Why Jeff Archuleta’s Backstage Ban Has Pretty Much Sealed The “American Idol” Title For David

There are lots of weird things about American Idol banning David Archuleta’s father, Jeff, from rehearsal sessions–the timing (the news was released late Friday, after the three remaining Idol hopefuls had mostly completed their homecoming tours), the source of the leak (did a Fox source tell TMZ about the ban?), and the fact that the producers were citing David’s “unfair advantage” of having his own musical arranger now, instead of at the beginning of the semifinals among them. But what’s most frustrating about the ban is the way that it’s turned the contestant at the center of it into a bulletproof entity, and how the conclusion of American Idol is even more foregone than it was when the Archuleta clan was just beginning its whirlwind tour of Utah’s mall parking lots and basketball stadia. The reasons why we’re going to definitely see David have his now a week from tomorrow after the jump.

If he bombs, the pity votes will come rushing in. The stress of the week, from the trip home where he broke down crying to Papagate, will probably make him even more nervous than usual, so anything that involves him not fainting onstage midway through “And So It Goes” will be seen as a victory by the Archie Angels. (Hey, the sympathy vote kept Brooke White around for an extra week.)

If he does well, it’ll be the type of redemptive story that will make his fanbase exclaim, “See? He’s a true artist! to anyone who’ll listen. Pretty self-explanatory, I think, although I still believe that anyone who thinks he interprets his lyrics well–or at all–should get their ears checked.

If he just does semi-decently, he’ll still get a ton of votes from his fans, since things like “forgetting lyrics” and “lacking charisma” haven’t dissuaded them yet. Just look at the reception he got at the Utah Jazz game last week, where he sang the national anthem with the runs and melodic liberties that he’s been known for:

Nice way of hitting the high note early so you got even more applause, dude.

Oh, and the show’s producers have decided to have David sing a freaking Dan Fogelberg song, which should be a huge honking neon sign that they’re really excited about the prospect of cash from grandma-types flowing Archuleta’s way once his debut album is released. Who’s psyched for November?

Ban on Archuleta’s father stirs a lively “Idol” debate [USA Today]