Danny Gokey – American Idol Season 8 Top 36 Contestant

Ah, he doesn’t look so much like RDJ without the glasses.

Ya know I love ‘im!!!

I do I do!!!

Great voice and plenty of emotion when he sings.

I’m partial to a vocal rasp and a good falsetto, both of which he has exhibited already.

Danny is the producers’ favorite at this point, quite clearly, and probably one of the most polarizing contestants this year.

Personally I think he’s overrated and overpimped, but I hope he simply hasn’t shown what he can do yet, because he will most likely be with us for a long long time, and I’d rather like him than root against him.

Ugh. He’s way too overrated and overpimped.
Although if he wasn’t pimped, I think I would like him more..I’m the type of viewer that doesn’t really like contestants shoved down my throuat..

He has talent, definitely, but showing us a vid of his late wife was too much, IMO.

And I didn’t think his Hollywood performance was as good as the judges (especially Paula) made it seem to be..although I liked his bit from his group performance..

Since I didn’t like Taylor Hicks…why would I vote for someone who gives me the same kind of vibes.

Sorry, Danny, but your “type” has been done…and none to successfully, in my book. I know that all of the back story stuff – from wife to friend- isn’t your doing it still doesn’t sit real well with me. Good singer as you may be you just don’t have that Uniqueness that pulls me in.

But what the hey do I know….my favorites have never won (except Jordin)!

Danny is really, really good, but I agree — I haven’t see GREAT from him yet.

I do think it’s coming though. And he’s a lock for the Top 12.

So far, I just can’t find a way to like this guy.

I’m finding it kinda hard to be objective about him. I think I’ll have to start fast forwarding through his intro clips and just listen to him sing, in order to make a fair judgement.

It’s not really the sob story that’s the problem, it’s the uber-pimping. I had the same problem with Carly last year. I HATE it when they cram someone down my throat — I have a gag reflex!

What’s up with the Matt/Michael switch in Group One???

Are the producers hedging their bets, since Danny is getting a mixed reaction? Michael seems to have built up quite the following.

Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s up with the Matt/Michael switch in Group One???

Idol is saving Michael from certain elimination, and throwing Matt to the wolves? Just a guess. (-;

I HATE it when they cram someone down my throat à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  I have a gag reflex!

Ex-act-ly.

I hope Danny wins it all. He is awesome!

Sorry guys, sick of him already. Blame it on ai PTB.

Would have much preferred his friend.

!!Gokey!! did redeem himself slightly when I saw the anger in his eyes as it dawned on him why his friend did not get through…heh…welcome to the wonderful world of ai…

I didn’t want to like him after his audition sob story but I really do like him. He just makes me smile when he sings. I’ve liked pimped and hated contestants before. I never hold against them what TPTB do. I don’t hold it against contestants I don’t like either.

I HATE it when they cram someone down my throat à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  I have a gag reflex!

ITA!

And, he’s only so-so for me. I thought his best friend Jamar was way better.

I agree Jolene with you about the switch. I think that the switch was made not because there is some mixed reactions on Danny, but because the producers really want Micheal to make the top 12.

IMO, Michael is a decent singer, he’s very likable, quite a few people think he’s attractive and he would probably appeal to a big demographic. But in a group with Danny and Anoop, his chances of making the top 12 aren’t very high.

Danny has a decent voice, a big fanbase, and the producers and judges love him. Anoop has a good voice, and a big fanbase. I could definitely see those two guys getting the top male vote getter spot and the next highest male vote getter spot.

Plus Michael has to contend with Steven Fowler, who IMO, is a good singer, and Ricky Braddy, who hasn’t recieved any airtime but who Paula really likes. I think that Ricky’s chances of making the top 12 via a wildcard are higher than some of the other contestants. In that group with Danny, Anoop, Steven and Ricky, Michael would have a much smaller chance of making the top 12.

So I think that the producers switched him with Matt B, who they might feel isn’t as likeable and as personable. Matt has less of a chance of making the top 12 than Michael does and probably won’t make it.

I think that Michael has a good chance of making the top 12, now that they have moved him into another group. As long as the new group he is in doesn’t include both Adam Lambert and Matt Giraud, he has a decent chance of getting into the top 12.

If he’s with either one of those guys, they could get the highest male vote getter and he could get the next highest vote getter. But if he’s with both of those guys in the group, it would be similar to when he was in the group with Danny and Anoop, and his chances of making the top 12 wouldn’t be very high.

