Danny Gokey backlash?

Thursday, February 19, 2009, 03:30 AM | American Idol 8
Tags: American Idol, Danny Gokey, Scandal

Danny Gokey Backlash

Someway, somehow, the much maligned Tatiana Del Toro managed to come across as a victim last night — at the hands of none other than American Idol 8 “saviour” Danny Gokey! He’s a Douchkey!

Front-runner resentment by Idol fans fueled by the unrelenting “pimping” of Idol by emphasizing that Danny Gokey’s wife died just a few months ago has now taken hold of the Internet watercooler. And it is no longer just Idol producers they are blaming but Danny himself.

His family members showed a picture of his dead wife on camera, a blatant reminder that he is a grieving widower. And when his name was announced, Danny’s reaction showed no sympathy at all to Tatiana — who was obviously being setup by the show for a nervous breakdown. Danny should have known what was happening. He came across as smug, selfish and a non-gentleman.

The pimping of his dead wife for sympathy votes comes with his family’s consent since they themselves are doing it — and fans are not reacting kindly to it.

That aside, I still like Danny Gokey. I still believe he can sing. He can still give us hope. But the dead wife thing is a bit much. And right now, the Internet is showing no love.

Just sing Danny. Stop your family from parading your dead wife around, and stop American Idol from doing the same.

105 Comments for Danny Gokey backlash?

1

Wow I didn’t get this at all.. Tatiana is a drama queen and should be smirked at.

The dead wife thing I felt was sentimental. I didn’t feel that it was something staged but if they can prove it was, that’s pretty low. Show me proof. I am not trying to defend him, but the rumors are just that rumors.

JayeSD on February 19, 2009 at 3:39 am
2

idol is just gonna do this same pity party with Lil Rounds and Scott Macintyre. it’s sickening.

contestants should advance based on talent, not sob stories. it’s tiring.

so over this guy. bring on the other semi-finalists!

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 3:40 am
3

JayeSD, there’s also proof out on various sites and boards of people who used to be part of the same church as him who have come out and spoken about his arrogance and douchery in the past.

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 3:42 am
4

Regardless of a possibility of the rumors being true, I do believe the whole thing is getting old. I like the guy and I think he can sing… but it needs to be about singing at this point.

WhatAFeeelin on February 19, 2009 at 3:47 am
5

Brownstarz, that isn’t proof. Anyone can say anything about anyone and write anything about anyone.What I want to know is that it was staged. I am open-minded about it, but I won’t convict the guy in my opinion unless I see more to show the case.

Also, his dead wife doesn’t make his voice any better. And when it comes down to it, he has to perform or he is out. End of Story.

JayeSD on February 19, 2009 at 3:51 am
6

WAF, absolutely. It comes down to his performing. I will be very annoyed if they continue to ram it down our throats, however, I think my limit of it was just reached.

JayeSD on February 19, 2009 at 3:54 am
7

America has short attention spans. They won’t see him again for two weeks. So they will be quick to forgive. But also, if him, his family, or Idol mentions his deceased wife one more time, alot of America will almost definitely jump ship. It’s a Gokey blood bath at MJ’s.

TPTB, I don’t care about the possible arrogance, or even the back stories anymore. I just want to hear the talent and singing!

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 3:58 am
8

Jaye, we’re in the same boat. I think it’s just beginning to be an overkill. It’s kind of like the whole Asia’h Epperson thing last year, but her sympathy ‘pimping’ ended a bit earlier.

WhatAFeeelin on February 19, 2009 at 4:03 am
9

A couple of years have passed and it seems people (especially rickey) haven’t changed at all. honestly I didn’t see anything wrong. I agree the pimping and the dead wife thing has been overdone to death but it’s not hurting anyone. Are you people just trying to bring him down because of his popularity?

j on February 19, 2009 at 5:54 am
10

Lolz at all the butthurt on Danny’s behalf.

It’s one thing to have a sad backstory, it’s quite another to remind people of it all the time. And I did think he was being kind of a douche to Tatiana, especially after all the attacks on her last night.

I don’t know, I guess I expected better from somebody who’s trying to come across as sentimental.

Ciwey on February 19, 2009 at 6:14 am
11

I feel this is a little way blown out of proportion. Danny celebrated and Tatiana anguished.

That’s all it is folks. Whatever side you choose to be it is still good television.

Danny’s hero is actually his wife. A woman who he clearly love and missed. Please do not discount tis at all.

I’ve got to hand to the producers of Fox. They finally found a way to stop people from voting for the worst.

peter.parker.000 on February 19, 2009 at 7:08 am
12

I’ve had enough of the pimping.It’s too much for me.I still can handle the pimping of some contestants in previous seasons,but this is OTT.

aquayers on February 19, 2009 at 7:22 am
13

I’ve said from the get-go that we didn’t need another sob story on Idol. He SHOULD stop it with the wife thing… but as for smug I think not. He hugged and apologized to Tat.
Anyway, I’m not fond of his personality, but I think he’s a good singer… and he reminds me an awful lot of one of my favorite actors…
But truth be told, I’m so for Adam Lambert instead…
and I LOVE Normund Gentle/Nick Mitchell

allymills on February 19, 2009 at 7:59 am
14

I hate this guy! Never really liked him! I don’t even like his voice, it sounds like it’s gonna crack anytime! I never really liked contestants with sob stories, Asiah’s dead dad and now Danny’s dead wife

I love Tatiana though, personally I think, Idol portrayed her as an annoying person, I don’t belive that she really is like that. And I was so sad for her!

merlyhaggard on February 19, 2009 at 8:15 am
15

I meant believe…

merlyhaggard on February 19, 2009 at 8:16 am
16

I’m with you allymills I love Adam too!

merlyhaggard on February 19, 2009 at 8:18 am
17

My husband died last year. For the past 13.5 months I have been amazed at the total lack of respect that people show those who grieve. They think that they should “get over it”… You think that Danny intentionally pimps his dearly departed wife? When your spouse dies it is one of the most lonely feelings in the world. Your grief takes hold without warning. One minute you’re fine and the next you have this image of the person you love most in your mind and then he/she is gone and it’s a stark reminder how you’re alone and the dreams you had about building a life together are gone. Now, I don’t expect you all to fully understand the extent of what it’s like to lose your partner in life. You won’t know until you experience it yourself. But believe you me, you wake up each day hoping you won’t have a freak out. You feel hopeless and helpless quite often. Sometimes you want to die too. So for him to step up 4 weeks after her passing is a brave thing for him to do. And to fellow widow(er)s, he is an inspiration because he isn’t letting his grief get the best of him.

If you think the so-called pimping is too much, then blame the producers. This show has been on long enough for everyone to know that they find a story and stick with it. I know from experience that the death of my husband is something that is very difficult to talk about. Most widows do. I don’t for a second think that he would WANT to use his wife this way but is being prompted by the show to do so.

As for his reactions last night to Tatiana…give it up. She deserves the avoidance. She’s been an attention hog all season so far. The real Tatiana was on display during the Hollywood episodes and Danny is not the first contestant to react to her freakish ways. Reaching out for him sincere? Please. She did so because she knew she wasn’t going to make it. We’re not there. We don’t see what goes on behind the scenes. For all intents and purposes she probably has been a monster and his reaction is just a culmination of all the crap she has put the other people through. WHO KNOWS!? And who cares…would she ever win AI? No. And if by some miracle she would, she would probably not get very far. The business is fickle and so is the audience. A gimmick only goes so far – look at Taylor Hicks.

