Reader comments
'Idol' chatter: Carmen opens up about hit TV show

I'm so happy for Carmen. She is beautiful, incredibly talented (I have her new CD and it's amazing), and most importantly, she has her priorities straight. There needs to be more good examples for young girls like Carmen. Way to go girlfriend. You have my support all the way!

I saw her music video "Nothing like the Summer" on CMT. I was super impressed and she's certainly a lot better than Kelly Pickler. She's grown a lot since American Idol. Good luck with everything Carmen. Sounds like your staying busy.

Way to go Carmen! Loved your book.

Why are we still hung up on or turning to Carmen now? She had her 15 minutes of fame. She was on "Idol" how many years ago now? Am I the only one tired of seeing her turned to for comment every week when "American Idol" is on? Please don't continue with her column in the paper. Enough already.

We have a new Utahn involved with the show now, assuming he makes it past the Hollywood round (David Archuleta)... why not talk to him instead for a new fresh perspective?

Carmen, keep it up - kiddo! You and Brad are two of the best people on the planet!

Hey Steve. What's with the negativity? You don't have to read the article. And good suggestion, let's have David Archuleta do some commentary since he hasn't even been on the show yet. Carmen seems like a great girl and she's done a whole heck of a lot more than just American Idol. It will be interesting to hear her commentary on this season. I've seen her on MSNBC a few times and she is really articulate and fun to listen to.

Hey Steve - Nobody forced you to read the article or the comments.

I'm just tired of FOX 13 (and others in Utah) turning to Carmen for comment all the time. She was never one of my favorites way back when she was on the show, she wasn't that good (and I'm not the only one who shares that opinion). Again, how many years has it been? Her time has come and gone.

Are you insinuating David can't give insights just as well as she can on the try-out process? I'm hoping he does make it past the Hollywood round and into the top 24 or even top 12... he deserves to, he's good. Then as a side benefit of that perhaps FOX 13 will turn to him rather than Carmen. Infact I bet if David does well enough to last that long they will finally stop using Carmen altogether.

Well all I know is that FOX 13 and the other local media aren't the only ones using her as an American Idol insider. I know for sure that MSNBC uses her (especially during the American Idol season) at least twice a week because I see her all the time on Scarborough Country. Certainly after 6 seasons of the show they have a lot ex-contestants they could choose from but they keep going back to her. So she must be saying something that helps with their ratings to be on a national show like MSNBC.

Anyway, it really doesn't matter. She seems like a great girl with good morlas and she's a local celebrity so why not hear some fun behind-the-scenes type stuff. If your not interested, turn to the sports page.

I would assume the media does not go to the current contestant because most television shows keep them from commenting while the show is on the air. That's just a guess.

you fail to realize that if David does make it beyond the first round or two that he WONT be able to give commentary on his experience. They keep those kids so locked down and control what media gets access to them. Plus, what makes you think that he'd have the TIME to do a newspaper article or whatever? He'll be working his butt off all the time to try to make it to the next round. I highly doubt that his hometown newspaper, let alone his hometown, will be on his mind when he's in hollywood.

In other words, as American Idol is nothing but cotton candy, white bread, aimed for the mind of a fourteen year old girl, garbage--her "career," tanked after she was on it. What a shocker. Now this poor kid is hanging by her fingernails trying to stay connected to it in any way she can. Sad.

Mc: True, but I couldn't resist voicing my displeasure when I came upon the article and doing so is my right... comments aren't just for people who agree with the topic or like it.

Hey Steve: Probably true, but if memory serves me correctly the media does manage to get to the advancing contestants despite their busy schedule. Then there is after David is either eliminated or wins (hopefully after he's made the final 12), at that point he's fully available to be the NEW Utah Idol spokesperson (providing a new fresh take, thus no more "need" to turn to Carmen).

Nashville: Really? MSNBC uses Carmen too, even now a couple years or so after she was on the show? Odd. I fail to see the attraction, there have been and are better ones to turn to than her in my opinion... I really don't think she was all that popular outside of Utah even while on the show. I guess I should count myself lucky I rarely if ever see anything on Scarborough Country. ;) But I AM interested on behind the scenes Idol, just not from Carmen.

It's nice to hear the opinion of someone else who basically agrees with me about Carmen. But I disagree with you about your impression of "American Idol" in general.

The show's largest audience might be young teen girls (even pre-teens), but there's also a large number of males who enjoy the show and adults of all ages... there is a much wider appeal than you suggest.

It's also not garbage, nor is that all it produces. Sure maybe only a couple winners and a few runner ups have managed to sustain success... but they're not all fluff for teen girls. Look at Carrie Underwood, continued hits on the radio and multiple major awards from the Grammys and others.

So "Idol" does manage to give us a few genuine recording artists of merit and true talent. Now if only it was just these whom the media latched onto and not certain other less popular ones well after the fact...

FOX 13 loves using her because she has a connection with them. She won the Salt Lake Idol contest that year and they sent her to the American Idol Region auditons; I remember seeing it.
So I imagine they got to know her a little and think of her like a friend that has had success. She has a pronounced country twang in her style and vibrato, I don't think it worked for her on Idol having to sing other styles. But she has talent and she's a local that's been there. It will be interesting to hear her perspective.

I don't think you should be so threatened for David Archuleta by her doing commentary. I'm sure local media, especially FOX 13 (since they have American Idol) will be focusing on him as much as he'd like or allow them to.

Anyway, best of luck to all the locals who have talent.

I work with Brad, and he and Carmen are great people. It's refreshing to see someone work hard at pursuing a dream career while still maintaining a sense of what is most important - family. That's rare today. Les deseo suerte, Brad y Carmen!

Steve obviously hasn't followed Carmen very closely. I saw her music video for "Nothin Like the Summer" on CMT and GAC all the time. She was on the top 20 countdown like 5 weeks in a row. She is definitely known outside of Utah. She's pretty good too.

Carmen is an absolute doll and a fine representative of the state of Utah.

Steve-First of all, we CAN'T turn to Davied Archuleta for advice about behind-the-scenes because he's ON THE SHOW. He doesn't know what it's like-he hasn't experienced it yet! Steve, you have no idea what you're talking about. Carmen has done SO MUCH in the last few years. Did you know her single made the Billboard Top 100 last year? Did you know her music video "Nothin' Like the Summer" won most favorite on CMT for over 6 weeks running? She has grown so much since American Idol, and wants to still stay in the music business because it's what she loves. She didn't try out for American Idol to have a stupid 15 min. of fame-she did it because she wanted to launch a career. And "Bob" her career did not "tank" after Idol. Why can't she pursue her dreams? Why do you want to help shatter them? Plus, she has a NEW book out called "Staying in Tune" that is so awesome-she is doing so much with her life, and I'm sure is sick of negative people like you guys who only want to shoot her down and make her feel horrible. Enough already.

I must admit, its quite disturbing to hear people so out of touch with Carmen's career to voice such negative opinions. It would be one thing if the opinions were well informed. But the negative posters do not seem to be aware that she has been on countless national news programs to do her weekly Idol Reviews. Why does she continue to do it so many years after her season? Simply, put she's a well spoken intelligent girl who can provide better insight than most of the other Idol contestants. She went to BYU in the hopes of doing Broadcast Journalism, so obviously this type of thing, is something she enjoys and has proven to be very good at doing so.

She's the sweetest person from Idol, I've ever had the opportunity to meet. She may have not achieved the sweeping succes of Kelly or Carrie, but she works hard and has had success. She and Brad are both incredible people who deserve only the best life has to offer.

If you don't like Carmen's discussion, then ignore it. She hasn't done anything wrong to warrant such negative reactions.