For a few contestants, being rejected on 'American Idol' is not their last flirtation with fame. If the audition is weird enough or the judges' reaction memorable enough, it's possible to parlay 'Idol' rejection into a secondary career, a bizarre extension of the 15 minutes of fame they would probably never have had to begin with. We dug up both those attention-seekers and the ones who avoid the spotlight to find out what happened to 'Idol''s most notorious contestants.

By now, unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard that Idol producers and judges have been criticized for publicly and cruelly humiliating earnest, yet physically or mentally-challenged contestants during Idol's two-part Season Premiere. Simon Cowell and Idol producer, Ken Warwick, denied cruelty and defended their inclusion of "challenged" auditioners in last week's telecast, stating "everybody has the right to audition."

Sweet sentiment, guys. Do you really believe this bullshit? Does this help you sleep at night? Because, honestly, you sound as self-deluded as the hapless wannabes you routinely ridicule.