In the meantime, please know that your calling Danny names like “Dead Wife Guy” is offensive. She has a name and she meant something to him. She’s gone and he is trying to build his life back the best he knows how. So does he deserve to shout with relief when he made it through? Absolutely. He should be running through the streets shouting for joy because he’s made a huge giant leap forward past all those steps backwards that we widow(er)s take. I applaud him and I am disappointed by all the insensitivity, meanness and judgemental posts I’ve seen in the past 12 hours. Shame!

michaelasmom on February 19, 2009 at 8:39 am
18

Michaelasmom, (((((hugs))))) I know about the grieving and I am sorry for your loss.

I was about to log in and express the same sentiments. Losing someone you love isn’t something you get over quickly. America might be tired of hearing about it, but the loss is nonetheless real and ever-present. Are the producers playing it up a bit too much? Absolutely. But the picture held by a friend last night? Who knows? That could have been spontaneous and heartfelt. And may I remind you that it wasn’t Gokey holding the picture.

As for his reaction to Tatiana, I did flinch a couple of times when she reached out to touch his arm, but he didn’t reciprocate. It was almost as if he wasn’t aware of her there. But what did you all want him to do? Hold her hand? Puleeze. Tatiana has no one to blame but herself if fellow contestants aren’t all warm and fuzzy toward her. She appears to be very self-absorbed. And although the producers have a lot to do with the way the footage is edited, it was her own actions being filmed. Her words coming out of her mouth.

If anyone, I was disgusted by her reaction after the three advancers were announced. All the other spurned contestants were smiling and clapping and congratulating their peers, but Tatiana is once again making it all about her – boohooing and drawing attention to herself.

The crucifixion of Gokey is getting tiresome. The guy can sing. He will advance or not advance based on his talent. Get over it already.

Gerb on February 19, 2009 at 9:07 am
19

Michaelasmom, I am truly sorry for your loss, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. Danny himself cannot be blamed for where the producers are taking this story, and he cannot be blamed for his friend holding up their picture.

I also didn’t notice any smugness or any type of negative reaction towards Tatiana until I saw it mentioned on here. It’s ridiculous to blow it way out of proportion like this.

Bottom line, Danny did a great job Tuesday night and deserved to make the top 12, and he will continue to progress based on his voice and talent. Leave it at that!

donnalynn on February 19, 2009 at 9:22 am
20

I am so glad that the viewers are smart enough to caught the vomit-inducing level of pimping. It is just too much.

I have never thought that Danny is the best singer. He is definitely not on par with the past idol. I do not understand all the accolades that he has been receiving.

I hope that voters can decide for themselves from the quality of the singing, instead of choosing the one handed down to them by the producer.

Good luck America. For me, I think this year has been more about entertainment than the search for the next big star. The credibility of the show has pretty evaporated after season 5.

rnthnl on February 19, 2009 at 9:52 am
21

Perfectly stated, Rickey.

As I wrote in my Report Card:

“While Simon is playing it coy, the other three judges practically wet themselves in exaltation, but if I hear about his lost beloved Sophia one more time, can I expect to find her taxidermised body propped up front row center once he makes it to the Top 12?”

No one is telling him to ‘get over it’. That’s something no one ever gets over. But no one should be using it as a sympathy card either. And that’s exactly what the producers, and Gokey himself, appear to be doing (remember folks, he mentioned it again in his pre-performance clip).

It’s a cold, calculating move – especially since he wasn’t even the best male vocalist in that Top 12 (that would be Ricky Braddy). But rest assured – and if I’m wrong, I’ll be surprised – the judges are pimping him for the win already. Remember, we don’t/won’t get to see him (or anyone) sing again for weeks, with the Top 12, so that leaves the internet and his fan base to start the water cooler chatter in full force. And unless he screws up royally during the Top 12, Top 11 and Top 10, he’ll probably be the victor.

Personally, he’s a good vocalist, not so good on “Here” – and he’s a little too Michael Bolton for my taste. But we’ll see.

This is all moot, though, really. There are still three weeks of other Idols to go, so let’s not underestimate the fan base of other front-runners.

http://americanidolreportcard.com/

jeffreychrist on February 19, 2009 at 10:01 am
22

it’s weird. i still like danny but MAN if anything made me like him less was his attitude during last night. Rickey hit the nail on the head. The dead wife whoring seriously needs to stop.

And what was up w/ his reaction when getting into the top 12? It was the equivalent of Kobe Bryant winning a game of b-ball against a cancer patient and then screaming “IN YO FACE! IN YO FACE!”

Yeah, Gokey’s losing points quickly in my book.

rayato on February 19, 2009 at 10:03 am
23

Re: michaelasmom

So sorry for you loss. I think the immediately ensuing comments sort of echo my sentiments, but I wanted to back you up, because I’m also disappointed by this backlash.

It’s fun to dissect the show and say each contestant is a “character” with a “backstory,” and amid all the lights and glitter and whatnot, you kind of forget that these are people’s lives. Danny’s loss is not a plot device. It’s real. His wife is more than a sob story, she was a person with a family and friends and dreams.

To put it in perspective, the audience is complaining because they’re sick of hearing about this story after four weeks. How fortunate then, that you can mute the TV or grab a snack from the kitchen if you don’t feel like watching it. Danny isn’t quite so lucky. This is something probably affects him every day, and will probably continue to linger for several years.

To be fair, Danny did say from his very first audition that he was going to try to “live through his wife” by getting on the show and staying as long as he can. It was a little bit creepy, but at least he was upfront about his intentions. And secondly, I thought that his treatment during Hollywood week was a lot more benign. I didn’t feel like they were shoving anything down our throats– in fact, I’m not sure they explicitly mentioned it at any point in Hollywood. They were probably too busy creating artificial drama with Nathaniel, Bikini Girl, and Tatiana. Ugh. That was annoying.

Are the producers overkilling it? Yes. Absolutely. It’s a television show and it’s exploitative by nature. But I expect Rickey fans to be a little more sensitive and sympathetic. For God’s sake, half of you guys started crying when Sanjaya’s sister didn’t make it through Hollywood. Please try to show some respect.

DJ Ryce on February 19, 2009 at 10:09 am
24

Yeah, whatever his intentions were, he is losing fans. You can see it all over the internet.

deb-deb on February 19, 2009 at 10:09 am
25

Could Danny have reacted better? Probably. But we don’t know what was going through his head. If you recall, Ryan asked him and all Danny could say was that he just “wanted to know”…You can’t pinpoint where his thoughts were and what his nerves could have been like. He’s probably never been in a position like that before. He deserves some slack. I for one was glad that he wasn’t falling for Tatiana’s crap. She did make it all about her at the end and that is exactly what the producers were hoping for.

michaelasmom on February 19, 2009 at 10:11 am
26

Just watched the result show here in Singapore, I agree that Ricky Braddy is the best male singer in group 1 and he is such a nice person, too bad he didn’t make it, I’m still hoping he will be in the final through wild card.

pinkanpaula on February 19, 2009 at 10:20 am
27

If people don’t like Danny it’s probably a matter of opinion or taste. My favorite is Adam Lambert so far, but I’m not getting worked up about the nasty things I’ve heard posted about him all over the net(being too gay to win, being smug, being a diva queen).

