Who can take the sunlight, sprinkle it with dew,
Cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two….
The Candy Man can…
Prologue: Anatomy of an attraction
David Archuleta seems to possess one attribute above everything else that stands him in good stead no matter the occasion. A high likeability factor. While this observation is nothing new to anyone who has observed David or crossed paths with him since he burst onto the music scene, what makes it remarkable at all is its penetrating and lingering power.
First Inklings
It started innocently enough when we were introduced to a fresh-faced young singer named David Archuleta during the early audition stages of American Idol Season 7. From the moment he sang Waiting On The World To Change and wowed the judges, the first nascent stirrings of attraction began percolating within us. When he was through, for some inexplicable reason we were immediately attracted to his personality but there was no rhyme or reason other than what was just witnessed by all.
During Hollywood Week, Simon Cowell gave voice to what we were all experiencing when he described David with this now-famous quote; “You’re young, likeable, good-looking and you’ve got a great voice”. As the competition evolved and David was introduced each week with a video clip, more of his personality began to emerge. The early stirrings of “Hey, this kid is cute” began strengthening with each performance, and his grace under heavy criticism at times from Simon, only impressed us more and more.
The Candy Man can cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good!
However, the single most defining and unifying moment for us as his fans with the collective name of “Arch Angels”, started when David placed his hand over his heart at the end of his performance of Angels. With that tiny gesture – we were goners. While in past seasons we may have supported our favorite contestants, it usually ended with a phone call to place a vote. Finally, here was someone who found a way to communicate acknowledgment of that support beyond the barriers of an artificial studio set with a simple, genuine, heart-felt non-verbal cue.
Awakening: The American Idol Tour
Who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh,
Soak it in the sun and make a groovy lemon pie?
The Candy Man can…..
David’s emergence from the bubble of the AI show and his interaction with people became apparent from the very first show. Early grainy Youtube videos captured not only his skill at singing but the crowd’s emotive reaction to David as the piano emerged on stage with the first strains of
Angels. By the end of his set – When You Say You Love Me – participant and viewer alike – scarcely anyone was left unaffected in his wake.
This ultimate breakthrough led to fans seeking him out by the buses. As word spread about how nice he was to everyone via fan reports and videos, the widening circle of falling in “like” with David became evident. Somewhere along the journey David for us, transitioned from just a cute talented singer to a really good friend.
Love Affair
The Candy Man makes everything he bakes satisfying and delicious. Talk about your childhood wishes…you can even eat the dishes… 🙂
Thus began one of the greatest love affairs of Summer 2008. In show after show, city after city, talk show after talk show, critic after critic, non-fan after non-fan – once again, almost everyone who came within smiling or singing distance of David simply fell under his spell. They came bearing tokens of love – gifts, letters, scrapbooks, and accounts of touched or changed lives. Along with merely liking David, the longer one remains exposed to his personality or music, a seemingly compulsive need develops to reciprocate appreciation for the untold pleasure his talent and personality provides on a day to day basis. We worry about if he is eating well or getting enough rest through his now hectic schedule. He also activates our protective instincts if we even get whiff of an oncoming hurt in the making.
One day without him feels like an eternity at times. Why do we feel this way about David? Why do we withstand inclement weather and stand in line for hours just for an opportunity to see him perform live or simply get a 5-second autograph, picture or if we’re really lucky – a hug? Why do we salivate over any tidbit of new information about him? Finally, even without meaning t0 – why do others new to him get drawn into this singular vortex of affection?
Epilogue: The Heart Goes On
Who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream?
The Candy Man, oh the Candy Man can…
In some intangible, unexplainable way, the aura of David seems ten times more affective than the average person. It spreads undiluted from his presence to ours and at the end of each exposure – he leaves you wanting more… of him. The affection that flows from him is manifested in the way he takes care of us – from his selection of songs with uplifting lyrics, to the quality of his delivery, to defying security instructions if it comes between his fan interaction time, to blogging extensively and now tweeting regularly about his day to day activities.
