Ju'Not Joyner says AI is rigged Options

[dcfreak]

I'm not going to judge. Here is the article.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/realityro...show-is-rigged/

Ex-Idol Contestant Says Show Is Rigged
Posted Wed Jul 29, 2009 3:48pm PDT by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks

Some ousted season 8 American Idol top 36 semi-finalists--including Felicia Barton, Kendall Beard, and Ju'Not Joyner--participated in an online chat with the Idol website AI Now today. And during his frank online conversation with fans, Ju'Not came right out and said that the TV talent show is in fact rigged, and that its contracts are unfair to contestants.

"It's a fixed thing if I ever saw one," he boldly declared--much to the shock of many naive chatters, who responded with capslocked interjections and frowny-faced emoticons.

It was hardly the first time that AmIdol had been accused of wrongdoing. A book loosely based on anonymous former Idol employees' experiences with the show, Stage 46, made similar allegations last year. But few detractors have ever been as brutally honest as Ju'Not was today.

Ju'Not--who by his own account was labeled a "troublemaker" by Idol producers for questioning the contract (which he dubbed a "slavetract") that all auditioners are required by Fox/19 to sign, and was allegedly told by Idol bigwig Ken Warwick, "You're not going to ruin my show"--explained that he wanted to set the record straight today. He stated that he wanted to reveal "truth of Idol" because "Idol ain't all it is cracked up to be...It's certainly not the fairytale most think it is."

Ju'Not claimed he was cut from the competition, and not invited back for the Wild Card round (a shock to many viewers wowed by his memorable "Hey There Delilah" performance) because of his concerns regarding the fairness of the Idol contract.

"They pay for our lawyers to negotiate against their lawyer (which is BS)," he said. "They make us COLLECTIVELY choose the lawyer, then they act like it's in our best interest. Craziest stuff I've ever seen. I have a son to feed. I HAD to ask questions and know what I was signing. Plus I write my own songs and I needed to know details...Some folks were like, 'Just shut up and sign on the dotted line.' I know better than that...I wasn't complaining...I was asking basic legal questions. There's a huge difference between the two."

He continued: "I definitely believed that affected my time on the show. They didn't like the fact that I wouldn't sign 'just anything' and that other contestants were coming asking me questions. So I think they ousted me the first chance they could get...Even if I didn't get in on votes...how did I not get picked for the Wild Card show when I received comments from the 'judges' that were better than most of the contestants who were picked for the Wild Card show?"

Ju'Not also theorized that he was not selected for the top 13 because he refused to let the show's producers exploit his sympathetic "back story" of being from "the hood." Said Ju'Not: "They wanted me to put that out to the world and expose my personal business for ratings. I wouldn't do it."

While Ju'Not made it clear he believes Kris Allen is indeed talented and deserved to win this season, he also maintained that Kris's victory was fixed. "The producers know who they want and they slant it to reflect that. They fix it in a way that makes you surprised but it's still manipulated," he typed. "Think about it...ADAM, ADAM, ADAM, then...Kris....SURPRISE SMITHCHES!!!!

"What I mean is that people think AI is a talent show," he elaborated. "No. It's a reality show with writers!! We're all actors. All these shows have writers that guide the public opinion. The Hills, Real World. All of them." He even bluntly questioned the validity of the public's votes, saying, "Do you think a billion-dollar enterprise is subject to the whim of the public?"

Naturally, while some chat participants applauded Ju'Not's frankness, others questioned his motives, since few other Idol contestants have come forth with such accusations. Ju'Not explained: "No one else is complaining because a lot of the contestants don't understand how this business works. They've never had record deals or seen a record contract...I have. So I knew what questions to ask. It's kinda like ignorance is bliss. Some contestants may have thought it was just cool to be on TV, but this is my career. I take this thing VERY seriously...Very few people spoke up. They saw me as the ringleader. I'm not naming names. Because I have nothing against the other Idols."

