Was Taylor a Diva on AI...and if so, Who Cares?
A little gossip tidbit from MSNBC says Taylor Hicks was the biggest diva on Season 5 of the show.
First of all...any source that doesn't give their name sorely looses credibility points in my book.
Second of all...who really gives a rip? That was LAST YEAR. He'll give up his crown in a couple of months. Seriously, why bother?
Okay...so I'm going all "grassy knoll" on y'all...but does anyone else smell sabotage? And if so...why? What would be the purpose? Or is all of this the result of some needy lacky behind the scenes at AI who is on a little power trip for getting a chance to be quoted in a "news" story?
Lastly...let's say Taylor is a diva. Does anyone care? Not in the sense that Taylor is so great that his underwear never needs washing...but in the sense that everyone in show business is likey to be somewhat of a diva (let's face it...you got to have a pretty healthy
*thanks to dr. bob for pointing out my libido/ego typo. though i'm sure taylor has a pretty healthy libido, too. bwahahahaha
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Labels: Taylor Hicks
posted by shelley @ 2/14/2007 07:10:00 AM
38 comments
38 Comments:
yep -- it's sort of like being president. By definition, you have to be pretty much an egomaniac to say "Hey! I am going to be president of the United States!" when most of us just can manage, "Hey! I hope I don't have to talk in the meeting today" or "Hey! I hope I can get the kids off to school with breakfast in a bowl, not in a napkin!".
However, if Taylor is anything less than perfect, I may weep great copious sobs and rend my garments. Oh, yeah -- that was just me squeezing into my work pants.
I just can't scrape up any emotion for all of this, ya' know?
Great topic!
Yep, the writer has a big chip on their shoulder. I'd agree that is seems very much aimed at altering the perception of taylor as the easy-going guy who rose above the mercenary machinations of TPTB to win the love of the voters and the AI laurels.
The article is so full of contradictions, though, that my irritation is somewhat mollified. So - Taylor is a diva for not wanting some guy to go with him to the men's room, and Paula, in contrast, is a diva for wanting attention beyond her quota? Hmmm. It is mean and spiteful tittle-tattle, and I think Taylor comes out of it very well. The only thing they can get at him with is that he didn't want an audience while he peed? Hey, the guy has dignity.
Methinks that the refusal to sing the crappy single they had lined up for him - an independent and clear-sighted reaction which contributed to his win, has clearly irritated certain folks in the higher echelons. Taylor wasn't tameable - whoo hoo. And again...WHOO HOO, and a loud burst of blues harmonica, just for good measure, and a rousing chorus of SOUL PATROL.
They don't want any more folks rocking the boat, thinking for themselves...but they have them. Taylor has altered the template forever.
Well I suppose, truth be told, none of us REALLY knows what went on during the final elimination stages of Idol. All I personally am aware of is that all of the other Idols have said nice things about Taylor. And hey, if I was a guy and someone was following me into the bathroom (paid to do so or not) I'd probably tell them to "Bleep Off" too. Didn't the Hair Stylist Guy from Idol - what was his name - say that Taylor was cool, and that Certain Other Idols were the difficult ones?
Obviously we're all going to jump to Taylors defence, we're all fans of his. In reality, he may have had a bad day or two, been less than accommodating to someone (we ALL have those days), and this behaviour gets blown up into Diva-like proportions. I for one assume that Taylor may have rolled his eyes, uttered some swear words and sat by himself in a corner more than once. I DO THAT!! I'm human, for God's sake. There are huge demands on me at work for my time and help, (heck, even the sound of the phone ringing can send my blood pressure up, LOL) and sometimes I snap (verbally and emotionally) at those who are talking to me. And I'm not competing on TV with millions of people watching me - y'know, just to add to the pressure cooker a little.
I can accept that Taylor may be less than perfect. I'm a little sceptical of the "Diva" title however, I think he's a working musician who found himself within the constraints of Idol, maybe with people he would not normally associate with. And of course, the fact that he is The Winner means that any stories about less-than-stellar behaviour are gold dust to the tabloids.