Are the producers hedging their bets, since Danny is getting a mixed reaction?

I wouldn’t worry about Danny. At all. On Idol, it doesn’t matter how many people dislike you, it only matters that you have enough fans to vote you through. That’s why being a polarizing contestant with a large following and a big group of “haters” is much better than being a likeable yet bland contestant who won’t have enough people caring one way or the other.
The amount of people who dislike you only becomes relevant if you make it to the finale, where they can actively vote against you by choosing your opponent. Until then? It just won’t matter.

Well, I usually can’t stand over-pimped contestants, but I do like Danny more than I ever liked MJ or Carly last year. Maybe it’s because Danny isn’t a ringer or a plant.

He’s talented, no doubt, and everyone in my dorm (mostly casual viewers) seems to like him best.

I usually root for the underdog, so Danny won’t be my personal favorite, but I have no problem seeing him go far.

He’s definitely in the driver’s seat, but a lock for the top 12? I don’t know about that.

I’ll be voting for Danny to make the top 10. I live near Milwaukee and if he makes the tour they will most likely come here. Not having to drive to Chicago to see the concert is reason enough for me to vote for him. I don’t care if he wears a ponyhawk or sings Wham! He’ll get my vote.

i like his voice..nice tone….needs the right song or it won’t work for him…i dont think ” i hope you dance” worked for his voice…also I dont’ know if it was due to hollywood or if it’s just his voice….he does not have the big power note that is needed to win….when he sang “some body to love” and was going to hit the power note his voice cracked out…same thing happened with I hope you dance. ..could have just been exausted voice ..or maybe he doesnt have it…i think you need it if you going to win.

I love him!! He’s pretty much the one I was looking forward to seeing each episode. I’ve never paid much attention to the back stories to base my opinion on a contestant. But I mean this is his life, it’s what he’s going through, he’s not milking the attention….the oil rigger and welder guys stories were both shown more than once but those aren’t devastating so they don’t stick in someone’s mind as much. I mean his wife just died right before the audition, that grief was so raw, it really was sad. I just hope that the producers haven’t ruined his chances, that would be a shame because he really does have something different to bring to the show this year.

I just hope that the producers havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t ruined his chances, that would be a shame because he really does have something different to bring to the show this year.

I don’t think they’ve ruined his chances. I just think he’s going to have to try harder to prove that he’s not here because of a good backstory.

At this point, I think the playing field is pretty level. For all of the “frontrunners,” I think their chances of winning are fairly equal. Depending on who your favorite is, there’s always going to be a variation of mileage.

Adam screams too much. Von screams irritatingly. Anoop sings bland R & B. Michael doesn’t look like a star. Danny seems to have lost some ground since his audition. Stephen Fowler forgot the words to Magic Rainbow. Lil Rounds isn’t as good as the judges want us to believe. Those are simply my observations on some who have gotten a little screen time.

So all things considered, at this point, I think Danny has as good a chance as anyone else to win this thing. He hasn’t done enough yet to disprove that for me, and I don’t think the producers can ruin it.

As Michael Slezak stated, his backstory will soon be forgotten, just like David Archuleta’s paralyzed vocal chord. Whether he can live up to the hype remains to be seen.

And…I still love ‘im.

Over pimped, over praised, okay voice. Annoying sob story getting trotted out weekly? Will not be voting for him. And yes as somebody pointed out above, his voice/performing remind me of Taylor Hicks.

He really does look like Robert Downey Jr. without his glasses.

I think he’s good but the pimpage and constant trotting out of the backstory (whether he’s the one trotting it out or not) is a bit much for me. Sorry, but it is. Not that he’s not talented enough to have made top 36 without the backstory, but I truly doubt he’d be a producer fave without it.

That said, almost all of my coworkers lurve him, so I totally expect him to make top 12 easily. (Although I have to say it, if he gets the pimp spot on Tuesday on top of all the screen time and pimping he’s already had, I will officially be completely over him.)

As Michael Slezak stated, his backstory will soon be forgotten, just like David Archuletaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s paralyzed vocal chord. Whether he can live up to the hype remains to be seen.

But the thing is, they didn’t really mention Archie’s paralysed vocal chord again and again, did they?

If I remember correctly, they only mentioned it during Archie’s audition..