David’s greatest gift as a person is cultivating a sense of intimacy. We cannot get enough of his “genuineness” in an era of me-centered celebrities. Its as if you just want to bottle it up to save for a rainy day. At this moment of our history with daily bombardment of negative news – wars, failing economies and increasing cynicism, David’s likeability reaches out to us like a ray of sunshine and makes us hold on for dear life.
In the words of Bebereader a regular commenter here on TDC:
“You want your heart to be healed, take a dose of Angels. You need to be uplifted to the clouds, take a dose of ZG. If you want to feel that someone is there for you, have a little Somebody Out There or a dose of Save The Day. Whatever your emotion, David Archuleta is the cure! And he’s the best tasting medicine I’ve ever had!”
The Candy Man can cause he mixes it with love to make the world taste good!
David Archuleta is a real-life Candy Man, because he mixes everything he does with a generous portion of love. For us, his fans, just that extra helping of love makes all the difference and separates him from the rest. Just that extra helping of love sweetens the drudgery of our lives and enables a more bearable existence in this world. I sometimes wonder if this mere 18 year-old young man is aware that he unknowingly shoulders the balance of joy he brings to our lives. Thank You David – you’re one in a million and you’ll always have our backs. After all – they don’t call us your Arch Angels for nothing!
Love, Peace – Joymus
Please enjoy this rendition of The Candy Man by Sammy Davis Jr.
S F
Dawn is boycotting. I think she has cone to the realization of 5 VIP tickets. She is resting up. Isn’t that VIP SPAMMING???
Abrra
*come* correcting typo. My new tensor lamp on the keyboard is FAIL. 🙂
Joymus, I was definitely thinking the same thing about song choices.
David would have set the Nokia Theatre ON FIRE with either of those songs, including the magic rainbow song!
Despite the over-pimping of Adam this season, he completely deserves to win based on tonight.
I disagree with Kara saying America should vote on the season, not on the night. To me, the fact that the two contestants are the last ones standing is already America voting for the season. Not only should America vote for “tonight,” they really need to narrow it down to the last song since they were both tied on the first two.
I’m not emotionally invested in either contestant, but I would like to see fairness to make up for last year.
Personel observation. I think it is obvious they want Adam to win. Maybe the last song suited Kris better, but I think it was clearly written higher with Adam in mind. To me that is so unfair. Did they really not realize that yah maybe Adam could hit the high note but not Kris. It seems when you are comparing the singing of a song, you level the playing field. That was not level to me. Kara basically admitted it on the show.
hmmmm… could the judges fangirl/boy over Adam any more? Yeah is is pretty amazing but they could not even try to hold it back. Yeah I actually thought the last song fit Kris better- But the second one was not good at all for Kris. I loved Adams first * second song. Thought the fist round a tie.. what the h….. am I doing watching & spending energy on this manipulated show? uggg & they did not show davie. hope his hair was not cut to short * he did not actually WEAR the shirt he washed in the sink….he needs a mom to take care of him- any takers? Hi joymus and all! ok have a nice nite all.
Happy
How about this:
Lewis Jerry Lee
Great Balls Of Fire lyrics
Send “Great Balls Of Fire” Ringtone to your Cell
You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
Too much love drives a man insane
You broke my will, but what a thrill
Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!!
I laughed at love ’cause I thought it was funny
You came along and moooved me honey
I’ve changed my mind, this girl is fine
Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!!
Kiss me baby, ooooh it feels good
Hold me baby, wellllll you’re gonna let me love you like a lover should
Your fine, so kind
Got to tell this world that your mine mine mine mine
I chew my nails and then I twiddle my thumbs
I’m real nervous, but it sure is fun
C´mon baby, you’re drivin’ my crazy
Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!!