Bottom line? Taylor may just be the first flawed celebrity in history!!! SHOCKAH!!!
Claire..yep, agree about the friends issue. What about all the footage and discussions about his friendship with Eliot?
I think i am going to aspire to divahood too. If I send my popsicle stick head, will that make me a little bit diva-tastic?
The term seems to encompass a large dollop of self-esteem, a big squirt of dismissive strutty assertiveness and a sprinkling of originality...stuff I kinda admire and mousily asspire to. I like to read that Taylor was difficult. He is a Monkbot, ater-all...
I can easily believe that Taylor may be a bit of a priss when it comes to his music. If he was having issues with the band or what-have-you, he might have gotten a bit "diva-like."
But the other stuff in the article is laughable. Taylor wanted out around Top 8? I guess that's why Ryan Seacrest and Dean Banowetz have talked about how he was the most competitive Idol they'd ever seen. Taylor didn't make any friends? I guess that's why Paris, Ace and Elliott were waving sticks with his photo attached during the finale--because, y'know, they hated him. Must be the same reason Elliott, Ace, Bucky and Chris jammed with LiMBO and Taylor after all those AI concerts, too--Taylor's aloofness and refusal to make friends.
It's just...silly. But, sadly, there are some hateful people out there who will only use this to fuel their ongoing bitterness over Taylor beating their favorite.
I DON'T want to get us off topic...but poor Bucky.
Welcome, idolicious. Great insights. Thanks for sharing.
Such as that is to be expected from MSNBC but it really bugs me for them to get away with it. They do the same thing with their political views. Everyone needs to go over there and point out some of the facts stated here. I was just there and the one and only post made me so angry I had to leave because if we post, we need to do it nicely and not stoop to the level of others.
I don't blame Taylor, or anyone, for not wanting someone to go with them to the bathroom, and we all know that Taylor was particular about his music because he is a true artist and knows what is best. That's the problem...AI wasn't used to having a true musician as a contestant.
We have also heard that when not performing, Taylor's personality is actually pretty shy. Shy people often get a bad rap, people think they are aloof. (Take it from someone who was painfully shy growing up, and was blessed with very straight eyebrows that tend to make me looked po'd all the time.) I love that behind the scenes video of Taylor & Elliot working on one of the goofy Ford commercials. They look like they are having a blast together.
The part I really don't get is the part about him refusing to do photo shoots. That makes no sense at all. We saw his smiling face, week after week in all of those group shots. He had to have done what he had to do. He knows better than not to.
I always wonder when talk comes up about him refusing the first song, was it Kat's song, My Destiny? Because that was truly craptastic, and this was the first time the two finalists didn't sing the same song.
I'm skeptical about the "insider's" gossip. It certainly doesn't jive with post-Idol interviews given by Taylor and the other contestants. It also doesn't jive with the fact that other contestants accompanied Taylor to LMBO afterparties and performed. If he was such a diva, why would he share the stage when he clearly didn't have to?
I also can't see the percentage in the AI-machine sabotaging Taylor. For them it's about profit, so it seems they would do what they could to preserve image of the crowned Idol, not tear it down. To me it just sounds like a made up story. Yawn.
This kind of reporting goes with the territory. And Taylor seems to be able to handle that, as witnessed in a recent interview where he said he doesn't expect the disses from Simon to end. It won't help Taylor any if the Soul Patrol goes postal over this, but some things just seem to be inevitable.
I just love this article. It's flippin' hilarious!
So the guy wouldn't bend over and take it up the ... - that makes him a diva.
And I could tell the other contestants just hated him. I always hang out with people I can't stand, party with them, kiss them on the cheek and jump up and down when they achieve something which I had wanted for myself.
And who goes to the bathroom by alone? How dare he!?!
