David Cook – Blender Magazine Interview

archie fans are more adamant about their dislike of cook… hrm, maybe, although i would characterize it as a fervent support of archie plus i’m not sure about the “more” part of the statement, there are some seriously vicious supporters on each side.

the only thing i come away with from that interview is a fairly negative impression of the interviewer.

there are some seriously vicious supporters on each side.

This.

Literally just go to the americanidol.com Cook ´s forum… some of those people scared me…

Both Davids seem to be really mature about this situation and taked it in a not personal way… as they should if they want to made it in this bussiness…

There’s no room for generalizations, but I can honestly say that in all the Cook forums I belong to, I almost never see anything but kind words about Archie himself (I stress – about Archie). I don’t belong to the americanidol.com forum (didn’t even know it was still active, with all of the newer dedicated forums) so I can’t speak for what’s going on there.

I also can’t speak for what’s going on in Archie forums, because I don’t frequent any, but I can definitely say that for some reason, some Archie fans tend to comment on stories about Cook, and it’s almost always to say something negative and/or hateful. It’s really quite hard to miss.

I do think there are far more DA fans who actively dislike Cook than the other way around, or at least are far more vocal about it. I don’t see any other reason to seek out stories about him and badmouth him in the comments. I know I never bother to read or comment about stories for artists I don’t care for, so it baffles me why anyone would. Perhaps for some, liking one = disliking the other, and that’s a shame.

PS – MJ, if this is too close to fanwar talk, sorry, but the topic is at hand and if it is, well, that’s my personal take on it.

As a fan of both Davids, I have to say I agree with both DC and Jolene.

Well unless you’re a glutton for punishment and frequent EVERY fansite for both Davids, I think it’s impossible to know. But reality is one thing, and perception is another. Unfortunately, it’s Cooks perception that Archie fans are more vocal in their dislike for him, which is not good and I feel bad for Cook AND Archie.

There will always be fans who’ve lost perspective on things. I think there are also those twisted individuals who aren’t really fans at all, but get off by posting ugly comments to stir things up.

I’m with tomsuzuki…the interviewer doesn’t get any points from me for asking the question in the first place. Wait…maybe she posts over on americanidol.com…hmmm.

He doesn’t need to go on any board, the Idol tour was enough.

yeah, she’s totally trying to dig up some dirt. boo. DC is cool as usual.

I love both Archuleta and Cook. It was their talent and palpable good-heartedness which simply shone through during interviews and performances that caught my attention and got me watching AI to start off. I love listening to their post AI interviews and watching all their various TV appearances.

However, it never fails to agitate me when I read the negative comments that inevitably surface in the wake of these interviews/appearances emanating from either side of these guys’ fan bases. That’s when I turn around and just switch my mind to ignore-the-nasty-comments mode, so that I may not sully my own affectionate feelings and admiration for both these talented artists. I so love these artists but truly hate the fan wars.

I do think there are far more DA fans who actively dislike Cook than the other way around, or at least are far more vocal about it. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see any other reason to seek out stories about him and badmouth him in the comments. I know I never bother to read or comment about stories for artists I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care for, so it baffles me why anyone would. Perhaps for some, liking one = disliking the other, and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a shame.

I have to agree with the above and have seen evidence of it everywhere. I really think though that these very vocal folks are very young (kids) for the most part. Heck, David Cook noticed it….and I doubt that he spends a whole lot of time searching the web but he sees it.–you can’t miss it. “Vocal” is the key word here and “tweens” as a major fan base is another so it looks like it’s more than it probably is. They are both great and very talented and there’s room in the music business for everyone.

I really think though that these very vocal folks are very young (kids) for the most part.

I absolutely believe this.

Something they have neglected to pay attention to, however, is the fact that any negative actions on behalf of whomever they support reflect badly on that artist.
Look what happened to Clay- some of his fans did him absolutely no favors whatsoever, and some could even reasonably argue that it inhibited his career to a large degree.

It is the mark of a truly immature fan to believe that they can only help their own guy by hurting the other one. This serves no purpose other than making their guy appear to attract loonies.
When fans turn into baggage then something has gone terribly wrong.

This is a big world and there is more than room for two successes out of the same season. It is no longer a horserace and the more folks keep trying to perpetuate the competition the more they make themselves look petty and ridiculous.

I think David is probably correct in his assessment. It’s easier to “hate” him (guys, he doesn’t even shave!) than it is to hate the best little boy in the world. I don’t necessarily agree that the most “vocal” um, non-fans, are tweens and teens. Irrational, competitive and over-invested fans come in all ages *coughClaymatescough*

It really doesn’t matter though. All celebrities are irrationally hated by someone. I doubt that David has it any worse than most.

awww poor cook! *hugs* no worries, the media loves Cook.

Every time I read a Cook fan badmouthing Archie, I remind myself how much Archie adores and looks up to Cook, heck he promotes Cook every chance he gets. I lurk on a few of the DA fan sites, and they are well aware of how close the two Davids are, and I’ve not seen any posts promoting fan wars, in fact the opposite. It’s just too bad the vocal ones are giving a bad name to the whole fanbase.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t necessarily agree that the most à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“vocalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  um, non-fans, are tweens and teens. Irrational and over-invested fans come in all ages

Well, the ones who post “I HATE DAVID COOK!!!” x500 times and spam comment threads are probably young, but I’ve seen my fair share of older non-fans (heh, that’s a nice way to put it) as well.
You’d be amazed what hosting a YouTube channel focused on DC will bring your way.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not touching that last one.

Ditto

The only thing I hate more than the “My Idol is better than your Idol” wars are the “My Idol’s fans are better than your Idol’s fans” wars. It has been my experience that there are jerks in every Idol fan base.

No, it doesn’t reflect well on the artist. Yes, it does make the fan base look crazy. But I fight the urge to generalize any group of people based on the actions of a few.

If you frequent articles about one David more than the other, it is quite likely you have seen more negative comments about your David. You aren’t reading what the militant wing of your fanbase is saying about the other David. It becomes like the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s. One lunatic fan goes and posts hate about the other David and the fans of that David get mad and post something hateful about the second David. One person gives a one star review of the other’s work and members of the other fan base returns the favour. Lather, rinse, repeat. Forever.

Everything is questioned by some fans. The other guy gets more spins? His label is CHEATING by paying payola to the radio stations. The other guy gets to number one on VH1? His fans are CHEATING by using bots to vote. The other guy moves X units? His fans are CHEATING by buying and gifting multiple copies of albums/singles. His singles are getting rated highly on RateTheMusic? His fans are spamming the survey. He gets to go on some show or other? His label paid for him to be on there. It goes on and on.

Then there are the fans that assume that everybody who isn’t blowing sunshine up the *cough* of their favourite Idol MUST be a fan of the other guy. They can’t simply be somebody who doesn’t like their guy and may not like either David. Even if they say, “Hey, I don’t like [Other Guy] either”, they must be lying. I’m well aware that I’ve been called a troll on other websites and I’m non-committal on both Davids. I like some of their songs, I dislike others. And most of all, I just like numbers and analysing them and trying to figure out what they mean and can predict. (BTW. Doesn’t bother me. It comes with the territory if you say something not 100% positive on an Idol board. LOL. MJ’s is apparently anti-every-Idol).

I’ve seen rude things written and said about both Idols. Militant wings need to can it. Idols have to have thick skin. Some people are seriously logic impaired if they think they are helping out their Idol by being rude.

^^

And that’s why I do think Idol alumni all have it worse than other celebrities in terms of irrational hatred.

Nah, it’s not just Idol, it never is. Madonna and Mariah Carey fans have been at war for decades. This, is show business.

well, to sort of change the subject….could we please have an interview that doesn’t ask about Archie. And if you do ask, please keep it to one question, not drag it out to the whole interview. I suppose it might generate more sales, but I doubt this conversation brings in new fans or buyers. I expected more from Blender.

While it may be true that haters is not a phenomenon limited to Idol, I do think it’s very enhanced in the Idol-sphere. The nature of the competition breads resentment and anger, and it doesn’t just go away when the competition is over (well, it does for some, but we’re not talking about them here).

The simple truth is that for someone to win, other people have to lose. So’s the game, and that means you start off a career with a built in fanbase, but also built in haters. It’s not limited to Archies – I find that some of the strongest criticism towards DC comes from fans of other contestans, particularly those who feel their Idols were “robbed” for him to win.

While it’s true that every fanbase has its crazies and that we shouldn’t generalize, I think it’s verging on blindness to say that the levels are comparable. Fans of both could say, and have said so elsewhere. But I can’t speak for anyone but myself – I’ve seen so much love for Archie on Cook forums. When Cook had his album release party, the fans who did the cellcast followed it by playing tracks from Archie’s album and gushing about “little brother”. And that’s not uncommon.

The Archies won an award for being “fanatic”, from what I’ve seen they are, and proud of it. Where they choose to direct all that fervor is up to them. All I can say is – It’d be much much easier for me to root for Archie if I didn’t constantly get reminders that many of his supporters want the artist I love to fail.

I know that some people are arguing that both fanbases are equal in the bashing but to be honest, it really doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. What does matter is how the media and radio stations perceive the fanbases, because that is what is going to either help or hurt Archie or Cook in the long run. Here’s my thought: Crush is #1 on almost every single internet poll out there. It was #1 on VH1 for a very long time, #1 on Rate the Music on three formats for a very long time, and is also doing quite well in sales. With such high rankings, it should at least be in the top ten in radio play but instead is falling. I’m sure people can justify the loss in radio play in a variety of ways but I can’t help but wonder if people are not taking Archie’s fans seriously.

Ultimately Cook won and Archie lost… And I think that’s the reason Archie fans are more adamant about their dislike of Cook. Many Archie fans still want to prove America got it wrong, and gotta hate the Cook guy and wish all the worst to the Cook guy. But of course there are crazy people everywhere and in every fanbase. But yeah, I’m not afraid to tell it that there are more Archie fans who show their hate for Cook than Cook fans whos show their hate Archie.
I didn’t see Cook fans celebrating the fact that Taylor was #1 last week. I go to IDF and I see the Archies having a party because Cook is behind Nickelback. That is the difference, when your guy lost or won the contest. Maybe that’s what made the Claymates the Claymates. What if Clay had won? Could things have been a bit different?

I’m not sure he’s talking about fanboards or just internet. I think he’s talking about what people tell him in his face or during the tour in signs and stuff like that.

But Archie and Cook fans still have a lot to learn from Britney and Xtinas fans.

Just to note, I do believe that death threats count as “more adamant” in the “dislike” of David Cook. But, heh, what do I know? :wacko_tb:

I’ll admit to being somewhat sheltered, as I do not frequent so many sites. But, you needed only peruse one site on Sunday to observe “Cook hate” alive and thriving in response to the #1 on VH-1. And, you really only have to see one or two youtube vids of Cook to see the bashing.

I do agree that no one can have an objective perspective from which to compare unless they go everywhere and read everything. And, no one does. That’s the problem with perspective. It’s sad when perception becomes reality, as it so often does.

I don’t like my “David” because he sells more records, or won or lost a singing competition, or he’s at or near the top of a radio list, or he had more interviews posted, or other fans like him, etc. etc. etc.

Can’t we just like who we like for whatever reason without someone else having to burst our bubble. Negativism will be the death of all of us. We don’t need to make nasty comments about “his” fanbase when someone doesn’t like our “David”.

Get a grip everyone…like who you like, and as my Mom taught me: “If you can’t say something positive, keep your trap shut”.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sure heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s talking about fanboards or just internet. I think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s talking about what people tell him in his face or during the tour in signs and stuff like that.

But Archie and Cook fans still have a lot to learn from Britney and Xtinas fans.

Yes and yes, LOL.

There is this Archie fan I know of, said “I hate you” right in to Cook’s face, after he got him signed some posters he’s now selling on eBay. Then said “we all hate Cook” to Archie, oh, I don’t know what “we” he was talking about. And proudly posted a video of it. No, that’s neither a tween nor a woman. But he’s somewhat a leader on a forum.

The reason I think Cook does have it worse than Archie is because Archie is young, looks even younger, appears to be vulnerable, makes fans want to protect him in some ways. And, people who say really hateful things about him look more like a bully. To some extend, for some, Cook looks like one too.

Aaww haters = losers on any side of the idol divide. Everyone with an inch of common sense can see that except for the haters themselves. Karma comes full circle. Dump your vitriol on somebody who’s never hurt you, and somewhere down the road life will find a way to collect from ya. Trolls are pathetic. And that’s all the amount of my time I’m gonna use up to comment on them.

In the meantime, I liked the fact that Cookie took time out of his mad schedule to sneak off to Virgin to get Archie’s record. And as usual when asked about Archie, he never ever fails to say how talented, how unassuming, grounded, down-to-earth, the nicest guy yadda yadda yadda Archie is every time he’s asked. You can see his sincerity in his eyes and face and tone of voice when he talks of Archie. And I love that Archie reciprocates the respect and kindness too. I’ve NEVER been hooked on any AI season before as much as this year, and a large part of that is because of the facets of their personalities which stood out to me: David and Archie, sweet Brooke, dreamy Jason, funny Carly, crazy MJ. Loved ‘em all and hope good things keep happening to good, hardworking people.