Over pimped? Definitely. Top 12? No doubt.

(Although I have to say it, if he gets the pimp spot on Tuesday on top of all the screen time and pimping heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s already had, I will officially be completely over him.)

haha, but we all KNOW he’s going to get the pimp spot. That’s just the way American Idol works. Michael and Carly got it the first week out too.

I don’t think Danny’s singing is good enough to be worthy of the pimping, his voice is quite ordinary to me. Uninteresting and dull I’d even say.

I also don’t see why people would think that the Michael switch is due to his group being too full of talent – in fact there are only two persons from that group I’d like to see go through at the moment (Jackie Tohn and Anoop Desai), I don’t really care for the rest. It will be a boring night for me I think minus Michael. I am more concerned that on the other two nights there will be so many people I prefer that I think Michael will have a much tougher time getting through to the Top 12. But of course there is always the wild card round.

Hmmm, milage. I hope the over pimping doesn’t hurt him too much. Love his voice! I think it would be awesome for him to make top 12. Nothing about him reminds me of Taylor, but I don’t remember much about Taylor since I only saw a few final episodes and had no interest, whatsoever, on following up on him.

Danny, do this for you wife!!!!!!!!! Having a wife die a few weeks before auditioning and continuing on with your plans made before this, and in spite of this, is just plain hard to forget. What was he supposed to do, curl up and die inside himself? (I know, a little OTT drama on my part.;)) To me this is just plain ol’, good ol’, old-fashioned inspiration.

He’d got the goods, imo! I love watching him sing. Like someone above said, it makes me smile.

I prefer his friend so much more and it’s still beyond me why he didn’t make it. But that’s a completely different story.

I like Danny. I like his voice well enough (I’m a big Taylor fan but don’t really see a similarity there except Danny maybe has a slight raspy/husky quality to his voice). I love Rbt Downey Jr, so maybe it’s the glasses? He seems like a truly nice guy & is not a plant who’s had a million shots or previous contracts like so many others. Yes, the sob story is there, but Pickler had one. We’ve had the homeless, the single mom, the poverty lines, that one girl this season was an orphan, etc. Not his fault if the producers play it up, it’s not like he’s bringing it up all the time. I’m generally happy if the ones I like make it to the tour so they can get a shot and some $$. Last year that meant Brooke & Jason. Danny doesn’t need to win it, but I think he’ll be higher than 10th. Unless he really blows it on one song.

IMO, the pimp spots in the battle to the top 12 this year are more valuable than last year since you are voting in. So either the person really is the best of the night or….

I might actually predict TPTB’s preferred girl will go last the first week. I think TPTB know they have done more than enough to get !!Gokey!! into the top 12. No one else got their entire solo from the group sing shown and although one or two others have maybe been shown on every single Hollywood episode, it was only for a snip of time (AnoopDawg, Adam and maybe Matt G?). !!Gokey!! has to be rivalling at least Nate for screen time. I used Nate because I figured Tatiana has everyone beat for total screen time by a large margin….

I think !!Gokey!! could have made it on his own as an underdog (good voice, nice guy, no distracting mannerisms), but evidently that wasn’t good enough for PTB. Heh, go figure….

I don’t think the average viewer (whoever that is) gives any thought to over pimping, producers use of back stories, etc. They just like who they like and vote accordingly.

I find Danny’s voice and personality very appealing. I liked him instantly.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think the average viewer (whoever that is) gives any thought to over pimping, producers use of back stories, etc. They just like who they like and vote accordingly.

That’s basically what I was trying to say. My hallmates who are tuning into American this year all love Danny’s voice. They don’t even know what “over-pimping” is.

I’m with yeahyeahsure. Liked Jamar (sp?) more than Gokey. Though his last Hollywood song they showed wasn’t very good. Gokey will be in the top 5, no doubt about it… pimpage is already in full force. Unless, he majorly mucks it up.

I love him, too – I hope the overpimping doesn’t hurt him, not his fault. He is cute as can be, not a bad thing for me that he reminds me of Robert Downy, Jr. who I’ve had a crush on forever . I love his voice… Looking forward to next week, I have really liked Anoop too. And of course people will probably surprise us, better or worse than we’re expecting them to perform.

I don’t understand all the talk about a contestant being overpimped. Somone is “overpimped” every season. Makes no difference to me who the producers want me to vote for. I vote for who I like. And so far I like Danny.

