Archive through February 14, 2003
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: American Idol (FOX): Disqualified - Frenchie out - ?? in: Archive through February 14, 2003

Yuhuru

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 10:51 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm usually not a conspiracy person, but I think this was Fox's way of ensuring that a big girl with platinum hair didn't win the competition.

Seamonkey

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 11:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Maybe they should take the time to do their investigations and make their decisions BEFORE they let someone compete. Their poor organization (or their being threatened by a sponsor) has now put this woman in a position of being smeared. These are people they are dealing with and each and every one deserves to be considered as such.

If Frenchie disclosed and they accepted her, then this is their screwup. And like many, I wonder if they'd have defended someone who fit their image more. We'll never know.

Wilson, you make good points.. it isn't the decision, it is the terrible terrible timing of that decision (or change of decision).

Car54

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 11:34 am EditMoveDeleteIP
That must be it Yuhuru. I knew there was some evil plot. But last time I saw her the hair was pink. I think it could be blue by now.

Wink

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 12:04 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Perhaps the producers decided to use her as a sacrifical lamb in order to generate more interest or controversy in the show. No doubt the exposure (of her singing talent) on a couple of shows will get her some kind of a contract. And perhaps she even agreed to do it this way so she at least had a chance to get her voice out in the public eye.

Pamy

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 12:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Good points Wilson! I really think she will go far, I wish her the best!

Emt911

Thursday, February 13, 2003 - 01:03 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
LOL at: "and I am Amish." As if the Amish used electricity and had a television set! My personal favorite, too.

Wilsonatmd

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 02:12 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I honestly think that the show would have let her compete, but that someone outside the producers forced them to DQ her (remember, she told the producers about this months ago). That's probably what took them so long to announce it....The sponsors or the network found out the info recently, said we don't want her on the show, and the producers had no choice but to DQ her. In the end, it's the sponsors that pay the bills, and the network that puts the show on the air, so the producers have to defer to them. Also, they announced it now so that they had plenty of time to pick a replacement....they have 2 weeks.

Hotlantan

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 06:14 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Here is video of Part 1 of the ET interview. Part 2 airs tonight.
http://www.realitytvhell.com/media/ai/et_frenchie100k_p1.rm

And as a TV Clubhouse bonus, here is video of Frenchie's first New York audition.
http://www.realitytvhell.com/media/ai/firstplace.rm

Kady

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 06:51 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Frenchie is very talented and was one of my favorites. I don't think she should forever be damned for what she did. She really may not have known the type of site the pictures were going to.

That being said...I think it was right to pull her from the competition. It should have been done sooner rather than later though.

Hermione69

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
She is going to be on ET tonight, unless I misunderstood (they don't caption previews, but she was shown being interviewed).

Texannie

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I saw her last night, maybe it's a two parter. She told her story quite well, and it did make you feel for her. I know this is callous, and I really liked her voice, but hasn't anyone ever heard of being a waitress or working in a fast food place rather than a porno site if you are in need of money?

Spygirl

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:25 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Not placing any moral value on the decision what-so-ever, but have you compared the income you make as a waitress or at a fast food place compared to posing nude for pictures or stripping/doing erotic dancing? :)

Texannie

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:30 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I know it's more money, and I guess if I was desperate who knows what I would do, but doesn't it seem that so many people these days are taking the "fast" way out?

Karuuna

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:36 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm sorry, but anyone who promotes pornography with under age girls (even if they are of age themselves) is just plain wrong. No matter how desperate they are for money. She decided the money was worth it, well, she got paid. But part of that is accepting the consequences that come with what she did.

It's a shame really. I loved Frenchie's voice, and I'm sorry she was knocked out of the competition.

Spygirl

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:42 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Was it clarified that she knew where and how the pictures were going to be used? I hadn't heard either way for sure.

Emt911

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 03:59 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, she had to have known she was naked!

Although porn with an 'underage' theme is terribly awful, I have a problem with porn in general, too. I think it's very demeaning.

I agree with Karuuna that Frenchie got paid for it, and now she is going to pay for it. She does have to accept the consequences. She was an 'adult' when she posed, so she should have made an 'adult' decision.

Although someone mentioned that Frenchie did 'tell' the producers up front, she may have left out a few details, not knowing it would become such a huge 'find'. She obviously underestimated the 'searching' powers of those at The Smoking Gun.

I am not even going to run for City Council when I am older, because TSG may find some octogenarian nun who recalls the time I snuck into the cloak room and ate the chocolate-covered graham crackers out of Johnny's lunch box or something! And, boom, there goes my political career, down the toilet! LOL

Spygirl

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:03 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I wasn't doubting whether she knew if she was naked (hehe), but I didn't know the pictures were intentionally done with an underage theme. That is terrible, imo. I thought they were used in that way and that it wasn't clear whether or not Frenchie knew in advance that they would be used to promote child porn.

Texannie

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
She said that the website had changed ownership since she did the pics, don't know what that meant.

Spygirl

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:37 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Hmmmmmm...I'm guessing she regrets this decision whether or not she knew in advance.

Texannie

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:58 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Is she regreting the decision or the consequences of the decision getting found out?

Karuuna

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 04:59 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
My impression of something that would be used for a child porn site is that there were likely props or a setting to make her look younger than her over 18 years. Just my impression.

At the same time, it's the risk you take when you pose. You don't own the photos and can't control their use. Still you had a part in creating them in the first place.

I'm still waiting to hear her express some regret. I haven't seen the ET show, but none of the articles I've read appear to indicate that she has any remorse... other than she's not on AI any more. Anyone?

Texannie

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 05:11 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
IMHO, she doesn't really express regret in the ET interveiws. She says "I did what I had to do". I think she regrets the consequences and not the actions..that's what makes me sad.

Spygirl

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 05:19 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Very sad

Grooch

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 05:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Her attitude which makes us think that she doesn't regret her actions can very well be a very strong defense mechanism. I learned this the very hard way this week.

I will remember Frenchie as a person with a kind, caring soul. For example, when she got her competition (Julia & Kimberly) back together again. And the fact, that people from her school cared enough about her to help her raise money for her to get to the audition in the first place. :)

None of us are in any position to judge her at all. imho.

Karuuna

Friday, February 14, 2003 - 05:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't know if anyone is condemning her wholly as a person. I think some of us are judging her behavior around posing, and apparently not seeing the harm in how the photos were used, and expressing some regret about that.

That doesn't mean that I didn't like her on the shows I saw her on - I did. I do hope she goes on to get that recording contract and/or a law degree. And in my perfect imagined world, maybe she'll donate some of her lawyer time or money earned to help young girls who have been sexually abused.