In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« The Great American Idol Blog
Did David A.'s Stage Dad Cause Him to Stumble?
David Archuleta performing on American Idol by Ray Mickshaw/WireImage.com
As if the poor kid doesn’t have enough pressure on him what with his early emergence as a front-runner, now it seems that David Archuleta's father may have been behind his shaky and uncharacteristically lackluster performance on Tuesday night. Apparently, like many kids in showbiz, David has quite the stage dad. According to ET Online, Jeff Archuleta yelled at his son during a recording session leading up to the performance show. Furthermore, "Dad wasn't happy with his singing — and even brought him to tears."
You'd think the problem in a competition like this would be the contestants trying to psych each other out. But having your dad mess with your head? Not cool. Apparently, this isn't the first time Papa Archie got his pants in a knot. There are reports that he was banned from the set of Star Search when David appeared on the show, for allegedly intimidating his then-12-year-old son. Yikes. Secretly, I kind of want to put him and Simon in a room together and let the fireworks and fists fly.
Do you think parents should be banned from Idol rehearsals? Do you think David A. can regain his wunderkind status next week, or do you think his nerves will continue to be an issue? — Erin Fox
Related Links
• Watch more American Idol using our Online Video Guide.
• The Top 11: Who's your current pick to win?
• Read our in-depth recaps.
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2008 3:59 PM
|
I believe that a parent or guardian has to be there for any contestant under 18.
I just don't get all they hype and hoopla surrounding David A. He's okay but not great. His voice is too breathy for me, too weak. But Daddy Dearest needs to back off.
|
|
Mar 13, 2008 5:21 PM
|
|
I don't think parents should be allowed back stage. And I think it'd be a safe bet to say that this isn't the first time it's happened with younger contestants. I hope that if this is true, Idol takes control and stops it. They should let Simon loose on the dad. I don't think he'd like that.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 9:59 AM
|
|
David can be a bit breathy, but his musical maturity is outstanding--his phrasing and his performing instincts are well beyond his years. And you can't dispute that his cuteness and positive personality have a lot to do with his popularity.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 10:49 AM
|
Wow. That is really sad if it's true. I can understand parents pushing their kids to do the best but this sounds like a case of daddy not getting to the top during his time and living it out through his son.
Sad.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 11:47 AM
|
|
His habit of licking his lips after each pause in a song is highly annoying.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 12:45 PM
|
|
What? No tie-in with his Mormonism? Is the snark machine turned off?
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 1:25 PM
|
|
Parents can/should be there, but they should not be allowed to interfere in any way.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 2:52 PM
|
And I'm sure the sun was in his eyes, his dog ate his lyrics, he had a temp of 110, and the other contestants were mean to him right before he went on.
Excuses, excuses, excuses!!
There have been plenty of other 17-year-old contestants, and they didn't get a bye for forgetting their lyrics multiple times, apparently forgetting the melody as well, and having a mental meltdown of epic proportions. He screwed up, big-time, and if it were anyone but Baby Davey The Chosen One, the judges would've unleashed their wrath on him like they did Brandon Rogers, Melissa McGhee, etc, and he would've been the one leaving this week, like he deserved to.
I suppose if he screws up next week, he will still get the pimp spot, and we'll find out that the dog who ate his lyrics is dying, his skate came untied, and he desperately needs a new kidney. The excuses will just keep comin'...
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 3:18 PM
|
|
i hope that this story isn't true, but i'm sure it happens more than people think... i don't think the parents should be let backstage right before their child performs. i remember seeing diana degarmo and jasmine trias parents in the audience when they performed, not sure about david, wasn't paying attention. jujube11: i am not a big david a fan either, but i think the judges handled the bad performance correctly, maybe randy wasn't as hard as he could have been, but paula was paula, she tried to give constructive criticism like she usually does. and simon pretty much nailed him. he was the worst that night, but the fans love him for some reason. it's going to take alot of screw ups from david before he goes home (not that he will)
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 3:50 PM
|
and he would've been the one leaving this week, like he deserved to.
You've got to be kidding! Kristy should have been gone a long time ago. David has the history of great performances to not be sent home over one bad one. Lighten up.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 3:52 PM
|
Boy, jujube11, aren't you the hater today? David A. is very talented and charming. As the mother of two teenagers, I think he's great. Yes, he had a very bad performance, but keep in mind that it was ONE bad performance. No, he does not deserve to be sent packing because of one mistake. Contestants who have performed consistently worse than the others should go first. Notice I did not say contestents who perform badly each time because none of these contestants are completely horrible to me and they've all had their good and bad nights IMO.
As for David's father, he should be ashamed! If this is true, he may be the downfall of young David A. and I'm afraid he will live to regret it. If he is a bully, when David A. is rich and famous he may be through with dear old dad!
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 4:38 PM
|
|
I think he deserves at least one more week to prove himself. He has had several great performances. I am not just sure if he can hack the pressure. He seems a little sensitive for the cut throat business.
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 5:33 PM
|
This report is completely unsubstantiated, and it's a disgrace that ET, and now TV Guide, are reporting it (and that Star Search item came from an obscure LA gossip website--and has been contested by somebody who worked for Star Search at the time). This isn't like David H. and his stripper past--this involves the very personal dynamics between a parent and child. Such accusations should not be bandied about so lightly. Indeed, this report may cause more stress for David than anything, and will ultimately affect David more than his father.
Congrats, media, you've finally found a way to soil the rep of an innocent 17-year-old kid who has been nothing but gracious, kind, humble and sincere. Does he really deserve this?
|
|
Mar 14, 2008 6:05 PM
|
|
I have no facts to dispute this David Archuleta rumor, but it would not surprise me if this and most "stage parents" scandals are exaggerated. Clearly the studios and producers are just as exploitive of (and reap $millions more on the backs of) show-business children as the parents are. At the very least, they are complicit in the parents' manipulation. But rarely do you hear this kind of criticism of the entertainment industry itself.
|
|
Mar 16, 2008 2:35 AM
|
|
|