Exactly, primeminister. My sister looks at me like I’m nuts when I start all the over-analysis talk (fun as it is). LOL

Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s basically what I was trying to say. My hallmates who are tuning into American this year all love Dannyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s voice. They donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even know what à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“over-pimpingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is.

And that’s why it works. People don’t realize they’re being manipulated (or if they do, they don’t care). They just like the dramatics of it all. Since this season may turn out to be American Idol: The Real World Edition, we may see pimping taken to a new level.

If this season works like last season (and arguably season 6), then Danny is the early TCO, to be replaced later in the competition with the real TCO (which TPTB may or may not have figured out by now–I personally think it could be Matt Giraud, who has gotten decent screen time, and everything they’ve shown is fabulous, but he’s not shoved in our faces yet–he could be later).

They want Danny in the top 12, obviously, because they made his best friend Jamar the sacrificial lamb to add to Danny’s sympathy factor (as if his own back story wasn’t enough). I think they want him in the top 5 and potentially the top 2, but I don’t think they expect him to win.

If he is early TCO, then I’m a little perplexed at the choice. The difference between Danny as early TCO and the other two early TCOs (my opinion, of course–Melinda and DA) is that he doesn’t have the “wow” factor to deserve the extra screen time. He’s a good singer, and a very likable guy, but he’s not a standout (maybe he’ll do something during the voting rounds to prove me wrong). There’s not a whole lot that is unique about his voice or how he presents himself. And while I’m sure they could figure out a way to market him to the mainstream, he’s no different than what is out there now. He’s nowhere near as marketable as the two Davids last year. And while Melinda wasn’t necessarily marketable in the mainstream in season 6, she was WOW in the way she sang–her performances made for great TV.

Danny is awesome!!!

http://www.iheartdannygokey.com

If this season works like last season (and arguably season 6), then Danny is the early TCO, to be replaced later in the competition with the real TCO (which TPTB may or may not have figured out by nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’I personally think it could be Matt Giraud, who has gotten decent screen time, and everything theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve shown is fabulous, but heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not shoved in our faces yetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’he could be later).

They want Danny in the top 12, obviously, because they made his best friend Jamar the sacrificial lamb to add to Dannyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sympathy factor (as if his own back story wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t enough). I think they want him in the top 5 and potentially the top 2, but I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think they expect him to win.

I’ve been thinking that too.

Initial Chosen One: Danny (a la Michael, Archie, Melinda)
Mid-point Chosen One: any one who impresses-my guess would be Matt Giraud (a la Cook, Jordin)

Danny would be hard to market, IMO. What will he be? An AC Artist?

haha, but we all KNOW heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going to get the pimp spot. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just the way American Idol works.

Oh, so true.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think the average viewer (whoever that is) gives any thought to over pimping, producers use of back stories, etc. They just like who they like and vote accordingly.

Ha!!! My family and co-workers all love the show. When I talk about all the behind-the-scenes/insider stuff, I get the big ole eyeroll.

I definitely don’t hold Danny’s repeated backstory or the uber-pimping against him because that’s the producers’ decision, not his. And I like his voice, but I’m not getting the “it” thing with him at all, thus far, but I didn’t see it in David Cook initially either (although I thought he had a great voice), so that may be something we don’t really see until Danny takes the stage and sings a full song. Playing an instrument could add to the wow factor for Danny too. He’s clearly a very good musician.

I still think Anoop is a stronger vocalist and potentially way hotter (now that boy has some hair to work with, LOL), and he’s considerably younger, which could be to his benefit. Do they both sing the same types of music? That could cause them to have overlapping fanbases, no?

I would love to see both of them stick around until the end. It’s still so early, however, that it’s really anybody’s game to win since nobody is in a league of his/her own from what I can tell.

Danny would be hard to market, IMO. What will he be? An AC Artist?

He could go Hot AC. I’m seeing a bit of a John Mayer-esque vibe if they market him right and he gets decent material. Mayer is mostly contained to Hot AC except his usual one Top 40 hit from each album.

About the sob story. Danny was not the only one with sob story. Check out Lil Rounds, Kai, Scott, Michael, Nate etc etc

But he had the most screen time in Ai (after Tatiana) cause the producer wanted him to be in top 12.

Love him or hate him, he had the quality to be in top 12. So why not?

Am I the only one who prefers Danny in glasses?