Wellllll
Kiss me baby, ooooh it feels good
Hold me baby,
let me love you like a lover should
Your fine, so kind
Got to tell this world that your mine mine mine mine
I chew my nails and then I twiddle my thumbs
I’m real nervous, but it sure is fun
C´mon baby, you’re drivin’ my crazy
Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!!
Will this keep you busy?
Abrra
Tessielynn, I’m not sure I’d call that unfair, especially since 1)Kris has shown that he’s great at rearrangement and 2)he could have sung it in a lower note. I agree that the song “fits” Kris better, but Adam definitely made it stand out.
So I’m inclined to pick Adam’s version over Kris’s.
SF -- I was thinking the same thing. IMHO even though David finished second he became an international star first over DC.
Tessie -- I preferred Kris’s version but yeah it was too high for him.
No sign of David at all.
Adam will probably win. As a singer -- his voice bugs me when he doesn’t control it but he is a wonderful performer.
Good Night All! Off to watch Glee -- it looks like fun.
I hated watched AI tonight. No sight of David (at least they didn’t want to show him). Can’t even talk about that show! Everytime they say something it just reminds me of DAVID -- the things they say to other artists is everything I feel about David.
Enough of that!!!!
2 DLG’s in one day is just too much!! The Leicester video is very intense -- David looks like a hard rocker and did anyone catch at the end -- hilarious -- how he wipes the sweat off his face and rubs it on his pants!! Ha-ha You go David!
Well…did anyone see David? Was he even there? Will he be there tomorrow when the new International Superstar Adam is crowned?
I’m waiting for twitter message from David telling us he really was stuck in traffic. And I wanna see his new trim…before he left he twittered..
Ah, feel refreshed now with my trim! You have to appreciate hair while you still have it though! Who knows how long it’ll last lol about 3 hours ago from txt
Guess he was thinking hair loss may be hereditary..ahem!
EH? This looks scary!
Can you say “tight security” ?
Abrra
OK- one last thought,,, All last season I worried about David that he was too young for all that pressure- that he should have waited etc… However after it was over he was happy and he is living his dreams ( and making ours’s) and I felt ok…guess he was ready Well to quote someone, things happen for a reason. The little I have seen of this years AI- have not liked the changes….and I am not sure how it would have played out with this bunch. He seems to have really made a few lifelong friends from last year and I for one do like Cook. So at the end of the day, I think David was right there on AI where he needed to be at the right time. NIGHT ALL.
Over 300 posts -- taking too long to load for me!
Found these updates at Snarky’s
Update 2: Looks like David won’t be doing any press. He can just relaaaax and enjoy the shoooooow. He should get popcorn.
From Jennybeeean’s twitter:
“Davids not doing interviews. Jason and klc are though. Waiting for them. Ugh.”
What the heck???
David’s keeping a low profile? Why is he reverting back to his shyness?
I now wish I could hear him sing “What’s Going On.”
I really hate to feel like I’m being a conspiracy theorist, but why do I get this feeling that AI just doesn’t want David to be front & center. Or is it really David who wants to keep a low profile? Jason & Kristy interviewed, but not David? Just does not make sense. They must be waiting for tomorrow. That has to be it, right? But if it’s David who wants to be in the background..then it’s OK with me. I guess we will know when & if he tweets.
Good night all! For David…
Dear Lord,
Please take care of David. Watch over him, protect him from all harm. Cloak him with your love and give him the strength to endure all that is thrown in his path. Give David the courage and guidance to say no to those who ask for more than he can reasonably give. Surround David with loving and supportive people who love him UNCONDITIONALLY as we, his Archangels do. Separate David from those who have agendas other than for his well being. Give him rest when he’s weary. Give him the stamina to sustain his hectic pace. Give him assurance when he feels doubt. Give him joy when he feels sad. Cloak him always in your protective arms during this time on his journey. Keep David and and his voice healthy & strong as he fulfills his Destiny which was written in his Book of Life before he was born. And please Lord, give us, David’s forever fans, the wisdom to know when and how to do right by David. Open our eyes and help us in the way we support David so that it’s always in his best interests. May his positive and good Karma continue to attract those with positive and good Karma! May he continue to encounter goodwill and happiness! May he continue to be healthy and strong wherever his journey leads him. Though we may be unworthy, we humbly pray. Amen
David, keep with you all our love, prayers and warm thoughts! Take care and keep your cell phone with you at all times! Remember to tweet an SOS if you ever find yourself in need of help from your Archangels! We will be there for you in a flash! We missed you badly, and will always love you madly!