In the end these are all unfair assesments for contestants. Danny and Adam and etc. But we’re all fans of the show and just judging based on what we are seeing so far.

The whole pimping and front-runner status based on sympathy just bothers me. It just seems like the “Danny Show” this season. There are 24 other contestants for god’s sake! And other male contestants who are just as talented, if not even better, than Danny. Don’t count them out yet.

ADAM LAMBERT FTMFW! (And if I here any queen jokes next week, there will be hell to pay! lol )

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 10:24 am
28

DJ Ryce, I agree… I think what bothers me most and this is based on my perspective as a widow is that people are not comfortable with death. Even though it’s a part of life, they avoid the topic at all costs. People are ticked at the show for shoving it down their throats because they don’t want to deal with it. How do I know this? Well, let me count the ways…the early days of widowhood are filled with empty platitudes and hollow promises. “Just let me know how we can help you…” blah blah blah. The reality is that widows don’t know! They’ve probably not been through it before. You can’t predict your emotions much less the thoughts in your head! It’s a crazy time. I marvel at the things that have gone through my mind. And when I reached out for help, I got slammed. How? You asked? I got fired from my job because yes, the people I worked for were uncomfortable having to relate to me. I merely asked if I could work part time and instead of telling me “no” I got canned. I just wasn’t happy enough for them (even though I did my job and did it well). So when I see a guy who is trying to rise above this tragedy being brought down because some insensitive people just are sick of the story, I will be quick to defend. Too freaking bad! Keep talking about her, I say. I am sure she was a lovely woman and that she was the love of his life. I hope that she is his inspiration to keep on going.

michaelasmom on February 19, 2009 at 10:26 am
29

DJ Ryce,

you say that the Rickey posters should show some more sympathy and politeness towards Danny yet you and others I’ve seen on the site have continued to mock Adam Lambert for his theatricality and flamboyance or alleging that he is a poseur. doesn’t seem fair to me.

For the record, before Adam ever did musical theater, he was in a rock band since high school, and still is. Just because someone has the talent and range to do musical theater and rock music, doesnt make them fake.

I’m sick of constant musical theater bashing from the judges and from the general public. People don’t actually understand how difficult musical theater can be.

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 10:42 am
30

Michael Slezak’s latest column is the BEST reaction to Danny Gokey I’ve read thus far. LMAO.

Slezak: “It’s official, everyone! Season 8 of American Idol is going to be nothing short of miraculous. Sick folks will be healed at the end of each and every results show. The economy will get rescued during a special Wall Street-themed edition of ”Idol Gives Back.” Randy Jackson will become articulate and concise before the beginning of April. And we’ll have one person to thank: The Robert Downey Jr. look-alike who, based on a single live performance, has been labeled ”the redeemer” and ”the hero” (of season 8 or the planet, it remains to be seen), has been envisioned playing ‘’sold-out arenas,” and has been charged by no less a social commentator than Kara DioGuardi with the tall order of ”giving us all hope.”
And because it is useless — no! in fact it is strictly verboten to resist him — I have written a song for this very special contestant, set to the tune of Mariah Carey’s ”Hero.” Please give it a listen, or better yet, sing along:

There’s a hero, if you look in the pimp slot
He’s the dude that Kara says can give us hope.
Will he survive? Ryan sure does like to tease us.
He’s the bespectacled Jesus, of season 8.

When Danny Gokey comes along,
The magic lighting gets turned on.
Then loving close-ups, they arrive,
And you know he will survive.

And just like that Anoop is gone.
He should have picked a better song.
And it becomes as clear as day,
The producers got their way.”

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 10:54 am
31

Re: brownstarz

Please. I told Rickey poster’s to show some respect to Danny Gokey’s dead wife. That has less to do with his singing style than basic human decency. You’ll notice that I never said anything about Danny being my favorite contestant or even liking his singing style. He’s not and I don’t.

It’s a singing competition. Attacking a contestant’s personal life, especially something so incredibly traumatic, is not cool. I’ve never thought it was fair to attack personalities, either, just because we really don’t know anything beyond that hour we see on TV. Their singing ability is fair game. I don’t like Adam’s particular style of singing. Notice that I did not make any negative comments about him, his family, his friends, his alma mater, his congregation, or his co-workers.

Two completely different issues. But thank you for your feedback.

DJ Ryce on February 19, 2009 at 10:56 am
32

MY TWO CENTS WORTH:

I like Danny. No matter how good one is, until you hear you are through, you probably are going to be so nervous that you block everything and everyone else (but Ryan) out. I don’t think he intentionally ignored Tatiana. He was very anxious hence his prodding Ryan with getting to the results. Also, the “smirk” could be nervous smile. It was the “smile” that one does to fight back tears (of joy, sadness, embarrassment). It could’ve been a “relief” smile, but his body still being so tense from anxiety made it look quirky.

The dead wife picture: I didn’t get bothered by it so much, but enough is enough now. I can understand his family maybe saying….Sophie would be proud! But, we, the audience don’t need the constant reminders.

Re Tatiana: I thought the girl could sing!
Not a top 5 though……..
It was clear that TPTB couldn’t stop focussing on her (they kept going to her when Danny was singing!). Even the other contestants who also knew their fates at that point tried to console her AND show some happiness for those who made it through. I felt for Stevie at that point because Tatiana created such a stir all the time, it actually took away from the others’ enjoyment being on stage (as a top 36er) in front of millions of tv viewers.

I think Danny has the frontrunner position now, but, clearly, we haven’t even heard from some of the contestants in groups 2 and 3…and maybe that’s going to be the “twist”…..one of them could be great! And, Danny, who was pimped out won’t have a chance.

That’s what keeps us coming back for more.

I remember when Daughtry lost to McPhee….I remembered my first reaction was that I didn’t like his facial expression at the time. But…..look where he is today!

And, I love Daughtry!

Heck…..what do I know? I’m number 440 in the pool. …. I will probably change my overall pick (from Danny to someone else at some point), because I truly believe that when we see Groups 2 & 3, we are going to see some major talent rise above the rest.

mariadonna on February 19, 2009 at 11:08 am
33

Okay, I never comment but I feel I must now… I could not disagree with this more! Danny absolutely showed her compassion! Both he and Ryan tried to hug her but SHE brushed them off… Watch it again, you’ll see it this time. American Idol has done nothing but pimp Tatiana this ENTIRE time! I can’t believe you’re all complaining about the dead wife versus her sub-par voice and annoying personality that was shown ALL THE TIME! If she would have gone through I wouldn’t have been able to tolerate watching it anymore. Ryan even pointed out (I can’t remember which episode it was) but the only person’s name you can remember right now is Tatiana! Come on people, they have pimped her much more than ANYBODY else and it wasn’t for her talent…

Kalina on February 19, 2009 at 11:48 am
34

I haven’t had time to read what everyone is saying about Danny. I do know people are questioning his motives. Having been in that situation, I can honestly say that when you are still in the grieving process, you sometimes have no idea how to act. I think we need to give Danny a break. He is not responsible for the fact that the photo was held up. My guess was that he wasn’t even aware that they were going to do that. Also, those folks are grieving too, so please give them a break. Death is difficult enough, but to have it happen when you are so young is devasting to the family. Please give Danny a break. He seems like a nice guy to me. He is young himself. On the one hand we get upset when the contestants are so polished and professional, and then when they really are unpolished, we seem to “crucify” them.

