'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
Comedienne's Second TV Show Canceled This Year
On Idol, there's no shame in being No. 10
I said Chris R. and some of you said Chris S. You were right and I was wrong. I guess "denial" ain't just a river in Egypt. (Sorry, I couldn't help it. I'm a sucker for bad puns) What I mean is that I was hoping Hurley would stick around a little longer, and I've been unwilling to admit his declining performance quality. He still may have done enough to have Hasselhoff shed some tears of joy, though.
The good news is that he's number ten. That means he's been getting at least AFTRA scale for the last two weeks and will get to make some loot on tour. An AI "work for hire" isn't exactly winning the Powerball lottery, but mini-bar debts won't be a problem anymore. I love the mini-bar.
Plus, playing arenas for 10-20,000 screaming fans is any singer's dream. It's the kind of opportunity that makes established indie acts loath and despise American Idols. I can't really blame them either. I'd be mad too if I watched someone do in nine months what I still hadn't achieved after years of work.
That lack of infrastructure eventually catches up to the Idols, though. Overnight celebrities are forgotten just as fast as they're made. Just wait, in a couple weeks time when we're still caught up on "When will what's-his-name finally be voted off the show" and "I wonder who will win the diva three-way throw-down," the guy with the curly hair will slip from our minds.
People often say to me, "You're probably better off not winning Idol," and I agree for the most part. I love the freedom, and the exposure Idol brings is unparalleled. But, coming in second, third, or any place other than first means waiting till three months after the airing of the last show to release anything. It's easy to forget in three months.
Still, performing for millions of people, no matter for how many (or few) weeks is never a bad thing. If Chris can get some decent songs together and pump out an album quickly he may have a shot at keeping a career going. No, there's no shame in 10.
Jon Peter Lewis was a finalist on the third season of "American Idol." His newly released debut album, "Stories From Hollywood," is available everywhere online and can also be downloaded at americanidol.com. Visit Jon's Web site for more.
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