LOL Archie lost AI by 12 million votes, what is there to prove America got it wrong? and I dare say Cook is going to sell more albums than Archie, I am happy with that

Good luck to both Davids and their fanbase. Would be better if people move on beyond AI, not easy since the media just won’t let it go llol. and yes both Davids are big boys, they can handle all the love and hate,that’s one thing the show teach you well.

My interpretation of what DC said was that people had said these nasty things to his face. It may well be that there are fans on both sides who go around typing nasty things on the internet about “the other David,” but I have long gotten the sense that DC gets nastiness shoved in his face sometimes but DA (fortunately) does not.

Sad.

Didn’t other idols complain about some fans being rude to them on the tour? Perhaps KLC, Syesha and Carly, or am I mistaken? And other fans noticed rude signs held up during David Cook’s performances. I have certainly noticed Jason’s fans being nasty about Cook, so it is not just an Archie-vs-Cook thing. Some fans simply dislike other contestants on the show enough to make known their dislike publicly, or even personally to the idols themselves. Those are just immature behaviours, whether they be from adults or tweens (although I suppose a lot of them are probably tweens).

Yeah, not touching this one…..

I do have to say I founf it funny when Cookie was like ‘Archie fans dont watch this! She’s trying to staaarrt something!’ lol I got a good laugh out of that.

While ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s true that every fanbase has its crazies and that we shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t generalize, I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s verging on blindness to say that the levels are comparable.

Well, I’ll fully admit it. I don’t read every Idol related site on the internet. I wouldn’t even be able to keep up with the ones that are Idol in general (like IDF, Rickys, AmericanIdol, MJs, TWoP so many more I’ve never even heard about). That goes double for the individual fan sites which tend to breed a hive mentality (not all, but a lot). I don’t know who has that much time. So, I think for anybody to state definitively which Idol gets bashed more must have a time machine in order to read each an every post out there in order to weigh and measure the vitrol.

It was #1 on VH1 for a very long time, #1 on Rate the Music on three formats for a very long time, and is also doing quite well in sales. With such high rankings, it should at least be in the top ten in radio play but instead is falling. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure people can justify the loss in radio play in a variety of ways but I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t help but wonder if people are not taking Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans seriously.

Okay. I’m going to play the devil’s advocate here:

“Light On’ has yet to even crack the top 100 in airplay. It has yet to even sell 300K downlaods after 9 weeks (some songs do that in a single week). Yet, the video debuted at number one on the VH1 countdown. It’s barely been seen on VH1, yet VH1 voters think it’s the best video? “I’m sure that people can justify the lack of radio play in a variety of ways, but I can’t help but wonder if people are not taking Cookie fans seriously”. Seriously. Just look at it from the other foot and you will see how that sounds.

Do some Archie fans spam polls? In the time honoured Idol tradition: YES! Do some Cookie fans spam polls? In the time honoured Idol tradition: YES! Are some Archie fans rude? In the time honoured Idol tradition: YES! Are some Cookie fans rude? YES! In the time honoured Idol tradition: YES!

Gah! Gah! Gah! Gah! Gah! There are idiots and over invested fans everywhere. I don’t think this debate is winable. One person can state definitively that the other guy’s fans are crazy and those rabid lunatics are bulk buying his song while spamming web sites and spewing hate meanwhile “their guy” is winning new fans and selling a single copy to hip, cool, level-headed fans and posting nothing but love – but they can’t prove it. If I felt like it, I could dig up a good case for either side having the most crazy fans.

And again with the light on not in the hot 100…

Get a grip everyoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦like who you like, and as my Mom taught me: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“If you canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say something positive, keep your trap shutà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

So, I’m not allowed to say I don’t like something? I must be Pollyanna? I think it is fine if I say “You know, I like Declaration more than Light On”. I don’t think we always have to be positive. I think reasonable people can differ. I think reasonable people can dislike things. I don’t like clams. I think they taste disgusting. I’m not some kind of clam troll. If you like clams. Eat them. Be glad that I’m not driving up the price of clams.

People can say they don’t like such-and-such. I believe neither David is such a big baby they can’t hear somebody say “I don’t like that song” without falling to pieces. Death threats and over the top ranting are a bit much, I’ll agree. Trolling and baiting is dumb. But I think we should be allowed to say something other than positive things. But, then I grew up in a house were debate was encouraged.

I really think though that these very vocal folks are very young (kids) for the most part.

I completely disagree. In my experience, especially on the other main Idol forum (R’s) the most vocal and poisonous haters of DC are men and women in their late 20′s-40′s.

Yeah, tweens are cute about their love and hate… the “he doesn’t shave” is even cuter.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like clams. I think they taste disgusting. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not some kind of clam troll. If you like clams. Eat them. Be glad that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not driving up the price of clams.

but but but clams are goood!!!! or at least clam strips are… you’re such a clam hater!! ppfttt LOL

I kid I kid.. lol But yeah I’m pretty much with you Kirsten. Theres nothing wrong with a nice debate(as long as it doesnt get out of control). Not everything has to be sunshine and roses all the time and omg omg I flove everything they do or say and omg omg.

And again with the light on not in the hot 100à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

I’m using a parallel argument. If somebody can claim that Crush doesn’t deserve to be on the VH1 countdown because it’s only at 45 on the airplay chart, to play the devil’s advocate, that’s the logical place to go.

Dude. It’s a number. I think the song is struggling. I’ll fully admit that I’m a huge fangirl of Jive/Barry. I thought Jordin was a hopeless case last year. Her coronation numbers would make even Cowell cry. Yet, Jive/Barry played a nearly perfect game (fabulous strategy). I’ve seen RCA make too many mistakes in the past, so I’m more quick to judge them. Once Jive/Barry make some major screw-ups while I’m watching, I’ll probably be as critical of them too. I’m talking about label strategy here and not bashing an Idol here. I don’t say “Cook sucks and never will succeed”. I’m saying “Cook is a talented unit moving machine and RCA picked the wrong single to lead with”.

And again with the light on not in the hot 100à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

:laugh_tb:

Re: The Adamant Fans

I’ve seen it all, from both sides. It’s sad, unbelievable, ridiculous, and spans all ages.

I have to agre with DC and others here about some of Archie’s fans. While I did see disparaging remarks about Archie in the beginning from Cook’s fans, I think for the most part they have stopped. (There is a group of folks that post negative remarks about Archie’s looks on various sites, but they say they weren’t AI fans. They do seem like teenagers as well.) Usually in Cook’s forums, the worse reactions to Archie’s successes center around the fact that some fans are going to use it as ammunition against Cook. But in the Archie sites I’ve visited, Cook’s triumphs are met with cries of disdain and charges of payola and computerized voting. I recently saw one fan calling Archie to the carpet for praising Cook. I too have seen the 500 lines of “I hate Cook” or worse posted over and over in comments of threads that review or interview him or just mention his name. I haven’t seen Cook fans do that in a while. I am hoping that youth does have a lot to do with this, but I agree, it doesn’t make an artist look very good to have such people “behind” him/her.
I think the observation about Archie seeming to need a protector is probably very valid. People do seem to be quick to come to his defense following reviews and perceived disses from Cook. That also could explain a lot of the fanatic behavior.

LOL – I am so shallow. Is there an interview going on? I’m trying to watch the Light On and Bar-ba-sol performance going on in the background. Ahh! Memories of a wonderful night after waiting hours in the dark and cold for tickets.

think the song is struggling. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll fully admit that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a huge fangirl of Jive/Barry. I thought Jordin was a hopeless case last year. Her coronation numbers would make even Cowell cry. Yet, Jive/Barry played a nearly perfect game (fabulous strategy).

OK, I must object to this. Anyone who can make Jordin’s songs sell must be in league with the devil, a curse on civilisation. Somone intent on ruination of pop music, never someone to be a fan of.

“And again with the light on not in the hot 100à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦”

Poor horse… Too funny!

Cook answered those leading questions with aplomb and diplomacy. He and David Archuleta impressed me with their talent and artistry during the show and at the AI tour. I find their mutual respect, admiration, and affection for one another, as both artists and human beings, refreshing in an industry and culture that encourages the contrary.

Crush stalled on the Top 40 chart but it moving up quite vigorously on the AC and HAC charts. It continues to do extremely well at selling downloads and will def go platinum this week. So I don’t think Archie fans are doing any lasting harm to his career. Plus Archie makes very radio friendly music and Clay not so much so radio requests will def work differently for both.

I’m surprised Cook is so thin skinned but he is a sensitive guy which is part of the charm. At this point, both Davids have moved into the big leagues.
.
The further away both Davids get from the “fanatical” Idol fans and the more new fans they make, the more successful they will become. Good luck, Guys.

Heh, Jan.

So, is he really that good in a live show? [Yeah, that was a blatant request for you to make me openly jealous of you for having seen him at the HRC.]

Kirsten. I love a good debate. I think people should express themselves and their opinions. I agree with you about the need for a new single BTW. I like hearing why people don’t like something I do. But there is a way to go about expressing yourself and then there is just plain unreasonable hatred. If you don’t like a David, fine, say so once or twice or three times in a discussion. Don’t call them bald, gay or special needs. Don’t stop a reasonable discussion about an artist on a thread with multi-generated hate statements.
On the other hand, if you say you like someone in a post, I’d like to see why you like him/her. The 500 lines of “I love Joe Cool” or “Joe Cool is a God” bug me just as much as the anti-posts.
I admire MJ very much for keeping the fan war posts off of this site. It is one of the reasons it is my main source for Idol info. And I like the regular posters here too!

SashaB ITA –

Cook answered those leading questions with aplomb and diplomacy. He and David Archuleta impressed me with their talent and artistry during the show and at the AI tour. I find their mutual respect, admiration, and affection for one another, as both artists and human beings, refreshing….

And jan!

I am so shallow. Is there an interview going on? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m trying to watch the Light On and Bar-ba-sol performance going on in the background. Ahh! Memories of a wonderful night after waiting hours in the dark and cold for tickets.

You and me, the Shallow Sisters! hee. Oh I’m so jealous you got to go! That morning, I’m sitting at work thinking “Now why the hell didn’t I JUST GO?” Never been to NYC, maybe I need to see it…TODAY, while Cook is there. lalala.

As usual, he handles the stupid and tough questions so well. What is it nobody is going to touch? PB&J? Or just the J part? I don’t get it…. Well love seeing some video of Mr. Cook. sigh.

OK, I must object to this. Anyone who can make Jordinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s songs sell must be in league with the devil, a curse on civilisation. Somone intent on ruination of pop music, never someone to be a fan of.

LOL. Well, I’ll fully admit that I don’t personally like Jordin’s music (sorry, never been a fan), I must admit that I’m a fan of a well played strategy. Jive did an amazing job of strategy. Hopefully, it will use it’s talent for an artist I like next time (although, they are doing a great job with P!nk. I think “I Don’t Believe You” is the best song on that album, but I can totally see why the led with “So What”).

But there is a way to go about expressing yourself and then there is just plain unreasonable hatred.

Exactly. Hatred is dumb. Save it for third world dictators that are driving their population to starvation or people who abuse kids. Not for somebody’s whose only crime was to compete against your favourite in a singing competition.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Cook sucks and never will succeedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m saying à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Cook is a talented unit moving machine and RCA picked the wrong single to lead withà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

And Kirsten, and anybody else here gets to do that without snide remarks from the peanut gallery.

Sorry, the whole “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all” deal does not fly at mjsbigblog.

ETA:

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve seen it all, from both sides. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sad, unbelievable, ridiculous, and spans all ages.

Sadly, it’s not just the kids.

sorry mj

Well this Archie fan loves Cookie too. Cookie, do you know that you are going to make me cry again, seriously. I wanna give him a big hug. I want them both to have success after idol and be the next Kelly/Daughtry. LOL Yeah and the Davids are very mature about everything, they are so supportive of each other. I love that about this season. It doesn’t feel like the Clay/Ruben season. Archie is smart to not read the boards and to stay on the official sites.

I recall that there was a video during the AI tour of Archie meeting some fans….I think they were sisters. Their mother called them the “David Twins”….when Archie was signing autographs and getting pics taken with them, he asked them “but you don’t hate the other David, do you?” They said “no, we love him.” And Archie said “oh good, I love him too”. :wub_tb: Too bad it can’t always be like that.

Well, I’m not touching the actual issue of David v David or Archies v. Cookies. But I can say that I’ve never experienced anything like this past year. Now I’m not saying this season is worst or better than any other. I’m just saying I’ve never been involved on this level, so, for me, this is all new. And I’m never doing it again. This has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, finding a singer I really connect with and even care about. And I’ve made so many amazing friends. But the fan war business and the media and supporting someone through the machine of idol and after the show ends, no more. Let me clarify, my feelings on this are not because my guy didn’t win. I honestly think for Archuleta’s sake, coming in second was best for him considering how the wind was blowing.

Again, all this is new to me. And it strkes me as insane and ridiculous. I’ve never supported a musician like this before. But I do get very passionate about artists, writers, flimmakers, etc. with whom I connect. So watching and reading about my David being sent through the gauntlet that was this past season and through this ongoing “fanwar” if it does still exist, yes, has been very difficult at times. And I imagine it’s been difficult for Cook’s fans who care about him as well. The idol phenom strikes me as warped. Or maybe I’m just too sensitive. I can certainly live with that. Whatever the case, I’m going back to discovering my music the old fashioned way. I’ll still support Archuleta like crazy and wish Cook well (and I always have). But the idol experience? It’s not for me.