So, was Ju'Not speaking the truth? If so, then he is to be commended for his bravery. But it's possible he was just trying to drum up publicity for the "hot" new album he's self-releasing this winter, in which case he's a typical showbiz opportunist. Or maybe he's just a bitter reject, desperately angling for a 16th minute of fame and dreaming of what might have been. All of this is up for debate.

But there is no debate that Ju'Not is, as he worded it today, "a straight-up person." He definitely went there.

[aifanatic100]

I just read this and I'm not quite sure what to believe....I wouldn't be completely surprised but.....I don't know.....

[RidersDX]

Not like we didn't know this before. It's so obvious this show is rigged.

[ehcanadian]

well I wondered how he didn't make it further, at least the wildcard - I'd say this is probably true and explains a lot

[crackthatwhip]

Not like we didn't know this before. It's so obvious this show is rigged.

Word.

[wickedelphie10]

blah blah blah...
don't believe it. i loved Ju'Not's version of Hey There Delilah and I might have bought his album, but this made him sound like " a typical showbiz opportunist" and now I won't buy his album...

[Sarahx3]

I've always believed the show was rigged...parts of it anyway...it's the music BUSINESS, and these people are just trying to do whatever makes them the most money. I dunno jmo.

[Naira]

Yea, like we didn't already know AI is rigged...

Nothing to see here, move along . . .

[carriefanforever]

I can't believe what Ken said to him when he started asking questions. "Don't ruin my show" Power trip much?

[glassrose106]

I've always believed the show was rigged...parts of it anyway...it's the music BUSINESS, and these people are just trying to do whatever makes them the most money. I dunno jmo.

I agree with you. I have always thought parts of the show are rigged. I really like Ju'Not and he was robbed. He was more top 10 material than Scott. I think Scott being on the show was rigged and I hate to say but I think his blindness was the pushing factor. Scott is a classically trained musician there have been other classically trained musicians on AI in the past one was Nicole Tieri aka Scooter Girl. She was cut in Hollywood and told that her style and training wouldn't make her a good AI contestant. I think Nicole would have been better for AI than Scott. If Scott wasn't blind he wouldn't have been put in the top 36. Two years ago after the audition cattle calls a woman in Charleston, South Carolina posted on various sites that she saw a blind man being guided out of the venue with a golden ticket for round 2. My theory is that maybe it was Scott and he got planted for season 8 instead.

[jga94]

While I do not think that AI is a true-to-life Cinderella show altogether, I don't think it's totally rigged.The manipulations are very evident.It's so obvious they push for certain people and try to discredit others...subtle manipulations.But I don't think that any amount of manipulation can sway everyone to vote the way the producers want them to (unless the votes themselves are rigged---which is a VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE--that's downright cheating)....you can fool some people some of the time, but not all people all of the time.

And, yes, the timing of his "controversial" statements cannot be more suspect..what with a recording coming out.

But I am concerned about what he mentioned about the contract that they are made to sign.What contract was he talking about...I thought the contestants when they initially audition, sign a contract...I suppose they're made to sign other contracts as they advance...and it is disturbing that they don't get a copy of the contract, they don't have a self-appointed lawyer to counsel them regarding this contract, and they're not given enough time to go through the contract(the top 36 were chosen months before the live shows, weren't they?).

If what he says is true, that Ken guy sounds like a douche.I actually never liked him ever since I realized that Anoop was the designated punching bag of the season(okay, okay I 'm biased a bit but my allegations have a basis in fact---just go through the season once more).

This post has been edited by jga94: Jul 29th 2009, 11:12 PM

[ilovemusic]

Of course the show is rigged and it's definitely not just a music talent search show but it's definitely a platform for the young musicians to at least have a better chance to get into the music industry eventhough most failed. And Ju'not should've known it before even he planned to join the show since he knows how the business works.

[calislug]

No doubt the show is rigged. We have seen some signs of the show being completely written... judges comments and all. They do what makes them popular and in the news. They have big honchos like AT&T on their side to show 'proof' that the votes are legit if the issue ever came up.