I still think Anoop is a stronger vocalist and potentially way hotter (now that boy has some hair to work with, LOL), and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s considerably younger, which could be to his benefit. Do they both sing the same types of music? That could cause them to have overlapping fanbases, no?

Anoop seems more R&B-popish to me. Their fanbases may overlap, but primarily because they’re both just likable guys. I don’t think it’ll have anything to do with their style of music. Danny has a rougher voice, and not quite the control that Anoop has (as far as we’ve seen anyway).

I think it would be a trip if Anoop made it really far in the competition. He’s a great vocalist and kind of dorky at the same time–which interests me. And he could be marketable in the mainstream if he goes with the right label (Jive would probably be best).

Love him or hate him, he had the quality to be in top 12. So why not?

I think he’s talented enough. The pimping is just kind of obvious. They do it every year (since at least season 6), so it’s not like TPTB weren’t going to choose somebody this year. Given the range of talent this year, he’s certainly good enough for top 12–I just think he’s an odd choice for early TCO. His back story has taken considerable precedence over his actual talent whereas other early TCOs’ talent took precedence over back story.

Who knows though, Danny may be a sacrificial lamb for somebody else (early early TCO? 3 TCOs this year? several TCOs?). They could have spent all this time pimping him in the early rounds just to have him get cut during top 36 for the sake of drama (at this point, though, they would have to manipulate song choice or performance behind the scenes to dampen his popularity; or the judges would have to give him middling, but not harsh comments, and stick him earlier in the episode for that to happen).

Am I the only one who prefers Danny in glasses?

He has his moments.

I like him, he is very good and it is not his fault he is overpimped. He is the lucky one actually to be liked so much by them. They have obviously seen a lot more than we have yet and they are not so stupid as to pimp a loser-they want someone who is very good I would think? right?. I say more power to him. I know what they are up to by now on this show, I will make up my own mind and I wish him well. What a horrible horrible thing he went thru, losing his wife. I get sick of hearing people say things like, Oh I am sooo over his dead wife thing =- wow – just wait till you are in His shoes, I hope and pray you never are, I have been and it is awful, still many many years later – it doesnt ever go away

Danny is this year’s Michael Johns. He is there for the shocking elimination at some point.
I won’t care much, I doubt I will start like what he sings and how he sings. Just doesn’t do it for me.
And I don’t see AI wanting him to win anyway.

I know this season is supposed to belong to the guys, but I find the girls to be so much more marketable and modern than the guys.

Bold predictions… If Anoop makes the Top 2, he would go to Jive (and he’ll have a Chris Brown-ish sound). If Danny makes the Top 2, he would go to Arista (or J). RCA won’t sign anyone this year.

Danny is this yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Michael Johns. He is there for the shocking elimination at some point.

I have a feeling that spot is reserved for Adam Lambert.

beesims says He really does look like Robert Downey Jr. without his glasses.
================================================
He looks like him WITH glasses too.

Actually, none of the guys are that marketable. Maybe a girl will be the shock winner of the AI8.

I think Ann Marie is very marketable for the girls. And that red haired “ZOMGZZZZ 16 YEARZ OLD ONLYYYYY!!!!1111″ girl.

Marketable and modern are so overrated.

From the previous page, sumidol, you rock!

I have been and it is awful, still many many years later – it doesnt ever go away

I’m sorry for your loss, Sumidol.

Actually, none of the guys are that marketable. Maybe a girl will be the shock winner of the AI8.

…Felicia Barton!

Actually, none of the guys are that marketable. Maybe a girl will be the shock winner of the AI8.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Felicia Barton!

I’d love that!

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve liked pimped and hated contestants before. I never hold against them what TPTB do.

Nice to see I’m not the only one. I see no point in deciding to like or not like somone based on the pimpage factor. I like to think for myself and make up my own mind. TPTB do not have that kind of control over me.

I love love love this guy – his raspy voice, his personality, his looks – whole package – definately one of my favs so far!!!!!

eta: I really thought Jamar was great too – I was so sad he didn’t make it too.

I have been on both sides. Had some faves that were TCOs and had some faves that were despised majorly by TPTB. Of course, it feels good when you’re fave is a TCO. Everything seems to go well. =)

And thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why it works. People donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t realize theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re being manipulated (or if they do, they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care).