So, is he really that good in a live show? [Yeah, that was a blatant request for you to make me openly jealous of you for having seen him at the HRC.]

FolkFan, bf is on fire live! After seeing how many interviews he did that day (seems like a new one surfaces every day) I don’t know where he dug that energy up from for his performance that night. Maybe Red Bull is his friend, lol.

I didn’t find Cook’s comments as coming across that he’s thin-skinned so much as he was responding to her very leading questions. Almost seems like she is trying to stir up trouble, maybe she moonlights for EW.com.

It makes me sad to hear how aware Cook is of some of the crap said about him, even sadder to know that some fans of other idols have the nerve to actually spew that hatred to his face or hatred about him to Archie’s face. Just plain sick if you ask me. It makes my stomach turn. I don’t think my skin would ever be thick enough to be in that type of business, so I admire anyone who has the guts to take it on.

I wholeheartedly agree with Kirsten. There are definitely “crazy” fans in both fanbases from I have observed. All this fanwarring makes being a fan of both really difficult sometimes. For example, I do hope that Cook was never made aware of some of the downright dispicable behavior of some fans right here in his hometown of KC towards the end of Idol and during their tour stop here. Fans who thought it their personal mission to publicly make known their disdain for Archie by calling into radio stations or using TV interviews about Cook to verbally tear Archie to shreds in order to prop up the hometown guy. These were mostly 30 and 40-something “adults” too. So it certainly is not limited to the young ones or only Archie fans. Even after Cook won, some of the reaction interviews could not help but throw Archie under the bus in the process of celebrating Cook’s victory. It really marred what should’ve been a great moment.

As far as message boards go, the ones I visit, I do see more outright bashing of Cook going on from some Archie fans who spew crap about Cook or dissect and criticize every little thing Cook does or says or does not do or say. It is ridiculous. The Cook fans who dislike Archie though on those boards have moved from outright hating Archie to making subtle digs at him and his future CD sales versus Cook’s. So yeah, it goes both ways and sometimes is just presented differently. It’s all a matter of perspective I guess.

I personally do not care one iota who sells more as long as they both keep making music for years to come. It would be a waste of talent for that to stop. The music world needs these two guys…they really are both gems that Idol was lucky to have in one season. Best Top 2 ever IMO.

I’ve seen ugliness from both sides, and both fanbases are guilty in my opinion. Sadly, I agree that it’s not just “kids” doing it, but mainly grown folks who should know better. I think at times that it is easier for some fans to point out the ugliness in another person’s house (so to speak) than it is to see it in their own house. I’ve seen some hateful things said about Cook by Archies at various places online, and I’ve seen hateful things said about Archie (and his dad) by Cook fans as well. It may have been worse during the season than it is now, but I guess it is always easier to be “nice” when your guy wins. The ugliness from one side tends to increase depending on which guy is “losing” whatever the mini-battle the fans have created at the moment (i.e., whose single/album had the highest opening week sales, whose single went platinum first, whose single/album charted higher, whose single went platinum in the shortest amount of time, blah blah). I’ve seen some fans of Archie openly rooting for Cook to fail, and I’ve seen some fans of Cook openly rooting for Archie to fail. I hate fan wars with a passion anyway (still remember the ugly battles from season five), and it is especially tough when you happen to be a fan of both Davids. I think I’ll be avoiding the fan boards of both Davids for a while.

I admire MJ very much for keeping the fan war posts off of this site. It is one of the reasons it is my main source for Idol info.

Ditto. Kudos to MJ (and Kirsten) for the work they do on this blog.

1) Word to every one of Kirsten’s posts. Her logic cuts right through some of the most biased comments.

2) Both fanbases or rather all fanbases have rude people and people that think their fanbase is somehow better or above it all when they’re clearly not.

3) I think the only reason Cook seems to be hyper aware of his detractors is because he spends too much time looking up what people have to say about him online while Archie freely admits to avoiding most websites with few exceptions. I don’t think it’s healthy to be constantly reading what other people have to say about you (good or bad) and i wish Cook would set up more barriers for himself.

I admit that as an Archuleta fan, I cringe at the things people say about him, even on this thread, and I’m relieved that his avoidance makes it unlikely he’ll ever see most of the belittling people do.

I think the only reason Cook seems to be hyper aware of his detractors is because he spends too much time looking up what people have to say about him

Or maybe, it’s hard to escape it when people tell you to your face.

Or maybe, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hard to escape it when people tell you to your face.

True. There are specific cases that are unavoidable but he’s hardly the only one who has to deal with stuff like that. For example, Archie had to hear all about what Constantine said about him on the air from a DJ and respond to it. He shrugged it off. I don’t think it’d be as easy for him to keep shrugging off the stupidity of some people if he was constantly looking for feedback on himself and kept coming across all the nasty comments people say about him. That stuff could start to affect anyone unless they had super thick skin.

It is funny that most people’s opinion of who gets bashed more depends totally upon who is your idol. The DA sites I go on discuss Cook a little bit but it is very rarely bashing and when one person bashes once in a while, many people come to his defense and shut it down.

The stuff said about DA on many sites on the internet is horrible. I just don’t get how they could say these things about someone who is so loving and nice to everyone. It is one thing I HATE about the internet- the anonymity. People can get away with saying anything and no one knows who they are.

serenade, I think you are right that Cook seems to be hyper aware of his detractors and seems to be more sensitive about it because he looks at what people have to say about him. I think he would be wise to only go to places that love him. . . .easier on the ego.

DA has said many times that he doesn’t go on the internet to look much. I think it is best. In the interviews where DJ’s or journalists have said not so nice things to him or told him something nasty someone else said about him, he always says, “that’s too bad.” There was one interview where the guy kept saying he should hit Cook to take him out (over and over), David turned to him and said “violence is not the answer.” (I hope I am rembering that correctly)

I hope the fan wars subside, although from seeing the fanwars that still exist with Daughtry, I expect it will never be totally gone.

I think the only reason Cook seems to be hyper aware of his detractors is because he spends too much time looking up what people have to say about him

I hardly think Cook has that much free time on his hands right now. If he’s getting his info online, it’s probably because it’s very prevalent, But I tend to agree with hypertwink that he’s probably been told right to his face. I’ve heard enough horror stories from the tour. The “I killed 12 million people, I’m looking for my next victim” girl was the worst, but far from the only one.

I think he would be wise to only go to places that love him. . . .easier on the ego.

You know what, though? That’s excellent in theory, that’s what I try to do – I completely stopped visiting general AI sites, save for this one, just to avoid seeing the negativity, bashing and gloating. But – what good does that do me when the haters make it a point to comment and spam almost every DC article and YT video?
The sad fact is you can’t escape it if you’re a Cook fan, so I assume you can’t escape it if you’re Cook, either.

I don’t follow either David very much. Has David Cook made other comments about what fans say about him?

It is one thing I HATE about the internet- the anonymity. People can get away with saying anything and no one knows who they are.

It’s cowardly, but…such is the internet. It gives people a false sense of bravery. Problem is, it’s unnecessary. But then again, so are a million other things in the world.

I don’t know how David gets his information – if he hears it, or if it’s said face to face. He didn’t clarify that. I’ll have to ask him next time I see him.

Bottom line is, either way, it’s hurtful. He can never get skin thick enough to be uneffected, unless he’s dead. Even if they brush it off, it still hurts. They’re human.

These are new celebrities. I hope they learn the best way to cope.

I am an Archie who really likes David Cook and I really love this interview. Cook seems like such a warm, sensitive guy who really watched out for DA during idol and the tour. How could an Archie fan not appreciate that? I guess it’s just jealousy over their favorite not winning the competition. But as we know 12 million MORE people voted for Cook and while it stung back then, Archies should be WAY over it now. Both have albums out and both are VERY different artists. And both keep saying, “the competition is over”. Ugh, fighting fanbases really kill me sometimes.

I wasn’t a fan of “Light On” when it first came on, but it’s growing on me. Now I’m off to finally listen to all of Cook’s new album!

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t follow either David very much. Has David Cook made other comments about what fans say about him?

He’s admitted to reading IDF, the AI boards and some fans over on TWoP were convinced he read their thread over there. Recently, he mentioned a YouTube video in an interview where a bunch of teen girls recorded their devastated reaction to Archie not winning. Hence, it’s very obvious he’s aware of the fanbases. At the same time, it means he’s also aware of the people that are fanatical over him. I don’t think either extreme is healthy for his ego but it probably wouldn’t be easy for him to go cold turkey and suddenly stop needing to read what everyone thinks about him.

LOL Even the mere suggestion that one Idol might be reading about himself online and one doesn’t leads to some hyper sensitive discussion or implication that doing one or the other is a “bad” thing- many times it is a single fan or a group of fans that “interpret” what another Idol’s fanbase says that lights the fire and I completely believe that much thought goes into the wording of many of those “innocent” comments that are made and what the eventual interpretation might be. There are Crafty fans on both sides LOL :shock_tb:

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think either extreme is healthy for his ego but it probably wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be easy for him to go cold turkey and suddenly stop needing to read what everyone thinks about him.

LMAO. As Kirsten said earlier – you’d need a time machine to read what everyone says about David Cook, even if you don’t have alot going on otherwise.
With the amount of press and appearances DC has been doing… we should probably go hunt down his time machine right now.

PS – You really shouldn’t take fans wishful thinking as indicative of anything. TWoPers never had reason to believe David read that thread, and I doubt anyone seriously did. Also very impressed that an Archie fan knows such an esoteric detail from discussion in a Cook thread.

I guess ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just jealousy over their favorite not winning the competition.

I would be careful about assuming that is the problem for all of this. Some people are hyper-competitive. Some people can’t let anything go. Some people feel they are defending their guy. Some people are angry about what the other guy’s fans said. Some people are just crazy. etc

Some Cookie fans say nasty things about Archie. One would think they would have even less cause to say anything nasty (their guy won), but it happens. It’s not so much jealousy, but other factors.

I think one has to be very careful about generalizing. I think the VAST majority of fans are normal. Most of them probably don’t even follow this on the internet. The crazy ones just make a huge impression. Unfortunately. I think it’s better not to let the outliers define the group because it fosters an “us vs them” mentality which makes this situation worse. IMO.

Come on everybody. Let’s join hands and sing “It’s a Small World”. No? Okay. That song does have a repuation.

Bottom line is, either way, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hurtful. He can never get skin thick enough to be uneffected, unless heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s dead. Even if they brush it off, it still hurts. Theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re human.

I seem to recall that American Idol strongly advises the contestants to not read the AI fan boards. I don’t think that you can be a public figure without getting something nasty said about you. Heck, even people that post regularily on this little site are inviting nasty things to be said about them (I was once labeled the EVIL ONE on another website). MJ has been called lots of rude, nasty things. Ken Barnes is regularly accused of cooking the books (why would a professional journalist do that?) I’m not saying it’s right. I’m just saying it’s not going to stop any time soon. So one must either grow a thick skin or stop reading sites that may say nasty things about you. Some Idols can do it (some even post on VFTW), but other Idols are deeply troubled by it (e.g. that one Season 4 contestant).

People should try to be nice, but there are people out there that aren’t nice. And even then, many AI sites are discussion boards and people are allowed to say they don’t like something. That’s not being mean. As others have pointed out, there is a difference between hatin’ and reasonable discussion. And sometimes a joke is just a joke.

I didn’t follow the tour that closely. If rude things were said to people’s faces, that’s pretty whacked. Having survived the “My Idol was nicer than that other Idol outside the tour buses” debates, I’m hoping that some of these stories are a litte exaggerated. For my own sanity.

Sadly, I think it’s mostly grown ups, which is what makes it worst.
Not exactly Archie-Cook related, but If Cook knows what they say about him I’m pretty sure he knows what people say about his girfriend. And I’ve seen nasty things about him, but what I’ve read Cook fans write about his girfriend is just beyond anything I could imagine. And they’re his fans, mostly adults, I’ve actually seen many teens beeing more mature about it.
But I think Cook can handle all that, he seems to be pretty tough, when he’s not crying. I don’t think it’s bad to read those things if you learn how not be affected by that.

With the amount of press and appearances DC has been doingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ we should probably go hunt down his time machine right now.

Like I said, he admits to reading about himself online so there’s nothing to assume here. It’s a fact. If he can handle it, that’s fine. But he’s said things lately that lead me to believe his skin is not thick enough to go unaffected by it. The difference between Cook and Archie’s fanbases is not that one fanbase is “meaner” or “ruder” than the other. There are mean spirited jerks in any fanbase. The difference is that Cook is more aware of it by his own admission.

PS – You really shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t take fans wishful thinking as indicative of anything. TWoPers never had reason to believe David read that thread, and I doubt anyone seriously did.

Honestly, I don’t. But I doubt Cook would be unaware of its existence. It’s a pretty popular site and even though traffic has slowed down a bit on the AI forums, his popularity there during the season and after was epic. Plus, members there have made sure to make him aware of it even if he wasn’t before.

All I’m suggesting is that Cook would be better off if he just avoided some of the hype and fanwars. It gets to the point where he’s worrying over what the ten immature haters are saying about him rather than concentrating on his legions of fans. He shouldn’t have to feel like he still needs to prove he deserved to win the AI title six months later when he should be onto better things.