Contigo siempre con amor!
Also from Snarky’s:
LOL… one of Ryan’s KIIS co-workers tweeted this before the show:
“Oh uh david archuleta looks lost. Can someone show him where he is seating! He looks adorable”
Awwwww, poor bb! Can’t wait for his tweets! 🙂
Does anyone even know if David is going to AI tomorrow?
I didn’t watch the show; just DVR-ed it just in case they showed David, but haven’t heard anything yet.
awwww! Thanks HG! Only David could bring a smile to my face after thinking the worst. I can just picture him now looking around for a familiar face! Wonder who he sat with?? Jason?
I really love him! 😆
I hope so! Especially since we didn’t get to see him at all tonight.
Anyway, it’s time for me to get ready for tomorrow.
G’nite all! 🙂
still here- maybe there wasn’t a seat for him? lol- did he only just decide to go? didn’t jordin say something about not having a tix? or there was some confusion? maybe he was not on tv because he he had to go backstage or something? however, I am sure there are MANY laps that would have been offered or seats shared. ha ha.
Maybe David is the smart one not giving interviews. Why answer (over and over again) the stupid questions about how it felt when they said David Cook’s name?
Be evasive, David! Make them chase you for a “word or two”. At this point you give them credence, not the other way around. Make them beg you for it. 🙂
Okay, off to download all those gorgeous new videos everyone found today….and to revel in David’s current success.
Marlie7, “Be evasive, David! Make them chase you for a “word or two”. At this point you give them credence, not the other way around. Make them beg you for it.”
Now that’s whut I’m talkin’ bout. Flip the script BB, flip the everlovin’ script.
abraa306- thanks for that exciting suggestion…… ummmmmm…..no.
the title fits but the song on balance violates rule 12 section A.4.8… “Kiss me baby, ooooh it feels good. Hold me baby, well you’re gonna let me love you like a lover should”……… have you lost your mind?… hanging around djxox too much I see…. 😉
(but please do try again)
Just ran across this tweet on another site!
# Spotted : david archuleta and adam lambert chatting it up backstage!7 minutes ago from TwitterBerry
Everyone knows the real power players hang out backstage 😉
As though after today’s DLG we need another smexy looking David, go here with EXTREME WARNING!
http://archuletaphilippines.com/picspam-david-archuleta-live-in-manila.html
HG #281, “They have reverted back to what they’ve always done in season finales past: only 4 hours to vote (last year, they kept lines open as late as 2 am -- presumably, the conspiracy theory went, to overwhelm David’s tween vote since it was assumed they would already be in bed long before 2) and both contestants sing the same coronation song.”
Last year was the only time I watched AI regularly and with an invested interest. Before AI6, I don’t think I ever glanced at one espisode and was only a little surprised that Melinda didn’t win. So one thing I have been wondering since last year’s result show is, does Ryan usually say what the differences are in votes between the two finalists, or was that a new thing also?
Deleting AI, no need to watch….no David….lets see tomorrow.
marlie- wow!
I LOVE CANDY
Thank you, Joymus for a perfectly sweet article!
I was away for the weekend, boy -- lots of catching up to do.
Just popping in to share an e-mail “alert” I received. Forgive me if this has already been posted…still not caught up yet:
“Hey Demi Lovato Fan!
Demi Lovato is now offering VIP packages on her Summer Tour 2009! Because you were one of the fans to pre–order a fan club membership, you are going to get first access to upgrade your tickets to VIP tickets. Please note that there are a limited number of VIP tickets that are being made available on a first–come, first served basis.