I don’t think it’s about being manipulated. I liked him from the moment he sang it his audition…had NOTHING to do with his story. His voice made me fan, plain and simple. Viewers are not as dumb as we sometimes make them out to be. They have minds of their own and like who they like. I actually think it’s those who overanalyze things like pimpage who are more manipulated than anyone. They’re so hellbent on not being manipulated that they turn against someone they could’ve liked simply because of pimpage. It’s reverse manipulation if you really think about it. It’s still giving TPTB control in another way. I personally am glad they’ve showed Danny a lot because the way he sang at his audition intrigued me enough to WANT to see more of him. I also like Stevie Wright and have been dying to see more of her. But I like her even though they haven’t pimped her. So it really plays no factor at all for me. Someone we have not seen yet may end up making me a fan too (like Jason last year).

I get sick of hearing people say things like, Oh I am sooo over his dead wife thing =- wow

Agreed! The discomfort people get with other people’s grief can lead to extreme insensitivity.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s about being manipulated. I liked him from the moment he sang it his auditionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦had NOTHING to do with his story. His voice made me fan, plain and simple. Viewers are not as dumb as we sometimes make them out to be. They have minds of their own and like who they like. I actually think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s those who overanalyze things like pimpage who are more manipulated than anyone. Theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re so hellbent on not being manipulated that they turn against someone they couldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve liked simply because of pimpage.

My pointing out the pimpage wasn’t to say that I didn’t like Danny because of the pimpage. My favorite last year was David A. and he was totally early TCO. I knew it too, but it didn’t stop me from being in his corner. I pointed out the pimpage because it’s happening–it’s clear and it happens every year since at least season 6. Pointing out that TPTB were attempting to manipulate the result of the voting rounds by pimping a contestant doesn’t say anything about the contestant in question. Nor does recognizing the pimping mean you’re being manipulated (I don’t get that argument). Some contestants get farther because they are pimped and the audience is being manipulated. People aren’t stupid, but TV is powerful when set to a soundtrack.

My point, actually, was that I didn’t get why they chose him as early TCO–why he was getting the pimpage. Because in my opinion he doesn’t stand out musically (and yeah, it’s just my opinion). My opinion that he was good but not great has zero to do with the pimping or the fact that I recognize it.

I actually do not care that it “not his fault” that he’s being pimped or that TPTB are constantly trotting out the backstory. My point is that, in my opinion, there are others who are at least as talented as he is who are not getting pimped because they don’t have a compelling backstory. And I do think that Danny is talented but I do not think, by any means, that he would be getting this level of pimping if it wasn’t for his backstory. Like soundscene said, there’s just not anything really compelling or interesting about him, other than the backstory. IMO of course.

I personally don’t see what people see in Danny. If he had not been shown over and over again, I probably wouldn’t have noticed him.

Soundscene- I agree. . .good but not great. A backstory does not a star make. It makes them more interesting, but that is not enough.

My issue with Danny is that so far his performance hasn’t lived up to the extreme amount of hype the show has given him. He’s also pretty boring. To be honest I would have taken his bff Jamar over Danny.

I’m a Taylor Hicks fan who doesn’t see anything of Taylor in Danny. Danny has a slightly raspy voice maybe, but it doesn’t seem to have the power that Taylor’s voice has. And I don’t get an old school vibe from Danny. That said, I like him well enough. Backstories don’t interest me. It’s nice to see someone from the Midwest in a strong position, though, since I’m a Midwesterner myself. He seems like a regular guy, and I like that about him. I’ll take that over the OTT characters such as Von and Adam.

I have no idea who I’ll back this year – maybe no one. But if he performs well, I could be convinced to back Danny. We’ll see….

To be honest I would have taken his bff Jamar over Danny.

Same. I thought Danny’s initial audition was better, but I thought Jamar performed better in Hollywood (from what we were shown, at least). I also enjoy Jamar’s vocal tone more.

He’s definitely not like Taylor for me. :blink_tb: I don’t care about the pimping at all. I like Danny and hope he does make the top 12 and farther. If he and Anoop both make the top 12 which I’m hoping, there will come a time that I have to choose which one I like better but for now I like both. I don’t anticipate a girl that I’ll like enough to worry about but I suppose that could change.

I don’t think there has ever been a contestant like Taylor Hicks. He is just so unique in his stage persona, voice, personality, and looks! And he was funny.

