HOLMES SINGS OUT, EDGE
‘Idol’s’ Archuleta a cautionary tale for young singer Holmes
Kennedy Holmes sings like a dream. “The Voice” contestant is continuing her way through the live shows (Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC) on her way to the finals. Last week, the St. Louis, Mo., native covered Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” and when she hit that final line, “Find your strength in love,” she triumphantly punched the air. Whitney probably cheered from heaven and high-fived the other angels. Holmes has the poise and confidence of a seasoned veteran. She really could win. She’s 13 years old. And this show could be the worst thing that happened to her. Remember David Archuleta? He was on “American Idol” at the height of that series’ popularity on Fox. In 2007, the then-17-year-old was pitted against eventual winner David Cook in a battle of the Davids. Last week, he told Yahoo Entertainment that his time on the show had left him with PTSD. He was left so troubled, he sought out a therapist who specializes in treating patients who have appeared on reality TV. (That must be a thriving niche field.)
“You’re basically a character on a TV show, and parts of it are worked so that it fits the TV show — but they’re using your personal life. So you become this character, but it’s with your own name, parts of who you actually are, but other parts that are portrayed in a way that you’re not actually,” he said. His father, Jeff, was painted as a “dadager,” and even though there was friction between the two, the show exacerbated tensions within the family that lingered long after the season ended. “A lot of the tension came because of the stress that the show created,” he said. “They wanted to have something controversial to talk about. And there were times when I was really upset. I was young, and I was not good at speaking up for myself, so if the producers wanted to make something dramatic and to look a certain way, they would just do it. I couldn’t say anything about it.” Even a decade later, the experience still hurts him. “It’s hard to not feel resentful. Even though they liked me, they were nice to me, and they wanted me to do well on the show, they were willing to portray me and my dad in a way that made it really difficult for all of my family. They didn’t really think about how it was going to affect my brothers and sisters. They didn’t think how it was going to affect me.” Archuleta, it must be noted, has continued as a sing- er, and earlier this month released a Christmas album, “Winter in the Air.” “The Voice” isn’t “American Idol.” But all these competition shows have their own way of chewing up contestants and spitting them out. Kennedy Holmes deserves better. She recently told a local news station that her time on “The Voice” is “a blessing and I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity.” I hope she can say that a decade from now.