From Deseret News archives:
Archuleta sets hens a-clucking
Depends on whom you believe. And some of those writing about him simply cannot bring themselves to believe the former, so they've decided the latter must be true.
The Boston Globe's Joanna Weiss clearly thinks Archuleta, who performed Tuesday with the four other "American Idol" finalists, is somehow faking it.
"Archuleta has mastered the wide-eyed wonder, shyly mouthed 'thank you,' the look of relief, as if he's finally confident that somebody won't hit him with a stick," she wrote recently. "Some could find it charming. Others find false modesty a little off-putting."
It's a common theme that Archuleta's shy modesty is just too good to be true.
Imagine that! A critic reacting cynically!
(It's understandable, of course, when you cover something as cynical as the entertainment industry.)
Not that everyone is overwhelmed by cynicism. Fresno Bee blogger Mary Lou Aguirre wrote, "My son-in-law, the American Idol, has a nice ring to it. No?"
Scott Collins of the Los Angeles Times called Archuleta the "presumptive (but never presumptuous!) boy king."
"His enormous, obvious-even-to-the-tone-deaf vocal gifts have at times made him look like nothing so much as that beloved show-biz trope, the competition-crushing prodigy: Think Tom Hulce as Mozart in 'Amadeus.'"
Collins' L.A. Times colleague, Ann Powers, took the opposite view. She mocked Archuleta's reaction when the judges praised him.
"True to form, the Chosen One feigned mild astonishment, like a child gazing in wonder upon his birthday cake," she wrote after apparently using psychic powers to read the Murray teen's mind.
"The flaw in Archuleta's artistry is his complete lack of affect beyond bashful awe at everyone's enthusiasm," Powers wrote. "Chalk it up to youth, except this isn't how a real kid acts.... Archie is a creature of the stage an interpreter of his own life and that makes him just a little hard to trust, or love."
Ouch.
Cary Aspin Wall of the Tulsa World doesn't just think Archuleta isn't displaying true emotions, she apparently has decided he doesn't have any emotions:
Recent comments
I remember from Season 5 of 2 years ago, that there were many...
Archangelia | May 25, 2008 at 7:12 p.m.
Why would you bring up the tab choir? What do they have to do with...
barb | May 5, 2008 at 7:03 a.m.
I think David A. is the best singer they have had on the show in...
grandma | May 4, 2008 at 9:22 p.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- Am. Fork band hopes for nationals 1:10 a.m.
- Healthy Toews leads Blackhawks 1:04 a.m.
- Sandy may give $10K to bowl game 12:45 a.m.
- Mayors compete for charity 12:43 a.m.
- Sports on the air 12:42 a.m.
- Attorney given report on Taser death 12:41 a.m.
- Charges possible in Roy shooting 12:40 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Hope for single moms
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- GOP blasts Matheson after vote
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
114 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
As distressing as it was to see KUTV's longtime vice president/general...
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...
I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...
hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...
play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...
I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...
That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...
I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...
I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...
BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...
i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!



