Dear Nigel Lythgoe: I am fat and I have sex and get naked. A lot. Thank you.
I'm a little late to the party with this, but I've been really bothered by the fact that Frenchie Davis was unceremoniously kicked off the second season of American Idol for topless photos on the internet, while X-rated photos of Antonella Barba emerged that show her topless while actually engaged in the act of sex (Granted, not according to the Clintonian definition, but we'll go with the definition of the current White House administration, shall we?) and yet we were still subjected to weeks of her tone deaf warbling until America collectively spat her out.
One argument is that Davis was paid for modeling while Barba is just a cheap date. But what is also interesting is that Davis claims that she disclosed the existence of the photos to AI producers from the start, while I somehow doubt that Barba disclosed her night of too many Flirtinis with her date and his camera phone.
Davis is black, plus-sized, and immensely talented. Barba is white, looks like a Bratz doll, and has marginal vocal ability. While there have been black idols and overweight idols that have gone quite far, do the producers prefer their Idols lumped into one of two categories: either you're a sex symbol or you are nontraditionally attractive yet powerfully talented. And while it is possible to be sexy and talented (see Clarkson, Kelly), please don't remind the nation that fat people have sex.
Is it justified that Frenchie got shown the door while Antonella continued to perform each week? Am I just being over-sensitive to fatism and continuing to show my bias toward plus-sized Idol contestants? Would Mandisa have been kicked out if candid photos had surfaced of her giving her man some oral pleasure?
One argument is that Davis was paid for modeling while Barba is just a cheap date. But what is also interesting is that Davis claims that she disclosed the existence of the photos to AI producers from the start, while I somehow doubt that Barba disclosed her night of too many Flirtinis with her date and his camera phone.
Davis is black, plus-sized, and immensely talented. Barba is white, looks like a Bratz doll, and has marginal vocal ability. While there have been black idols and overweight idols that have gone quite far, do the producers prefer their Idols lumped into one of two categories: either you're a sex symbol or you are nontraditionally attractive yet powerfully talented. And while it is possible to be sexy and talented (see Clarkson, Kelly), please don't remind the nation that fat people have sex.
Is it justified that Frenchie got shown the door while Antonella continued to perform each week? Am I just being over-sensitive to fatism and continuing to show my bias toward plus-sized Idol contestants? Would Mandisa have been kicked out if candid photos had surfaced of her giving her man some oral pleasure?
Labels: american idol, celebrity, fatism, media
posted by Weetabix at 6:28 AM
6 Comments:
Has it been proven that the sex photos were her? I thought everyone's been denying that?
Of course, anyone who reads my blog knows my opinions on porn and all of that. I thought Frenchie was given a raw deal when it happened. However, I don't think she was cut because of the photos but because she chose to take part in a public, pornographic website. Whereas Antonella took private pictures that were leaked. I see this as two different cases. One was dumped for being paid to take part in porn. One took some private photos that were leaked.
Do I think Frenchie was treated fairly? No. Do I think Frenchie's case is the same as Antonella's? No.
I'm reminded of something said over at TUS when we were having one of our conversations about porn, prostitution, and the law. There is a right to privacy in this country but not a right to have sex. So, in this case, Antonella engaged in a private act and got burned. Frenchie engaged in a public act.
I'm not saying it's right, but I do understand why private acts are being treated differently than public acts.
Barba did tell the producers about the photos before the show I read it in this interview http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah4420.shtml
"Did ‘Idol' producers call you in and say what up?
Antonella: Well, they had already known about it because I had told them about pictures that had been taken that could come out and like there was no getting in trouble with ‘Idol' itself because they knew about it the whole time. They were working to protect me against it."
Also, the sex video is not Barba - that was a lie.
I don't know much about the first girl, Frenchie, but I did hear that she posed for pictures she was paid for by a pornography website and that is the difference. I don't think it has anything to do with "fatism" or race.
I am just glad Antonella is gone, I couldn't stand that warbling another second.
"Is it justified that Frenchie got shown the door while Antonella continued to perform each week?"
NO!!!!!!!!
"Am I just being over-sensitive to fatism and continuing to show my bias toward plus-sized Idol contestants?"
NO!!!!!!!
"Would Mandisa have been kicked out if candid photos had surfaced of her giving her man some oral pleasure?"
I don't EVEN want to speculate.
AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please, Mo, call the NYT. It worked for the Delta Zetas.
The biggest reason, IMO - and I'm sorry to disappoint - is that in season two Idol was still being pitched as a "family" show. Now its not. That's a huge difference and, to me, the biggest reason for the change in policy.
Richard, that's an interesting hypothesis. What makes you think it's no longer being billed as a family show? It's still on in the "family hour" isn't it?
And now that I think of it, Ryan said "it's a family show" in last week's episode when Randy the Referee said something crass.
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