[iluvanthonyf]

Doesn't shock me at all, kudos for him for having the courage to come out and say it like it is. I think it was a little obvious the "judges save" was just a ploy to make the show look real. Most of the "bad auditions" are just actors they hire and the shocking eliminations are just for good tv. They knew Chris Daughtry would do great without winning, plus it might have shrunk his ego a little bit, haha. People like Sanjaya make for good ratings which was why they kept him and gave him the boot right before their Idol Gives Back fundraiser. Also anyone who thinks the bottom 3 is always accurate is just delusional. They tell the contestants where they ranked in the voting the previous night after the show.

blah blah blah...
don't believe it. i loved Ju'Not's version of Hey There Delilah and I might have bought his album, but this made him sound like " a typical showbiz opportunist" and now I won't buy his album...

Wait you actually think it's real? Please I've had my doubts from day one. Hate to break it to you, but reality tv is far from real.

This post has been edited by iluvanthonyf: Jul 30th 2009, 2:06 AM

[LanceC]

Note to fans who may react: No need to hate JuNot

He was merely stating his experience, and whether they're true or not will depend on us. Personally I don't really care. But like one person there said, IF IDOL TREATED HIM SO BADLY, WHY DID HE BOTHER AUDITIONING AGAIN?

I'm on his side when he said that there were some contestants who deserved the WildCard slot instead of the "chosen ones". Jasmine Murray instead of Jesse Langseth and Ricky Braddy for top 13, really?

Personally, I don't think it's rigged. If they wanted Kris to win why did they throw him under the bus countless times during the season? Why would the producers villify themselves in front of the public if they want ratings so badly?


There are manipulations, true, true, especially the BS wildcard round, but we shouldn't be too quick to judge. Melinda Doolittle's elimination might have provided the "shock" factor needed for a reality TV, and the explanation that the 'show is rigged' might be a perfect fit, but it is also true that there were only 3 people left there and anyone has a 33% chance of being eliminated.

Chris Daugtry's elimination wasn't rigged. If Chris won during that season, he would have sold more, (hence more money for the show) because generally, winners sell better than 4th placers. The fact that Daughtry becomes successful despite the 4th place finish is a testament to his talent, not because the producers thought that this would be the case. Most of the shock eliminations produced enormous backlash on the show, and I don't think they're stupid enough that they want the public to hate them.


This post has been edited by LanceC: Jul 30th 2009, 3:40 AM

[jga94]

Doesn't shock me at all, kudos for him for having the courage to come out and say it like it is. I think it was a little obvious the "judges save" was just a ploy to make the show look real. Most of the "bad auditions" are just actors they hire and the shocking eliminations are just for good tv. They knew Chris Daughtry would do great without winning, plus it might have shrunk his ego a little bit, haha. People like Sanjaya make for good ratings which was why they kept him and gave him the boot right before their Idol Gives Back fundraiser. Also anyone who thinks the bottom 3 is always accurate is just delusional. They tell the contestants where they ranked in the voting the previous night after the show.

Wait you actually think it's real? Please I've had my doubts from day one. Hate to break it to you, but reality tv is far from real.

Where'd you get this idea?Because personally, I don't think any of the idols are good enough actors to feign surprise or disappointment or apprehension every time elimination day comes... I think as far as manipulations are concerned, these are known only to the show's producers and the contestants themselves are mostly pawns in their machinations(although I have yet to see if the so-called "plants" are real enough).

[Andre]

So this is why some Glamberts wanted the votes to be recounted after Kris won.. I guess TPTB's didn't have any ill intent towards Kris after all.

[D.J.]

Is anyone really surprised by this?

[Lagonzo]

I've been saying the same thing for eight years....this isn't news, it's just a repetition of the obvious.

[jga94]

Yeah, nothing really new...what would be a shocker is if someone from the inside actually said something--backed by hard evidence of the manipulations...and what would be a headliner was if they prove that the votes don't really count...that would be downright cheating and scandalous....