American Idol
Rasmusen auditioned initially in Los Angeles and was put through to Hollywood. She was originally eliminated by the judges during the Top 100 stage. In a surprise move, Rasmusen and three other young female singers were brought back to compete in the Wild Card show. No clear reason was made public, but speculation at the time centered on the show's producers wanting to provide a greater demographic diversity in the Final 12.
Rasmusen performed "Can't Fight the Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes for her Wild Card performance. Although the judges, including Simon Cowell, opined that it was not a good enough performance to advance, the next night Cowell chose her as his "judge's choice" to move into the Top 12. Carmen survived for seven weeks in the finals, earning generally mixed reviews from the judges throughout her stay. Her performances of "You Can't Hurry Love" and "Turn the Beat Around" received relatively high marks from both judges and viewers, while her rendition of Blondie's "Call Me" during Billboard Number One Hits Night drew brickbats. Judge Randy Jackson was often one of her harshest critics.
Rasmusen was praised by her fans as having a wholesome, girlish appeal and for refusing to wear outfits she thought were inappropriate for her. Fans also cited her on-stage energy and strong vocal projection. Detractors pointed to her recurring difficulty in controlling her natural vibrato and her tendency to yodel when changing registers. She was also one of the most outspoken defenders of the show among the second season finalists in the wake of the scandal involving Corey Clark's allegations regarding Paula Abdul.
As the only contestant in the second season under the age of eighteen, she had to spend three hours a day with an on-set tutor. Her mother had to accompany her with the other contestants to the special American Idol house, where they all lived during the competition. She also became close friends with season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken.
After her elimination she went on to appear in numerous shows promoting American Idol and she appeared on the last episode of the second season singing with the other finalists. Rasmusen also appeared on the American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs singing "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes.
In June 2008 Carmen starred as one of the headliners for a live music show in Branson, MO, called America's Favorite Finalists. The show featured six top 12 American Idol Finalists performing their own music, cover songs and group numbers. The show ran at the Grand Palace.
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