Is American Idol Guilty Of Racism?
Robert Paul Reyes
March 09, 2007
American Idol is such a mega-hit because the audience knows what to expect: Paula’s silliness, Simon’s snarkiness, off-pitch performances and scandals. Every season of America’s most popular show is enlivened by a scandal or two.
This year it’s Antonella Barba, a finalist on hit show, who has provided the controversy. Racy photos of her parading around in a see-through top are all over the Internet.
Antonella is such a beauty, that neither her pitchy performances nor her her lurid images have led to her departure from the competition.
American Idol doesn’t have any rules written in stone; sometimes contestants are kicked out for posing for questionable pictures and sometimes they are not.
In 2003 Frenchie Davis, who is African American, was disqualified from the show after topless pictures of her were posted on the Net.
From AOL.Com:
A group called Project Islamic H.O.P.E. says they and other supporters will protest the show’s decision to keep Barba on despite the fact that the show’s producers kicked off contestant Frenchie Davis during the second season of ‘Idol.’ Davis, who is black, was booted after similar compromising photos from her past emerged. The group claims ‘Idol’ is guilty of a racial double standard, and that all stripping contestants should be treated equally — despite the color of their skin.”
My reaction? Give me a freakin’ break, certainly there are many legitimate cases of racism that Project Islamic H.O.P.E. can champion. Was Antonella kept on the show because she is white, and Frenchie booted because she’s black? No, I think Antonella was kept on the the show because she is drop-dead gorgeous and Frenchie was kicked off because she is butt-ugly.
The American Idol producers aren’t stupid, they want to give America plenty of eye candy, and Frenchie just didn’t fit the bill, and they used the scandalous pics as an excuse to get rid of her.
This year it’s Antonella Barba, a finalist on hit show, who has provided the controversy. Racy photos of her parading around in a see-through top are all over the Internet.
Antonella is such a beauty, that neither her pitchy performances nor her her lurid images have led to her departure from the competition.
American Idol doesn’t have any rules written in stone; sometimes contestants are kicked out for posing for questionable pictures and sometimes they are not.
In 2003 Frenchie Davis, who is African American, was disqualified from the show after topless pictures of her were posted on the Net.
From AOL.Com:
A group called Project Islamic H.O.P.E. says they and other supporters will protest the show’s decision to keep Barba on despite the fact that the show’s producers kicked off contestant Frenchie Davis during the second season of ‘Idol.’ Davis, who is black, was booted after similar compromising photos from her past emerged. The group claims ‘Idol’ is guilty of a racial double standard, and that all stripping contestants should be treated equally — despite the color of their skin.”
My reaction? Give me a freakin’ break, certainly there are many legitimate cases of racism that Project Islamic H.O.P.E. can champion. Was Antonella kept on the show because she is white, and Frenchie booted because she’s black? No, I think Antonella was kept on the the show because she is drop-dead gorgeous and Frenchie was kicked off because she is butt-ugly.
The American Idol producers aren’t stupid, they want to give America plenty of eye candy, and Frenchie just didn’t fit the bill, and they used the scandalous pics as an excuse to get rid of her.
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