Awww, good on you, David, for avoiding the cheese in her trap. Be prepared for people to start sending you jelly now.

The difference between Cook and Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fanbases is not that one fanbase is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“meanerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ruderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  than the other. There are mean spirited jerks in any fanbase. The difference is that Cook is more aware of it by his own admission.

Of course, the problem isn’t the fans who bash him constantly and without reserve (and, might I add, yes, to his face during the tour), it’s that he’s aware of it. OK than.

It gets to the point where heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s worrying over what the ten immature haters are saying about him rather than concentrating on his legions of fans.

Not exactly. “for every person that has anything negative to say, there’s five people that have said great things”.
Hmm.

The crazy ones just make a huge impression. Unfortunately. I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s better not to let the outliers define the group

That’s the power of the internet– making the crazies seem mightier in number than they are. At the same time, how come no one mentioned that DC pretty much acknowledged as much himself? He’s said elsewhere and again here (sorry for inaccuracies, not rewatching it to paraphrase), that for every bad egg out there, there are 5 more Archies that are really sweet to him. I don’t think DC’s response here means he googles himself too much on the Internet, or obsesses about what’s on fanboards. It’s just that he happens not to be one of those Idols who chose to be completely shielded from and oblivious to what’s out there. So when reporters keep asking him these questions, rather than lie and pretend that he thinks everything is rosy, he’s doing his best to speak honestly about his impression and experience with Archies, and I find that refreshing.

As for his personal choice not stay away from this type of criticism, it’s obviously not for everyone (Brooke and her fragile psyche should keep staying away!) but DC’s a big boy and knows himself well enough to figure out what he can handle and when to step away. Some people like to seek out feedback and find the construction even in the nastiest criticism, and getting a sense of what haters hate about yourself can sometimes provide perspective and be good market research. I prefer non-fan boards like MJ’s because I enjoy hearing the difference of opinions. If I hung out on DCO all day, I’d probably get a pretty skewed perspective of how universally-loved DC is, haha. In a similar sense, I think DC may just want to have an idea of where he stands in the big bad world, and not always be surrounded by sycophants. All that said, I really think the speculation that he combs the boards is a bit ridiculous. I imagine with his schedule that only the most interesting or visible criticisms ever make it to him, and likely due to others pointing it out.

ETA: Jolene, I see you also pointed out the 5-for-every-1 line while I took too long typing my post haha.

Of course, the problem isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the fans who bash him constantly and without reserve (and, might I add, yes, to his face during the tour), ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s aware of it. OK than.

There are always going to be people who’ll bash Cook and Archie and Madonna and The Pope and anyone who has any level of fame or power. There are people who are going to say it to their faces. Archuleta has gotten his fair share of comments like “i couldn’t stand you during the show but your new song isn’t half bad” to his face. It happens. It’s life. They can’t make it stop happening but they can control how much of it they allow into their lives by not actively looking for it.

Not exactly. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“for every person that has anything negative to say, thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s five people that have said great thingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .
Hmm.

It’s nice he has perspective on that. But he also said he has a chip on his shoulder and that he wants to prove he deserved to win.

I’m pretty certain there will be some backlash for making that comment about Archuleta’s fans since the genuine comment about if Archie can keep his head about him he will be fine set off a hail storm of negativity hurled at Cook. When in reality Cook was just stating the obvious about Archie, himself and any new artist. That statement has become a jumping board into what many Archie fans believe was “Cook showing his true Colors” and his “lack of love” for his buddy.

I agree with sma11ie that Cook may read whatever he reads as a learning device to gage fan and nonfan reaction to what he does. He is a very smart man and what better way to get cheap marketing advice then to read what the “real” fans or “nonfans” are saying about you and use it to your advantage?

So one must either grow a thick skin or stop reading sites that may say nasty things about you.

And I repeat: “They’re new celebrities. They’ll learn.” Needless to say, if I suddenly became famous, I’d love to know what was being said about me…at first. I’d gobble it up. After a while, it would start to chip away at me though. Everyone knows what he/she can handle. So, he’ll adjust because it won’t stop, I’m sure.

But he also said he has a chip on his shoulder and that he wants to prove he deserved to win.

When did he say that? I remember him saying that he wanted to prove those who voted for him, that they did right. Meaning he wouldn’t want to disappoint those who liked him.

Honestly? I’m pretty sure Cook has had worse in his former bartender life, and that’s probably why reading all these stuff does not affect him and he doesn’t run away from it.

It gets to the point where heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s worrying over what the ten immature haters are saying about him rather than concentrating on his legions of fans. He shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to feel like he still needs to prove he deserved to win the AI title six months later when he should be onto better things.

When did he concentrate more on the haters than the fans? It was the interviewer who did the question. It’s not like he brought that conversation.
He has talked so many times about his fans withouth people asking. Every time someone asks about his brother there he goes saying great things about the fans supports.
I think you’re making lots of assumptions here…

Archuleta has gotten his fair share of comments like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“i couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stand you during the show but your new song isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t half badà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  to his face. It happens. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life.

Tactless, yes, but the sentiment behind it was, at least, a complimentary one. Quite a different thing from Archies screaming in Cook’s face during the M&Gs during the tour, holding up signs demanding a recount, or yelling “you suck,” no? I hardly think he needs to comb the internet to get feedback on how “adamant” some people are about their “dislike” of him when certain fans are pretty much giving him the “feedback” to his face.

Also, the interviewer asked him a question and he answered. Hardly surprising that he brought it up because, if it happened to me even once, it would certainly stick in my psyche for a good little while. And it happened to him more than a few times during the tour (and we only got wind of this situation when fans reported on the behavior). Who knows how often the behavior occurred during the tour and what else we didn’t know about?

There are mean spirited jerks in any fanbase. The difference is that Cook is more aware of it by his own admission.

I really like Archie and even own some of his songs, but one would have to be blind not to witness how disproportionately nasty a subset of his fans have been to Cook. The meltdown followed by the stream of hateful comments that occured on a few Archie fansites after Cook premiered #1 on VH1 was a site to behold and embarassing to say the least. I’m sorry, people can continue to use the “every fanbase is the same” argument but I’m not buying it. Nearly everyone on this board has at some point brought up the issue of Claymates so I really don’t see why Archie fans are immune to getting labeled that way too. Even if the fans who make the mean comments are in the minority, it won’t matter, because they are a very vocal minority.

I’m pretty certain this thread won’t be a problem because people wouldn’t want to prove him right just under the interview.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m pretty certain this thread wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be a problem because people wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to prove him right just under the interview

LOL @ elisad. Not here no but rest assured it will be much discussed elsewhere!

I really like Archie and even own some of his songs, but one would have to be blind not to witness how disproportionately nasty a subset of his fans have been to Cook.

One would have to be blind to ignore how nasty and condescending some Cook fans and some fans of others have been towards Archie for most of the run of American Idol and even now. It goes both ways and both sides will deny it. But it’s still true.

Didn’t see a single comment about the VH1 thing, which is fan voted, except rumors on the method of voting. My opinion is that lots of fans robo vote in Internet polls so it’s not even worth getting worked up over it.

May- again, I think each person’s point of view of the disproportionality of nastiness toward their idol depends upon who their favorite idol is and where they choose to visit. I just haven’t seen nastiness toward Cook (very rarely) on the main DA websites that I visit.

I hope we can all be the ones who will do what we can to stop it. I have been very pleased that on many articles I go to where journalists are trying to pit the two against each other, many fans have been complimentary to both guys.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sorry, people can continue to use the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“every fanbase is the sameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  argument but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not buying it.

You may not want to buy that argument, but it’s a fair and accurate one to make. Some Idol fans can pretend that the ugly behavior never comes from within their particular camp and act like their fanbase is above all the negativity, but that is simply not true. IdolFanatic summed up quite accurately all of the things I’ve seen with my own eyes on some of the respective fan boards.

Regarding the famous “tweens lose it” youtube that DC referenced in the EW article, I have a vision of how he happened to see that:

Friend (snickering): Dave, you’ve got to see this.
DC: What? [Watches youtube.]
Friend (snickering harder): Man, what kind of loser doesn’t shave?
DC: I’ve got to watch that again.

^Yeah, remember the Larry King interview when they said family and friends would call to tell them what they’d read or heard on the internet, etc.? Word gets around…., though I cannot, for the life of me, understand why a friend/relative would want to relay negative news.

BTW, I’m glad he had a sense of humor about that video. The first time I saw it, I was hysterical. I think we’ve all been there.

But he also said he has a chip on his shoulder and that he wants to prove he deserved to win.

When did he say that?

He did say something about having a chip on his shoulder. But what’s wrong with that? He talks about it in the sense that it pushes him to push harder. What is with the overrating of false humility? I admire anyone that chooses to turn naysayers and critics into a motivation for success. Better that than letting it break down your confidence, retreat, and give up.

serenade, what the heck is robo voting?

edit: keep your remarks focused on the topic, not on your fellow posters.

Nearly everyone on this board has at some point brought up the issue of Claymates so I really donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see why Archie fans are immune to getting labeled that way too.

I don’t even like calling Clay fans Claymates. To me, Claymates are the militant, crazed wing of the Clay fan base. I do not for a moment think that all Archies are Claymates (or that all Clay fans are Claymates). Are their some crazy Archie fans? I would presume so. But, I have met some Archie fans on MJs who are very sane and normal sounding so I know that all Archies are not crazy.

I just don’t like to judge any group of people (sex, creed, colour, fan, whatever) by the actions of a small group. I’m not going to change my mind.

I really like Archie and even own some of his songs, but one would have to be blind not to witness how disproportionately nasty a subset of his fans have been to Cook.

This is second time the blind subject has come up. I have seen ugliness on all sides (and to be honest, it hasn’t reached the ugly level of the Twighlight fans vs Harry Potter fans. Yeesh!). I have seen Archie and Cookie behaving nicely to each other. Despite that, I’m not prepared to hand either fan base a perfect good conduct award. I guess I need get off of MJs and start reading fan websites, but I don’t find it to be a good use of my time to read the fan sites of people I’m not a fan of, so don’t expect me to start.

Quite a different thing from Archies screaming in Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face during the M&Gs during the tour, holding up signs demanding a recount, or yelling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“you suck,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  no?

Well, that’s entirely a different thing. If every single Archie fan that managed to get into a M&G yelled in Cook’s face then I guess I would argue that Idol needs to get itself some new security guards. I’m kind of shocked that not a single Archie fan had the self-control not to yell in Cook’s face. Huh. Who knew? Or maybe it was just one Archie fan who did this and the rest were really nice. Because, goodness knows that every winner has been told at a some point by somebody that they didn’t deserve to win.

Archie doesn’t have to read the fan boards. His dad does that for him. Believe it. LOL.

Really, sometimes it’s hard to avoid the negative stuff, even when you try. If Cook is getting told to his face that he sucks, and I would imagine that happened to him over the course of the tour, that’s hard to avoid. Or, if well meaning friends send you links to negative articles and such, it’s probably hard to resist reading.

I know from my own tiny bit of fame on the internet, the negative stuff is impossible to completely avoid. Emails, Google Alerts, links from well meaning friends–when it’s right in your face, it’s tough not to read.

I’m not going to criticize Cook on this one. I’m sure he realizes the the criticism comes with the territory, but it’s only human to be affected by it.

I’m going to ask people to please:

Stay on topic. The topic is not this thread, so don’t comment on how your fellow posters are posting. No finger wagging or making judgments on your fellow poster’s opinons. For example, lay off calling your fellow poster’s opinions “biased” or making statements like “you must be blindcrazystupiddumb to have x opinion” Again, those kinds of comments are OFF TOPIC and start arguments.

I’ll be deleting and editing posts that don’t stick to the guidelines.

If you haven’t yet, absolutely read my guidelines HERE.

You may not want to buy that argument, but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a fair and accurate one to make. Some Idol fans can pretend that the ugly behavior never comes from within their particular camp and act like their fanbase is above all the negativity, but that is simply not true. IdolFanatic summed up quite accurately all of the things Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve seen with my own eyes on some of the respective fan boards.

Thank you. It’s true. Acting like one group is above that kind of behavior is just absurd. It often seems that the most intensely emotional fans view things from a very skewed perception of reality. That’s when it is time to step back and see the big picture. The more denial that exists from either group leads me to the famous quote “me thinks thou doth protest too much”

He could also be talking about NyMag … I’m pretty sure he’s aware of the hate going on there.

He did say something about having a chip on his shoulder. But whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s wrong with that?

Thanks. My question was more to the part of him wanting to prove he was the right winner to those who didn’t vote him. That’s what I don’t remember him ever saying.

Archie doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to read the fan boards. His dad does that for him. Believe it. LOL.

I do believe it because he said he reads IDF enough that he recognizes some of the screen names there. He also said that his son avoids reading or watching things about himself to the point that he’d walk out of the room if they were watching TV together and he saw himself on there. Jeff obviously has thicker skin because the Internet and the media were brutal towards him during the season in their hunger to find fault with his son.

On that note, it was nice of Archie to thank his Dad for “keeping his cool” on the liner notes because I immediately thought he was referring to the whole Dad controversy.

