Stage Dad Totally Maybe Banned From American Idol, Unless He Totally Maybe Wasn't
While everybody from the New York Times on down are reporting that David Archuleta's pushy, overbearing dad has been banned from American Idol rehearsals and backstage, OK Magazine has a source claiming that no, he wasn't banned, he was just asked not to help David with his arrangements anymore because he is just so AWESOME it's unfair to the other contestants who DON'T have access to his AWESOMENESS.
Riiiight!
Jeff Archuleta reportedly crossed the line by urging David to combine lyrics from Sean Kingston's Stand By Me-sampling version of Beautiful Girls with the original. Producers told the team they couldn't use those lyrics in the arrangement since the show would have to get permission (and pay a fee) for the extra song. David sang them live on-air anyway, presumably under pressure from his dad, basically exposing the show to a lawsuit. Jeff was then supposedly stripped of his backstage privileges and told to get the hell out.
Considering Jeff has been the driving force behind David's musical career for YEARS now, he's no dummy and obviously knows all about royalties and performance rights and whatnot. Maybe he just feels his son doesn't have to play by the producer's rules, or that the show owes his son whatever extra perks he feels his son needs at the time, but one thing is clear: dude knows how to play spin doctor.
The OK report is actually hilarious -- one of David's coaches and "unofficial spokesman" for the Archuleta family is denying that Jeff's banning has ANYTHING to do with ANY sort of bad behavior or rule-breaking. It's because Jeff's presence gives David such an unfair advantage over the other contestants.
He told the Early Show: "I just spoke to Jeff yesterday and he was on a photo shoot with David.
"And so he hasn't been banned from American Idol [altogether].
"What I have heard is that it is more of a fairness issue.
"That they have decided that since David is required to have a guardian there because he is younger, as a fairness issue, they have decided not to have Jeff there in the rehearsal area where he's working on the arrangements.
"But as far as the other contestants, I'm sure they receive a lot of help on the phone from friends and music experts.
"But Jeff is actually on site."
In the past weeks Kaelin has admitted to OK! that Jeff from Murray, Ut., shortlisted songs for David to choose from and worked out arrangements for him.
But he denied that Jeff had made David cry in practices and that he had been banned from the backstage of David's last TV talent contest, Star Search.
Ya know, David seems like a sweet, talented kid who is genuinely cowed by his dad, and it would be terrible to see him punished by AI viewers because his father is sort of whacked-out and unlikeable, but at the same time...the thought of that entled jackass rushing the stage in the finale to share his son's victory fills me with much UGH.
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