VIP TICKETS are $127.50, plus applicable convenience, processing and delivery fees and include the following:
* Premium Ticket
* VIP Laminate
* Access to the Sound Check before the show
* Early access to merchandise
* A Meet and Greet with Demi Lovato before the show
If you would like to upgrade your order to VIP tickets, please call 888–401–8000 anytime between Thursday, May 14th at Noon (local time to venue) and Thursday, May 21st at 5PM Pacific Time or until the limited amount of VIP tickets have been sold.
Just thought it was interesting.
Back to try and win tickets to the TriBeCa show!
goboywonder -- no, that was a new thing and to me it felt like they puched David in the gut. Why did they have to humiliate him like that, announcing the huge vote disparity? It seemed almost vindictive to me. Grrr!! That nasty Nigel…
I’m thinking David is deliberately flying below the radar. He was obligated to cancel 2 tour dates with McFly he had commited to, just to run back at their beck and call to perform at a different time than he was scheduled. (What? AI change things up on David at the last minute to try to rattle him?) He was quoted in that Asian Magazine, “I don’t want to be known as that kid from American Idol.” He wasn’t even going to go to the finale, but Cook talked him into it. Then he surprised Jordan and maybe Cook too by not showing up for the press thingy yesterday. I think he feels like he’s paid his dues and he needs to focus on building an image apart from that show. This is JMHO. If he shows up all over the place tomorrow doing interviews, I’ll stand corrected, but until then, I’m betting AI has seen the back of him for some time to come.
Marlie, EXTREME WARNING! is insufficent, I still ((THUDDED)) and loudly at that. The one that Princess said is her favorite--just BAM!(changetheBtoaD)Full throttle. Maybe you should revise to EXTREME WARNING! FLATLINERS! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
HelloGorgeous- True, I really did not think about him changing it up. But with how busy they are you got to wonder how easy that would be. Being a lover of music but not musically inclined I really don’t know what that would take or how easy it would be.
There are some “big” notes that David has to hit with some of his songs that I think are harder for him to hit now as his voice lowers. Still he works to hit them. Some days are better than other days. I wonder if there will come a time when he has no choice but to lower them. It will be interesting to see what he does.
Change of subject when I read that David was seen talking to Adam back stage, I got to wondering who Adam and Kris wanted to win last year.
Little M, see I thought it was just me. I strongly feel that for some unexplained reason, TPTB did just about everything they could to not only ensure Cook’s win, but to humiliate David in the process. Why so spiteful? But you know what? as I was just thinking about it, I got a little warm fuzzy burn in my stomach because they really has to do ALOT to accomplish their goal (a rocker’s win). But David’s stellar character and talent could not be denied and as someone said up thread, forever marred Cook’s “win”.
I really am enjoying those 27 screencaps a little more than I should.
marlie, I like how you think! You too, goboywonder!
goboywonder, I agree 100%. The only thing I could think of was that maybe (no tomatoes please) David’s dad got under the skin of people behind the scenes. He is a competitive guy (my own perception) and I think he didn’t take too kindly to the Idol manipulations. I’m sure they didn’t appreciate that -- they want to control the results of the show after all…
You know though, I think Cook also, deep down, knows it was not a level playing field and that David really outshined him, forever “marring his win”. This comes across in some of the passive agressive comments you see from him occasionally….
Onto happier topics…I thought it was kinda cool David decided on a whim to stay in LA! I remember a time when he had one free day and flew back to Utah for it. It’s cool if he develops a circle of friends in LA -- lots of others in similar shoes that he can relate to and learn from
Has anyone seen JR or was she dealt the lethal blow?
LittleM, I wondered if it was their efforts to get back at JeffA and that doesn’t mean I think he necessarily did anything wrong other than look out for the best interest of his son.
I also believe that Cook knows that by all rights, David is the true “winner” of AI7.