I know from my own tiny bit of fame on the internet, the negative stuff is impossible to completely avoid. Emails, Google Alerts, links from well meaning friendsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’when ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s right in your face, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s tough not to read.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not going to criticize Cook on this one. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure he realizes the the criticism comes with the territory, but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s only human to be affected by it.

I agree it’s unavoidable and some things you’re forced to deal with. That’s why I’m a fan of filtering out as much as possible.

“If every single Archie fan that managed to get into a M&G yelled in Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face then I guess I would argue that Idol needs to get itself some new security guards. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m kind of shocked that not a single Archie fan had the self-control not to yell in Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face. Huh. Who knew?”

I don’t think that is a fair assessment of what the person above said. No one (including that commenter) claimed that it was 100% of the fanbase or even a significant portion of the fanbase—and, in fact, neither did Cook. But there definitely was a fair amount of nastiness directly to Cook’s face at the meet-and-greets this summer, and there was a definite step-up in security for him as the summer wore on.

The way I think of it is this: If DA is saying to fans, “Hey, you don’t hate Cook, do you?”, then it was probably the case that there was a noticeable amount of fans who were being really quite open this summer about “hating” DC.

But he also said he has a chip on his shoulder and that he wants to prove he deserved to win.

When did he say that?

Sorry I haven’t read through this entire thread, but I believe he was referring to people from his hometown (I’m pretty sure) that probably said he would never make it. I’m pretty sure that if someone has a desire to do something that they love and work really hard for and someone tells them they’ll never make it, it would feel pretty good when one does begin to “make it”, or at least have the potential in that direction.

But there definitely was a fair amount of nastiness directly to Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face at the meet-and-greets this summer, and there was a definite step-up in security for him as the summer wore on.

Awww, yeah. And, he stopped coming to the after-autograph-signing thingies.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think that is a fair assessment of what the person above said. No one (including that commenter) claimed that it was 100% of the fanbase or even a significant portion of the fanbase

The OP said “Archies screaming in Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face during the M&Gs during the tour”. I agree that that poster did not intend to say, “All Archies”, but by not adding the modifier “Some” to “Archies”, to me, it comes off like one is blaming the entire group. All I have been advocating here is the following:

1) There are crazies in all fan bases.
2) Be careful not to generalize the crazies to the entire fan base

(Please note. I don’t think that Cook was generalizing. I think he was careful not to do that. My comments are not directed towards Cook’s comments).

In order not to flame the fire, I personally think that it helps to use phrases like “I think” (makes it look less like a statement of fact) and to ensure that one is not accidently generalizing. A few “somes” and “I thinks” can keep the temperature lower.

I also think that anecdotal fan reports on how other Idols or fans behaved is dodgy at best. Remember, you are seeing things filtered through somebody you don’t even know. They may come with their own set of filters and the excitment may have led them to see things slightly differently (plus they can become a mini-celeb if they…er…embelish a little. To Think that I saw it on Mulberry Street). I’ve just seen so many reports about how such-and-such Idol was so nice outside the tour buses followed by how the exact same Idol was a huge jerk. I’m pretty sure that all the Idols aren’t quite that schizoid. And I’ve heard plenty of stories of people telling Idols they didn’t deserve to win (which is crap. If they won, the won. Get over it). So, I take such reports with a healthy grain of salt and they don’t get me all that excited. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody was rude to them. Lots of people are rude.

And I really don’t like the “My Idol’s fans are better than your Idol’s fan” wars. LOL. Maybe that’s because whenever my Idol seems to be winning that battle, some a$$ shows up and ruins it for them. LOL. Oh, if we could just lock the militant wings up in a room and let them duke it out.

Overprotectiveness from any fanbase tends to lead the insanity that they were trying to protect their idol from in the first place. Oh the vicious cycle of fandom. LOL.

This is a very interesting comment section. First, all fanbases have their crazies whether they’re from an idol contestant or any other celebrity. I work at a magazine and the mention of one former contestant always received a lot of hits. However, several comments usually came from a handful of IP addresses. That same skewed behavior happened this year too. There were a lot of hits for the contestants but only one came with dozens of comments from the same address. So, a contestant can have a more intense and vocal faction but that doesn’t represent the whole.

As far as the internet is concerned, I think having a strong moderator is key. There are some boards where the moderators are lax. If I enter a music board and the mods allow heated remarks of Mariah Carey to go on for 2-3 pages (in a Beyonce thread) then the fanwars will happen. If mods allow the major contributors or sub-forum mods to inject subjective asides that are as troll-like as some posters then things may get heated. That doesn’t create room for healthy debate. I do think the internet perception of one fanbase being more intense is simply a case of a few aggressors who cannot move on for the moment.

I’m sure both Cook and Archie have been told of internet reactions from others as well. Even Castro and Archuleta have family members as communication links to certain boards.

Both Archie and Cook fans need to look in the mirror. To make any claims that one group is better or worse than the other is mere wishful thinking. You can try to cite example after example of the more extreme behavior, but at the end of the day, there’s absolutely no proof of it one way or the other–it’s all a matter of perspective. I do, however, believe that Cook is merely more aware of it than Archie is given Cook’s own admission that he does read the boards and Archie’s statements that he avoids them at all costs. I wouldn’t be surprised at all that more people felt “safer” to spew their hatred to Cook’s face than to Archie’s. After all, Archie isn’t even an adult yet and Cook’s image (however misconceived) perhaps lends itself to people feeling free to bash him. Nonetheless, the lack of people saying hateful things to Archie’s face has been more than compensated by the truly hateful things said about him on fansites (under the convenient cloud of anonymity) and in the media.

I know a few people here have cited the “death threat” by the Archuleta fan, but I’m curious if they are aware of the handful of physical threats of harm made to Archie–most blatantly by Billy Costa on the air on KISS 108 in Boston who gleefully proclaimed that he wanted to beat him up. Why do I bring that up? Simply to prove that truly brutal, uncalled for behavior has been directed at BOTH Davids even if it hasn’t been directed to their faces and to further reinforce that neither fanbase has clean hands.

I agree with many others here that this stuff is unnecessary, although completely unsurprising given the competitive attitude fostered by the AI system. I’m fairly new of AI, having only watched the past season, but I can honestly say I’m questioning whether I can go through another season because of the whole fanwar issue. It always tends to bring out the best and worst in people. Personally, I almost feel like pushing AI aside so that I can enjoy my David in peace and wish the other well in his endeavors.

I really believe that whichever of them won was going to be subject to intense hatred by a subset of the other’s fan base due the intense fervor they both seem to inspire in some fans. Like someone said before, it’s easy to be nice when your guy wins. Archie might seem to get less heat NOW since he did not win. But while the show was still going on, with all the dadchuleta craziness and his penchant for message-y ballads, his awkwardness, eye closing, breathing habits, etc, the firestorm of hatred only would’ve grown in its intensity had he won against the cool rocker dude.

So really, if you think about it, the crap that Cook has endured would likely be equally as brutal towards Archie had he won. Both guys have intensely passionate fan bases not seen since the Claymates. Spin it any way you want, but it’s not just one group that has fans who act that way.

I’m glad David spoke out about it. If what he’s been told to his face is anything near what I’ve read on comments following EW articles and other “comment” sections (or perhaps David has read them himself), then it’s ok with me he talks about it. I believe he said for every one of the haters there are five great fans who treat both of them with respect.

Both David’s have spoken out recently about the David vs. David crap that continues and it looks like they’re BOTH getting a bit pissed off about it. Food for thought.

I know a few people here have cited the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“death threatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  by the Archuleta fan, but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m curious if they are aware of the handful of physical threats of harm made to Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’most blatantly by Billy Costa on the air on KISS 108 in Boston who gleefully proclaimed that he wanted to beat him up.

Is Billy Costa a Cook fan? Did he say he wanted to beat Archuleta up because he was a runner up to Cook on American Idol, or is this a simple case of someone being a jerk to Archie, unrelated to Cook?
I’m asking this honestly, because I never heard about it.

BTW – you could just as easily say that Jimmy Kimmel making fun of Archie during the AMAs is comparable with Archie fan making death threats. It isn’t.

Both Davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s have spoken out recently about the David vs. David crap that continues and it looks like theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re BOTH getting a bit pissed off about it. Food for thought.

Amen.

Is Billy Costa a Cook fan?

Billy Costa is a character on the Matty in the Morning radio show on Kiss 108 in Boston. It could be argued that his remark was in bad taste (I’d have to hear it in context to form an opinion) but I don’t believe for a minute he was serious.

BTW – you could just as easily say that Jimmy Kimmel making fun of Archie during the AMAs is comparable with fans making death threats. It wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be true either.

Jimmy Kimmel snarked on a bunch of A-listers at the AMAs…and Archie. I took it it as a compliment that he considers him known enough to include in his opening monologue. And from the look on Archie’s face when the camera cut to him, he thought it was hilarious. It seems to me that Archie has perspective on the difference between comedic snark or satire and outright hate.

Btw, Billy Costa apologized on the air for his comment and asked if he could fill out an application to be an Archie fan. LOL

Re: Bill Costa remark – Eh well, joke or not, there’s not too many ways that a remark like that sounds okay to make.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m glad David spoke out about it. If what heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been told to his face is anything near what Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve read on comments following EW articles and other à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“commentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  sections (or perhaps David has read them himself), then ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ok with me he talks about it. I believe he said for every one of the haters there are five great fans who treat both of them with respect

.
I have also read those comments and the insult go in both ways… I don ´t even know what is the point in all of us arguing about it… as IdolFanatic said, both fanbases have their bad apples so there isn ´t any need to proud witch David have being most hated….

I do think AI itself is at fault for at least some of this. It’s not a coincidence that they framed the finale as a boxing match or that Simon spouts to everybody that their friends will hate them for succeeding and you can’t try to be pals with the competition. They seem to be aiming for an absolute frenzy, and sometimes they actually get it.

I don’t know that AI is the worst (soap operas, candidates for elective office, love triangles on TV shows or in book series, etc., seem to create the same kind of fringe/nutball behavior) but AI certainly is up there. For them, fanwars. create buzz as well as extreme investment through voting (again and again and again) and spike concert ticket and album sales. Ruben vs. Clay was a goldmine for them in terms of media and hype and album sales, with the idea that the battle was being re-fought in the marketplace because it wasn’t settled to a lot of people’s satisfaction on the show. I think they were trying to recreate that with the Battle of the Davids, but like Ruben and Clay, the guys themselves were pals and wouldn’t play. But it hasn’t stopped the fanwars, anyway.

When the world around is going crazy, I suppose some people feel justice in Idol Land is their last hope.

Next season can’t come fast enough, can it?

Thank you, MJ and serenade – That was my point. There is no comparison, and trying to claim this Billy Costa thing reflects in any way on Cook’s fanbase… HOW?

Btw, Billy Costa apologized on the air for his comment and asked if he could fill out an application to be an Archie fan. LOL

Glad to hear he apologized. As I said, regardless of the context it was said in, you can’t really justify a comment like that even as a joke.

Found the “chip on the shoulder” quote! It’s from the USA Today article that ran on 11/18 – there’s a link in MJ’s headlines for that day (thank you MJ’s archives!) Here’s the exact quote:

Cook hopes to validate the Idol decision, particularly since handicappers predicted a landslide for David Archuleta. Cook got 56% of the votes, 12 million more than the favorite.

“I guess I have a chip on my shoulder, because I hate that some people call it an upset,” he says, then allows, “I stood on the side of the stage that last Tuesday and thought Archie owned it. Give the kid credit: 17 years old, and he came in as a front-runner and held it for 14 weeks. I came in under the radar and had time to get my feet under me.”

I think the “chip” is just about wanting to prove that he earned the title. Even though Cook himself thought Archie would win, it’s gotta be frustrating to keep hearing it referred to as an upset, as though Cook didn’t deserve to win. Archie sang his a** off that night, but it’s not like Cook totally sucked. They both put huge amounts of work into the whole thing, and either of them deserved to win the title.

I think most people see the Kimmel remarks about David as free advertisement. You only get joked about if you are somebody and he was pretty nice about it- called him a good kid. You could see that David thought it was hilarious.

As you can see by the amount of comments this interview has gotten, it might be best for both guys to avoid talking about the others’ fans in a negative way, since it is just a few crazies or often trolls on the internet who like to cause trouble.

The OP said à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Archies screaming in Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face during the M&Gs during the tourà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . I agree that that poster did not intend to say, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“All Archiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , but by not adding the modifier à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Someà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Archiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , to me, it comes off like one is blaming the entire group.

Okay, just to clarify. Not every Archie was present at the particular M&G to scream at Cook’s face, so only some Archies screamed at Cook’s face, and just to clarify further, not every Archie who was at that particular M&G screamed at Cook’s face. So, in summary, Cook’s face was screamed at by only a handful of Archies. And to clarify even further, the entire fanbase is not to blame for the actions of a handful of Archies, who by the way numbered only a few, who screamed at Cook’s face. Sorry for the confusion.

The only point I was making was that you really can’t blame Cook for having that stick in his psyche long enough that he brings it up when asked. It’s one thing to read about things on the internet (which you can avoid if you’re just not up to it psychologically at any given point in time) and it’s quite another to have to deal with that when it’s happening right to your face. Remembering it and talking about it doesn’t mean you’re thin skinned.

