Would the real Norm please stand up

We're strangely drawn to Nick Mitchell, aka Norman Gentle (not in an attraction way but in a can't look away at the car wreck sorta way). We're not sure why ... he IS entertaining but we aren't sure if we're laughing with him or at him. If anything, he should make this week's shows interesting. Here's an interview with his local newspaper, where he reveals he rushed the stage at a Whitney Houston concert when he was 13 and that Ryan Seacrest smells like money.

News-Times: How are you holding up under the "American Idol" pressure?

Mitchell: "It's a lot, but it's awesome. I've been open about this from the beginning -- I never expected to get this far in the competition. I'm a different kind of contestant. I'm a comedian more than a singer. I didn't even think I'd get past the first round."

News-Times: Your first audition was something to behold. When I first saw you I thought you were insane.

Mitchell: "I had done a couple of movies and improv shows in New York. One of my friends dared me to go into the audition dressed as one of the characters I do, Norman Gentle. I literally put on the shirt and the shorts and said 'Who cares? Let's see if I can get on TV.'"

News-Times: What does Ryan Seacrest smell like?

Mitchell: "Ryan Seacrest smells like money. No, Ryan Seacrest, he smells good. He's the most real guy ever. He talks to us so much behind the camera, making sure we're OK. He's such a nice guy."

News-Times: You're the second Brookfield High School graduate, along with Julia DeMato, to advance on "American Idol." What's in the water up there?

Mitchell: "I was actually in chorus with her. It's crazy. Julia was definitely awesome. I haven't been able to talk to her about this yet."

News-Times: Your family owns Mitchell Oil in Danbury . . .

Mitchell: "Yes, my dad wants me to get as many plugs as I can on the show. I'm like 'Dad it's now about you right now, OK?"

News-Times: Really?

Mitchell: "No, I'm kidding. My dad and my family have been so supportive. When I quit baseball to do musicals in high school, instead of bringing me to a Yankee game each year, my dad brought me to a Broadway show. He adapted to me. He is the best father in the world."

News-Times: Where's the strangest place you decided to sing?

Mitchell: "I'm in eighth grade. I'm at Madison Square Garden with my mother. Whitney Houston is doing a concert. It was her 'My Love is Your Love' tour. She asked the audience 'Does anyone know how to 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)?' That was one of her songs.

Of course, me being an absolute weirdo eighth-grader thinking he can throw down with Whitney Houston, I'm like 'I KNOW HOW TO SHOOP!' I get out of my seat, run toward the stage, (while) security was like -- 'What?'

Whitney's like 'No, no, it's cool. It's cool.' I got to 'Shoop' with her for about a minute. It was probably the best day of my life."

News-Times: Have you been reading the messages to you online?

Mitchell: "I didn't really want to go online, because some people were like 'He's so funny I love him,' and some people were like 'I want to kill him!'