Comments on: Danny Gokey, Alexis Grace and Michael Sarver – FOX News Interview – VIDEO

By: CFIdolsfan

CFIdolsfan — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:52:34 +0000

I’m thinking it is a combination of being memorable and having made some accomplishments. I’m thinking specifically of Sanjaya, who can be considered memorable. I believe Chris was invited, I’m sure, not only because of the Rascal Flatts song, but also because his album has been doing pretty well. And he does Christian music, which Disney features in the “Night of Joy” event every year on their grounds. Phil Stacey not long ago on his Twitter said that he was cowriting with Chris. I hope their collaboration will appear on his new cd, Phil was invited because he was on Lyric Street, which is Disney’s record label, but I think also because he is a family man, whose daughters love the Disney princesses. His album hasn’t done too badly, and he was the grand marshal in 2 parades, appeared at the Opry 5 times, had received standing ovations for his song, “Old Glory,” and performed in Italy back in October in his capacity as a Navy reservist. So yes, I guess accomplishments also gets you invited.

By: sma11ie

sma11ie — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:20:35 +0000

^^ I think it was insinuated in his VFTW thread that he was asked because of the Rascal Flatts song. A lot of season 7 was invited, but for the older seasons, it seemed only the top contestants and those with cool things happening were invited.

By: savgal

savgal — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:53:26 +0000

BTW, my favorite contestant season 6 was Chris Sligh.

mj, I was just thinking about him, and wondering how he got to be one of those from season 6 at the opening of the AI Experience at Disney! Maybe lots were invited, and he was one of those who found it convenient. I like to think it was because he was more memorable than some who made it longer, and has gone on to making a decent living as a singer-songwriter.

By: mj

mj — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:25:05 +0000

WellÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦on the subject of American Idol, IÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure there are those contestants who share these very beliefs, which are not a threat to my own personal beliefs.

I’m sure you’re right. But so far, nobody has made their agnosticism/atheism an issue on Idol. If they did, I’m sure the resulting backlash would get very very very ugly.

BTW, my favorite contestant season 6 was Chris Sligh. He sang a couple of CCM songs during the semis. I had no problem with that.

By: GwendolynD

GwendolynD — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:10:17 +0000

I just wanted to represent those who are perfectly happy without religion. And that thereÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more than one way of interpreting the universe.

Well…on the subject of American Idol, I’m sure there are those contestants who share these very beliefs, which are not a threat to my own personal beliefs. I guess I’m having a hard time understanding why this doesn’t work both ways.

By: mj

mj — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:05:42 +0000

And while, Terrie, I do hope you find that miracle your looking forÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’what you are going through sounds absolutely horrible. Having said that, I donÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think my blog is the place for personal testimony.

By: CFIdolsfan

CFIdolsfan — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:02:17 +0000

Terrie, thanks for sharing, and savgal, thanks for your post. I saw my own father pass away in front of me and my mom, to whom he was married 40 years. He has been gone 10 years now, and we still mention him. My middle sister struggled to keep a family going when her first husband came down with a disease that required constant care of him for 5 long years until he passed away. They both, as do my family and I, have that faith that you all mentioned to help them keep going in many a rough time. Danny has that faith, too, and I trust that it, along with supportive people around him, will help him deal with the grief. I feel that being on the show is helpful to him, and I feel he will be a better person for it afterwards.

By: mj

mj — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:38:56 +0000

I would have to agree to disagree with you on the first point. There are too many orderly things in nature that simply work to be random and thatÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a huge can of worms and a discussion that could go on for days. LOL! Not that I wouldnÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t love to have it. LOL!

I didn’t mean to start a discussion. At all. I just wanted to represent those who are perfectly happy without religion. And that there’s more than one way of interpreting the universe.

By: savgal

savgal — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:30:47 +0000

Terrie, thanks so much for your story. It will stay with me. Yes, HOPE is not a feeling, it is a PERSON, and He cannot fail us, though life can and will. Thank God for that HOPE.
Re: Danny and other contestants who expressed a personal faith on AI, I can’t help but think of Kurt Warner and what he said to the interviewer right after the Arizona Cardinals won the NFC Championship recently: when asked how he did it, Warner (a very outspoken Christian) laughingly replied, “You know what I’m going to say” and proceeded to bring up Jesus. The Cards went to the Superbowl and this lowly team fought so hard and heartbreakingly lost in the last two minutes, but Warner was so gracious in defeat that he has been on many talk shows, even dancing with Ellen Degeneres on her show last week. Even columnists who don’t like Warner’s God-talk have been grudgingly kind to him recently, I guess because he has backed up the talk with his life. Are people irritated with Gokey b/c they don’t perceive that he is genuine?
Where I live, many persons of color wear t-shirts with a deceased loved one or even get tattoos with their image, or dates of birth and death. Some do put pictures or writing on their cars, too. Where I live, people also pull over when funeral processions pass in the other lane, even on very busy streets–really moving, when you are in one of the long, black cars yourself.
Sorry for the dissertation, but I guess I am giving Danny a break and feeling, like others already expressed, maybe this silly reality show is keeping him going right now. I am concerned that, when this hoopla is over, the grief will really hit him.