LMM on February 19, 2009 at 11:49 am
35

michaelsmom – thanks so much for your story.

Danny has a foundation for children called Sophia’s Heart. There he has some written pieces, one about grief and anger, and one about dreams, and what he learned from children about both. The first one almost made me cry and the second reminded me of Archuleta and his dreams.
http://www.sophiasheart.org/dannys-voice.aspx

So what if Danny cheered before hugging Tatiana. And it looks like Ryan was reaching for her and saying something and Danny let Ryan in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVLYWaXyxAc

The main problem is that they are cutting WAY too many at once.

violet4ever on February 19, 2009 at 11:58 am
36

“I remember when Daughtry lost to McPhee….I remembered my first reaction was that I didn’t like his facial expression at the time. But…..look where he is today!”

Well, Chris was the one *eliminated*. Of course he was going to be surprised and upset. That’s a bit different than someone getting through and doing a victory dance while giving nothing more than a glance to the person whose dream was just crushed.

As annoying as Tatiana has been, she didn’t deserve that. Especially not from someone who has been touted as working at a *church*, for pete’s sake. Wanna talk about showing sympathy…

And, in my opinion, it wasn’t even Danny’s reaction after hearing that he was in. It was that entire little moment that they were standing there with Ryan. Before I even got online and saw that others found him smug, too, there was something about the way he would occasionally glance over at Tatiana that just was really horrible. Like he already knew that he was in or that he just didn’t want to have anything to do with her. Which was probably true, but man, I feel bad for Tatiana.

Regardless of her annoying personality, she’s still a *person* and gosh, she’s been treated like she has the plague all through the season so far. From the way the other contestants looked at her when she was moved into the different room during the last Hollywood cut to the way Nathaniel reacted when she came back to the holding room and said she had made it, to the way Danny treated her last night. Poor girl.

As far as Danny’s whole “wife” thing, I’m sorry for the losses of those in this thread. While I can’t say I’ve ever lost a spouse, I have lost many others that I’ve loved, including both of my parents (while I was still young enough to be living at home), and so I do know what it’s like to grieve. However, that said, I still think Danny needs to stop mentioning his wife each and every time the camera is on him.

Like I’ve said in other threads, the guy has a nice voice. I love his raspy tone. He doesn’t need to rely on his little “I lost my wife, she’s the reason I auditioned, I want to win this for her!” pleas. He needs to let his *talent* carry him through.

dreamr on February 19, 2009 at 12:09 pm
37

Here is Moe’s response (because I’m sure Lauren has looked for it already):

First, Michaelasmom–I am also so sorry to hear of your loss.

I agree with Kalina–Tatiana looked like she got her dramaturgy on and gave the good brush-off. But what do I know?…I’m just a kid.

And to brownstarz– “there’s also proof out on various sites and boards of people who used to be part of the same church as him (Gokey) who have come out and spoken about his arrogance and douchery in the past.” — Did they name their sources? Because if not, I acknowledge that about as much as I enjoyed the group number last night.

How I see it–the Idol producers are running rampant with this, yes. However, I’m happy we heard it from Gokey and on the show than from TMZ, for example. This way, we know the facts are correct, or as Gokey sees them to be.

In all honesty, the guy lost his wife four weeks before the audition. I’m sure his emotions were running high — and perhaps if he could go back, he may have never shared that information. Who knows? But as far as I saw last night, he wasn’t the one holding the picture. And unless the guy is magic, he can’t control what people are doing off stage.

And if they judges want to reign all over him, this definitely wouldn’t be the first (nor I’m sure the last) time. They’ve been wrong plenty of times before (Daughtry, for example), so why backlash now?

Go team!

Moe007 on February 19, 2009 at 12:11 pm
38

Well, the producers wanted to create drama and it sure looks like they did. They play America like a fiddle and we all line up and wait for our turn.

They set Tatiana up for a fall and we are supposed to blame Danny? Tatiana is back there soooo sad because she didn’t make it and getting comforted by a 16 year old girl who also DIDN’T MAKE IT! She is so self absorbeed it is disgusting, but now she is the victim? She is supposedly heartbroken and crying but where were the actual tears? She is so fake.

And just because she reached out to Danny a couple of times in between vamping for the camera and fluffing her hair, Danny is now the villian? That is absurd.

For every single season of AI & SYTYCD the internet community goes crazy over the so-called pimping of contestants. This is a TV show in a competitive market. Of course they are going to exploit and highlight the talent they have, it makes for a better program. Could you imagine ending the show with Jackie, Stevie or any other of the people who sucked? They need viewers to want to watch the show and so they try to leave on a high note.

As for Danny’s wife, are we really surprised that the producers are bringing it up? They do it every single year with every single contesteant. It is what it is. Is Danny supposed to just forget what happened? ‘Get over it’, when it is something he will probably never get over for the rest of his life? He is living with it every single day. He brought it up because it was relevant to the song that he was singing. He went from lowest low to the highest high. If he was just all happy go lucky and not caring about her at all, there would probably be just as much backlash with people calling him an insensitive jerk.

awau on February 19, 2009 at 12:11 pm
39

awau- Totally agree with the whole Tatiana thing. It’s amazing how people can turn at the drop of a hat. One min, she’s the most despised, and then the next people want to come to her defense? Seriously, did we all not see just what kind of person she is? I’m sure all of those contestants got to experience it first hand for quite a while. I have no sympathy for that pyscho.

As for Danny and his arrogance and rumors and such… meh…. alot of singers are douchey. He’ll just have to learn to hide it better lol

And as far as the dead wife goes. I don’t think anyone is telling him to get over it.. that’d just be awful considering that it only happened a short while ago, but the show and his family apparently need to chill with it b/c it’s making him look very bad like he’s using his tragedy to get further.
America likes sob stories, but not when they’re shoved down our throats ALL the time.

Pallaton on February 19, 2009 at 12:21 pm
40

Hey Guys – I have read all of the posts and must say that my first reaction to Danny’s attitude towards Tatiana was that he was pretty rude. As a human being, I believe that it is a natural tendency to comfort another person we see in distress.

I pointed it out to my husband, telling him that Tatiana was reaching out to Danny, and he was ignoring her. My husband said that he thought that Danny was nervous. I also kind of think that Danny did not want to be drawn into her drama. Heck, we all saw her. Even if AI exploited her worse behavior, I still think that she came across as ruthless and selfish in her quest to be a star.

I watch how the other contestants react to her. Most pull away, move away, make faces when they see her. So, IMO, they are resentful or don’t appreciate that she has gotten so much attention for her bad behavior.

I just wish that Danny would have patted her on the shoulder. However, I can’t blame the guy for being afraid to react to her. Heck, she is very unpredictable as to how she would react. So, he probably did the best thing of doing nothing. He, IMO, didn’t play into the producers’ hands by having them go up there together.

As far as the story about his wife: I personally think the AI producers are to blame for the exploitation of her death. I can remember reading about David Arculeta’s story and how they told him that he ‘needed a story.’

To me, grieving is a personal and private matter that should not be exploited by a television show. I didn’t see anything wrong with Danny telling his story the very first time. However, the show should have let it drop because I consider it to be in poor taste to keeping bringing it up. I don’t blame Danny for this, though. I understand that Danny is doing this for his wife. I don’t think that his relative should have flashed the same photo that AI is using of the couple. This seemed kind of staged to me.