Also, I just wanted to clarify that I was not in any way trying to say that comments made to or about Archie were worse than those about Cook. As I said in my very first post, I am sickened at the hatred Cook has endured and how much he is aware of it. I was simply trying to show that it’s silly to try and downplay comments made about Archie just to make Cook look like more of a victim or vice versa. Many comments made about both guys have been mean, spiteful, and completely unnecessary regardless of the context they were made in. I had not heard about death threats, but that is seriously sick if it’s true. Reminds of Season 3 when we heard about John Stevens receiving death threats. Some very sick people in this world. I just can’t comprehend how any fan of such sweet and caring guys could be driven to such extremes.

David and David need to do a PSA about getting along.

Okay, just to clarify. Not every Archie was present at the particular M&G to scream at Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face, so only some Archies screamed at Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face, and just to clarify further, not every Archie who was at that particular M&G screamed at Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face. So, in summary, Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face was screamed at by only a handful of Archies. And to clarify even further, the entire fanbase is not to blame for the actions of a handful of Archies, who by the way numbered only a few, who screamed at Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s face. Sorry for the confusion.

ROTFLMAO.
Oh man, I really needed that after this thread.
Keel, you FTW.

As you can see by the amount of comments this interview has gotten, it might be best for both guys to avoid talking about the othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ fans in a negative way, since it is just a few crazies or often trolls on the internet who like to cause trouble.

That’s the thing though isn’t it? I didn’t take Cook himself to say anything negative about Archie’s fans. He even jokingly indicated that the interviewer was trying to start trouble. I’m sticking to my theory that she moonlights for EW.com, lol

David and David need to do a PSA about getting along.

LOL. The fact that their genuine friendship hasn’t seemed to already set a good example…I highly doubt anything else they did would. What it comes down to is that people see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear.

As you can see by the amount of comments this interview has gotten, it might be best for both guys to avoid talking about the othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ fans in a negative way, since it is just a few crazies or often trolls on the internet who like to cause trouble.

DC was only answering a direct question and I believe he answered it as honestly and as diplomatically as he could. The competition will only end when the press and AI want it to-and even then the die hard fans will never give it up. I think it is just part of the AI phenomenon AND of course the age of the Internet!

Inoob- Don’t you hate it? …the constant baiting from reporters. I guess they have nothing better to ask about. My favorite interviews are ones where they ask interesting and unique (intelligent) questions.

It’s actually kind of sad that some find the need to avoid watching another season due to this kind of thing, but in a way, I do not blame them for avoiding it. I’m tempted to stay away myself, but since KC is one of the audition cities, I’m sure I will watch due to the local news coverage we have already had and will continue to have. I secretly hope that the next big star does not come from here though. As cool and fun as it has been to have Cook from here, I do not wish to witness anymore of the ugliness that ensued here this past year against any contestant who wasn’t him plus the obvious radio deejay bias where no other idol from that same season will have their song played on those stations. Unless you are only a fan of that person, that kind of bias really grates on the nerves after a while. You start to feel as though liking more than one of them from that season is a crime.

the constant baiting from reporters.

They do try to stir the pot. I thought that Archie’s answer to a similar question last week managed to thread the needle. He managed to not bash anybody, treated everybody like an individual and managed to get the DJ to laugh (A: Who would win a fight between a Claymate and an Archie. Q: Depends on the individual. If it was a baker vs a martial artist…). “No comment”s often gets the reporter annoyed.

I’m not blaming Cook for answering the stupid question. I think he might just get more mileage by turning the question on it’s ear while getting a laugh out of the reporter. It’s safer. But, I personally have no problem with Cook’s answer. He was careful not to generalize while others are not always so careful. I have a long list of things I do not like. Bulk buying campaigns. Idol fanwars. Idol fan fanwars. Generalization. And clams. To name a few.

Clams have no talent AT ALL. Completely overrated.

I have a long list of things I do not like. Bulk buying campaigns. Idol fanwars. Idol fan fanwars. Generalization. And clams. To name a few.

I agree with this list of dislikes. Well, the clams thing? I’m a middle child and believe in mediation and tactfulness. Also, I’m afraid I don’t share your admiration of Jive. I know they are successful pushing singles, but artistically the label is somewhat analogous to a factory that churns out musical “twinkies”. Although, it could be argued that twinkies take years to decompose because of the artificial preservatives. Oh, well. We can’t agree on everything.

Clams have no talent AT ALL. Completely overrated.

I beg to differ. They’re really good at being happy and shutting up. Hee.

I’m actually quite fine with what Cook said–from his perspective he believes that Archie’s fans dislike him more than his fans dislike Archie. I have no clue if that’s true, but as somebody pointed out above, it’s easier to be nice when your guy won. Archie probably got kudos bonus points from a lot of people merely by the fact that he lost.

It’s also tough to dislike Archie if you’ve experienced enough of him outside the show to know what kind of guy he is. You may not like his music, you may think he’s awkward, but it’s really hard to dislike him. For all his rambling and “ums” and giggling, Archie has never once said anything that could be misconstrued as a jab at Cook or Cook’s fans. There will never be a discussion like this one about something Archie said. He’s very good at deflecting controversial or tricky questions, no matter the subject, and come out the other end looking smart, adorable, funny or all three.

I think the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“chipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is just about wanting to prove that he earned the title. Even though Cook himself thought Archie would win, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gotta be frustrating to keep hearing it referred to as an upset, as though Cook didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t deserve to win. Archie sang his a** off that night, but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not like Cook totally sucked. They both put huge amounts of work into the whole thing, and either of them deserved to win the title.

Well, see, here’s where I would tell Cook to get over it, if he really still has a chip on his shoulder. If people wonder why some of Archie’s fans don’t take to Cook–it’s comments like that. It makes me want to shake him and say, “you won, get over yourself.” Sorry to put it bluntly, but seriously, I think he would come across a lot better if he simply said that he had nothing to prove. Because he doesn’t.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also tough to dislike Archie if youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve experienced enough of him outside the show to know what kind of guy he is. You may not like his music, you may think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s awkward, but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really hard to dislike him. For all his rambling and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“umsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and giggling, Archie has never once said anything that could be misconstrued as a jab at Cook or Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans. There will never be a discussion like this one about something Archie said. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s very good at deflecting controversial or tricky questions, no matter the subject, and come out the other end looking smart, adorable, funny or all three.

As always, my mileage may vary. And it does. I am not in the habit of listing all the things that annoy me about Wee Little Davey A, just because it won’t get anybody anywhere. But I do think suggesting that it’s really, really hard to dislike Archie is, well, a generalization that won’t hold water when you run into curmudgeons like me. As a matter of fact, I can’t stand “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the musical “Wicked,” 90% of the Andrew Lloyd Weber oeuvre, or the Chicago Cubs, either. That’s life — if you issue a challenge about how no one can resist the charms of that paragon of virtue A, B or C, someone who can resist will pop up within five minutes.

Well, see, hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s where I would tell Cook to get over it, if he really still has a chip on his shoulder. If people wonder why some of Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t take to Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s comments like that. It makes me want to shake him and say, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“you won, get over yourself.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Sorry to put it bluntly, but seriously, I think he would come across a lot better if he simply said that he had nothing to prove. Because he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t.

Good point! He has nothing to prove and the more he feels like he does, the less he’ll be able to really move forward in his career. Can’t please them all as they say. If 12 million votes isn’t enough proof for him, then I am not sure what will convince him.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also tough to dislike Archie if youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve experienced enough of him outside the show to know what kind of guy he is. You may not like his music, you may think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s awkward, but ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really hard to dislike him. For all his rambling and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“umsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and giggling, Archie has never once said anything that could be misconstrued as a jab at Cook or Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans

Neither did Cook say anything misconstrued. Why would his comments bother Archie’s fans is he’s praising Archie? And I think it’s not that Archie is a kind guy, Cook also is and still gets the hate, I think it’s more that Archie is a 17 year old guy who looks like a very vulnerable 8 year old Kid, it would be like attacking a child. That’s why he probably doesn’t get many “I Hate You” in his face, it feels really wrong.

Well, see, hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s where I would tell Cook to get over it, if he really still has a chip on his shoulder. If people wonder why some of Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t take to Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s comments like that. It makes me want to shake him and say, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“you won, get over yourself.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Sorry to put it bluntly, but seriously, I think he would come across a lot better if he simply said that he had nothing to prove. Because he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t.

I still don’t see where he says he wants to prove everyone
And he comes across very well in my book. He doesn’t want to disappoint those who voted for him, which is natural, I think. Although it will happen. Not every person who voted for him to win will love his album.

As a matter of fact, I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a Wonderful Life,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Gasp!

the musical à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Wicked,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I hated the book “Wicked”. Not sure if I’m willing to give the musical a chance.

Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  if you issue a challenge about how no one can resist the charms of that paragon of virtue A, B or C, someone who can resist will pop up within five minutes

I even have a friend who hates chocolate. SERIOUSLY. And one that hates ice cream. I know. And I’m still friends with them. Strangely, they both like clams.

For all his rambling and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“umsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and giggling, Archie has never once said anything that could be misconstrued as a jab at Cook or Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans.

Maybe he just has less people trying to read negatively and pull apart his every last word to find hidden meaning and fault.
Seriously, I’ve seen the most innocuous comments from Cook get turned on their head by some Archies – if you look for things to hate, you’ll find them, trust me. Or, if there’s nothing to find, one could always speculate about the “real” meaning behind what was said.
I don’t read the comments Archie makes, I don’t go look up what he says about Cook or anything else, I don’t care.
I find it interesting that everything Cook says draws such huge attention from the opposite fanbase. I’m not sure I get it.

Maybe he just has less people trying to read negatively and pull apart his every last word to find hidden meaning and fault.

LOL It’s like the Ice Cream comment… I’m not sure Cook woukd have got away with that one.

Btw, I hate chocolate too.

Clams have no talent AT ALL. Completely overrated.

Yeesh. What did clams ever do to you? I happen to be a big fan of clams, which make wonderful chowder. Clams casino, steamed clams, fettucini with clam sauce, fried clams, po boy sandwich….Now conch, there’s a useless shellfish. I wouldn’t touch conch chowder with a ten foot poll.

:innocent1_tb: :tongue_wink_ee:

I thought the chip on the shoulder comment from Cook was related more to peeps telling him he would never be able to make a living in the music business, and how he uses that type of stuff to motivate himself to prove those people wrong. If “non-fans” are telling him to his face that he sucks or some other derivation of the same, wouldn’t those comments fall in the same general category as the “you’ll never make it” comments? (I mean isn’t that exactly what Michael Phelps said motivated him during the Olympics — people telling him he couldn’t do it. What’s wrong with that?)

Also, the whole “you won, get over it” thing? Why shouldn’t he feel that he still has a lot to prove? I mean, Ruben and Taylor won and look where they are now. As he himself has said many times, Idol to him is just a springboard. The real work, for him, started AFTER he won. And he’s absolutely correct in acknowledging that the rubber meets the road not on Top 2 night but RIGHT NOW, when his own music is being going up against other industry heavyweights.

Also, with regard to his comments about wanting to prove himself, I’ve also heard him talk about it in relation to living up to his fan’s expectations — which I think is an admirable thing. When you see all this people coming out during the Idol tour and investing so much of their time and money (i.e., flying from out-of-town, going to multiple concerts, etc.) to see you succeed, it would be a little hard not to feel like you want to succeed just to reward these people’s faith in you, right?

I guess I’m just saying that depending on how you perceive a person, there’s always a way to spin what they are saying in a negative or positive light. I personally think the guy’s a real class act so I read his comments through that prism and therefore am baffled at how comments he makes (in response to a direct question) can be spun into the guy being horrible or smug or thin skinned or insecure or whatever.

Perspective, that’s most of what it is, most probably.

Nonetheless, I do find myself leaning with Jolene on this one (and with Kirsten on clams and with smartcookie on what folks can resist.) Reluctantly, I strongly disagree with soundscene about how Cook should just say he has nothing to prove, lest we forget all the peeps who believed (or still want to believe) he’s smug, pompous, arrogant and {insert other synonymous terms used by Simon Cowell throughout the show}.

I find it interesting that everything Cook says draws such huge attention from the opposite fanbase. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sure I get it.

I don’t either. At the risk of upsetting Archie fans here, I am goign to be honest. As much as I like him and think he is a wonderfully sincere and talented person, I really don’t like to hear Archie being interviewed. Not only does he sound awkward, his voice – probably because of his vocal chords – to me always sounds as if he is suffering from a cold. It kind of strains my nerves. But that’s my problem. I “can’t” listen to him, so I don’t. But I understand that others do, and that’s perfectly okay with me that they feel their way. I don’t post negative things about his interview after each article.

What I don’t understand is the folks who seem to hate one or the other Davids but continuously listen to their interviews and performances and read the stuff in print just so they can express a negative reaction. They seem to live to tear him (either him) apart. And those are the people I really don’t want to hear or see.

I still donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see where he says he wants to prove everyone
And he comes across very well in my book. He doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to disappoint those who voted for him, which is natural, I think. Although it will happen. Not every person who voted for him to win will love his album.

She was referring to the USA Today article someone brought up here about him talking about having a chip on his shoulder and all that.

Soundscene is right that Archie won major bonus points just for losing. Those of Cook’s die-hard fans who claim to be in the nicer fan base can do so all they want, but somehow, I just have doubts that many of those same people would be saying all the nice things a lot of them now say about Archie had Archie won. Just like I cringe at some of the things said about Cook, I cringed just as much during AI when Archie and his dad were the favorite target of so much disdain and outright hatred.