Side note: I was sooo glad to see David speak up in those interviews in Manila. Cook needed to see that David is a star in his own rights. And, truthfully, from what I could tell, David seemed just a bit more popular than Cook there, even the media was all over him when he arrived. But maybe I’m viewing the videos and reports through biased eyes.
Last thing, I have noticed that whenever there is positive news about about the concert or “The Davids” in general, Cook’s fan tend to spin it like it’s all about him. But when there is negative news about “Cook”, his fans tend to spin it as though it was about David too. Just something I have been noticing, kind of WTH???
Yes. Where is JR and vee? And what is up with juliebug? I hope she’s OK.
bliss #211 -- beautifully written post. Love this….. “I always believed that people could be influenced and motivated by another person, but I had never experienced being actually taken to a different place before David. The word “power” usually has harsh and negative connotations. David is a powerful person who is so gentle and reassuring in his use of it. That’s why people are drawn to him. They trust him”
Yeah, I’ll never understand why these Cook fans still seem to harbor a grudge against our D. Their guy won! Geesh! Although it must get annoying for Cook to always be asked about D…I mean, does Jordin get asked about Blake? Doubt it!
Nite! 🙂
David’s fans have always said that TPTB threw him under the bus, but Cook’s fan responded by saying we were bitter and should just accept Cook’s win. But I think with all the shenanigans going on this year, many are seeing AI for all the manipulations that’s involved. If the show changed things back to the way they were before, then Cook’s fans have to wonder why did the show do what it did last year. But they know why.
I unstand that this is the first time a winner and runner-up has done a concert like this.
David told Anoop and Allison that not making it to the end was NOT the end and there’s an article out this week quoting him saying “you don’t have to win” (paraphasing). And to back that up, they were on Forbes top 10 Idols earners: Cook 2M, David 1.3M. I’m sure they thought because Cook album is platinum that he was way ahead of David in earnings. So yeah, as long as David is successful, he will be a cloud/doubt on Cook’s win and a thorn in his fans’ sides.
goboywonder #329: Re: vote discrepancy. I watched the Taylor Hicks year. Ryan did not announce the difference. But for David vs Cook, he had to do it, because everybody was convinced that David should be winning. Ryan had to do that as a preemptive strike.
But I loved how some David loving media had been spinning that vote. They would would just say that David won 44M votes during the finale, with a wow! Doesn’t it sound good?
Despite all that, they could not deny David’s true popularity. That’s why David and Cook went on a lot of interviews together after the finale. Does anybody know about prior years? Did the winner and runner co-appeared in so many interviews?
Hubby and kids are sleep. I am going to be spamming tonight, to my heart’s content! Haha.
So, the thighs. His thighs first caught my attention at 0:54 to 0:56 of this video:
His arms were slim. His thighs were substantive. Thus I noticed.
ooops, typos in last post. But, what dah.
David can certainly talk and persuade with his gorgeous eyes. He really worked his eyes when he sang “In This Moment”. But at 2:12 to 2:13, he seemed to have packed 1,000 words into that look in his eyes.
joner #254- unless they’ve returned, the hot flashes are a thing of the past for me. Got to be blushing flashes caused by visual stimuli.
praepos #253 -- “He is deceptively fit….” With his commitment to fitness (running) and all the energy exhibited on stage, he is FIT. I used to run daily (before the knees got arthritic) and I had very large masculine looking muscular thighs (and I’m female). I’m sure his thighs are very well defined. Last comment for DLG MOA vid fans -- myself, included.
“…and for all his dorkiness off stage, he moves on stage with exceptional physical grace.” Would love to see him running for exercise -- I’m sure it’s a vision of beauty and grace. Will have to check out some old fan vids of AI tour. Seem to remember he did some running in those.
HG, I agreed with your assessment of AI tonight. I also felt that a real emotional connection with the audience was lacking tonight, although both Adam and Kris were very talented. David just set the bars too high with his DLTSGDOM and ITM last year. The audience could feel that David was singing from within while giving his all on the stage. That was not about technical excellence any more.
