Many sing praises of Archuleta

In a cynical world, some believe that David Archuleta isn't for real, that his sweet persona is part of some calculated self-promotional plan, like Rodman's weirdness or Madonna's outrageousness.

It's easier to believe in drunken teen divas and criminal ballplayers and wacky Jackson children than to believe in a shy, guileless kid from Utah.

Others not only believe it, they need to believe it.

They embrace it.

"I feel kinda weird writing this, but I'm a 24-year-old graduate student who was inspired by David," Linha Pahn, an aspiring Mississippi medical student, wrote on the "American Idol" online forum. "I've been rejected by all medical schools ... and I wonder if my dream of becoming a good doctor will ever be attained. With every rejection letter, I would cry myself to sleep. ... David has made me smile again. There's a certain way his voice connects to my soul when he sings that makes me feel better about my life, that everything will be OK."

With that, she invited others to contribute online comments if Archuleta had affected them. Since then, there have been more than 1,000 responses from people similarly affected by Archuleta and his singing. No other "American Idol" star has inspired such a similar reaction. Celebrity worship is sometimes a frightening thing, but look at what they write.

Sue, a 44-year-old woman from New York, wrote that she was suffering through personal challenges and developing a negative attitude, and then she heard Archuleta sing. "I listened to (David) and suddenly I knew that everything would be all right in due time," she wrote. "Funny how life works. Two days later, I am listening to you again sing 'Imagine' online, and I started to cry when I heard you say 'take my hand and join us,' and I felt this strange sensation deep inside of me building to a crescendo."

A 20-year-old man wrote about being abandoned by his father and about other personal struggles. "Listening to David every week just makes my week," the man wrote. "When he sings with his heart, I honestly feel like life is going to turn around for me soon. He's the inspiration for making me push through these difficult times."

A woman wrote that she was disconsolate after her father died of cancer in January, and then "one day I was watching 'American Idol' and I specifically remember David's performance, 'Heaven.' It just brought me to tears, reminding me that everything was going to be all right. His voice was so beautiful and pure it just lifted my spirits. It's just so amazing how one voice can speak to so many hearts. Yes, David Archuleta is an amazing singer, but more than that he exudes goodness, innocence and humility — qualities you cannot manufacture for a competition like this."