She was referring to the USA Today article someone brought up here about him talking about having a chip on his shoulder and all that.

But does the chip on his shoulder comment means he wants to prove all america he was the right winner? I don’t want to beat the dead horse, I just can’t take that conclusion from that comment.
I’ve heard him saying he wants to prove his fans though…

Soundscene is right that Archie won major bonus points just for losing. Those of Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s die-hard fans who claim to be in the nicer fan base can do so all they want (thereby generalizing again), but somehow, I just have doubts that many of those same people would be saying all the nice things a lot of them now say about Archie had Archie won.

Exactly. It’s not a matter of one fanbase beeing better than other or whatever. It’s a matter of situation. You put the fanbases in different contexts and you’ll probably get opposite reactions from what happens now, same people but another situation.
It’s not that one guy is kind and the other isn’t. It’s that one won and the other lost. And that’s exactly why Archie fans are more adamant about their dislike of Cook.

Let’s find some common ground, and to me, it’s obvious.

We all hate the hate (but still love the haters, because we’re just downright good people — and parents, so we excel at loving the child but not always loving their actions. LOL) Together, we can join hands as haters against hate. :devil_tb:

Sorry… but I all of the sudden heard a post-grunge version of kumbaya and had to share these thoughts. Forgive my sick (and not always funny) sense of humor.

This entire thread makes me tired. They are both doing very well, all the fans involved should just let. it. go. Sheesh.

Seriously, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve seen the most innocuous comments from Cook get turned on their head by some Archies – if you look for things to hate, youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll find them, trust me. Or, if thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s nothing to find, one could always speculate about the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“realà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  meaning behind what was said.
I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t read the comments Archie makes, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t go look up what he says about Cook or anything else, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care.
I find it interesting that everything Cook says draws such huge attention from the opposite fanbase. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sure I get it.

I don’t think most Archie fans go looking for Cook comments to tear apart. It doesn’t work that way. We come across things that Cook says simply through Google searches of Archie. They’re often mentioned in the same articles (especially if Cook is talking about Archie). Nor do I think that Archie fans, in general, are so much more aggressive that they feel the need to pick apart every word Cook says. Sometimes what Cook says, taken on its face, just comes off as overly competitive in their eyes, and it adds to the sting that he’s saying certain things on the back of his win. You don’t have to agree with their analysis, but I’m not sure why it’s that difficult to understand where they are coming from.

As always, my mileage may vary. And it does. I am not in the habit of listing all the things that annoy me about Wee Little Davey A, just because it wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get anybody anywhere.

I said it was really hard to dislike Archie, not impossible. But I’m discounting the outliers in the equation–on both ends.

And thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exactly why Archie fans are more adamant about their dislike of Cook.

Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence.

Objection sustained.

(Too many episodes of L&O).

Together, we can join hands as haters against hate.

I’m with you, weareallinnocent! Let’s form an AI Haters Against Hate Club, and have a party about this week’s awesome sales #’s while singing Up with People. :jittery_tb:

Reluctantly, I strongly disagree with soundscene about how Cook should just say he has nothing to prove, lest we forget all the peeps who believed (or still want to believe) heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s smug, pompous, arrogant and {insert other synonymous terms used by Simon Cowell throughout the show}.

I never said he “should” do anything. I said he would come across better if he stopped insinuating that there’s a need to prove anything in regards to a reality TV show competition. Proving to himself or his current fanbase that he’s got what it takes to make it in the music industry is wholly different than proving to an amorpheous amount of American Idol voters that they made the right choice. Even if the press doesn’t want to get out of the American Idol mindset, Cook would do well to get out of it. If he’s asked, “Do you feel the need to prove those people who voted for you made the right choice,” the diplomatic answer would be, “I just want to show my fans that I’m going to do my very best to put out a great record that will be something they enjoy.” American Idol talk averted.

Sometimes what Cook says, taken on its face, just comes off as overly competitive in their eyes, and it adds to the sting that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s saying certain things on the back of his win. You donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to agree with their analysis, but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sure why ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s that difficult to understand where they are coming from.

Goes both ways. It’s difficult to understand how “they” don’t get that he’s responding to “them” and “their” criticizing his win, questioning his win, demanding a recount of his win, and frequently seeking to undermine and diminish his win. That would have anybody rocking back a little on his heels.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I cannot forget that Cook was the one who made choices (specifically, The World I Know) for the finale that evoked the wrath of Simon Cowell because they weren’t made with competition in mind instead of artistry. So to hear that he’s just “too competitive” makes me look for a more objective assessment of why he may be perceived as being that way now that the “competition” has ended.

Ultimately, I believe we expect WAY too much of these guys. They are people. Even if they’re called Idols, I swear it’s true, they’re human.

ETA: Thank you for clarifying, soundscene. My mistake. I misunderstood your statement, “Sorry to put it bluntly, but seriously, I think he would come across a lot better if he simply said that he had nothing to prove” to mean you were saying he should simply say he had nothing to prove. LOL Seriously, I get the distinction you’re making now….

Sometimes what Cook says, taken on its face, just comes off as overly competitive in their eyes, and it adds to the sting that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s saying certain things on the back of his win.

It’s kind of ironic though, isn’t it? In a sense, you’re saying that Cook would be better off not talking about having a chip on his shoulder lest he incur the wrath of some (vocal) members of Archie’s fanbase who have a chip on theirs.

Sometimes what Cook says, taken on its face, just comes off as overly competitive in their eyes, and it adds to the sting that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s saying certain things on the back of his win.

Yeah, but… and this is not directed at you… so the fuck what? LOL. Let’s say Cook is a total jerk who secretly hates Archie and is hyper competitive to the point of absurdity. And this effects Archie’s career how? This is a kid who spent 5 months on the biggest show in America singing “old” music, to the point when he exited the show, there were many, many people who thought he was not capable of being a contemporary recording artist. He actually started out with something of a deficit in the public mind. But here, a mere 6 months later, he has a hit single and an impressive album debut tally, and many more potential hits in his arsenal. I mean, if I were an Archie, I would not give a flying fig what the hell Cook or anyone else said. The boy has made a massive accomplishment, but apparently that’s not good enough. His accomplishments have to be accompanied by total and complete adoration from everyone in the world, and nothing but fawning by Cook and his team, and DC can never, ever say anything that could be slightly construed in the vaguest way as a slam against Archie. Because, if it happens, apparently Archie’s successes can be taken away? It’s just stupid to me. I just don’t get it. But you know, over-invested fans are around every year. And they really do take away from my enjoyment of the show.

And yes, this applies to Cook fans too. He won the contest, is being treated well by the label, and now had excellent first week sales, yet people get all up in arms over silliness that has nothing to do with anything. Not one thing anyone on the internet says makes not one bit of difference to either of their careers, its all just opinions. Because negative opinions are like kryponite to our boy, clearly he’s going to lose his songwriting/performing/interviewing powers if someone has a not so nice opinion. His label will withdraw support, and people will return their records to the stores in drove. Not. But again, its par for the course. Sigh.

Most of the time I ignore this stuff, but sometimes I just have to rant. Thanks for indulging me, peeps. I am going to go back to being calm now. LOL.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s that one won and the other lost. .

I don’t like the phrase “that one won and the other lost”. I look at it as one finished 1st and the one finished 2nd and both of them are terrific. In track, if you finished first or second or third…, you’d be thrilled, and so would your fans. 2nd place is fantastic and I don’t see why people, both in fandom and the media, think if you finish in 2nd place that you’ve lost. Maybe we’ve lost track of the importance of the journey towards your goals and the process to meet them, and have placed too much emphasis on the final end result. I know that I’m getting somewhat philosophical, but in my opinion, discussion on this topic as gone well beyond being constructive. I’ve spent part of the day reading this thread and I think to myself, what a waste of time and energy. The people that need to see the viewpoints listed here won’t see it, so can we just …to quote the Beatles…”Let it be”.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think most Archie fans go looking for Cook comments to tear apart. It doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t work that way. We come across things that Cook says simply through Google searches of Archie. Theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re often mentioned in the same articles (especially if Cook is talking about Archie).

Pretty much all of the comments quoted by Archie fans on this very thread, as coming from Cook’s mouth and being competitive/showing his thin skin, were all made in articles about Cook, not about Archie. The “chip on the shoulder” comment, the mentions of the Idol boards he used to frequent (months ago). Heck, even wishful thinking expressed passingly by Cook fans in a TWoP Cook board was brought up here, and not by a Cook fan. I find it hard to believe that all of this came from reading articles about Archie. Very hard to believe.
I do think some Archie fans definitely go looking for Cook comments to tear apart. It doesn’t take more than a few people to bring back the “goods”, not everyone needs to do it, what I find interesting is the level of involvement and fervor that fans invest in this info once it gets back. What do they care what Cook says? If there’s really nothing to prove, why does it matter what he says, what he does, what he thinks? I’m really curious.

I think it’s highly speculative to assume how Cook’s fans would have reacted had Archie won instead. We will simply never know. That kind of argument would not fly in most contexts.

There were, in fact, many Cook fans who hoped he would not win, because they feared he would be subjected to a lot of constraints as the winner that he otherwise not be (in the making of his record). I know I would have considered him a winner either way, and would, as I do now, consider his career wholly unrelated to Archie’s.

I am barely aware of Archie’s statements. To the degree I am, whether they relate to Cook or not, I do not get on those threads or comment. I don’t find his reviews and comment on them. I can think of one exception – Archie was being attacked by a reviewer and I defended him. It was in a review that mentioned both men.

I see the comment that he has nothing to prove, and in truth, that is true. At the same time, I see constant attempts by others to examine the entrails, so to speak, to divine any hint of failure on his part. I see regular predictions in comment sections that his career is doomed, that he’ll be forgotten quickly, that he’ll be bartending again inside of a year. The truth that he has nothing to prove certainly has not stopped people acting as though he did. Some will never accept that he has a great career ahead of him, belongs on rock radio, etc. Some will endlessly try to prove that he won Idol by some form of trickery.

I think the man simply wants to please his fans. I don’t think there is any more to it than that.

If heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s asked, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Do you feel the need to prove those people who voted for you made the right choice,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  the diplomatic answer would be, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I just want to show my fans that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m going to do my very best to put out a great record that will be something they enjoy.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  American Idol talk averted.

Perhaps it would be a more diplomatic answer, and a very pageanty one. I may be a little weary of the pissing match that has developed here but I do admit that I clicked on the Blender video because I knew it would be a little offbeat (because it’s Blender) and Cook has shown a snarky off-beat personality that comes through once and awhile. I kind of like it. I wouldn’t hold it against Archuleta, not if but when he croaks out a toad. And that will happen if he is of this earth.

Wow, the whole discussion makes me a little uneasy.
If as a musician every word you say is so important that it has to stand a deep analysis they maybe should cut the human factor and go for a robot the next time.

If as a musician every word you say is so important that it has to stand a deep analysis they maybe should cut the human factor and go for a robot the next time.

Not as a musician, but appearantly as an American Idol.
Oh, and the robot solution? Is already in the works. LOL

The people that need to see the viewpoints listed here wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see it, so can we just à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦to quote the Beatlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Let it beà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

True. And with that, I’m done. There are far happier threads to be at right now.

Reminder:

Just another reminder to keep your comments on the subject of the thread, NOT the thread itself.

It’s off topic to complain about the contents of this thread, the way people are posting in this thread or whether this thread should exist or not. Also, please don’t lecture your fellow posters or tell them what to do.

Thank you.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s kind of ironic though, isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t it? In a sense, youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re saying that Cook would be better off not talking about having a chip on his shoulder lest he incur the wrath of some (vocal) members of Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fanbase who have a chip on theirs.

It is quite ironic. It seems to me in this instance that Cook isn’t the one with the colossal chip on his shoulder. There are some Archies who are still bitter over the outcome of this past season, and that’s a fact. In that sense, they are just like some of the Claymates out there who still haven’t gotten over the fact that their guy lost season two (and I don’t care how many conspiracy theories they want to come up with, Clay is still the runner up from that season). It doesn’t matter that Archie has a platinum selling single, doesn’t matter that he is off to a fantastic start with his new album, and it doesn’t even matter when Archie himself says repeatedly that he is more than happy about the way things turned out and the way things are going for him. Some of his fans are still bitter about the fact that Cook won. I don’t think for one second that Cook should have to worry about saying things to the press that might be more pleasing to the ears of some of the Archies. Some of them are only going to twist Cook’s comments (even those that are actually positive towards Archie) into something more sinister and devious to justify the negativity they already have towards him. It’s pointless-those fans aren’t supporting his career anyway, so their good opinion of him (or lack thereof) doesn’t mean squat in the grand scheme of things. He’s never going to win with them anyway.

I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s highly speculative to assume how Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans would have reacted had Archie won instead.

Maybe so, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe that more than a few Cook fans would have reacted negatively towards Archie considering some of the mean-spirited, ugly things that were said (by Cook fans) about him and his dad during the season.

Smartcookie said:
à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“As a matter of fact, I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a Wonderful Life,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  the musical à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Wicked,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  90% of the Andrew Lloyd Weber oeuvre, or the Chicago Cubs, either.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Wow, those are some of my favorite things. If you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like those things, I can see why you wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like David.

