Why do people hate David Archuleta?
Some say he was designed in a secret compound beneath Salt Lake City, programmed to take over the world through the use of breathy vocals, sappy ballads and dimply cheeks.I say, now that the dust has cleared and David Cook has emerged the victor, let's look at why American Idol runner-up David Archuleta developed such a cultic anti-following. Although he had tweenies in the palm of his hand, there was a sizeable amount of the viewing population that wished to see David Archuleta removed from the competition with extreme prejudice. (Close friends of mine who happen to be anti-Archuleta have specified that the best way for this to happen would be for them to punch David Archuleta in the face on the street when they seem him, I doubt the effectiveness of this.)
The question remains though, is there a particular reason behind the dislike of the boy-wonder from Utah? For reference, I went to Yahoo! Answers to find out why so many despise Archuleta.
Some viewers put more of the blame on Archuleta fans, rather than the boy-singer himself.
"He is off-pitch a lot, but thanks to his "good looks" & nice personality, he'll probably take the whole season. THAT is what we hate: that teenie -boppers will decide the winner when they don't even know what talent is." - V
Others say his distinctive raspy voice sounds horrible.
"i hate listening listening to this kid breathe. icant stand the way his voice sounds like he needs to clear his throat." - rahpooka
Others say his personality is a bit dull and his performance is considerably lacking.
"...he's too one dimensional...all his songs sound the same. He needs to change it up once in awhile...basically his early cuteness is wearing off." - Joe B.
Some point at the Idol process itself. Archuleta isn't terrible, but certainly not as deserving as the other contestants.
"i don't hate him, but definitely don't think he is the most talented of the finalists and i don't think he derserves to win. this is supposed to be a talent competition, not a popularity contest." - lulufaer
While all these comments are worthy, I feel there are two common threads underlining them: people love to hate the frontrunner and people love to be different. Case in point:
"I don't hate him. It's just no fun to like who everybody else does. If you know what I mean." - K a t y
I think "K a t y" speaks for a legion of anti-Archuletans and, I think, if you were to change the situation from American Idol to Major League Baseball and Archuleta to the Yankees or the Red Soxes, you would find the same dialogue. There's something intriguing about the underdog. Ruben Studdard, I need not remind you, was a heavy underdog to Clay Aiken.
In the end, perhaps momentum was the one thing that both aided and killed David Archuleta's chance of taking the prestiguous Idol crown. (Of course, he shouldn't mourn. Nowanddays, second place is practically as good as winning - unless you're Justin Guarini). Not to worry, David. In a year, all those who once shouted for your dissolution from the competition will forget their enmity when another young wonder comes along and garners the hostility of a nation.
Posted by
on 05/22 at 10:00 AM
Cook was, in my mind, clearly the better performer. DA sings a great ballad but showed no versatility. Did you hear him try to sing that silly pop song “My Boo”? It was horrible. Cook showed he had range and could do a variety of different genres. Much to the judges dismay, the viewers got it right.