Father Tony came over to watch American Idol with me last night after I declined his invitation to watch it at Urge. (Somehow I didn't feel like watching David Archuleta through the sweaty legs of go-go boys.)
Last night the six remaining contestants performed the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber and when the announcer said that Webber had "composed most of the important musicals of our time," I looked over at Tony. "Did you just hear a loud noise coming from Brooklyn? I think Little David's head just exploded." Heh. In his excellent review of last night's show, the Huffington Post's Michael Glitz had something to say about that.
Both Tony and I agree that Jason Castro bombed, Brooke White is a goner tonight, and that David Archuleta is no longer the presumptive winner. Check out David Cook's take on Music Of The Night.
Seriously, we're seeing something really amazing with this David Archuleta kid on American Idol, who last night very riskily took on perhaps the most beloved and sacred song in the history of pop music and knocked it into the bleacher seats. I came this close to actually calling and voting with the rest of America's 12 year-old girls.
Hoping to find this year's Sanjaya, I tuned into last night's American Idol for their all-guys show. (The all-girls show is tonight.) None of the 12 contestants seemed to have that wacky Sanjayacity that made last season the first one that I actually took an interest in, but I totally fell in love with 17 year-old puppy dog David Archuleta and his whole "aw, shucks...ME?...really?" schtick.
It's apparent that Archuleta is already this season's favorite to win. But over on Vote For The Worst, there's a bit of grumbling that Archuleta is a ringer, having won Star Search five years ago at the age of 12.
Everyone knows David Archuleta won Star Search when he was 12. But did you know that he competed against Alexandrea Lushington (yep, the same girl from this year's top 24) on the show and beat her? She was much better than him, but he had been pimped so much by the judges, they let him win. It looks like exactly what's going to happen this year! Not only that, American Idol has always been recycling Star Search contestants for their show. Among the reused contestants from the past are Lisa Tucker from season 5, hot mess Jessica Sierra and fro queen Nadia Turner from season 4's top 12, Joe Murena and Amanda Avila from season 4's top 24, and Tatiana McConnico who had her audition shown from season 6. With all of this lame recycling going on, American Idol should open a plant!
Knowing his extensive show-biz background makes Archuleta's perpetually bewildered act seem just that. And of course, his non-macho ways have spawned a cottage-industry of blog and forum postings speculating on his sexuality. Check out the comment wars on some of his YouTube clips for a good example of the "homophoboblogosphere." (I'll admit that my gaydar is pinging slightly too.) But his non-sexualized appeal seems calculated to draw in the 12 year-old girls, probably a winning Idol strategy. Thirty years ago, I'd totally have had his Tiger Beat cover shot hidden somewhere in my bedroom.
