While the world waits to see if Paula Abdul will return to “American Idol” (she still hasn’t signed a contract even though the auditions for the next season start in early August), there is another “American Idol” storm brewing.
The AI Now website had some past contestants conduct an online chat with viewers yesterday, but it seems everyone got more than they bargained for. Contestant Ju’Not Joyner was eliminated early on in the season last year, so I am not sure if he is being truthful or if it is just sour grapes, but he certainly had a lot to say about the show and its producers.
About the show, he said, “it’s a fixed thing if I ever saw one.” Shocked fans replied to the chat with frowny faces. Ju’Not said he was labeled a troublemaker by the “American Idol” producers because he questioned the contract that the producers require all those that audition to sign. Mincing no words, he called it a “slavetract.” In fact, he says his questioning the contract was the reason he was not brought back in the Wild Card round.
But, Ju’Not was not finished. He said that he wanted to tell the truth about the show because it “ain’t all it is cracked up to be…It’s certainly not the fairytale most think it is.” Ju’Not claimed that Idol paid for a lawyer for him to negotiate with their lawyer. He claims that some told him to just sign the contract and don’t ask questions, but he claimed that because he writes his own material and has a son to look out for, he wanted to ask some “basic legal questions.”
Ju’Not also claims the producers wanted to play up his background of living in the “hood” to garner sympathy. He said, “They wanted me to put that out to the world and expose my personal business for ratings. I wouldn’t do it.”
Finally, Ju’Not agreed that eventual winner Kris Allen was talented and deserved the win, but he says even that was fixed. He said the producers pumped up the audience about Adam Lambert only to have it be a big “surprise” when Kris won. He may have brought up a valid point when he said, “Do you think a billion-dollar enterprise is subject to the whim of the public?”
Ju’Not certainly stirred up some publicity with the harsh chat words. Some may wonder if it is because he has an album coming out this winter. What so you think?