Genius costume?

"I'm breaking up with you guys, dumping you in the gutter, and jumping your sinking doomed ship on its destined voyage to hell," wrote Poway High teacher Luke Wientzen to 91X. He feels his costume was snubbed at the station's October 30 contest at House of Blues.

Wientzen says he "went all out" on his costume so he could win the $1000 prize. "I was a genie on a flying carpet. I created the illusion that I actually was sitting, floating on a flying carpet."

Wientzen says 100 contestants were narrowed down to 10 finalists, among whom Wientzen was included.

"The contest rules on the website and [91X emcee/deejay Chris] Cantore himself said onstage that the top-three finalists would be selected based on crowd response and then from there they would pick the winner.... I have a video that proves that me and the alien couple had the best crowd response." He says the winner -- the headless housewife -- did not receive as much crowd support as he did.

"Rumor had it that the winner was Cantore's wife," says Wientzen, who maintains that the winner may have been the best of the final three because he was not included. "My theory was that I was eliminated so she could win the contest."

Wientzen says he protested onstage when it became clear that pregnant Britney made the cut and he didn't.

"Cantore said, 'The genie's pissed. He's really pissed. The genie wants a recount.' Pregnant Britney should have been booed off the stage. Chris Cantore and his crew completely rigged the contest."

Wientzen says he e-mailed Cantore with his accusation.

"I never received a response from them. I talked to [Cantore producer and sidekick] Ruggy by phone the next day, and he said they would call me back and put me on the air and have fun with me. But they never did."

Cantore denied it was his wife who won the contest and said he had nothing to do with judging. He referred all questions about the contest to 91X promotion director Josh Hammond, who did not return a call requesting a comment. -- Ken Leighton