This Week's 'American Idol' Scandals: Gay Stripping and a Crazy Christmas Video
Last week's American Idol scandals were really lame. Robbie Carrico wears a wig? Well, he says he doesn't. Oh well. Amanda Overmyer was once busted for DUI? Is anybody shocked? This week's stuff is much better. We have one contestant who was a successful gay stripper and another who hates Christmas? That's a bit better.
Before getting into the dirt, let me just say how disappointed I am by TMZ. It's bad enough that everybody from Carrico on down disputed their anonymously sourced report of the faux rocker's wig, but TMZ has been suggesting that their story was in some way responsible for Carrico's elimination last week. But... but... the story "broke" after voting was closed for the Top 10 Men. It's hard to prove causality there.
To make matters worse, TMZ got scooped by VoteForTheWorst on both of this week's juicy bits of Idol scandal, but didn't bother sourcing VoteForTheWorst when they repurposed both stories. Lame!
So anyway, VoteForTheWorst was first to report and The AP was first to journalistically source allegations that David Hernandez used to dance fully nude at Dick's Cabaret, a gay club in the Phoenix area. This wasn't just a one-time thing, though. Club manager Gordy Bryan tells the AP that Hernandez shook his rump and did lap dances at Dick's for three years and "made pretty good money." According to reports, Hernandez stopped dancing at Dick's on Sept. 30, 2007, meaning that he was still dancing for money several months after auditioning for American Idol in San Diego at the end of July.
How will this news impact Hernandez's fortunes on American Idol? After a lackluster first week, Hernandez seemed in danger of speedy elimination, but a strong performance last Tuesday (Feb. 26) seemed poised to extend his tenure into the overall Top 12.
It's here that Idol watchers inevitably start bringing up past precedents that either do or don't suggest that Idol has a double or triple standard when it comes to various sex-based scandals. Frenchie Davis, a 2003 semifinalist, was eliminated after it was revealed that she earned money for posing nude for a website catering to men who like raunchy pictures of young-looking women. Last year, though, Antonella Barba skated by for several weeks despite the discovery of vaguely risque pictures that she took on a purely amateur basis with friends. She also survived several weeks despite being unable to sing, but people don't care so much about that.
If you want a better comparison to the Hernandez situation, though, you might want to look all the way back to Season One, when former stripper Nikki McKibbin remained in the competition long enough to finish third before vanishing into utter obscurity.
What will happen to Hernandez? My hunch? Not a darned thing. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, it's highly unlikely that anything will happen to Danny Noriega as a result of this video posted to MySpace back around Christmas of 2006 but only uncovered by VoteForTheWorst (Noriega's online champions) this week. In the brief message, Noriega wishes viewers a not-so-merry Christmas and makes some rather obscene insinuations regarding Santa Claus. It probably won't spawn any prolonged controversies, but it's quite funny.
Unfortunately, MySpace has already pulled the video -- being corporate siblings with FOX probably has something to do with it -- but you can check to see if TMZ's version is still up.
So do Danny and David's minor scandals make you more or less likely to vote for them? Or could you really not care less?
I never voted for danny, but after the immature rant I certainly hope he goes home next. I don't think the things he was ranting about are funny or cute at all.
As for David H I am disgusted by this and will never vote for him either. I hope these two are eliminated next week.
I do not thinks it is that big of a deal that the guy was a stripper before. I do not see that being any different than some actors doing nude scenes in movies. There are many actresses who won Oscars for a movie where they appeared topless. As long as he was of legal age and the strip joint was a legal business, I think his previous job should not affect his stay on Idol. But that is what I think, other people might see this as some moral issue.
Good grief - I do think it's a big deal. These "idols" have to be marketed to a wide audience, not one that's just R or NC17 rated. I think the producers, once they have the 200 or so in Hollywood need to get on google and factor in whose whatsis has been showing up on the net or in your friendly neighborhood strip club. It would save the show a lot of embarr***ment as the season progresses. It's already a ho hum season as is - scandal may make you tune in but it's going to turn off the voters.
Don't know what the fuss is all about! His voice is FANTASTIC!!! It is a SINGING CONTEST isn't it? Besides, I think he is HOT and so does my b/f of over 10 years!!!
What would be hilarious would be David Hernandez singing "Private Dancer." Probably not going to happen, but it sure would be funny.
David's nude dancing in a gay bar will give him something, to " fall back on" when he/ she is voted off.
Wow Rose and Barb - wake up! You are "disgusted" by stripping? Oh please - it's harmless - get a life and get off of your f**king religious high horse. They are both great singers (Danny better) and if you think most of your precious celebrities have had wholesome pre-lives you're living in la-la land. This is a singing competition. Only YOU are embarr***ed...go watch the Family Channel or something. Sheesh. Good for you Jerry! David IS hot.
What is the big deal? If David had been a chippendale Dancer and a lady like "Rose" here from this board would have gotten a lapdance from him, her fingers would be on fire voting for her chippendale and she'd proudly be telling everyone about it. It's ****phobes like "Rose" who may hurt David's chances of progressing on the show. He's a great singer and performer. Oh, and btw, DAVID, YOU CAN GIVE ME A LAP DANCE ANYTIME, BABY! Email me!!!
It's not like either of them did anything illegal...
I like to think that there is nothing wrong to what David did in the past,,,This is a singing compitition and not a strip show.So keep doing what you do David and don't let other people put you down for it.