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Nine former American Idol contestants — Jaered Andrews, Derrell Brittenum, Terrell Brittenum, Corey Clark, Thomas Daniels, Chris Golighly, Ju'Not Joyner, Akron Watson, and Donnie Watson — have joined forces to sue producers for what's being called a "racist plot to boost ratings."
According to TMZ, New York attorney James H. Freeman has submitted a letter to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requesting permission to sue Idol and Fox on behalf of the nine men. (Such a letter is required before moving forward with a suit). Freeman became suspicious of Idol during last season when Jermaine Jones (right) was kicked off the show after producers said Jones was not forthcoming about his multiple outstanding warrants for arrest.
Upon review, Freeman discovered that in the history of the show, only nine contestants were publicly disqualified from the show, all of whom were black. At its litigious core, the lawsuit contends that because the contestants were seeking employment from Idol, California state law prohibits questions of arrest history, making their dismissal contingent on illegally obtained information. The suit also accuses Idol producers of using the information to humiliate the contestants and perpetuate "destructive stereotypes" about black men.
There have been instances of non-black contestants being disqualified from Idol. In the first season of the show Delano Cagnolatti was asked to leave after lying about his age — he was too old at 24 — and Joanna Pacitti (season 8) got the boot for her close connections with 19 Entertainment, which produces Idol.
Despite the cases of Cagnolatti and Pacitti, the point remains that the only contestants to be eliminated on-air on the basis of suspected criminal activity were black contestants. It should also be noted that none of these disqualified men were actually convicted of their charges.
Idol's Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe called the allegations "ridiculous" and released this statement: "We treat everybody the same ... no matter the race, religion or sex. I think we've always had a fantastic share of talent from contestants both black and white... I don't think I've ever seen racism at the show."
What do you think? Is this a case of sore losers looking for revenge, or is there really something surreptitiously racist going on at American Idol? It is strange that of all the people with legal trouble who have tried out for the show — you've seen the audition episodes; there's got to be plenty — the only cases that became a televised Idol plotline involved black men.
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