By: jodeb

jodeb — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:48:18 +0000

I like Danny, but I only have two words to say:

Ricky Braddy

A better singer, no behind the scenes time. Everyone who saw him, said “Who is this guy? He can sing” and then he was gone.

The only problem I find with the overpimpage of Danny is the fact that Ricky got no airtime at all, wasn’t given a chance to build up a fan base.

As to the judges, all but Slimon went bananas over Ricky’s performance. Slimon did say it was a great vocal, but he had no marketability. One stinking song, no early airtime and he has no *charisma?*

PLEASE! Didn’t Slimon say that to David Cook? And I would have no objection to Danny’s sad story if it didn’t take away all airtime from IMO, a better singer in Ricky, who is now just a memory.

In Slimon’s defense, he didn’t go as berserk over Danny as the other three judges, but it was too late to matter. Everyone was already sobbing with Danny and didn’t know who Rickey was.

I HATE THIS FORMAT, but more than that I hate the way some contestants are just slotted for publicity and others are just ignored. There were plenty of no talent singers who got air time. Schizo Norman, giggly Tatiana, Piercings Boy. etc.

When my friends and I heard Ricky sing, we gasped. The most beautiful tone and vocals of all the males and he is now just fodder. This show just frustrates me.

By: St.Lucia

St.Lucia — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:15:27 +0000

Terrie thank you for sharing your story.

And I certainly donÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t need to draw inspiration from people on TV whom I donÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even know.

I agree. I do consider myself a faithful person but something that always bothers me is mixing my tv shows with my religion. Those are two separate things in my life. I do find faith, hope, and inspiration but I don’t find them from American Idol, and I especially don’t find them from Danny Gokey who I know nothing about except that his wife died.

That’s my problem. It doesn’t feel inspiring. It feels wrong and I’m annoyed.

By: miknge

miknge — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:41:44 +0000

I only saw last season, but comparing this to that is like night and day. By the time they got into the Top 12 last season, we actually knew something about the contestants, we had 3 songs by each, we had three times the background info, video packages and interview clips too. By the time they made it through we had Hello by Cook, Imagine by Archie, Hallelujah by Jason.
Seriously? This format sucks major time. AI7 was so much stronger than AI8. Too bad.

And Let It Be by Brooke White. I agree with you, Jolene. I miss the folk and rock this year. there’s just too much soul! Now I’m hoping for Adam Lambert to make it to top 12, though I’m not a fan of his yet, just cos I have a little hope that he’d bring something different to the show. And yeah, there’re just too much R&B Soul this year, although I like Alexis.

And sigh… I’ll just stfu about my opinions about Danny cos everything that I’ll say about him will be negative.

And someone here said Cook didn’t say anything about his brother’s illness even if he was asked cos it’s something he’d rather keep it private and personal. I really respect him for that, and liked him even more.

By: stelladallas

stelladallas — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:41:50 +0000

I donÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think I need a higher purpose in life to go on living. And I certainly donÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t need to draw inspiration from people on TV whom I donÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even know.

But many people do, and I think this is part of the controversy.

By: hardkandy

hardkandy — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:57:49 +0000

Danny is trying way too hard, and for me itÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s having the opposite affect. Inspiration is the last thing that comes to mind.

Yeah I am not feeling inspired by him at all.

By: cookcricket

cookcricket — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:44:14 +0000

Who knew?

Who knew that this season’s, seemingly, most controversial contestant would be someone who lost his wife 7 months ago ( and much, much less time when this all began.) At least to this point he’s the most controversial. Some say (self included) it’s about the talent , but there is more involved here, I truly believe, and AI knows that and knows how to capitalize on it.

To me this is all so interesting. I can’t say what my own mind is on this subject simply because I have never walked in the shoes of someone losing their spouse.

I like the old adage that actions speak louder than words. However, I really like to vocalize my thoughts so I can’t say I hold to this even though I would like to. Many times I find my foot fits right inside my mouth quite easily. It may be doing so right now. lol.

I wonder sometimes if Danny has had the right amount of time to grieve his loss.

St. Lucia, I have to say I have wondered this myself. Maybe, maybe not. Ten yrs. down the road he may look back and say, “What was I doing?” However, I do believe that sometimes when we don’t know what we’re doing it still adds to learning and gaining something in our lives down the road.

mj this:

I happen to think the universe is pretty random, but I find meaning in it anyway. When two really great things happen at the same time, I marvel at conicedence and the funny way this crazy unknowable universe works.

and this:

Danny is trying way too hard, and for me itÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s having the opposite affect. Inspiration is the last thing that comes to mind.

I would have to agree to disagree with you on the first point. There are too many orderly things in nature that simply work to be random and that’s a huge can of worms and a discussion that could go on for days. LOL! Not that I wouldn’t love to have it. LOL!

But on the second point, I can see what you’re saying. Danny MAY be saying what he thinks he’s supposed to be saying and it just doesn’t come across how he thinks it does because well, he may not have had the time to grieve in the way that he truly needs.

However, this may be inspiring some people out there and if that is the case, I wouldn’t want to take that away from them.

P.S. I appreciate the posts from sumidol and Terrie so much! Thank you both for putting yourselves out there!