American Idol’s Hypocrisy

Antonella Barba, a Top 20 American Idol contestant was the most recent subject of a scandal. Nude and semi-nude pictures of her were recently published and have circulated around the internet. These pictures were leaked by people who knew Antonella and most likely done to make a quick buck rather than out of sheer malice. The American Idol producers allowed her to continue in the competition even though the pictures most likely tainted her reputation and had an effect on how the public voted.

A former stripper, Nikki McKibbin, was also allowed to compete on American Idol. Nikki chose to strip, so her unseemly career choices were just that, choices. The brass at Idol felt that it was ok to turn the other way even though the show is supposed to appeal to people of all ages.

A few years ago an enormously talented singer by the name of Frenchie Davis blew the American Idol judges away. She was later disqualified because she had done some nude modeling in the past. I remember seeing her audition when it aired live and when she sang it gave me goosebumps on my arms. She’s got a voice that is both powerful and controlled, and it moved all of the judges.

American Idol and various other reality shows have chosen to look the other way when the seedy pasts of various contestants has been called into question. I do not understand why the same kind of grace wasn’t extended to Frenchie Davis. Was it the fact that she was black? Was it the fact that she was full-figured? I don’t think so because we’ve already seen people of all shapes and sizes compete and be quite successful in the competition. Kimberly Locke made it quite far in the competiton while representing Lane Bryant, a plus-sized women’s clothing store. Ruben Studdard went on to win and he is bigger than the average bear.

Since it’s safe to assume that size and color were not an issue, what was the real reason why Frenchie Davis was not allowed to compete? The only conclusion that I can come to is that in addition to her color and figure, she had a very real chance of winning. She has a powerful voice and has been well trained as a singer. She has poise and is a born performer. Had she won and her past come under real public scrutiny, would some nude modeling have handicapped her career or kept her from selling albums from her to Mars? I think not.

How many huge stars do we know of who have made it through scandals rooted in sex and nude modeling? Off the top of my head I can think of Rob Lowe, Madonna, and a half dozen 80’s hair metal rockers. When I sit down to watch Rob Lowe Sunday nights on ABC’s Brothers and Sisters I don’t think about the scandals of his past. I think of how brilliant an actor he is and how he steals every scene he’s in. Frenchie’s voice to me is like Rob Lowe on screen — a scene stealer. I feel as though she has been robbed of a chance at a very healthy and lucrative career because of a TV executive with no grasp on reality. American Idol is the number one show on TV, period. It’s doubtful that Frenchie’s past would’ve even made the ratings dip. This is why I cannot and will not take this show seriously. It also makes me question what other mystery cuts and manipulations are happening behind the scenes.

What do you think of Idol’s double standard?