I visited your blog! I like it! I was amazed too when I read your take on “And So It Goes”! So uncanny, like you said!
enough spamming… gd nite to self… off to bed…
SF#277 -- ” First KL, then Mah-nee-lah! What was it about Asia??” No parent supervising?? Didn’t see Jeff in any vids in Manilla. Did he go?
I think the boys in the band were “I spying”. They seem to be watching his moves -- esp Mike. Probably just my (in)active imagination!
Pabuckie -- I tried and tried to give you credit over at FOD for finding that thud-inducing DLG yesterday! Just so you know.
My gift to you today:
fandaforeverti48 . May 20, 2009 at 4:22 am
I saw Jeff in the studio by the door at 89.9 magic ( I think that was the name). He was leaning on the wall, watching David talk to the DJ’s. Never saw him again.
Abrra the Hawkeye
marlie7 . May 19, 2009 at 11:10 pm . #328
I may have to stay home from work. Suddenly I am all kinds of feverish. Bless your soul, Marlie.
Abrra
Here is a short :40 of David on the move. Note Jeff is walking behind him in a turquoise Tshirt.
Abrra the SPAMMER
This may help
rel="nofollow ugc">
Abrra
Good morning all. I am anxiously awaiting a new photo or SOMEthing from last night!
Miss Abrra, I DO love the videos from Manila with David crowded by all the security. He looks very important! Very high level celebrity-ish.
Good morning everyone! Peruu, we’re on the same page about a lot of things (like, yes, I too noticed the thighs since back when he did “Heaven” -- hence my “hellooooo, gorgeous”!). 🙂
Goboywonder, was it you who asked if the show used to co-promote winner and runner-up? From what memory serves, Season 1, Kelly got all the attention for winning, but she and runner-up Justin Guarini did do that godawful “Justin and Kelly” movie, back in the day when 1)AI did NOT take itself seriously and 2)they were still trying to capitalize on the popularity of the show, more than investing in the “winner.” Sometimes, I wish they would do something as cheesy and campy as a movie parody of themselves, but they take themselves much too seriously for that. Of course, since they’re all seriousness and pomp & circumstance, they could do a documentary film about the show as cultural phenomenon…But there’s the flip side to TPTB: on the one hand, they take themselves too seriously to do another “Justin and Kelly” movie, on the other hand, they don’t respect their Idol alumni enough to give them this kind of treatment. So…
Season 2, Clay actually became more popular than Ruben, the winner, even though both made a great finale. They didn’t co-promote Clay and Ruben. They just promoted Clay more and I suspect a lot of this had to do with 1)Clay was a more recognizable pop star they knew what to do with in terms of marketing him (it wasn’t just a rabid Claymates fanbase ensuring his success) and 2)Ruben, who admitted as much in the recent Newsweek idol roundtable, was being forced to fit into an urban market that he shouldn’t have been in (he’s not hip-hop R&B, he’s old-school, Luther Vandross R&B. I am still angry, at a time when we lost Luther, that those knuckleheads didn’t know how to properly position Ruben to follow in Luther’s footsteps. Fools.
Because the runner-up from Season 2 proved to be more successful than the winner, and with Season 3 repeating itself with a black winner and a white runner-up, TPTB went out of their way to prevent the same thing from happening with Season 3, so Fantasia was heavily promoted while Diana received very little attention. And Fantasia, I believe, was much more successful than Ruben because, unlike him, Fantasia did fit into the urban market of hip-hop R&B. She had a lot of potential to be the next Mary J. Blige. However, 19E knows nothing about the genre, so I don’t think they have been able to sustain her overtime in this niche market. Still, Fantasia hasn’t done badly, even if she’s not one of the “top-selling” idols. In a niche market (other than country music, like Carrie), you wouldn’t be.
