Hello, fellow conspiracy theorists. Although AI7 has become a distant memory, some residual nausea persists over how they treated our David and exploited his talent and his fan base for ill-gotten-ratings. *cue ALTNOY chorus*
I spotted these pics on Tumblr recently and, even though we’ve seen them all before, I’d never seen them chronologically.
It was a definite light bulb moment… all became clear, my friends, all became clear.
Check it out for yourselves… the producers’ pimping plans are laid out for all to see, like some kind of evil-genius instruction manual:
Top 12 – open playing field, everyone has a chance … even the scary rocker girl and greasy haired grunge dude (oops, that’s Cook!)
Top 11 – oooo, our David almost up front … wearing his “pack up the babies and grab the old ladies” outfit!
Top 10 – our David solidly in the lead as “contestant you think we’re favouring while we’re secretly planning to throw him under the bus later”
Top 9 – D. takes centre stage… as it should be… enjoy it, David, there’s someone looking over your shoulder about to push you out of the way once his makeover’s finished
Top 8 – hey, wait a minute, where’d D’Arch go??? Oh I see, moved to the back row once Cookie’s new haircut and styling are in place. Well played AI, well played.
Top 7 – D. just blends in now with the newly annointed one towering over the Top 7 like he knows he’s going to win or something. Wait, is David holding Syesha’s hand???
Top 6 – the OTHER David’s now in the centre … of course.
Top 5 – could they BE any more obvious?!?
Top 4 – D’s practically getting shoved out of the picture (on the other hand, his smile actually looks real, lol)
Top 3 – sheesh, why didn’t they just put a crown on him right there?
So tell me, guys, am I crazy or does this twisted theory make some sense to you?
P.S.
Posting this again because I can. 🙂
SnowAngelz: Canadian fans of David Archuleta 
I’ve gotta be the first to protect David’s reputation here– that’s Carly’s hand Syesha’s holding. Whew!
Now that that’s out of the way… Thanks for the morning laugh. You’re too funny.
Picture proof. 🙂 To quote a favorite sage: “Everything happens for a reason,” but I am still so opinionated about the Season 7 shakedown, I dare not comment further. Grrrrr.
I don’t think David is holding Syesha’s hand, unless he has two left hands. I see his man hand at his right side. Thanks for another look at the Dougie, proof that David doesn’t have two left feet either.
eeek, you guys are right, that is Carly … I was confused by all the intertwining … more hands than a David album. 🙂
I imagine the shoot went something like this:
Photog: “Now, David A., if you’ll just hold Syesha’s hand like so…”
David A: “No. I’m not into holding hands. I still think that’s gross.”
Photog: “Okayyyy.”
ROFL … tho’ there is some arm linking with Brooke & Carly in Top 8 🙂
i’ve never seen those pictures before but your theory does makes sense. and the sleaziness of Idol at least prepared him for the sleaziness of the music industry/jive.
all that planing they did and our DAVID still came out on top
You are so right there Ray! David shone on a season that actually had some real talent. I do believe these “conspiracy” ideas about Idol but I am glad that David auditioned when he did, back when the show had at least a shred of integrity and respect within the industry.
Although it will forever stick in my craw that David never got his “confetti on the eyelashes” moment (especially after delivering what should go down in Idol history as the best finale performances EVERRRRRR) I have come to accept that maybe it was for the best in the long haul.
*Feels forehead* Did I just say that??? I guess I can call my therapist and cancel all my future sessions! 😀
I feel that way too (maybe it was for the best) and yet whenever anyone says Cook was the right one to win I go all ape. Grrrr. Makes no sense but I still want it both ways.
Haha! Proof positive. 😀
As much as I wanted David to win, and he did per Simon, the majority of voters went for Cook. They did feature him but was that b/c votes swung his way as contestants left and the pimping was a reaction? I am good with that now no matter the truth…..on an aside, where is Cook now!?!
My work colleague owned a restaurant/bar who engaged Robbie Carrico and his band, he was eliminated in top 20, who shared with her that David was very shy and naive and incredibly talented. In his opinion AI was not prepared to handle a shy, naive, uber talented teen. Sad that. David has been incredibly successful and taken interesting opportunities that have come his way. He has made lemonade out of being second. That’s a win in my perspective.
Thanks for sharing that background story, it’s always interesting to hear stuff like that! Lemonade FTW!! 🙂
Ditto!
