Here’s an article I found that kind of Ineresting. This type of thing happens every year on American Idol. The Chosen One (TCO) at the beginning of the season alway finds backlash. Some TCO’s survive, most do not.
A Backlash Brewing?
Danny Gokey is in the the Top 12. That was never in doubt. Whether church music teacher whose wife died of a heart condition four weeks before his audition can go all the way, however, is another matter entirely. Even with all the momentum he’s gained over the past few weeks, his chances seem to be dwindling by the day.
Yes, he has a lot of fans — including the show’s producers and judges, clearly – but he probably has just as many detractors at this point. That latter group is growing, especially after a picture of his wife was hoisted in front of the cameras during Tuesday night’s show. In Friday’s episode of Idolatry (an EW chat show I whole-heartedly endorse), Kristen Baldwin accuses Danny of “pimping the memory of his dead wife to get votes.” She also calls his actions “disgusting” and says he is “using his grief to his own advantage, and it’s gross.”
Baldwin’s words may come off a bit harsh-sounding, but she’s right. We aren’t calling into question Danny’s love for his wife, and how he chooses to grieve after her death is his decision. Still, it’s hard not to see the efforts of Danny & Friends as contrived and exploitative. (Check out this informative post about the megachurch he belongs to.) As well as totally unneccesary when you consider his actual talent. And just look at the way David Cook handled some tough issues he was going through last year. He clearly was reluctant to talk about his brother’s battle with cancer. When he did open up a bit, he always kept his family’s privacy in mind. That had to have won him more votes – and respect — in the end.
There’s an inevitable backlash against the early front-runner every season, and it probably won’t be any different with Danny this time around. But I think the more uses the platform of American Idol to talk about his wife’s death, the less likely it is America will want to keep him around. The show’s apparent double standard when it comes to fan sites and outside publicity won’t help, either.
ITA. Let’s give everyone a fair shake. It’s too early to anoint him the American Idol. Last year it was Archleta, but we know who won (i.e., not him). And as I keep saying, and now others are, too, Danny’s continual referencing to his wife is in direct contradiction to what Cook did regarding his ill older brother last season, and I respected him all the more for that. I don’t blame Danny for all the hype, but I also don’t believe his “aw, shucks, you really like me” attitude. I actually believed it with Archie (he was only 17; Gokey is 28, I believe), but not with Danny.
I’d say let’s just keep this to singing and it will be a lot more fair, but it’s reality TV, and that’s what happens. As Kristin said in the Idolatry segment about Tatiana, if you sign up for the show, you know what you’re getting (especially when the show is on S8 and not S1 or 2).
Sigh. Let’s see Adam and Matt Giraud and others (sorry, forgetting the name of the girls in this group) do this week.
Danny himself has not done a lot of talking about his wife (Yes, I realize the show has). He usually refers to “what I’ve gone through” and only when questioned specifically about it. In fact, when he gave his story during auditions he even specifically said I don’t like talking about it. I’m a David Cook fan but he openly talked about his brother.
Danny has never mentioned his church except to say that he worked AT a church. It’s not as if he’s throwing around their name. And can he never do anything or be successful without it appearing he’s pimping his church? He goes to a church, so what?
And why does no one care that Ricky or Michael have a heavy church background?
And why does the hoopla surrounding Ricky’s site have any place in this article?? That’s a general AI issue…not a Danny Gokey issue.
I disagree about Cook. He did NOT bring up his older brother, only his younger brother Andrew. When he started crying after singing Always be My Baby b/c Adam was in the audience, Randy pressed him about why he had “tears” and Cook declined to answer. They panned to his brother about 10x during and after the song, but Cook had nothing to do with it.
I am so over him and the over pimping that AI is doing this year. Danny is helping to fuel it, so I am not sympathetic if there is a backlash.
I just want to say something about this ridiculous comparison of how Cook and Danny dealt with their “pain”:
First, Cook’s brother had nothing to do with him audition on Idol and second, he was alive, not dead, and battling cancer for many years, Cook’s learned to cope with that.
Danny’s wife had a lot to do with him being there, second she was dead. How does anyone hide a dead wife? If anyone knows tell me the answer, so when my husband dies I’ll know.
And third, TPTB loved a sob story and went with it.
We could at least wait until he sing again so people can say “Oh, he cannot sing. He’s no Idol material” or “Well, dead wife or not, he’s good”.
Having said that, I do think it’s time the producers stop bringing that up and also his family, like the brother-in-law with the picture. Yes, we know she’s dead, she’s not running for Idol, he is, let’s hear him sing.
People should put all stories aside and focus on the SINGING. It happens every year, no one learns anything from that, and it never gets old, it seems. For anyone involved.
I’m sorry, I’m sick of all these going on. None of the contestants should go through that. If the producers could only remember this is a SINGING COMPETITION and stop showing their lives. I just needed to let it out.
Done.
