The Best of 2012 — Our Most Viewed Stories of the Year
December 31, 2012 8:06 AM 
There’s no doubt about it — 2012 was the year of ‘American Idol’ contestant Joshua Ledet. While he didn’t take home the grand prize, Josh inspired all of us, uniting an entire community behind him. But that wasn’t all that happened in 2012 — here’s the Top 15 stories of the year:
15. Joshua Ledet Eliminated From ‘American Idol!?’ [VIDEO] – May 17, 2012
We were more than a little shocked to see Josh get voted off ‘Idol,’ but making the Top 3 was no little feat. Josh was certainly OUR American Idol in 2012, no matter what the votes said.
14. 9 Year Old Attacks Toddlers At Mississippi Daycare [VIDEO] – July 26, 2012
It doesn’t take much to make people nervous about daycares these days, but videos like this one are downright scary. Watch this 9-year-old little psycho attack his friends while the staff sits by and does … well, pretty much nothing.
13. Joshua Ledet Sings “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”! [VIDEO] — April 4, 2012
Joshua Ledet was kind of a master of getting standing ovations from the ‘American Idol’ judges. He certainly earned them with performances like this one.
12. Joshua Ledet Didn’t Make the Cut, But the Journey Is Just Beginning [OPINION, VIDEO] – May 18, 2012
Winning ‘American Idol’ is a double-edged sword. You instantly become a recording artist, but you’re stuck under ‘Idol’s’ thumb. Even making the Top 3, Joshua Ledet will have to spend his time doing the ‘Idol’ grind, but in the long run, he may have a better chance of making the album HE wants to make.
11. Steve Harvey’s Final Standup Performance [VIDEO] – Aug 1, 2012
Say it ain’t so, Steve. Our morning show host announced this past year that he’s stepping down from stand-up comedy to focus on … well, the 80 million other things he works on each day. Steve Harvey was a master of the stage. We only hope he changes his mind down the road.
10. Local Man, Joshua Ledet Makes It To Hollywood on ‘Idol!’ – Jan. 26, 2012
We’d heard the rumors — someone local had made it past the preliminary auditions on ‘American Idol.’ But we were skeptical until Joshua Ledet joined the cream of the crop in Hollywood. And that was just the start of his roller-coaster ride.
9. Joshua Ledet Gets First CD Release — An ‘American Idol’ Highlight Disc – July 8, 2012
We’re still waiting for Joshua’s first album as of the writing of this post, but for now, we’ll make do with the EP he released back in July — a collection of all his ‘Idol’ performances. It’ll give you chills, son.
8. Arrest Made In the Death of Brittany Grosse — Dec. 3, 2012
When a trustee in a work release program at a local restaurant murdered one of his female coworkers, it ignited a firestorm of controversy. It’s led the Lake Charles Police Department to re-evaluate its work release program. Dustin Pleasant, 26, may have ruined a good thing for everyone by his actions.
7. UPDATE: Young Woman Gets Upper Cut Punch from a Bus Driver [VIDEO, NSFW] – Oct 12, 2012
This video blew us away the first time we saw it … and the second time, and the third time… When this bus driver decides he’s put up with enough and upper-cuts this female passenger, you can feel it come from the floor.
6. Updated: Baton Rouge Rapper “Lil Phat” Shot and Killed [PICS, VIDEO] – June 8, 2012
Another promising hip-hop life taken too early. Melvin Vernell III, aka “Lil Phat,” took 20 bullets. His killers remain at large.
5. WOW! Joshua Ledet Sings ‘When a Man Loves a Woman!’ [Video] – March 14, 2012
We had seen Joshua do some really great stuff on ‘Idol,’ but when he broke out the Percy Sledge, we knew he was for real. This young man was a contender. He did the song justice, and it has become one of his signature performances.
4. 2 Chainz — A College Educated Rapper Turned Trapper [NSFW VIDEO] – Sept. 1, 2012
2 Chainz is proving that a sharp mind can be a dangerous thing. Bucking the trend of coming straight up from the streets, he was an honor student in high school and a college graduate, making sure he had the business background to go with his flow.
3. Joshua Ledet Performs “Without You!” [VIDEO] – March 28, 2012
Move over, Mariah Carey. Another blockbuster performance by Westlake’s favorite son proved he could swing with the heavyweights.
2. Joshua Ledet Makes It To Hollywood! [VIDEO] – Jan 27, 2012
This was the first glimpse America got of Joshua Ledet. It wasn’t a very long glimpse, and no one yet knew what kind of explosive energy he would bring to the stage, but you could tell he has clear idea of the kind of music he wants to make.
1. Basketball Wives Miami Season 5 –Tha Wire – Dec. 7, 2011
Everybody was ready for a new season of ‘Basketball Wives,’ and the last season did not disappoint. While we’re still waiting for Season 5 to start, you can catch up with clips from the show here.
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