William Hung aka Hong King Ricky Martin is not a talented singer, but his memorable American Idol audition was so earnest and awful I couldn't stop laughing. He walked on the platform with a big yellow backpack and tried out with "She Bangs" by Ricky Martin, stiffly gyrating to his own rhythm until Simon made him stop. William replied famously, "I already gave my best. I have no regrets at all. I have no professional training in singing."

William is an engineering student at UC-Berkeley where he has become a celebrity. He's drawing huge crowds at campus performances and receiving loads of fan mail. I don't know whether to feel bad for William as an unwitting joke or cheer that he has the guts to have fun with the attention and not take himself-as-fad too seriously. The kid has an outstanding attitude and I respect that either way.