Really there wasn't much to the 'article' if you want to call it that; it's really no more than an unsubstantiated blurb. She's simply bringing up old spin from back on the show when it was rumored that he may have stepped on a few toes not wanting to sing that stupid "My Destiny". (The Worst in Idol history finale songs.) Hell they'd have had to drag me kicking and screaming to the mic to warbled that crap out. I'd have pulled hair over it too.
Man, slow news day, MSNBC?
Well, we all know the stories about Taylor's friendship with Elliot, his sweet nature, his goofy side, etc. because we are his fans! Unfortunately there are tons of peeps out there that don't like him that will salivate over this story...they will believe it proves their notion that he is "The Evil One".
I'm sad for Bucky too, Shelley. He seems like a really nice guy. It's a pity they couldn't make it work. The price of fame, huh?
That is sad about Bucky. I hope it wasn't "the price of fame"....maybe it was just that they weren't meant for each other. It's a good thing children weren't involved. It will make things easier on them.
Aww...I have always had a soft spot for Bucky, haha. When he left I was quite sad, even if I knew he didn't have the best voice. Must be my hillbilly roots showing through. ;)
This Taylor thing is just annoying, I barely want to acknowledge it, haha. All I will say: Their "source" came from, what, Star? 'Nuff said.
Oh yeah, I forgot to talk about Bucky. He was SO so sweet when we met him. I wonder what really happened... Hope he gets through what's got to be a really rough spot.
IGNORE IT
Do NOT respond to the Diva article in any way. NOT A PEEP FROM ANYONE.
IGNORE IT
Yeah, I tend to think things got blown out of proportion. I just think that if I were in that situation, with cameras filming my every move, and people around all the time, I would have had a testy moment or two (or 20!). I think Taylor and I are similar in that we need our alone time to recharge. And if that has to be in the rest-room, so be it!
Sad news about Bucky and his wife. He seems like a sweet guy, and his wife seemed sweet too, from what I have heard. But, at least there were no children involved.
i only posted this topic to spark some discussion.
i'm so glad to see all the new faces commenting here, but i just want to say that i think it's universally understood that i don't order directives. this is a forum to share thoughts and opinions and goofy ideas only.
monkbot is known for its celebration of free will and respect of others.
i never advocate spamming any site, but folks are free to do and say what they want (be it poor taste or good taste).
please remember that monkbot is a celebration of varying opinions.
My, y'all have been busy.
Ok, here it is...
1.) MSNBC has NEVER liked Taylor. They would like nothing better than to make him look bad.
2.) Taylor is a nice guy -- proven through friendships with many of the Top 12 as well as Top 24. The unsubstantiated and un-named source's (I agree with Shelley that THAT in itself rings all kinds of alarms) comments are just inconsistent with all the other things we've seen and heard about the guy.
3.) Taylor was focused to win. He practiced, he studied, he learned, he didn't lose sight of why he was there. (It is why he won.) Many times I'm focused at work and I'm sure I come off as an ass. Not meant to be and I usually rebound shortly with my effervesant personality -- much like I think Taylor did once he was done practicing and performing. (Hence, the friendships.) But one moment, taken out of context -- like the pee incident -- can "look" divaish.
4.) Taylor was busy planning the next stages of his career...didn't have time to hang out in the Green Room wondering what he was going to do next....again, focused/driven. I'm sure many may have found him aloof because of it. Hey, there's a time to "play" and a time to get down to bidness. Many of these young wannabes don't get that. (That's why they DON'T win.)
5.) Why is there NO diva talk about Kat? I mean, we all KNOW from the stupid comments that she continually makes that she surely pissed people off. I don't see any big friendships between her and Mandisa or Paris or Lisa or Kellie. Seems that none of them particularly cared for her and there's certainly NOT been any "friendship" articles about Kat and the gals. Matter of fact, they ALL were waving big Taylor faces at the finale....SPOKE VOLUMES!
6.) I said in the last weeks of AI that Taylor would face this. He stood up to TPTB and they DID NOT like being upstaged. As Rowan said, he changed the template forever and they are not going to help Taylor any more than they have to or can get away with.
