By: Frequent Reader/Contributer Tim G.
When it comes to AMERICAN IDOL, there are constants. Randy has his “Dawgs!” Paula cries, Simon and Randy verbally abuse eachother and just around this time, an IDOL contestant is outed for something.
So imagine our surprise [note sarcasm] when it was revealed today that David Hernandez once made ends meet by removing his clothes. Shocking I know! I mean who can forget such memorable scandals as pictures of a nearly nude teen cavorting in a fountain or women in BDSM gear floating around online? What? You’ve already forgotten? Oh, hmm.
Anyway, I was having a conversation with my friend Derek about the news this morning that went a little something like this:
me: hehe, “Strip club: ‘Idol’ once danced here”
derek: lol
me: uh oh
derek: those pics aren’t too revealing tho
me: nope
derek: but the manager guy said nude lol
me: Mmmhm
me: i’m amazed how these people “slip through” the super-extensive background checks they do on the contestants
derek: yeah really
me: I wonder… could it be that the moral and upstanding institution of American Idol lets some of these people through KNOWING that the scandal will hit?!
me: Nah…
derek: hehe
derek: strippers have dreams too
This whole situation got me thinking, could it be that Fox lets some of these contestants through even when they know about their pasts? And could it be for not-so-magnanimous reasons? The way I see it is this; situation A: Fox gets a solid contestant that can really sing and entertain, situation B: Fox gets a solid contestant with a past that gets revealed and goes down in a magnificent burst of flames and generates huge publicity for the show. After all, there’s no such thing as bad publicity, is there?
What do you all think? Does FOX let these potentially scandalous contestants through purposefully, or after 7 seasons are they still genuinely “surprised” when the contestant’s skeletons come tumbling out of the closet? 