I think that AI producers manipulate the public. If I hadn’t read Dean Kaelin’s account of how AI operates, I would be none the wiser. The contestants were restricted in their song choices, orchestra arrangements and how they could arrange or sing the songs. I think that they wanted Cook to win last season.

Don’t get me wrong. David Cook was probably the better choice because he is more at ease with the public. He probably is a better representative for the AI machine. He also is a “rocker” with a decent voice. I still prefer David Archuleta’s voice. However, by record sales, a greater percentage prefer Cook.

My husband and I were very disappointed with the first show. We thought that there was some real talent this season, but it definitely didn’t show with their performances. Even one of our favorites–Anoop Desai–didn’t do his best by a long shot.

I agree with those who say that Ricky Braddy was the best singer of the night. We all know that this is not just about singing. It is, after all, a television show. So, I’d say that Ricky, Alexis and Danny were the best of the night.

For selfish reasons, I still want Anoop to get the wild card. Does anyone know how the wild card selection works?

supershopper on February 19, 2009 at 12:23 pm
41

I’m only going to say this once… The death of a spouse is NOT the same as the death of a parent, child, grandparent, sibling, friend or pet. While each of those are definitely terrible, the grief is something entirely different. When you lose your spouse, you lose a part of yourself. And you can’t realize it until it’s gone. Part of the process is figuring out who you are because who you used to be was part of a duo. In the middle of all that are the emotions and freaky crap that goes on in your head. Reconciling all of that and trying to be a “normal” person is a difficult task. Danny deserves the benefit of the doubt. You don’t have to like his style of singing but for heaven’s sake, he’s a human being who should be allowed to make mistakes and rise above them. Heaven forbid any of you are taken to task in such a public way.

michaelasmom on February 19, 2009 at 12:24 pm
42

I bet you $23 & a box of ho-ho’s that Danny’s guest in the red room was prompted/required by the producer’s to hold up the picture specifically for that shot.

I can’t imagine that guy sitting up there in the room…not even bothering to watch Danny live from the balcony…and pestering a cameraman to shoot him holding up a tiny picture.

100% staged by the producers. Book it.

baka77 on February 19, 2009 at 12:27 pm
43

violet4ever, there’s more to that foundation that meets the eye. just sayin…

Moe007, here’s the proof:

http://topidol.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/the-curious-world-of-faith-builders-international-ministries/

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 12:28 pm
44

Also, why would Danny be upset for Tatiana? She’s almost assured to make another appearance in the WC round. They have poured too much airtime into her not to bring her back.

Is it possible his alleged smirk is directed towards the producers & their not-so-subtle game?

baka77 on February 19, 2009 at 12:32 pm
45

“I’m only going to say this once… The death of a spouse is NOT the same as the death of a parent, child, grandparent, sibling, friend or pet.”

Wow. Way to make me feel horrible, michaelasmom. I’m sorry that my pain and the pain of others who may have lost someone doesn’t compare to yours and Danny’s.

dreamr on February 19, 2009 at 12:40 pm
46

Sorry, dreamr…I’ve lost other family members too. And I stand by it..it doesn’t compare. All loss is painful and sad and terrible. I’m sorry if what i said offended you..but truth be told, the loss of a spouse is on a whole different plane and it cannot be adequately expressed unless it’s been experienced first hand. I’m just very sensitive to the plight of widow(er)s and frankly, getting sick of some of the crass comments and insensitivity.

However..that being said, I am sorry that I offended you.

michaelasmom on February 19, 2009 at 12:45 pm
47

You know, that takes a lot of assumption on your part to even begin to imagine that what I’ve been through doesn’t compare to what you’ve been through. You have no idea how close I was to my parents or how I lost them.

As for insensitivity regarding Danny’s loss, your comment doesn’t show that you have any less.

dreamr on February 19, 2009 at 12:47 pm
48

though his loss is very tragic, the insinuation that someone MUST feel sorry for Danny and if they don’t then they are labeled as insensitive is utterly ridiculous. It gives off the same holier than thou attitude that Gokey is giving off.

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 12:52 pm
49

I’m not usually into Idol conspiracy theories, but this year everything is so so SO super extra mega manipulative. It leaves me wondering if the judges aren’t purposely wetting themselves over Danny to set the stage for an underdog take-over by someone like Felicia Barton or Matt Giraud. That story arc worked so well last season, maybe they’re trying to force it this season.

laff on February 19, 2009 at 1:03 pm
50

I agree Laff.

It’s also really sad that everyone is talking more about the “drama” instead of the singers talents right now. how far idol has come. maybe the new porn star producer wasn’t such a good idea? lol.

brownstarz on February 19, 2009 at 1:14 pm
51

michaelasmom, honestly – time and place. Of COURSE Danny Gokey is grieving, as he should. Nobody is denying that here. But AI is a singing competition, not a widower support group. Whatever his motives – constantly bringing up his wife (or allowing his friends to do it) simply makes him look like a tacky, shameless, exploitative ass.

laff on February 19, 2009 at 1:16 pm
52

This is manipulative and in very poor taste. I can’t believe they’ve gone to this extent with it. This is a singing competition not a movie on Lifetime.

I think Gokey came off like a jerk last night. I felt bad for Tatiana and I don’t even like her drama queen antics. Danny has no class at all.

Natalia on February 19, 2009 at 1:28 pm
53

dreamr, point taken. Again, I am sorry. I guess my emotions still run high on this topic. And in trying to convey what I really meant, it all got lost in translation…bottom line, it’s mean to say those things about his wife or to call him those names. Say what you will about his singing, but judging him about his loss or that he wants to talk about it at all, isn’t fair – especially when we all know the show probably puts him up to it.

laff, of course it’s not a widower support group but if he wants to bring it up because it’s his source of inspiration, he should feel welcome to do so without such harsh criticism. Just as Tatiana is obviously passionate about this being her “dream” why can it not be Danny’s dream, too? Is it not everyone’s dream that appear on AI anyway? Frankly, I’d like to hear them not say that.. WE KNOW! Just SING!

Anyway, we all know what they say when one “ASS-U-ME s”. I did today and look at dreamr thinks of me…

Back to the competition, let’s just get to the top 12 already! I’m not ready to pick a favorite just yet!

michaelasmom on February 19, 2009 at 1:30 pm
54

The “proof” brownstarz, included the name of “Please respect the anonymity of the person who sent me this information”. That is one, complicated name.

It’s too easy to say such things that individual chose to when you don’t have to attach your name to it. Yet I see they have no problem talking about Pastors Jeff and Robin Pruitt, their children and Gokey.

Not naming your sources and taking this crap verbatim is as annoying to me as I’m going to guess being called “insensitive” is to you. Then again, some people thrive on anonymity more than others.

Moe007 on February 19, 2009 at 1:31 pm
55

i hate this, how do you know danny wanted his friends to show the photo on tv? all they want to do is to celebrate her life , have have ppl to remember her. what is the differnce between that and ppl wearing those shirts that have pictures of ppl that have passed away? as for the end he embrased her but he was also happy he made it threw i’m sure thats what that smile was for. not because she didn’t make it threw but it was because he was happy he made it threw. somtimes having self confidence is somthing that will help , there not there to make friends , only 1 person wins.

abercrombieco2 on February 19, 2009 at 1:40 pm
56

You’re supposed to win on your ability to sing, not because you’ve had a tragedy in your life. Constantly exploiting this issue for personal gain is tasteless.