Interesting story! Shy, naive, incredibly talented, and, if sources are to be believed, incredibly stubborn. So not easy at all to “handle.” I remember reading that David knew a lot about what he didn’t want back then but not much about what he did want.
Either Cook or his management has been his own worst enemy. Or both. While our David was out doing Jingle Balls with really hot acts, where was Cook? Buying a million-dollar home in LA then headlining his own tour of college campuses, with really cheap ticket prices. He picked his audience–and his price point. And then there was Cookie’s arrogance. Anyone else remember him saying he wanted to make “an important album”? Important–like the artist, not the audience, chooses that. And I never read a review of his first album that said the words “important” or even “creative.” Then he was so slow to release anything else…just doomed himself IMHO. Cook was sort of like a very ordinary person who won the lottery. You know, a lot of them go bankrupt.
OUCH … but you’re right. I heard Cook was recently made an offer to front a well-known hard rock band but turned them down to work on his next album. I was thinking he should have taken the offer. My view of Cook has softened a lot since they were on the show, mostly because of how “big brotherly” he treated David on the tour and afterwards. He once joked that someday he expected to be playing guitar in our David’s band… or maybe he wasn’t kidding. 🙂
Sorry but I just cannot not notice the McDonald’s logo on the photos haha
David is gorgeous as usual. And he is wearing collared shirts/t-shirts in most of his photos 😀
hahaha, didn’t even notice the “Dollar Menu” lol … and was “American Idol Songwriter” a show at some point?? I’ve always thought they should introduce an original song component to Idol to both liven things up and spotlight the singer-songwriters… I liked his t-shirt/jacket combo myself. 🙂
The AI Songwriter contest is what brought us “In This Moment” and “Time of My Life.” And one that Cook did on finals night that I have completely forgotten except for Simon’s reaction. Simon hated everything about it and let Cook know. I swear, I was sorry for him.
You’re not crazy. But I wonder if perhaps the outcome was what David wanted. I just re-watched his performances from the Top 2, and every time Cowell proclaimed him the winner, an overwhelmed David looked like he wanted to scream out “Nooooo! Don’t say that!! I don’t wanna win!!!”
You’re right, Utahmom, he does! But I don’t think the outcome is what bothers me most about how Idol treated David. It’s more everything that led up to that.
How they set him up as the early favourite and then seemed to do everything they could to sabotage him once they’d decided Cook should win it all … from not approving his song choices/arrangements (so it’d look like all he could sing was treacly ballads) to having Simon criticize him in interviews before the show was even over. grrrrrrr …
I do think he made lemonade out of those lemons, as Kizzi said but some of their lies have stuck with him even today, with people mistakenly believing he can’t sing pop songs… HELLOOOO, the dude could elevate pop to a whole new level if they’d let him be his quirky, soulful self!!!!!!
… sorry to go on and on, rant over 🙂
Fascinating placement of D in those photos. Hmmm.
Sidenote: We hear a lot of David Cook at work and when we do, I may or may not yell out “PRETENDER”, to no one in particular.
(Our store plays a lot of the idol’s music. Kelly, Fantasia, Daughtry, Cook, Carrie, Clay Aiiken (UGHHH creepiest lyrics EVER, “If I was invisible, then I could just watch you in your room”), Ruben, Taylor)
but I digress.
They never play David, EVER.
They play Taylor Hicks but not David??? 😦 😦 😦
the way i look at is this,david is a rebel,he left a label,had a succfull toour with one ,put out more albums in one year then most do in five years,and the labels are so mad at him foe that ,he is showen others that you don,t have to have a big label takening most of your hard earned money,ex, cook lambert also left,hope you all get what i mean ,david is a genius
Tofan, I have not watched AI since season 7, it left a sour taste. Those pictures look like it was all a plan from the get go.
I watch The Voice for entertainment, and listen to “The Voice” for everything.
“But I don’t think the outcome is what bothers me most about how Idol treated David. It’s more everything that led up to that.”
“How they set him up as the early favourite and then seemed to do everything they could to sabotage him once they’d decided Cook should win it all … from not approving his song choices/arrangements (so it’d look like all he could sing was treacly ballads) to having Simon criticize him in interviews before the show was even over. grrrrrrr …”
Double grrrrrr!!!!
And yes he made the best lemonade ever and he is a genius 🙂
New post/thread!
🙂