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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > January > 17
Thursday, January 17, 2008
1/17: On Idol ratings, Daughtry, Clay
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The final ratings for night one was 33.4 million, up slightly from the preliminary numbers and down 10.7% from a year earlier when 37.4 million caught the show. The prelim numbers for Wednesday night were 30.3 million, down about 18 percent from a year ago’s 36.9 million. The dropoff among 18-49 has been about the same.
Maybe we can blame it on Kayla Dawn Hatfield (below). Just kidding. I just can’t believe she made it to Hollywood!
Daughtry backpedaled a bit on his comments about “Idol” in which he said the show was in a state of decline. (She yesterday’s blog post). Here’s what he wrote on his blog, courtesy of mtv.com:
“It’s so sad that when you’re asked something and you answer honestly … you’re made out to be the bad guy,” he wrote less than half a day after the RS interview posted. “Yes, I’m referring to the Rolling Stone post. The funny thing is, if you heard the whole conversation you would’ve heard all the good things I said about the show as well. Like for instance: How it’s an amazing platform to launch a career … ‘If you take it seriously!!!!’ Let’s not forget I was a struggling artist for 11 years that never got any respect or notoriety so know that I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity that ‘Idol’ gave me. And that’s where my comments came from.”
“My long-winded point is this,” he concluded. “I was never trying to ‘DISS’ the show or ‘BITE THE HAND THAT FED ME’ so to speak. I was simply giving my input on what I think would spice the show up a bit. Sorry for being honest.”
Ken Warwick with mtv.com defended the many contestants who appear to have had professional pasts such as Kristy Lee Cook, who used to be with Nashville Arista and Britney Spears’ management company.
“The truth of the matter is, there are too many people who come on to audition for us to go into all their backgrounds,” Warwick said. “We judge it purely on, when they walk through the door, if they have a record company attached to them already, then we’re not interested. If they have a management contract, they’ve got to lose it. it. … We take them on the merits of ‘Can they sing or not?’
“There are kids who are sufficiently good out there, that maybe should be stars,” he continued, “and the fact that they’ve been a backing singer to someone else in the past — if they were within the age limit and they meet all the criteria that we set — then who are we to say, ‘No, you can’t have another go [at it]’? That’s ridiculous.”
I would agree with Ken. If some of these folks have some professional experience, so be it. Not everyone can be Kellie Pickler or Elliott Yamin, truly diamonds in the rough who never would have gotten anywhere without “Idol.” And folks like Daughtry, Taylor Hicks and Melinda Doolittle have had plenty of professional experience.
Do you want to see what Clay looks like in “Spamalot,” which debuts January 18? NY Post’s Page Six provides a photo here.
Oddly, I was flipping through the channels last night and caught Jordin singing “Tattoo” on Kimmel (with frizzed out hair), then switched to Craig Ferguson on CBS and there was Blake doing “Break Anotha” (wearing one of his hideous plaid sweaters.) Both are doing all the shows they were supposed to do but couldn’t back in November/December when the writers strike kept the late-night shows off the air.
And don’t forget to email me if you want the Blake CD/autographed poster by 6 p.m. Friday and explain why you deserve it!