Natalia on February 19, 2009 at 1:53 pm
57

RE: Sensitivy/Insensitivy to the grieving

You know what. I have a best friend who lost her father to a terminal illness a few years ago. While her father was dying, I watched her go through enormous grief and pain. I did my BEST to be supportive, listen, console her, help her, try to lift her mood. Only to regularly be snapped at for “not understanding” what she’s going through. I regularly sat through rants of “no one gets it! no one understands my pain!”.

While that was true, I really didn’t get it.
Quite frankly, I ended up at a total loss over how to deal with the friend. We’re still friends but for the most part, I’ve just backed off of the topic. Because clearly I’m not equipped to handle it – and shouldn’t be expected to.

I guess that’s why there are things like grief counseling and groups for people who’ve been through similar experiences can share and heal together.

I sympathize over Danny’s loss. But it makes me uncomfortable to be forced to witness a strangers grieving process on national television every week. Especially on what is suppose to be a TALENT COMPETITION and not grief therapy.

snuffles on February 19, 2009 at 2:03 pm
58

Amen.

Klope62 on February 19, 2009 at 2:44 pm
59

I do think Idol’s gone a bit far and defining Gokey as the “death wife guy” but, seriously, if he didn’t have the chops he wouldn’t have been voted through. Get over people.

If his wife were alive, she would be in the audience. If he was a single mom (Fantasia), we’d be hearing about that too. You people aren’t ignorant of how the show operates.

As far as the link in the comment about how evil Gokey’s church is, again, get over it. Oh dear me, a musical director argued musical points with band and choir members. That arrogant rat bastard how dare he do what he’s paid to do!

I’m tired of the angle Idol is using but I doubt Danny has much control over how they package him. Get a grip people.

druzilla on February 19, 2009 at 3:07 pm
60

Am I the only one who saw that Danny did, indeed, hug that hair-fluffing chunk of self-absorption last night after learning that he was going through and she was not? He even made a sympathetic little pout-type face at her while they were waiting to learn the results.

I didn’t see any dickishness. I just saw a guy who wanted to know the results already, who wanted to breathe a sigh of relief no matter what the result, and who was really happy that he was the one who made it through.

Again, I felt no sympathy for Tatiana. She’s the self-serving one here. And, of course, clearly off her rocker.

Jodi on February 19, 2009 at 5:17 pm
61

The “Danny can’t help how he’s being packaged” argument would have worked with me if the subject weren’t being brought up every hour on the hour. Also, David Cook never mentioned his brother once on the show last season and it was never part of how he was “packaged”.

Natalia on February 19, 2009 at 5:17 pm
62

P.S. Right on, Druzilla. I couldn’t agree more.

Jodi on February 19, 2009 at 5:24 pm
63

SOMEONE ON THE INTERNET ANONYMOUSLY POSTED SOMETHING THAT SAYS DANNY GOKEY IS A DOUCHE. i am sold. this is gospel.

i guess the bible was written anonymously too, wasn’t it?

desi on February 19, 2009 at 6:06 pm
64

You mean David Cook never once mentioned his brother except for putting his initials on his guitar so we would all know who he was singing for and if we didn’t we would ask, “Hey what is that big A C for on his guitar?” Oh and they never flew his brother in for the shows and they never put the close-up camera on his brother either.

hanny47 on February 19, 2009 at 6:42 pm
65

The initials “AC” are the initials of BOTH David Cook’s brothers, the younger of which was the entire catalyst for Cook auditioning for Idol in the first place.

And no, Cook never allowed his situation to be mentioned on the show nor did he preach or proselytize about his indomitable spirit and how he could be an inspiration to others.

Natalia on February 19, 2009 at 6:51 pm
66

I enjoyed all those little smirks Danny made at her – everyone knows that she’s completely fake and he wasn’t having it. She totally deserved it.

binary on February 19, 2009 at 7:43 pm
67

David Cook has been putting both of his brother’s initals on his guitar since he was a kid. David never spoke about his brother being sick publicly while on the show – ever. I think this whole thing about Danny needs to be dropped already. People are making this a way bigger deal than Danny or Idol ever did.

LMM on February 19, 2009 at 8:42 pm
68

Also, Tatiana is very unstable. People seem genuinely afraid of her. The fact that she could go off on them at any minute, would make any sane person want to keep their distance, especially when she has just been told she was voted off. I love that America wasn’t manipulated by her. Thank goodness she’s gone. Now let’s hope the producers don’t bring her back. If they do, I’m done watching for this season. Or at least until she’s voted off again!

LMM on February 19, 2009 at 8:50 pm
69

You think Gokey treated Tatiana like that because he’s afraid of her? What did he think she was going to do? Break his 3-D glasses?

Natalia on February 19, 2009 at 9:51 pm
70

this is geting way out of hand your comparing david cooks sick brother to dannys dead wife? it seems like ppl are trying to make danny look bad on purpose to help make other ppl popular. lets nof forget the stuff ppl said about Tatiana on the internet and how much ppl hated her , and isn’t this the same person who said thank me im so good and we are are suposed to feel bad for her?its funny the same ppl that made fun of her are probally the same ppl that were bashing her like crazy. `

abercrombieco2 on February 19, 2009 at 10:01 pm
71

Yeah this sounds fishy:
http://topidol.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/more-about-danny-gokeys-church-charity/

BTW is the person writing this stuff American Idol reject Chris Bernheisel?
In the About comments here:
“Hi, Chris. I picked up the domain name, http://www.chrisbernheisel.com and wondered if you were interested in it.”
http://topidol.wordpress.com/about/
Only audition video I could find…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6yqn-jOJ5Q

Re Tatiana – I hope they throw her back to torture everybody. She’s gotta lose that new Xanax personality though.

violet4ever on February 19, 2009 at 11:08 pm
72

Wow! I must say, it is really different looking in from the outside… now that I am TOTALLY detached from the hoopla of AI … well, let’s just say I’m seeing things from a totally different perspective with no emotional strings attached … I went thru that emotional roller coaster last season and I knew that was it for me … I’m soooooo glad I don’t have the slightest need to watch anymore! WOOHOO!! …. um, except if a certain someone were to return and perform … ahem!

It’s interesting too for me to learn what is going on just by reading rickey’s and not actually watching the show.

Anyway, so …. I really see everyone’s viewpoints from both sides and can understand everyone’s take on things. It just blows my mind that after reading everything, I’m not worked up about anything… feels … almost liberating! But I can see how people on both sides can get worked up over this…. and it just might be a really long season for some of you … sigh, been there, done that! … but it’s all good now!

Hanny! … you cracked me up there! HAHA!! You were the last person I thought I’d find here! …that is if you’re the one I’m thinking of from last season –If you are, then it’s GREAT to see you again!! hehehe! hope you are well!

MomWithODD on February 19, 2009 at 11:45 pm
73

hi michaelasmom … I don’t know if you remember me, but I certainly remember you from last season because my neice’s name is also micaela… anyway, I’m sorry for your loss and I hope things are getting better for you. take care!

