides language preventing finalists from trying to get signed now? Not much is known about this season's document, but sometime MSNBC.com freelancer Eric Olsen examined the first season's contract in detail for Salon a few years ago. He found a "restrictive" document that makes contestants' "careers ... literally not their own."

Essentially, their careers are owned by 19 Entertainment, which produces the series. Perhaps most significantly, Simon Fuller, the show's creator, also gets half of the money brought in by those signed to 19.

Entertainment attorney Gary Fine told the AP that the contract wouldn't be good for "an artist whose music was quirky and might take time to develop," but might work for someone "whose primary interest is fame and fortune."   —A.D.

Q: Towanda Braxton [from syndicated reality show "Starting Over"] got arrested, can you tell me the story on that? And what is she doing now?    —Brenda, Kansas

A: Towanda Braxton-Carter, sister of pop star Toni Braxton, is a recent "graduate" of "Starting Over," which places women in an L.A. mansion and provides them with life coaches and other assistance to try and reach their various goals. Braxton-Carter's goal was to "discover [her] true self;" she sought to try and separate herself from her famous sister and also to pursue her own music career. (She'd performed with a family trio, The Braxtons, with sisters Trina and Tamar.)

According to WXIA, the UPN affiliate in Atlanta, the allegations against Braxton-Carter involve checks that were stolen from the regional headquarters of Safeco Insurance. WXIA reports that Braxton-Carter, once a Safeco employee. was left alone in a company back room by a current employee on Jan. 31. The police report alleges that she stole three company checks, later using one at a liquor store. The employee who let her into the back room has been fired and Braxton-Carter charged with one count of forgery.

The "Starting Over" Web site does not mention the arrest, but in a "Where Are They Now?" section published earlier, Braxton-Carter says "I have been working with a producer by the name of Orlando Calzada and I am working on my package to send to different record companies. I have four songs completed. I am using the tools I have learned on the show daily and I think that the skills are becoming a part of me and my everyday life."    —G.F.C.

Q: I am hoping you can help me find out the name and history of a PBS series from the early 90’s that seems to have been a precursor to the  reality TV game shows we have now. The show followed 4 groups of people that left various cities on the East Coast with a full tank of gas, a dime, a car phone, and a video camera, and nothing else with the goal being to be in San Francisco by a certain date and to get there by any means.  It was a very compelling show. Are the people responsible for it still in the reality TV business?    —Tom, California

A: Tom, you may have stumped us. Neither Andy nor I remember this show. Andy notes that it "sounds like a hybrid of 'Road Rules' and 'The Real Cannonball Run 2001' (a great show itself)." And it reminded me a tiny bit of 'Lost,' an 'Amazing Race'-like reality game show that was canceled almost immediately in 2001, presumably so its name could be recycled for ABC's 2004 plane-crash drama, a much better show.

But we're not going to throw in the towel: Someone out there has to remember Tom's show. If you do, drop us a line and tell us what you know. We'll publish responses in an upcoming column.    —G.F.C.

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is MSNBC.com's Television Editor. Andy Dehnart is a writer and teacher who publishes reality blurred, a daily summary of reality TV news.

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