Yes, I definitely see Danny making the tour. I just hope that the judges don’t pimp him to the point that it gets on my nerves. The guy has talent and will do just fine. I also see Anoop there. Really, AI NEEDS a contestant like him to be on the tour.

Now, let’s see if Robert Downey Jr. is in the audience when we get to the TOP 12. :biggrin_wp:

Well he definitely stands out to me and his backstory plays absolutely no part in that. To me, when he sings, he draws me into his vocals and the passion with which he sings…I feel his emotion when he sings and he seems to have a sweet personality too. I know he’s pretty much disliked by many on here and that’s fine. I have been in the minority many times before when it comes to liking a contestant. I do think it’s interesting how many of the Cook fans I’ve talked to (and I am one, but am even more of an Archie fan) seem to absolutely love Danny. Must be the raspy quality they share. Though their singing styles are pretty different. IDF’ers also seem to adore him overall whereas here not so much. It’s kind of interesting to see the different types of popularity that some contestants have on different forums….just an observation.

Agreed! The discomfort people get with other peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s grief can lead to extreme insensitivity.

He’s removed his wedding ring so I think he’s moved on from grief now that he knows how much poontang he’ll be getting now that he’s a celebrity. LOL
No doubt his fans will be lining up to help him get over his sadness, especially if he makes the tour.

Hey, the widower stuff worked for George Costanza on Seinfeld..why not Danny?

I’m over Danny.

I don’t know why.

It has nothing to do with Dead wife complex, but I am tired of seeing it mentioned and him crying. It makes me uncomfortable and I can never understand the amount of pain that he probably has gone through and still goes through, but I think it is still uncomfortable to watch.

But I feel he’s been so shoved down my throat, and I was a fan from the beginning but now I’ve seen people I care for MORE than I care for Danny and I feel that suddenly Danny doesn’t excel as much as I want him to. He lost his luster for me.

He’ll easily make it through to the top 12 and I’m glad for that. I like him enough to want that.

But I won’t vote for him.

I like Danny’s voice, but don’t love it. I don’t know that he has much range and he seems a little melodically challenged. He seems to be a decent performer. But I feel like I’ve been watching the Danny Gokey show so far this year and I don’t quite understand why he’s been on my TV so much. It’s not really his fault, I just don’t think he has the goods to stand up to the hype. If he’s really the most compelling character they’ve got this year, it’s going to be a boring year.

I don’t know if Danny is as divisive as he seems here. Everyone I know really likes him and that’s at work too with a variety of ages.

Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s removed his wedding ring so I think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s moved on from grief now

Actually it looks like he moved it to his right hand from what I have seen which I’ve heard of people doing who have lost a spouse before. It’s only been a few months, it’s not something you just get over really fast. I am going to judge his singing not the way he handles his grief.

It has nothing to do with Dead wife complex, but I am tired of seeing it mentioned and him crying. It makes me uncomfortable and I can never understand the amount of pain that he probably has gone through and still goes through, but I think it is still uncomfortable to watch.

Just like I have said before…the grief of others is typically very uncomfortable for others, but despite that, I would be more alarmed if it was never mentioned at all and found out about later. I mean losing a spouse is not just a part of your life, it is like losing part of yourself in the process. And again, we’ve only seen him cry about ONCE….that’s it.

I’ve yet to be all that impressed with Danny at this point. Although I will say that I did really like his group on group night. And, I do believe that his excessive screen time basically gives him a free ride to the top 12.

That said, Danny has a clean slate with me. I won’t even be outraged if he has the pimp spot, provided he totally kicks ass. I’ll give him a chance to make me like him.

Sumidol, I’m sorry for your loss. And, I apologize if any of my comments offended you, or even worse, made you sad. I can be pretty flippant and insensitive sometimes. I have a pretty disturbed sense of humor. But you already knew that

I like Danny but he just doesn’t have the upper range or musical ingenuity of a champion like David Cook. I hope he tones down the references to his late wife before it starts to get cloying. I’m also waiting for the makeover. That photo is not his most flattering shot.

sumidol, I have given you hugs before and will do that once again.

I do like Danny and know that he and Jamar belong to the same church. Does the RUMORS that his church is a cult, influence anyone negatively? AI likes to sit on things and let them leak out. It could all be lies.

Please understand I have no opinion about this. It confuses me. I think Danny is talented and will be in the TOP 12.