In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« The Great American Idol Blog
Idol Producer: David H.'s Stripper Past "Won't Make Any Difference"
David Hernandez courtesy Fox
On the heels of the reveal that Ramiele Malubay has a "racy" pic or two out there, it has come to light that for three years, 24-year-old David Hernandez worked as a stripper at Dick's Cabaret in Glendale, Arizona, where he danced nude and gave lap dances to a mostly male clientele.
Might this jeopardize Hernandez's place in the top 16? In previous seasons, Idol execs have avoided establishing hard and fast rules about a contestant's past. (When it was discovered that Frenchie Davis posed topless for a website, she got the boot, but when racy pics of Antonella Barba showed up online, she was allowed to stay.)
On Tuesday afternoon, TVGuide.com spoke with Idol executive producer Ken Warwick about the situation:
TVGuide.com: Will the revelations about David's stripper past have any impact on whether he stays on the show?
Ken Warwick: No, it won't make any difference. The truth is, we're never judgmental about what people do to earn a living. They've got to put food in people's mouths. We've had strippers on the show before. Nikki McKibbon was one in [Season] 1. We're never judgmental about people who do things like that. If it were some sort of heavy porn, then maybe we'd have to take action. But certainly not on this.
TVGuide.com: Were you aware of his past before it was reported?
Warwick: No, I wasn't. [Laughs] But the truth of the matter is, it wouldn't have made any difference. There are a lot of people I know who'd love to have the opportunity just to make a better living by taking their clothes off.
TVGuide.com: Do you feel for these kids who are suddenly thrust into the public eye and then have everything in their pasts dug up?
Warwick: Very often, I do, yeah. I mean, David Hernandez, whatever you say, is a nice guy. And he can sing. He's got a great voice. He deserves to be there, as far as I'm concerned.
TVGuide.com: Have you seen him since the news broke?
Warwick: I haven't actually seen him today but I'm not worried about it. The thing is, at the end, the public will make the decision anyway. If there's a stretch of the public that thinks, "Oh, dear, he was a male stripper, so I'm not going to vote for him," then that's the luck of the draw. If the public doesn't like him, then they'll get rid of him.
Indeed, the big question is: Does Hernandez's stripper past matter to you? Let's get to the naked truth in the comments section below. — Mickey O'Connor, with reporting by Shawna Malcom
How do you think David performed in the immediate wake of his stripping scandal?
Read our indepth recap and weigh in now.
Poll: Does this news affect your opinion of David? Vote here.
More Idol coverage:
• Cheers & Jeers says "Hello" to David Cook
• Today's Top Videos: Michael Johns' Pre-Idol Music Video
• Photo gallery: TVGuide.com's Idol Power Rankings
• Miley Cyrus, Brad Pitt Help Idol Give Back
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 10:45 AM
|
I'm betting that David got pretty good tips as a stripper. Maybe he should try some of his moves on the Idol stage to spice things up! 
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 11:03 AM
|
|
If he was a stripper, why doesn't he dance better? Maybe the clothes are weighing him down, or maybe they need to add a pole to the stage.
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 11:18 AM
|
|
Where's the racy revelation about Ramiele? Ruh-roh!
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 11:39 AM
|
|
mmm mmm...i can only imagine what David H looked like desnudo! ay papi, no it doesn't matter to me in the least of course I would vote for him alot more if any pictures of his "performance" were to surface
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 11:46 AM
|
|
Well he ain't stripping on American Idol so what's the big deal about this?
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 11:59 AM
|
|
I'm more offended by the drag queen purr/growl he throws into his song at least one a week.
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 12:01 PM
|
|
As i said in other boards, this is the reason Danny Noriega´s parents are spending a lot of one dollar bills in the mainteinance of his "boy" during the competition...
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 12:08 PM
|
I say: Dance David, Dance You can tell he's got some good moves.
And, if they do kick him off, is it because of him being a stripper....or him being a stripper in a GAY club? The Idol Powers That Be are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place because it sure will look discriminatory against Gays if he gets the boot. And come on - some great singers are (and were) Gay! Do we really care????
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 12:25 PM
|
|
Doesn't matter a bit to me. I sure hope AI lets him stay. He's one of my top three favorites.
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 12:37 PM
|
What upsets me the most, is that there's actually a website designed to try to find details of contestants lives that might be considered "questionable". How hurtful, how down right hateful to willingly do something to destroy someone's shot at success. Jealous, much?
I'm not sure if David has enough staying power to be the ultimate winner of Idol this season, but if he's gonna get the boot, please let it be because he was out sung, and not because he took his clothes off. He wasn't underage when he worked at the club, and he wasn't doing anything illegal. This shouldn't be an issue.
Kerry =)
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 12:42 PM
|
|
I believe he should be kicked off! The reason Frenchie was kicked off is because it went against the wholesome Image they were looking for in an Idol so if she was kicked off because she posed nude he should be kicked off because he danced nude if not I think that Frenchie should sue the producers of the show and Fox for discrimination
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 12:53 PM
|
|
that is seriously funny. poor guy - of course it will hurt him - there are lots of evangelical types that watch the show... too bad. he has talent.
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 12:58 PM
|
Does anyone else remember Nikki McKibbin from season 1? She had also worked as a stripper before going on AI. If they kick off David and let her stay, it is definitely homophobia at work.
David is one of the top three boys in a year that, I'm sorry, is not the best crop of singers. I don't remember most of the performances afterwards, but David's I definitely remembered from last week. It would be terrible to lose someone who actually has promise.
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 1:01 PM
|
|
Wasn't Nikki from Season 1 a stripper? I seem to remember them talking about it on the show even. And she made the top 3!
|
|
Mar 4, 2008 1:03 PM
|
|
|