MomWithODD on February 19, 2009 at 11:53 pm
74

I lost my dear husband and I would never have being on a TV reality show (it not a singing contest, has never being and never will be) 4 months after his death (nor any of my widowed friends). No matter how you handle grief, there is a minimum of respect, privacy and decency for the person gone to be respected. Danny opening a foundation and then auditioning for AI 4 months after her passing… come on! His wife passing: sad yes, using her passing to promote himself: creepy at best!

jojojaya on February 20, 2009 at 12:03 am
75

Hmmm…

Okay, for the poster who posted about the link to Faith Builders and the charity for his wife…that myth has already been debunked by the hater of all AI sites..VTFW…go read and find out. Don’t spread false info.

For the posters who can’t comprehend he would go on AI so soon after losing his ex-wife…google her bebo page…she was clearly an AI fan and considered herself one of the “soul patrol.” This was his way of doing something she wanted him to do; that is also why it is so exciting to him that he makes the Top 12; kind of like he is sharing something with her, even though she’s gone.

To those who compare his wife’s death to Cook’s brother…not even the same. AI didn’t find out about DC’s brother until later on in the competition, so they didn’t get to pimp the crap out of it upfront. AI found out about this early on and had the opportunity (and motive) to pimp it until it has turned normal, caring people into rabid, ugly dogs. Yes, Danny gave them the info, but, if your spouse had just passed away a few months ago, and you were auditioning because you know she was a fan, wouldn’t you mention it? Actually, if any loved one of mine passed away, I imagine I’d be talking about it a lot, not for sympathy, but because, for some people, it’s a coping mechanism.

Has it gotten out of control…well, yes. Is it Danny’s fault? Not really; it’s the fault of everyone as a whole, but mostly TPTB. Look at the publicity it’s generating…yes, yes, AI, we all fell into your trap once again…we will never learn.

I am the biggest Danny fan ever? No. I think he’s fairly good, depending on the song choice. I actually think I will be a huge Adam fan, with Danny falling somewhere between 2-6, and I am really rooting for Anoop to be brought back, and I think Rick Braddy got the raw end of the stick, so, no, I’m not a lovestruck Danny fan trying to defend him, just one of the few rational people left out there who is also willing to do a little googling to learn something about a person before randomly trashing them…….

Tatiana… I kind of enjoyed the crazy girl, but… her actions were repulsive on Wed…she wasn’t the crazy girl that was entertaining…she was a spoiled, little snot. EIGHT other people got the boot Wed!!! Did they act like her? No. AI set up the “down to the wire final 2″, so they are at fault. Danny, Ryan and I think, Casey or Stevie (look again..look closer) are the ONLY
three people that would even hug her!!! The others either avoided her, or tapped her on the shoulder, when she came to cry on them. Sheesh!!! Guess what? They had just been dumped on by AI too, and we are all supposed to weep for she who got the most screentime because Danny and the other rejectees didn’t fall all over her? I didn’t see Michael Sarver or Alexis Grace run to console her with a hug? Are they bad people now too? Obviously, none of them cared much for her…do you blame them? She’s entertaining to watch (when she’s not heavily medicated), irritating on her meds, and someone I wouldn’t want to spend much time losing sleep over either.

Go Team michaelasmom! I just said that because I agree with nearly all of your comments, so won’t bother to repeat your sentiments on losing a loved one!

silvercloud on February 20, 2009 at 1:52 am
76

i totally agree, jojojaya. i was sick of him from the very beginning, only partly because of idol’s pimping and more because of his own pimping. and it’s not four months; his first audition was four WEEKS after her passing. hope giver? despicable.

jaded on February 20, 2009 at 2:01 am
77

Yes, it was 4 weeks, not 4 months…I didn’t realize I typed months…. and……. doesn’t change anything. Who wouldn’t be talking about it, thinking about it…in fact, thinking of little else…while doing something he knew she enjoyed… sigh…

silvercloud on February 20, 2009 at 2:08 am
78

brb changing my rickey.org username.

desi on February 20, 2009 at 2:26 am
79

I have seen a lot of backlash towards Gokey. I am kinda indifferent towards him because I want to see ALL the singers first to make my pick, but I have noticed the ‘dead wife’ thingy. At first I thought it was quite sad, but now I kinda don’t think it is helping him.

Davidourboywonder on February 20, 2009 at 3:28 am
80

i kinda agree with silvercloud. this is after all a tv show. who knows, this might be another manufactured drama by AI.

but for the most part i do dislike the overpimping but I don’t dislike the person. who are we to judge him based on an hour’s worth of a tv show. and I think hate is to strong of a word to be used against a contestant.

i just wish Nigel was still in AI? he would’ve probably handled things better. It’s kind of sad that Danny has to take the brunt of all the negativity.

its great that someone like silvercloud actually checks the facts first.

i wish danny, adam and matt giraud the best.

themanwashere on February 20, 2009 at 7:39 am
81

This was the wonderful thing about David Cook. He NEVER allowed Idol to pimp the terminal illness of his brother, nor did he do it himself. They tried to force it out of him at times (remember Ryan asking him about his tears following his performance of Always Be My Baby when his brother was in the audience?) Fans cared, and worked to help his brother themselves, but found David’s humbleness endearing and dignified. I really think Danny is a good person and is a bit unaware of what is happening to him.

cisforcooky on February 20, 2009 at 10:35 am
82

lol, desi.

Kobisan on February 20, 2009 at 10:48 am
83

I am not sick of anybody or anything except Tatiana and the whole show format this year.

Simon has too much control – 2 votes out of 5 (1 1 1 2). Add to that the MASSIVE cuts and the wildcards and this is not the people’s pick any more. This is 19E’s pick. And I don’t know how much more of it I can watch.

That said, I have no grievances against Danny. I like his singing and I felt it. I don’t think he is good enough to win, but I like him. Anoop and Ricky should both still be in the game, but at least one of them won’t be because AI’s changes suck.

violet4ever on February 20, 2009 at 12:14 pm
84

re: silvercloud

Hooray! The voice of sanity and reason has returned!

“Actually, if any loved one of mine passed away, I imagine I’d be talking about it a lot, not for sympathy, but because, for some people, it’s a coping mechanism.”

I think you raise up a very good point. Not to make this board the most depressing thread ever, but just a quick example, my roommate’s mother just passed away (very young and very unexpectedly), and for the first couple weeks, she brought it up incessantly. It was almost like she needed to remind everybody that it happened, or else she wouldn’t believe it herself. True, it could get a little uncomfortable, but I think it was her own personal way of showing acceptance.

People cope with tragedy and hardship in a variety of ways. Some people will get depressed and want to stay in bed for days. Others will do the opposite and engage in all sorts of activities to keep busy and distracted. Most people will violently swing back and forth between both.

All of the contestants have their personal motivations that drive them to this competition. Lil Rounds and Michael Sarver had hardships in their life. Alexis Grace is a single mother. Nathaniel has a messed up childhood. A few of the contestants just want a record deal. Norman Gentle seems in it for the fun. I don’t see how Danny coming on this show in memory of his wife is any better or worse.

To be sure, TPTB overdid it with the exposure and the clips. It’s hard to say how much control Danny himself had over his packaging. The contestants aren’t the editors, after all. I question the taste of the producers, but I’d like to give the person the benefit of the doubt.

DJ Ryce on February 20, 2009 at 1:50 pm
85

Danny is actually a puppet. Didn’t you notice one of the producers with his hand up Danny’s back? They are talking for him and Danny is just moving his mouth. And the video of Danny’s proposal to his late wife? It fell out of the sky and landed in the lap of one of the producers. And the producers forced Danny’s family member to show a picture of his late wife on the show. At gunpoint. Yeah.