Season 4, the same thing happened with Carrie Underwood, where more emphasis was placed on the winner and not the runner-up, but -- perhaps having learned their lesson when not understanding how to market Ruben and Fantasia -- they smartly turned Carrie over to Nashville. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Season 5, oh boy, this season was the game-changer! I mean, Clive Davis and Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell were very vocal about how they thought America got it wrong with Taylor Hicks. They didn’t support the winner or runner-up much, since their golden boy, Chris Daughtry, finished 4th. Chris still got the winner’s treatment since his album sold much much more than Taylor. Chris Daughtry was their rocker, and over time, they’ve even tried to pretend Chris was the “real” winner. I think, with Taylor winning too, it showed that there was a big difference between who would be a “big seller of records” and who makes for “great television.” Taylor made for great TV, Chris came off as arrogant, even if he’s the stronger musician.
Season 6, Melinda Doolittle was the best singer, hands down. She too changed the game (but to me, that is: she changed the game for subsequent black female contestants on the show). Melinda is a completely old-school, classic “great lady” singer. You can’t touch that vocal power. The problem is, that kind of singing style never was about pop music and never will be. In short, she was too good and too mature for the show. The bad news is: that kind of vocal style shows up all the new-school hip-hop R&B soul-singing that’s popular today for the fraud it actually is. Which means that 1)Syesha Mercado, the following season, will be technically good but missing that extra vocal richness that Melinda demonstrated the year before and 2)poor Lil Rounds, this season, was just not going to live up to the judge’s expectations. They’ve heard better. We’ve heard better. So, sadly, Melinda has severely hurt the chances of another black female contestant doing well on AI, because few are trained the way Melinda is. If they want another black idol winner, they better start looking for a guy.
Having said all that, Melinda came off too old during Top 3, which is why Jordin and Blake reached the finals. But Jordin is the stronger singer of those two, and the rest is history. However, the winner and runner-up and third place finisher Melinda were showing up at a few events together (like the July 4th Fireworks show in New York City, for example). But that was closer to the finale. Afterwards, they went their separate ways.
I did hear, however, since some of you brought up Jeff, that Jordin’s dad gave TPTB a really tough time before signing Jordin’s contract, hence why she was turned over to Jive, a label that has more experience dealing with underage artists and their parents. I’ve always felt that they were unprepared for the hard-dealing “stage dad” Jordin’s turned out to be, so when Jeff exhibited some of the same behavior, I think they started scrambling for a new contestant to promote. It’s certainly not a coincidence they turned David over to Jive as well. I also believe they turned against David, more to get back at Jeff than David.
So, that’s the history of winners and runner-ups (and other finalists). It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Adam and Kris. If Adam wins, I have no doubt they will place Kris on the backburner. If Kris wins, they’ll treat Adam like a co-winner. So, for Kris’s sake, I hope he wins.
HG, thanks for that thorough background. Although I only causualy watched a few episodes of AI6, I new that Melinda was had IT!
Just recently Simon said (no pun intended)that “they were gobsmacked that David didn’t win”. I remember people complaining that he was on Ellen or Oprah’s saying that Cook would/should win. Why would he be saying now that they were surprised Cook won? Do you think it’s because David is so sucessful and Simon/Evil19/AI want to be able to take credit? And if so, at what point do you think they will fully embrace David a la Daughtry (if his album goes platinum, etc.), or will they ever? Are is the rift between Jeff and AI too great for them to fully acknowledge/respect David.
Are if = Or if (and to think I’m a teacher)
Phew! Your questions make my head spin, Goboywonder! 🙂 Who knows how this will all play out.
FunnyGirl #351 Ooh, I wonder what that means “You tried to give me credit over at FOD” -- that sounds cool -- never got mentioned on another site before. Wonder how that works…I guess I didn’t get credit? Oh well, thanks for that video -- another HOT ONE! ha-ha
HG, Yeah I hear ya. I do tend to over analyze, haha.