IN THE MIX THIS WEEK:

TWILIGHT OF THE ‘IDOL’: With the staying power of uranium, Sanjaya Malakar made it all the way to “American Idol“‘s Top 7 before 38 million voters decided that image was not enough. Overexposure and horrendous press had led to Sanjaya fatigue. And so our Indian American posterboy shed a few tears before performing his wryly chosen swan song, “Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About.” Sanjy was the only reason we started watching the show and, now, mercifully, we can stop!

BURNING LOVE: After actor Richard Gere, 57, gave Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, 31, a playful kiss on the cheek at an AIDS-awareness event in Delhi, offended Indians rioted in the streets and burned Gere’s image in effigy. Now, the two are being legally charged with committing “an obscene act” in a public place, which in India is on par with bestiality. After the incident, Gere apologized and quickly fled to Nepal, where hopefully he won’t offend the locals too much.

YOU DOWN WITH MSG? Chinatown’s pranksta rappers, the Notorious MSG—aka Hong Kong Fever, Down Lo-Mein and The Hunan Bomb—have just put out a new EP, “Lunch Money.” As AngryAsianMan notes, “They’re funny and ridiculous, while actually trying to draw some attention to the real-life plight of your average Asian restaurant workers.” Read TMM’s profile of the Chinatown hustlas, from back in the day.

MAHALO, DON HO: Somewhere in the great Tiki Lounge in the sky, the angels are strumming ukuleles. Yes, the Big Kahuna of Hawaiian schmaltz Don Ho has died of heart failure this week at the age of 76. (Not to be confused with Don Ho, the Vietnamese American pop singer.) Born to Chinese-Hawaiian hapa parents, this nappy-headed Ho embodied the hang-loose Aloha spirit and become a national figure with his monster hit “Tiny Bubbles.” Hawaii is forever blue without you, brudda. •