American Idol has always been a mixed bag of artistic talent and high-stakes drama. However, the reality series managed to reach a whole new level of awkward during last Wednesday night's live episode when Idol contestant Quentin Alexander and judge Harry Connick Jr. began feuding over a comment Quentin made in regards to the show's "whack" elimination process. And while Quentin's outburst seems to have come from a genuine place of concern for his fellow contestants, you can't help but wonder if this remark will result in Quentin's elimination from Idol in the coming weeks ahead. Because, depending upon how the voters interpreted the whole situation, this singer's chances of winning could be in some serious jeopardy.
Regardless of whether Quentin was right or wrong in his comments, on the whole, voters don't tend to take too kindly to contestants mouthing off at the judges due to how unprofessional it can come across as being. Plus, it's fair to say that Quentin came into this competition knowing that it was a voting-based show, which unfortunately does mean that even the more talented singers have a chance of leaving if their popularity isn't up to the audiences' standards. Is it fair? No. But, like it or not, that's kinda what show business is all about.
So where exactly does this leave us concerning how/if Quentin can survive this week's elimination round? Well, as I said before, snapping back at the judges has almost never worked out in a contestant's favor. Just take Elise Testone from Season 11, for example. After performing a Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On,” judge Jennifer Lopez made a critique about how she needs to connect more with the lyrics — feedback which Elise didn't take all that well. She shot back at the remarks, assuring Lopez that she does just that on a regular basis. And, just like Quentin, she stuck up for what she said even after the fact, since it's how she was feeling at the time.
"I didn't want to just stand there and smile and not connect with their conversation with me," the then-contestant told Zap2It after the incident. "So I wanted to engage. I'm not being rude and I don't even discredit anything that they said — I just felt like I needed to kind of explain that I am always approaching my song from an emotional standpoint."
The result? Elise ended up in the bottom three and was sent home a week later. So yeah, based on former encounters, it seems as though confrontation with judges — no matter how warranted — doesn't exactly bode well in the voting department. And that feud didn't have nearly as much hype as this current one has garnered. (Usually it's the judges themselves who are feuding with each other.)
Then again, Season 1's Justin Guarini was always a crowd favorite despite his knack for talking back to Simon Cowell. In fact, he once responded to the judge's critical commentary by turning to the audience for their opinion. And while he may not have come out the winner, he sure came darn close as the runner-up. Though, I'm not sure Quentin has quite that level of likability to fall back on.
Maybe it's because no contestant has ever approached the judge's table like that before? Or perhaps it was the slight attitude that could be sensed in Quentin's tone? Either way, it's clear that his behavior could very well end up costing him the competition, which would be a shame since he truly is a very talented singer. But when it comes to this industry, even the slightest slip up can make or break your career.
Images: Michael Becker/FOX (2); Carin Baer/FOX