Natalia on February 20, 2009 at 3:55 pm
86

Danny’s a media whore to the worst degree. nuff said.

brownstarz on February 20, 2009 at 4:25 pm
87

changing user names are fun, right?

brownstarz on February 20, 2009 at 4:27 pm
88

ppl on the net have no shame. while i don’t like the show using what happend to danny to put him as a star on the show. i doubt this is what he is doing. all he is doing is celebrating his wifes life and hes doing it for her. if you see ppl on tv with shirts of there loved ones from a tragedy , do you say there wearing those shirts because they want to be on tv? or are they celebrating there loved ones life. if you had some one really close to you , pass away , wouldn’t you want ppl to know about them, wouldn’t you talk about them? would you show pictures to ppl? its just sad how ppl are trying to turn this around on danny to try to hurt his popularity . what about all those i’m poor storys and this is my one chance to make it to esecape from being poor. every one has a sob story , yet if you like them you won’t bash them for it won’t u. you’ll just bash the ones you don’t like.

abercrombieco2 on February 20, 2009 at 5:09 pm
89

Someone is having fun hating on Danny here. You know what else is fun? Playing with plastic bags, pills and pillow cases. It’s Fricken American Idol, they do what they want and get millions of people to dial in useless votes. It’s good entertainment nonetheless.

Helen91 on February 20, 2009 at 5:19 pm
90

You’ve got to be effing kidding me!!!

I am so sick of the assinine remarks being made about Danny’s personal loss. He’s been through a lot and I cannot believe that stupid people want to make it out to be something to get sympathy and votes. JERKS!

WTF is wrong with holding up his wife’s picture? Should he pretend she didn’t exist? Why can’t he keep her memory alive and show her picture?

He is not smug at all. He just didn’t want to set that psycho Tatiana into full drama queen mode before the decision could be announced. He did give her a hug afterwards. Why is that good enough? WTF was he supposed to do?

I saw these same kind of assinine remarks made about David Cook and he didn’t even let anyone know about his brother. I swear some of the American Idol fans will go down in history as being the biggest jerks ever to watch reality TV.

stc_3391 on February 20, 2009 at 6:56 pm
91

To all of you that think he is doing this to get votes…..I give you the finger. Jerks!

stc_3391 on February 20, 2009 at 6:59 pm
92

Uh, I watched that part over again to see if I missed what the big fuss was about, and I am shocked. I saw nothing wrong, wtf? He actually gave her a hug. And why wouldn’t he be smiling, he just made it through to the next round. What, you want him to be fake (like Tatiana) and not smile, pretend he’s not happy he made it??? People on the Net are LAME! It’s not like he yelled ‘ha ha!’ or anything like that…

sweetangel1051 on February 20, 2009 at 7:11 pm
93

92 comments! rickey you must be happy

Helen91 on February 20, 2009 at 10:43 pm
94

92 comments is nothing for Rickey. Our boy’s gotten hundreds for other posts in the past, and I think may have even approached 1,000 for some Archuleta stuff last season.

Rickey has not yet BEGUN to rock!

Jodi on February 21, 2009 at 7:49 am
95

yes in the past…. 92 is a lot for him lately. Rickey himself has said that he hasn’t been getting a lot of posters since last season ended… nvm.

Helen91 on February 21, 2009 at 8:44 am
96

Go Danny! He should be happy for himself making it past this round. Isn’t that why they are all there? I hope he wins it all.

Lisa-Lisa on February 21, 2009 at 2:10 pm
97

Compare the difference between Danny and Archie. They acted totally different after they were gushed over by the judges.

Davidourboywonder on February 22, 2009 at 4:32 am
98

why the hell are you comparing danny to david? while you’re at it lets compare danny to banana man and then danny to recylcling bins.

Helen91 on February 22, 2009 at 4:54 pm
99

GO DANNY!!!!!!!!!!

GEEZ GUYS, JUST IMAGINE HOW EMPTY AND BORING THESE BOARDS AND BLOGS WOULD BE IF THERE WAS NO PIMPING OF ANYONE ON THE SHOW…

THAT’S WHAT THIS SHOW IS ALL ABOUT….CONTROVERSY!!! MEDIA AND RATINGS = MONEY PEOPLE

love4elliott on February 23, 2009 at 7:26 pm
100

did Archie’s wife die? how are you comparing them both? david a is a nieve young kid . i think two totaly differnt situations. ppl are just looking for stuff that isn’t even there , oh no he had a smile on his face when he was told hes in the top 12. he must be a jerk. i guess you can’t be happy at all.

abercrombieco2 on February 24, 2009 at 10:13 pm
101

Rickey, what gives you the right to judge someone’s emotions after they’ve lost someone dear to them? I lost my mother six years ago and it still hurts. With all of his emotions from losing his wife and then being on the show and being picked for the top 12, his emotions were probably all over the place. He deserved to be happy because he’s an awesome singer.

As for Tatiana, I watched her after Danny won and she stood back behind the other contestants bawling her eyes out when the rest of the contestants were happy and clappying for Danny. All Tatiana could think of was herself. She’s self-centered and I REALLY HOPE THEY DO NOT ASK HER BACK FOR THE WILDCARD ROUND!!!!!! I can’t stand her.

aifan2boot on February 26, 2009 at 9:50 pm
102

You couldn’t be more wrong.

Let’s kill the person you love and see if you can’t help but be completely consumed by it.

He isn’t “pimping” his dead wife. The producers know it makes for good television and that is why they keep bringing it up.

As for Tatiana, she deserves to be smirked at, to say the least. She was a complete and total drama queen and ego maniac with somewhat greater than average singing talent.

Danny Gokey is the best all around contestant so far in my opinion.

But what do I know, I don’t have my own domain name.

Mike Jones on March 11, 2009 at 10:47 pm
103

Totally disagree, I thought Tatiana was a selfish, ridiculous brat who thought this show was for her and her only. As far as Danny is concerned, you cannot blame him for “pimping” his wife, he hardly talks about it. No one should pass judgment on this subject unless they have, unfortunately, been in the situation. Danny is a fantastic singer and I hope he wins or at least makes it to the finals!!

Laura Donovan on March 26, 2009 at 7:55 am
104

Tatiana was the drama queen, and her weird laugh. im glad danny beat her out. and jeez ur hating on danny, get a life, his wife just passed away show some sympathy god! its not his fault the camera likes him. he has an interesting story. and he isnt pimping his wife died. put urself in ur shoes. if ur wife died…u wouldnt want ppl hating on u just bcuz tv likes ur background…
GO DANNY!!!!!!

Neenah on March 28, 2009 at 11:10 am
105

really loving Danny’s voice and his talent which is what it’s about. I do hate it when shows like this use a person’s background to make them appealing to the public and it’s a real shame it’s backfired because I truely believe that he has the talent to go all the way. I’ll be happy if it’s him and Adam in the final. Tit – ania wasn’t entirely all there and i was glad when she didn’t get through. I do believe though that Danny needs to pull a performance out of the bag like the one in hollywood group week when they sang a queen song find me somebody to love. It showed his style and great vocals. I’m going now as I feel thats enough gushing about him for one day.

Anna on March 28, 2009 at 4:39 pm