Can't tell 'Idol' contestants without their mug shots
BY DOUG ELFMAN
Chicago Sun-Times
'American Idol" is like sports. Everyone insists it's a G-rated show families watch together. But just like in sports -- where athletes are always getting busted -- "Idol's" off-camera mischief is sex, drugs and crime.
Contestants are thrown off the show so often, the latest "Idol" brouhaha hasn't even evolved into a scandal. Dallas singer Akron Watson -- who would have been taking part in tonight's Hollywood auditions -- was charged in 2003 with misdemeanor possession of pot in his car.
But "Idol" aired Watson's audition, anyway, even though he had been kicked off.
Add Watson to the list of contestants who were later found to have: posed topless; roughed up a significant other; possessed cocaine; committed forgery or assault, or beat up cops.
In sports, coaches express contrition about player misdeeds. The "Idol" cast jokes about them. Not long ago, I asked host Ryan Seacrest if anyone had been busted so far this season.
"I could talk to you for days," he cracked, without elaborating.
Similarly, I asked judge Simon Cowell if the show had yet to eliminate anyone for prior nude pictures or criminal acts.
"No, no, I welcome them," he joked about nude photos, and he left it at that.
It seems the only scandal that sticks to "Idol" is the ever-swirl of controversy around poor little judge Paula Abdul. She was previously accused of bedding a contestant; that charge didn't stick.
She's still dealing with speculation she's drunk or drugged on air.
Abdul's behavior is so odd at times, according to Reality TV magazine, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe admits editors are cutting camera shots of Abdul to keep people from wrongfully thinking she's under the influence.
"Unfortunately," Lythgoe said, "once you get in your head that she's drunk or she's taking drugs -- neither of which she does -- it's very difficult" to think otherwise.
"We look when we're editing the show nowadays and say, 'Hey, are people going to think she's drunk for doing that?' We try and take that into account."
Abdul vehemently denies the drinking/drugging rumors and claims she doesn't even imbibe. I believe her. I do, even though she has looked kind of, sort of, totally out of her mind during some auditions. Glassy eyes. Erratic, unappealing dancing. (She's a choreographer, right?)
There was a contestant a few weeks ago who earned "yes" votes from Cowell and judge Randy Jackson, but Abdul thought the contestant, who sounded fine to me, was out of key. What was going on with Abdul's ears?
To tell you the truth, this season I find myself anticipating camera shots of her. I want more loopy Paula, not less. (Perhaps a drink is exactly what she needs to get a grip.)
As much as Cowell makes fun of Abdul, he defended her last month after journalists tore into her bizarre interviews with local TV markets. Cowell said he's looked worse during such interviews and people should lay off her.
"I felt bad for her," Cowell said. "I felt a little like the mob mentality [descended] on Paula, watching it from afar. And I thought it's gone a bit too far. She can be wacky, I can be wacky; it's one of the reasons I enjoy working with her."
He's got a point. Abdul is a source of amusement. And, frankly, it's amusing to see a guy who was auditioning to become a famous singer get his dreams crushed for smoking pot. Because no famous singers in the world smoke pot. ...
But to pretend "Idol" is pure family good times is to indulge in a smidgen of folly. Yes, there's no "CSI" brain blood. No HBO nudity. It's cleaner than other shows -- on the air, but not off. Just like professional sports.
BEFORE AKRON, THERE WERE ...
... TAYLOR HICKS
Last year's winner once was once charged with possessing pot and paraphernalia, but he wasn't tossed. The charges were dismissed in 1998, and he had owned up to his past with producers.
COREY CLARK
The finalist was disqualified in 2003 when a prior arrest was revealed. He faced charges of assaulting his sister and police and pleaded no contest to obstructing the legal process. Clark is the contestant judge Paula Abdul was accused of getting romantic with; Fox said it investigated and found insufficient evidence.
SCOTT SAVOL
He was one of nine finalists in 2004 before thesmokinggun. com reported he'd once been accused of calling his baby's mama "several vulgar names," pulling off her engagement ring and shoving her. He pleaded to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge.
FRANCHELLE "FRENCHIE" DAVIS
In 2003, Fox kicked off this fan favorite because she once posed topless for a photo that appeared online.
HAROLD "BO" BICE
The rocker, who almost made it to the finale in 2005, had told producers about his past and was not thrown off. It was reported during the season's run he'd been arrested on cocaine and pot charges, which were dropped. A different time, he had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and possession of drug paraphernalia.
TERRELL BRITTENUM
This singer was disqualified after passing through to the final elimination in 2006. He had been charged with forgery, theft and identity fraud.
LASHUNDRA "TRENYCE" COBBINS
A finalist in 2003, she was once charged with felony theft and entered a pre-trial diversion program.
JAERED ANDREWS
This finalist was ejected in 2003 after he got in a fistfight in a case where a guy died. He was charged with assault but acquitted.
SIMON ON ...
This year's contestants: "The girls overall are stronger. ... To me it smacks of season one. You can't spot an obvious [winner]. So it could be a dark horse is gonna win. But I prefer that. When someone like Carrie Underwood walks in, you just go, 'OK, fine, she's won,' and it's not as interesting."
Whether he and Paula have kissed: "Yeah, in the second season we recorded this film for the finale, where we actually had what we call a snog. And it was with tongues."
The early judging: "We won't be going back to Seattle next year. I do like the city, I just hated the singers that turned up."
