‘Idol’ Banter: Archie’s army strikes back

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First things first: my post the other day questioning the sincerity of David Archuleta -- the Chosen One -- upset readers, more than anything else I’ve ever written at this newspaper. I got an avalanche of e-mail responses, most of which could be classified as ‘hate mail.’ (The general drift was that I’m a child-hating, bitter old cynic who needs either the power of prayer or a good kick in the pants.)
It’s a critic’s job to express strong opinions, and I was simply expressing mine. I won’t apologize for that. Still, the intensity of people’s responses made me realize just how strong Archuleta’s charisma has proved, and how much ‘Idol’ watchers want to believe in his graciousness and his gifts.

The passion Archie’s fans have for him is extraordinary. There’s clearly a hunger for the kind of innocence he projects, and wonderment at his precocious musicality. What came across to me as somewhat one-dimensional strikes many people as laudably sincere. I believe more strongly than ever that Archuleta has already won this season, and only the return of his vocal paralysis, or some other disaster on that level, could undermine his destiny.

Several readers who actually know Archuleta -- including a high school classmate -- wrote in to attest to his sweet and bashful spirit. I trust that these friends are telling the truth. One writer reminded me that musical prodigies can often be socially awkward. Perhaps what I read as shallowness in Archie is merely shyness.

As for whether he excluded the lines from ‘Imagine’ about ‘no religion, too’ because he is religious, I suppose we’ll never really know. He has performed the song in its entirety before, including that line (in the version circulating online he did change the word ‘hell’ to ‘evil’ in the first verse). Still, he made a choice to exclude certain lyrics in front of the largest audience he’s ever had, and though I don’t object to that choice, I won’t apologize for noting and discussing it.

I still think Archie borrowed, consciously or not, from Eva Cassidy’s arrangement for ‘Imagine.’ Several other readers noted that Katharine McPhee also quoted Cassidy in the rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’ that almost won her the big prize. Cassidy is a big influence on singers, and I almost think it was worth the drubbing I took to get her name out there again.

I’ll say it again -- it’s no sin to borrow. I don’t fault Archuleta for doing so, and it’s forgivable that he didn’t manage to squeeze in some kudos for Cassidy during his brief response to the judges. I do fault the ‘Idol’ producers for trying to maintain the illusion that all of the contestants are more original, unstudied, and spontaneous than a prime-time television show would ever allow a performer to be. I find this aspect of ‘Idol’ dulling and disingenuous.

But it’s part of the ‘Idol’ myth, the same way part of the ‘Heroes’ myth is that people can fly, or part of the ‘CSI’ myth is that forensic pathologists all look like supermodels. ‘Idol’ may be reality, but it’s also shared fantasy. I don’t always like the way that fantasy plays out. Right now I’m clearly in the minority. But I’m willing to try to view Archie anew.

I’m still calling him Archie, though. Nicknames are fun! You can never have enough.

I liked Archie even better after he bawled tonight, when Alexandrea Lushington, my favorite of the girls, was voted off. It’s a little early in the season for celebrity protest, but maybe Elton John can cry foul again, the way he did in support of Jennifer Hudson and her fellow African-American divas during Season 3. The chocolate-skinned Lushington rocks the best urban style of any ‘Idol’ contestant -- ever -- and her revamping of white-boy chestnuts like ‘Spinning Wheel’ was totally in tune with the most adventurous elements of hip hop-influenced R&B. I mourn her passing, and sincerely hope we see her somewhere again.

‘It’s just the beginning,’ Paula always says to these departing contestants, but honestly, how can anyone believe her? What quickly eliminated Idol has gone on to a flourishing career? That reality obviously hit home for Alaina Whitaker, the other teen to be sent packing in this rapidly diminishing ‘year of the young ones’ (as Randy has pegged it). In one of those rare utterly unstaged ‘Idol’ moments, Whitaker almost refused to sing.

Ryan Seacrest called the other women to her side and she made it through ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You,’ a song she might have sung at her high school’s spring musical had she not received a few weeks of fame. Her version was great -- raw, stubborn and ultimately triumphant -- and she left the show with her dignity intact. The camera cut to Danny Noriega shedding some tears for his apparent BFF. The kids are getting massacred left and right. One begins to wonder if innocence isn’t a commodity ‘Idol’ fans can only take in small, golden, Chosen doses.

--Ann Powers