I still say that before this season is through, they will experience declining ratings. I think that they've "Jumped the Shark". I mean, that show last night was pitiful.
Lastly, it's all ok. Taylor got his shot and he'll make the most of it. If he gives us great music, he'll deter the naysayers. Besides, I think Taylor does best from the "underdog" position.
One last thought on the subject....
IF, Taylor was a big "diva" or A-Hole, wouldn't somebody from his past have some kind of comment about it?...like, "Well, Taylor can be tempermental" OR "Yeah, I've seen him be mean to dogs, kids and old folks"....you just can't be THAT famous and be a jerk and nobody knows it.
Everybody has bad days, but a jerk, no...I think we'd have heard and seen more proof of that if it were the case.
Besides, he's a Libra Dragon...not capable of being anything other than sweet, funny, and loving....with rainbow-flavored kittens on big puffy clouds streaming sunlight through.
I think I saw that cloud floating past my window earlier....with sounds of a harp blowing and kittens mewling.
Bama, it was, of course, Taylor blowing on that harp, I trust? While stroking those kittens' tummies?
Shelley - thanks for the reminder. :)
But of course dear Claire! All the while...the kittens were tossing Godiva truffles to me!
*dangles a scotch egg in front of Bama's nose...*
Enough off-topicness!! I snuck a peek at the MSNBC message boards, (I didn't post) and there was, I think, only one post submitted by someone who was negative about Taylor.
Double D, I liked your analytical approach to this. Numbered points and everything!
What sweet kittens, sharing their truffles.I know *I* wouldn't want to share mine! *evil laughter*
The kittens have endless supplies of truffles and scotch eggs too!
DD's always analytical...that's what analysts do right?
"Besides, he's a Libra Dragon...not capable of being anything other than sweet, funny, and loving....with rainbow-flavored kittens on big puffy clouds streaming sunlight through."
Don't forget cheek-nuzzling downy witto baby ducks. I'll bet he's capable of that, too. (Bama, if you agree with me, there's some chocolate covered Turkish Delight in it for you)
:)
Well of course I agree!
Witto bitty baby ducklings singing quack, quack, quack right along with the Supreme Monkbot!
Stwongeh dan I've eveh been befoh.
Neveh been afwaid of quack quack quack (I forgot the words)
Do I make you pwoud?
Quack quack waddle waddle wooo!
Pwoud? No. Nauseous? Yes.
Is it just me or since Shelley said she's cutting back, she's posted double what she normally does?
(Not that there's anything wrong with that....)
Thanks DD. Yer so supportive of yer MB sistahs.
Baby Duck- Yes, you make me pwwwwwoud!
Quack!
I think Shelley wants the freedom to post as she pleases...be that more or less...without feeling like she's going to let anybody down if it happens to be less some weeks.
Aw, double d, nauseous? Was it my singing or the song? Maybe we better go back to kittens...
Or what was the topic of this post? Thirty-some comments later we may have wandered off a bit.
I keed. I keed.
'Salright, DD. I like a bit of snarkin' once in awhile, too. I was just hoping it was the song you didn't like, and that you'd act all diva-ish, pitch a hissy fit, and I could sing a different one. I could probably find the lyrics to My Destiny. Then we could talk about nauseous.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Back on topic, it's msnbc that hosts Joe Scarborough, who led the charge against the Idol-fizzle comment. Then about a week later, he interviewed Taylor and asked him something like, 'So what do you do when reporters misquote you and take your words out of context?', all innocent-like. I remember seeing the gleam in Taylor's eye as he repressed a smile and answered graciously. If ever there was an opportunity to let loose on someone, that was it. Just those kinds of interactions makes me dis-believe this story.
A Diva? Yeah. Ok. Yeah.
Please --- Taylor is focused and determined -- that can translate to competitive -- but Diva - like?
All of the Idol candidates have an healthy ego to be interested in success in music industry today.
Taylor has given his all to his love of music. not a diva...
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