What his tombstone might read: "Thank God he's gone."
Chicago Sun-Times
'American Idol" is like sports. Everyone insists it's a G-rated show families watch together. But just like in sports -- where athletes are always getting busted -- "Idol's" off-camera mischief is sex, drugs and crime.
Contestants are thrown off the show so often, the latest "Idol" brouhaha hasn't even evolved into a scandal. Dallas singer Akron Watson -- who would have been taking part in tonight's Hollywood auditions -- was charged in 2003 with misdemeanor possession of pot in his car.
But "Idol" aired Watson's audition, anyway, even though he had been kicked off.
Add Watson to the list of contestants who were later found to have: posed topless; roughed up a significant other; possessed cocaine; committed forgery or assault, or beat up cops.
In sports, coaches express contrition about player misdeeds. The "Idol" cast jokes about them. Not long ago, I asked host Ryan Seacrest if anyone had been busted so far this season.
"I could talk to you for days," he cracked, without elaborating.
Similarly, I asked judge Simon Cowell if the show had yet to eliminate anyone for prior nude pictures or criminal acts.
"No, no, I welcome them," he joked about nude photos, and he left it at that.
It seems the only scandal that sticks to "Idol" is the ever-swirl of controversy around poor little judge Paula Abdul. She was previously accused of bedding a contestant; that charge didn't stick.
She's still dealing with speculation she's drunk or drugged on air.
Abdul's behavior is so odd at times, according to Reality TV magazine, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe admits editors are cutting camera shots of Abdul to keep people from wrongfully thinking she's under the influence.
"Unfortunately," Lythgoe said, "once you get in your head that she's drunk or she's taking drugs -- neither of which she does -- it's very difficult" to think otherwise.
"We look when we're editing the show nowadays and say, 'Hey, are people going to think she's drunk for doing that?' We try and take that into account."
Abdul vehemently denies the drinking/drugging rumors and claims she doesn't even imbibe. I believe her. I do, even though she has looked kind of, sort of, totally out of her mind during some auditions. Glassy eyes. Erratic, unappealing dancing. (She's a choreographer, right?)
There was a contestant a few weeks ago who earned "yes" votes from Cowell and judge Randy Jackson, but Abdul thought the contestant, who sounded fine to me, was out of key. What was going on with Abdul's ears?
To tell you the truth, this season I find myself anticipating camera shots of her. I want more loopy Paula, not less. (Perhaps a drink is exactly what she needs to get a grip.)
As much as Cowell makes fun of Abdul, he defended her last month after journalists tore into her bizarre interviews with local TV markets. Cowell said he's looked worse during such interviews and people should lay off her.
"I felt bad for her," Cowell said. "I felt a little like the mob mentality [descended] on Paula, watching it from afar. And I thought it's gone a bit too far. She can be wacky, I can be wacky; it's one of the reasons I enjoy working with her."
He's got a point. Abdul is a source of amusement. And, frankly, it's amusing to see a guy who was auditioning to become a famous singer get his dreams crushed for smoking pot. Because no famous singers in the world smoke pot. ...
But to pretend "Idol" is pure family good times is to indulge in a smidgen of folly. Yes, there's no "CSI" brain blood. No HBO nudity. It's cleaner than other shows -- on the air, but not off. Just like professional sports.
BEFORE AKRON, THERE WERE ...
... TAYLOR HICKS
Last year's winner once was once charged with possessing pot and paraphernalia, but he wasn't tossed. The charges were dismissed in 1998, and he had owned up to his past with producers.
COREY CLARK
The finalist was disqualified in 2003 when a prior arrest was revealed. He faced charges of assaulting his sister and police and pleaded no contest to obstructing the legal process. Clark is the contestant judge Paula Abdul was accused of getting romantic with; Fox said it investigated and found insufficient evidence.
SCOTT SAVOL
He was one of nine finalists in 2004 before thesmokinggun. com reported he'd once been accused of calling his baby's mama "several vulgar names," pulling off her engagement ring and shoving her. He pleaded to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge.
FRANCHELLE "FRENCHIE" DAVIS
In 2003, Fox kicked off this fan favorite because she once posed topless for a photo that appeared online.
HAROLD "BO" BICE
The rocker, who almost made it to the finale in 2005, had told producers about his past and was not thrown off. It was reported during the season's run he'd been arrested on cocaine and pot charges, which were dropped. A different time, he had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and possession of drug paraphernalia.
TERRELL BRITTENUM
This singer was disqualified after passing through to the final elimination in 2006. He had been charged with forgery, theft and identity fraud.
LASHUNDRA "TRENYCE" COBBINS
A finalist in 2003, she was once charged with felony theft and entered a pre-trial diversion program.
JAERED ANDREWS
This finalist was ejected in 2003 after he got in a fistfight in a case where a guy died. He was charged with assault but acquitted.
SIMON ON ...
This year's contestants: "The girls overall are stronger. ... To me it smacks of season one. You can't spot an obvious [winner]. So it could be a dark horse is gonna win. But I prefer that. When someone like Carrie Underwood walks in, you just go, 'OK, fine, she's won,' and it's not as interesting."
Whether he and Paula have kissed: "Yeah, in the second season we recorded this film for the finale, where we actually had what we call a snog. And it was with tongues."
The early judging: "We won't be going back to Seattle next year. I do like the city, I just hated the singers that turned up."
What his tombstone might read: "Thank God he's gone."
Comments