Jermaine Jones [will be removed from] the show Wednesday [because of] his criminal record, which he hid from Idol's producers. TMZ reports that Jones was charged with two crimes in 2011, one involving violence, and in both instances he gave a fake name to cops when arrested. Even more surprising (particularly for the person responsible for vetting the contestants), Jones also has outstanding warrants.Interestingly, the linked TMZ report doesn't name Jones. Perhaps it did before. It's a better ratings-goosing teaser if we don't know who the person is. Why didn't they catch the outstanding warrants? How do we know they didn't? This could all have been a set-up. Jones was originally eliminated from the competition at the point where the judges got the numbers down to 12 males and 12 females. Then, at the end of that show, they had a ratings-teasing announcement that they'd decided to bring back one of 4 of the males they had just eliminated, so that the show would go forward the next week with an uneven number of males and females. That was all very odd. I suspect they brought Jones back because they knew they'd be kicking him out later in a shockingly dramatic confrontation.
Through reality-show editing, Jones has been portrayed as a gentle giant (he's huge) and a big "mama's boy." "Mama" has been shown numerous times. Viewers have been encouraged to see him as a big lovable teddy bear. That has been similar to the presentation of Ruben Studdard, who was the ultimate winner in the second season of the series. Studdard is the only black man who has ever won the show, for what that's worth.
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Since when did a criminal record become a disqualification to a career as a pop star? Most days, it seems like a job requirement. Snark aside, I am surprised that they would boot off a guy with a criminal record.
I would rather watch a ShamWow infomercial than American Idol. Why do you do this to yourself, Professor? :(
If that was true in sports, there'd be like, what, five players left?
And if it was just a drug bust, no problemo, he can become Senator and then President one day. Primo!
Just can't be an American Idol winner.
Be as suspicious of the news since forever.
It's all audience ratings.
You can't get a large part of the population, but you can get 40% of women, which is big enough to pay the bills.
Guys are not going to tune in to either one.
"...and in both instances he gave a fake name to cops when arrested
Another 5 Wisconsin voters found!
He seems a very simple man, doesn't he?
I like the way they've changed the off-ing this year.
This will not be bad for his career as a singer.
I wonder if it ends with him being arrested.
Cops meets American Idol!
"Since when did a criminal record become a disqualification to a career as a pop star? Most days, it seems like a job requirement. Snark aside, I am surprised that they would boot off a guy with a criminal record."
It's a wholesome family show (except when it's not). They are inviting young kids to identify with and support the contestants, and they put immense resources behind the winner. They have rules. You can't have a criminal record. Those who have criminal records are not even supposed to be competing. They had a previous case where the person had an undisclosed criminal record and he was kicked off.
They also exclude people who've done pornography, and they kicked off one of our favorites years ago because she'd done some posing in lingerie that was displayed on a sexy website.
It takes a certain degree of malevolent cyniscism to take advantage of traditional mores that you oppose and undermine.
Hollywood demands a clean record for the show's participants, but simultaneously flouts those same rules, and votes to undo them, or creates entertainment mocking those values.
Fen's law again.
In news that even more gripping and more vital to our daily lives, Turkmenistan's 2005 cotton harvest exceeded expectations.
paging messrs jackson and sharpton
On camera? Eeuuuw.
Or maybe it's a lesson for today's kids: Don't conceal your criminal record when making your reality show.
The phantom of Oprah lives on.
Althouse, yeah, but Frenchie came back and scored big on The Voice. Maybe J. Jones can shave his head and do the same.
Let unasked: Why would someone do this? I mean, you've got to know that TMZ or some other website is going to dig up dirt on anyone who makes the final 12. Maybe he's surprised he made it this far.
"They also exclude people who've done pornography, and they kicked off one of our favorites years ago because she'd done some posing in lingerie that was displayed on a sexy website."
This is a pretty serious allegation; thus it needs fact checking.
Which contestant was this? I'll look into it.
"Studdard is the only black man who has ever won the show, for what that's worth."
Are we counting again? You can't escape your instincts can you?
Last years black male - the fat gay gospel singer Jacob Lusk that really revolted a fair share of the listeners with his self-indulgent note-milking - also had an arrest record.
Why do people tune into Idol?
Because it appeals to certain demographics. Older women, sparkle cows, teeny boppers, country music fans, those that like a little ginned up drama and some eye candy - in some very talented young singers.
The talent is there. Sometimes raw and quirky (Siobhan Magnus), sometimes polished (Adam Lambert, Hailey Reinhart, David Cook).
This year they have a brilliant young singer in Jessica Sanchez.
This was the first year that my wife and I have watched from the beginning; we caught on late last season. A shame. We both liked Jermaine.
So would Derrick Bell (and Soledad O'Brien) agree that American Idol should now be a subject of Critical Race Theory? After all, the only contestant they've kicked off the show for criminality is a young black man.
They also exclude people who've done pornography, and they kicked off one of our favorites years ago because she'd done some posing in lingerie that was displayed on a sexy website.
I'll be the judge of that!
"Studdard is the only black man who has ever won the show, for what that's worth."
Clearly, American Idol is a racist show...
If that was true in sports, there'd be like, what, five players left?
Can you imagine Affirmative Action in the NFL? 3/4ths of the starting cornerbacks would be white. I can't even name name three. Can anyone?
Be as suspicious of the news since forever. It's all audience ratings.
Agreed. I would not be at all surpised to discover that Survivor and all the other "contestant" shows (Project Runway, et al) are completely scripted and staged. With the winner determined before the filming even starts. Makes you wonder what that $5 million disclosure is needed to conceal...
Can he sing?
Trey
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