Kirsten said:
à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I hated the book à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Wickedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Not sure if Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m willing to give the musical a chance.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I have heard that the book is awful, but I think you would love the musical. We saw it on Broadway and have tickets for when it comes to town in April. I have never heard anyone say they didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t love the musical (until now I guess).

Leome said:
à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“And I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not that Archie is a kind guy, Cook also is and still gets the hate, I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more that Archie is a 17 year old guy who looks like a very vulnerable 8 year old Kid, it would be like attacking a child. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why he probably doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get many à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Hate Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in his face, it feels really wrong.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Ouch! What else can I say? I have watched many, many interviews and I have to say that although David looks young, he does not look like an 8 year old and he is, IMO, not in any way vulnerable. He is strong, resilient, and tough, as well as forgiving, kind, loving, and amazingly nonjudgmental of anyone, even those who have skewered him in the media.

Also, who says he doesn’t get “I hate you” in his face? He just never complains about it. I have heard several DJ’s say some pretty nasty things to his face. He just acts like he didn’t hear it or changes the answer to another topic. He also doesn’t talk about anything fans say that he doesn’t like, so we really don’t know what has been said to him.

I have heard that the book is awful, but I think you would love the musical. We saw it on Broadway and have tickets for when it comes to town in April. I have never heard anyone say they didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t love the musical (until now I guess).

I liked the musical but IMO the book was better because it wasn’t Disney-fied. It remained dark and bleak.

Back to topic: I acknowledge that both sides have their extremists but there’s a little part of my love for Archie that diminishes whenever I read the crap that his fans spew about Cook.

Also, who says he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I hate youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in his face? He just never complains about it.

I’m going out on a limb here to say {speculate}: If any “fan” told Archie to his face, “I hate you,” or some such nonsense, we’d hear about it. No. Doubt. About It. Not from Archie, just as we didn’t hear about those “fan” episodes from Cook. But, we’d hear about it, nonetheless.

I believe it is also worth noting that even though Cook made an effort to diplomatically respond to this interviewer’s baiting, he did still refuse to give specifics of the negativity.

And I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not that Archie is a kind guy, Cook also is and still gets the hate, I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s more that Archie is a 17 year old guy who looks like a very vulnerable 8 year old Kid, it would be like attacking a child. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why he probably doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get many à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Hate Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in his face, it feels really wrong.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Really I don ´t think that David look like a 8 year old, he blooks young but that is it…

edit: don’t judge your fellow posters

Also, who says he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I hate youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in his face? He just never complains about it. I have heard several DJà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s say some pretty nasty things to his face. He just acts like he didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hear it or changes the answer to another topic. He also doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t talk about anything fans say that he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like, so we really donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know what has been said to him.

I agree, David is not the kind that complein, he understend that being in the music bussiness he is subject t revie, critic and that is something he has to live with it… so hy complein if that was the path that he himself chose…

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think most Archie fans go looking for Cook comments to tear apart. It doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t work that way. We come across things that Cook says simply through Google searches of Archie. Theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re often mentioned in the same articles (especially if Cook is talking about Archie). Nor do I think that Archie fans, in general, are so much more aggressive that they feel the need to pick apart every word Cook says.

You know, I should probably save my comments for the great clam debate and beg off the other topic at hand, but… *sigh* I have to admit it kind of bugs that every time something positive happens in Cook’s career, there’s invariably what to me appears to be some sort of straw grasping-ish negative spin put on it in the commentary. (ETA: I’m not talking about someone noticing pitchiness during performance X of Light On or subjective stuff like that….) The premature harping on Light On being a “failure” back when it was barely off the ground, RCA promoting Cook must mean they are desperate, Declaration goes over smashingly on SNL and what do you know, it’s compared to some Miley Cyrus song…and on and on. Now, these things could all be coincidental (and yeah, this isn’t a fanboard for Cook and I may be oversensitive, I get that)….but then again, maybe they aren’t. In any case, fanwars are lame and I hope to see the day when Cook puts out an album and it’s success is not compared to Archie’s success, and vice versa.

As for Cook’s “chip on the shoulder” statement, I remember thinking “halle-freakin-lujah!” I voted for Cook after the finale because I preferred his performances and damn near actually shed a tear after TWIK. What’s so awful about Cookie wanting to do right by the peeps who disagreed with Simon and the knock out proclamations and supported him for the win on his merits? I kind of got tired of him saying he had conceded to Archie, thinking, man, you won for a reason. People dug what you did. OWN it. Aint no shame in that IMO. I mean, it’s not like he’s going around saying his Collective Soul ballad wiped the floor with Imagine six ways to Sunday, neener neener neener, or anything. Mileage, as always…..

Thanks for the video mj. And can I add? Ditto to what sunchick said above ^.

Whatever the case, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m going back to discovering my music the old fashioned way. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll still support Archuleta like crazy and wish Cook well (and I always have). But the idol experience? Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not for me.

I think you’ve gotten to the heart of the matter. It’s the competition that creates the problems. Music was not this competitive before Idol, that I am aware of. Music is an art form, not a commodity. It should be experienced by individuals and it either speaks to you or it doesn’t.

Sad that talented kids are pitted against each other on the Idol show. Sad that fans are whipped into such a frenzy that they actually hate each other. Sad that the contestant who comes in #1 and the one who comes in #2 actually are seen as separate. I mean, who cares? 1 or 2, who cares? 1 or 4, who cares? Did #4 hurt Daughtry? or Kellie Pickler? or Jennifer Hudson? They’re having fine careers.

Idol is simply a vehicle to get noticed and get a chance at a career. It doesn’t matter who comes in 1st or 5th. I realized that a few years ago.

Fan wars are stupid and useless. It’s bad that Idol especially inflames people to this extent. And even that we spend time checking the charts every hour says a lot. Music’s been reduced to a contest, and it’s all about money, sales, spins, and who’s in first.

Remember when music was just something that brought us pleasure and made us happy? I think that’s what both Davids want to do, is make music and entertain people. If we would let them.

Let’s get back to the music … there’s enough music for everyone, there’s no shortage. They’re both doing well, just enjoy the one you like and be happy with what they accomplish.

I mean, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not like heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going around saying his Collective Soul ballad wiped the floor with Imagine six ways to Sunday, neener neener neener, or anything. Mileage, as alwaysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦..

Ha, Ha, Ha, ……..Thank you sunchick, that gave me the best laugh I had all day.

I waded through over 160 posts and I still don’t get the big deal. I’m not an uber fan of anyone this year, but I did pass on a copy of Archie’s cd to my niece and bought a copy of Cook’s cd for myself because I liked some of the songs after a listen. I do like to listen and read Cook’s interviews though- and Michael Johns. Cook can be fun.

I mostly lurk, only sometime comment, but I have to say this. I don’t find Cook’s comments in this interview terribly offensive, just typically self-serving and that’s OK. He has every right to answer as he did. The other side of the story is that Archie has taken crap over and over and chosen not to complain or comment. He has been called gay in a radio interview and took the higher road. He was told face to face in one radio interview by the DJ that said DJ could not stand him on AI. There is a forum out there whose members have since migrated to Cook’s official site that spewed venom every day about Archie. They diagnosed him with every mental disease known. It got so bad the moderator stepped in several times. It was just horrible. Look at the articles and reviews about Archie. He is insulted all the time for acting too young or too dorky or too innocent. Cook has never had this type of press about his person. Yes, there was a fan who held up a horrible sign about Cook in Chicago, but that was basically it. As someone stated in this thread regarding fans reporting things, don’t you think Cook fans would have reported it on fansites if Archie fans were continuing insulting Cook to his face in meet and greets? Show me proof that there was a barrage of insults toward Cook made by Archie fans and I will accept it. I think there was bad on both sides, but Archie definately has taken the lion’s share of the bad and has simply chosen to conduct himself with maturity and dignity during the past year.

oceana, I liked your post. Sometimes I feel like I’m in the Truman Show. Am I watching the show or am I the show? LOL. Is the season still happening? Why am I still reading these blogs? Who knows? By the way, I don’t pretend to know the answers to any of these. And I realize by posting here I am still complicit in this ongoing whatever it is this is. This has truly been a bizarre experience. Ultimately, it’s clear this whole thing is really about the TV show. And competition. And politics. Pick a side and fight and rage on indefinitely. It’s the American way, isn’t it? Red Sox v. Yanks, Bush v. Gore, cat people v. dog people, Lovers of It’s Wonderful Life v. Haters of It’s a Wonderful Life (?!) (sorry, couldn’t resist–didn’t know this was a debatable topic until now–LOL). AI is a reality show. A game show. And, frankly, all of us have been played by taking it as seriously as we do. I am sooooo guilty of this. And, to some degree, so are the Davids. That became very clear to me this past season. It’s also clear to me that both Davids are very talented and great guys and both deserve better than the circus that seems to go with the idol experience. I’ll be glad when the new season starts, so those that watch can pick their new ponies and place their bets. I’m weary of all of it.

I recently bought albums by Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. Highly recommend both to those that like smart, artsy folk/rock, btw. Read about them on internet sites where fans were discussing music and not tearing apart other artists or each other. It was nice.

I feel a fanwar coming on. Actually, it may be already here…

Reminder:

STAY ON TOPIC.

Comments that have been made on this blog in the past by posters in other threads are NOT up for discussion in this thread. The topic is David Cook’s interview with Blender. PLEASE STICK TO THE TOPIC.

Also, the topic of this thread is NOT “My Idol has taken more crap from the fans than YOUR idol”

Here’s the deal, as it’s been mentioned before, unless you’ve been on every fan board and read every message, you really can’t say who gets the worst of it. So lets stop talking in circles here, and move on.

I’ve read negative stuff from both fanbases. And holy crap, you all should read my email sometime. I’ll just leave it at that.

Let’s dial back the anger. Really. Remember, it’s a TV show, and these contestants are not our best friends.

Thank you.

I’m too lazy to read this whole thread, but I finally picked up Cookie’s album at Target. I like it!

“Also, the topic of this thread is NOT à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“My Idol has taken more crap from the fans than YOUR idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Endless discussion to this effect not only off topic, but boring to read.”

LOL…yes its becoming old news already…….both Davids are great artists….peace to all!

I would like to take a moment to comment on this Blender interview. I have watched this and many other interviews of both David Cook and David Archuleta. The common thread I have noticed is that the interviewers constantly ask each of them about the other. Do these journalists lack the talent to ask new and insightful questions regarding the artist’s current and future plans, music, feelings, etc.?

The press is constantly egging on the “fanwars” just as this interviewer did. They have been relentless. The interview that does not mention the other Idol finalist is a rare find indeed.

I am a David Cook fan but still appreciate the talent of David Archuleta. I wish both of them well. Fanwars do nothing but incite a frenzy of press baiting.

AI alumni have enough trouble earning legitimacy anyway without their fans fighting amongst themselves. Root for who you think is best, buy their albums, enjoy their fansites but don’t attack another alumni. It will only rub off on your artist negatively in the long run.

…belongs on rock radio

God I hope not. I’m NOT a fan of rock radio and quite frankly, I hope Cook goes the way of Daughtry and releases singles with Top 40/Pop leanings because that is the music I enjoy most besides country. Actually, most of his album could potentially be on Top 40 radio with the exception of a few songs. They’re very well written and produced and of course, he sings the hell out of them. But apparently, “pop” has become a dirty word with regard to music these days. Pop does not have to mean Disney or I would hate it.

I liked this interview. He looked good. He sounded happy. He supported his friend (Archie) and he said one thing about fans that were not nice to him and that is what everyone has focused on.

edit: no finger wagging please

He talked about being true to yourself and that is how you succeed in idol and I wish the young folks that are trying out this year listen to this advice because that is why David won and why David A. was so successful. We should be cheering both these guys. I mean they are doing great. I join RV65 peace man. PS David Cook is a Rock God. LOL

Back to topic: I acknowledge that both sides have their extremists but thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a little part of my love for Archie that diminishes whenever I read the crap that his fans spew about Cook.

Guess it goes both ways on the front and it’s sad that some fans let others control how they feel about a singer. It’s really not worth that if you ask me. I don’t let the opinions of crazy freaks diminish my love for either David or any other for that matter. That gives other people way too much power over me.

The guidelines people the guidelines. I do the modding.

Please, no finger wagging. Don’t tell other posters what to do, what to say or how to behave.

STICK TO THE SUBJECT. Or I’ll close comments on this topic

edit: You need to read my guidelines. STAY ON TOPIC. And the topic is not giving your fellow posters a big fat lecture, or telling them what to do. NO FINGER WAGGING. Please respect your fellow posters.

On a much brighter common ground note, we may all applaud ourselves for giving these 177 comments and countless additional web hits to MJ, and ultimately to her credit, and NOT to the credit of the interviewer at Blender who undoubtedly was going for them with her obvious baiting.

Perspective… :bye_tb:

Whoa…why on earth are there so many comments here? I don’t have time to read them all, but are they all really about fan wars? I didn’t realize there was so much to say on the subject. :blink_tb:

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m too lazy to read this whole thread, but I finally picked up Cookieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s album at Target. I like it!

Yay pj!

Re: fanwars. It’s not about either David anymore, so I hope they don’t let it “touch” them too much. It’s about fan feelings and egos at this point. JMO.