It seems that not a year goes by without some kind of scandal hitting the TV show American Idol. It makes you wonder if the producers do it on purpose to boost ratings – I know I certainly would if I wanted to get my show splashed across the pages of websites and newspapers. In the past, either by accident or design, several scandals have threatened to overshadow the show itself.

Remember Frenchie Davis’ adult web site photos? She was booted off the show because of some raunchy pics on the net. Corey Clark spilled the beans on his alleged relationship with Paula Abdul and I couldn’t help noticing from the coverage that he said he was writing a ‘tell-all’ book on the subject. Well, if you can’t get fame one way…

But what’s all this about David Hernandez? This one hadn’t reached me yet so I checked out some of the news sites on the web to get to the bottom of it all. Looks like the 24 year old singer once worked as a stripper in a cabaret bar in Phoenix. ‘Dick’s Cabaret’ was the rather unimaginative name of the place. The manager was reported as saying that David used to lap dance, he had the right look, he stripped, he was good at what he did. So what? Why is there such a fuss about someone taking his clothes off in order to earn cash and bring people pleasure at the same time?

Ah… I see, it was a gay cabaret bar – or at least the clientele were ‘mostly men’. Shock horror indeed that a clean looking guy with good features and a nice voice, competing to get to the top of a TV competition should once have flashed his dick at some guys and had money pushed into his thong. But, as an impartial observer, I don’t think that is what the real outcry was about. I think it was about two things:

One, it was a ‘mainly male’ audience. If he had performed for women I’m sure the ‘scandal’ would have only upped his rating in the show; he’s a pretty good looking guy and I wouldn’t mind seeing him get his kit off. And two, a man who used to strip was allowed to appear on a family show on American TV! ‘How dare they allow such outrage? My children were watching.’ (Moral right shouting from their armchairs here, not me.) According to VoteForTheWorst.com there was a rumor that David also had a boyfriend and they posted pics of him working at a gay nightclub. (‘A gay nightclub!’ Bellows the almost apoplectic old codger from his armchair.) Actually there are some topless pics of him on that site that are with a look but no stripping video or pics yet, shame.

I tried to follow up on the story to see what the outcome was but most ‘news’ sites were simply copying The Associated Press story that first laid down the facts: American Idol contestant once stripped in front of gay men. There was a little more interesting information from the guys at the infamous and alcohol free cabaret bar (voted “best gay male revue” by The Phoenix New Times in 2004). They believed David gave up his job there because of going into the TV show and they also said that he didn’t used to sing in the cabaret. And there the story seems to peter out. Unless you go to the rather excellent MTV site and catch up on all the American Idol news at MTV.com (topics American idol).

So, a storm in a tea cup, or in a thong perhaps? A publicity stunt by the show to boost ratings? Someone trying to stir a little mud? At the end of the day who cares what someone did in their past (as long as it was moral and legal), if the boy can sing let him sing. If he can strip, let him strip. If he can do both at once… Now that would be a reality TV show worth watching.