Showing his deceased wife’s photo on t.v. was Gokey’s ‘macaca’ moment and the Dean Scream all rolled into one. It’s given people who were already disposed to dislike him because of the pimping and OTT rhetoric about “being an inspiration” a concrete reason not vote for him. Because at the end of the day, there’s only one motivation for a singer to go on a show like that: for the fame and fortune winning will bring. It’s disengeneous at best to say it’s anything else. He wants money and he wants fame, and he’s using his wife’s death as a means to acheive it on the show.
That’s why the pimping grosses so many people out. Me included.
Firstly, unless anybody on here has experienced the death of a spouse or anything close to it why do we need to judge this guy on anything related to it? Most of it is exploitative by the media not himself. You are only promoting the media’s story by constantly talking about it. I personally think he is a great singer and that is what I am judging him on. As for the “aw shucks” routine I have not seen any sign of that. I have seen quiet confidence which is what you need to be on a show like that.
Oh please. I’m not aboard the Danny hypetrain, but him telling his backstory at the audition, then a friend holding up a picture in her memory is “pimping” his wife’s passing for votes? LOL, are you SERIOUS? REALLY?
Right, him and his friends couldn’t, you know, love her and want to show she’s still in their hearts or anything, they’re just using her death to gain votes. They probably preemptively got her killed in the first place to help springboard him into the AI finals, right? No.
This is just dumb. The producers made him a main AI character, not him. I’ve heard peeps say he’s arrogant. What is this based off of? When he said “Yes” when the judges asked if he thinks he’s unique? I’m not a huge fan of Danny and never was, but all the heartless criticism he’s been getting painting him as someone he’s not makes me want to support him now.
It’s too bad there are so many cold hearted people in this world that won’t allow a sweet man to mourn the death of his wife. Leave the poor guy alone!!!
Danny Gokey for the win!!!
1) Why would he audition so soon after his wife’s passing?
2) He told the producers that his wife passed away.
3) During his audition why would he cry out to the camera, yet walk into the judge’s room and be all happy and sing like nothing is wrong. Talk about a Tatiana acting moment just for the camera!
4) There is a place to grieve but not infront of 25 million people, he knows what he’s doing and it’s to sympathy votes for him. I feel sorry that the guy lost his wife but must we be reminded about it every single week! I mean Asia’h Epperson lost her Dad four days before her audition and we only heard about once!
I hate that his wife died, it is really sad! I am sure that he mourns her death daily. HOWEVER…..this is a vocal competition…..get over the stories and on the the singing…that is what this whole Idol hell is all about! He has a good voice….I dont think he can win this because I think we have seen him at his best…with no where to go…but then again we will just have to wait and see.
He’s a mediocre singer in my opinion. He’s the most decent of the bunch but still nothing special.
The contestants on the show have no voice in what the Producers choose to portray. As in any Reality Show – the contestants have to be able to deal with the image the Producers want to GIVE THEM. The contestants are victims of editing .. what we see on TV is not who they really are. Danny has made no mention of his wife’s passing other than when asked in his first audition interview.
I lost my husband in 2006 – and it is extremely painful to talk about still. I understand how difficult it must be for Danny to have to share this experience with the world. He’s holding up really well – and if he chose to HONOR the memory of his wife by succeeding on her favorite TV program – then I applaud him.
Viewers really need to do their research before the get all “fake-outraged” at the contestants. In the grand scheme of life it is not important who wins American Idol. So sit back and enjoy the show. The Producers have already picked who they want to win … they’ll give that contestant more air time and positive PR. We can’t control that.
So just enjoy – and know that your favorite contestnat has gotten so much more exposure just being in the Top 36 than they would have received on their own without the show. If they have true talent – they will succeed in the industry. With or without this show.
I think that u guys are stupid and losers (at least the people that are saying Danny is using his wife to win!) Danny is an inspiration to people and is a great singer, his wife just died recently, what is he just supposed to forget about her??? I mean honestly how inconsiderate, if someone dies EXPECIALLY YOUR WIFE you don’t just forget about them. That was his wife!!! He has every right to talk about her! And it’s not like he’s constantly talking about her, American Idol is! So stop talking this CRAP about him! Get over it!!! I don’t even know how u guys can hate him! Something must be wrong with u!!! I’m extremely disgusted with all Danny haters and all the people posting CRAP about him!!!! And for all people that like Danny GO YOU!!!
His voice is generic at best, I’m not a hater but I’m not going to fantard all over him. I could have done without the sob story, church or physical disability.
Additionally, I don’t need a tv show to give me inspiration, I need AI to break out a new star.
Kristen is STUPID!!! and so are all the people who say he is using his wife to win. Danny is a great guy and a very talented singer! In fact he barely even talks about his wife (unless asked) because it is painful for him, and you can see that. It’s AI that’s always talking about her. So just STOP with all this CRAP about Danny, he’s amazing!!! GO DANNY!!
GO DANNY!!!! 
Danny has always been my favorite ever since I have stumbled on American Idol 09. Initially, I had no idea about his background (nor his dead wife) but I when I heard him sing gosh, I fell in love with him. I hope people will realize that he is not the author of all the publicity about his wife or his church. It just so happened that they are a part of his life. He was just totally fabulous on-stage that is why people wanted to know more about him.
Pips, please, get off his back! UAE is rooting for him!