Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Hudson feels her experience on American Idol was mostly negative and "abusive". She told Essence magazine that the the show made a character out of her and made it hard to be herself. She says, "You've been abused, misled and brainwashed to believe whatever they want you to think." She doesn't seem to hold any animosity though, saying that she has moved on and "I didn't look back."Hudson was the 6th finalist to be voted off American Idol during season three. On stage, she often seemed angry about the criticism she received from the judges. But she's not telling lies. It's pretty obvious that the show molds singers into products that people will buy. It's like one giant focus group every single week.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-01-2007 @ 5:10PM
Laure said...
Wow, would she have even been in Dream Girls without American Idol. It gave her what her life has become and for her to turn on the program, does not bode will for what may be yet to come in her life. After the next gig (if there is one) will she turn on Dreamgirls. She is really full of herself isn't she?
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2-01-2007 @ 5:15PM
Porchland said...
Ungrateful bit@h.
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2-01-2007 @ 6:48PM
BigTed said...
As Kelly Clarkson proved, the first step to success is to do really well on "American Idol." The second step is to get away from their lousy ballads, crappy producers and horrible projects ("From Justin to Kelly," anyone?) as fast as you can and go find some genuinely talented people to work with. People may call you "ungrateful" for doing so, but if you don't you'll end up with a blown opportunity, no real career and no choice but to perform in "The American Idol Traveling All-Stars Show" for the rest of your life.
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2-01-2007 @ 7:26PM
Carolee said...
I watched American Idol a few times because America seemed to be going gaga over it. I soon started to feel that the humiliation the contested experienced -- and the desire on the part of the producers and judges to churn out clones was annoying and unattractive. Go Girl! You gave a great performance and will continue to do so without American Idol's approval. How many of them have been nominated for Oscars?
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2-01-2007 @ 8:25PM
Reuben Sherred said...
F*** American Idol, It's Just another way for people to make fun of other people..
The Show is retarded.
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2-01-2007 @ 8:28PM
Jon said...
I'm not sure why Jennifer feels abused... betrayed... or whatever. Idol gave her an opportunity, exposure if you will, that she wouldn't ordinarily have had. So she didn't win the Idol competition. Winning Idol isn't all it's cracked up to be. Just ask Rubin. Instead, Jennifer was recognized for her talent and made the most of an opportunity that came her way... BECAUSE of American Idol. She should've praised Idol. Even the viewers thought she was worthy of "Idol Finalist" status. We all thought she had talent. Sorry she's bitter. I guess it sucks to be Jennifer...
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2-01-2007 @ 8:42PM
LC said...
I don't know what these contestants expect. The show is about creating a singing idol, not a singing career. Besides a great singing voice, other factors , such as appearance, stage presence and youth are key. You can have loads of talent, but if you aren't what is being sold as "sexy" that particular year, you may not get as far.
Besides, it was the people that voted her off, not the judges.
She must realize that if she never went on this show, she most certainly would not have gotten the exposure to be in Dream Girls.
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2-01-2007 @ 9:42PM
ronn said...
It doesnt shock me to hear it. Go figure, look at the source. Amazing how quickly they forget how they got where they are.
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2-01-2007 @ 10:13PM
Paula Christ said...
What a witch with a B ... where would she be without American Idol? Who ever heard of her? Sure she has talent, but so do a lot of people ... it takes a show like AI to put you over the top and this is her payback? I for one will NOT be a fan! Also, anyone crazy enough to audition knows what they are in for. What is her problem? Hope she has her 15 minutes of fame and disappears.
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2-01-2007 @ 11:48PM
Destiny said...
I agree with 7 and 9's comments. The contestants that try out for American Idol know what they are in for. Simon Cowell is a well known tough a$$ critic, and gives his honest opinion and then some. Do these people who can't sing a note, really think they have talent? No! They want their 15 minutes of fame on AI, while being judged! Why else? Jennifer Hudson was lucky enough to make it to the top ten, then got voted off b/c America couldn't stand her anymore. If she truly felt there was "abuse" going on, she should have dropped out of the talent contest and moved on. If it weren't for AI, Hudson wouldn't have been giving any acceptance speeches for any awards, b/c she wouldn't have been cast in Dreamgirls in the first place!! Also, when Kelly Clarkson won her Emmys, did she thank who gave her the foot in the door? Nope! She was just an ungrateful Bit$h, like Hudson. The only performer so far that I've seen thank AI, has been Carrie Underwood, when she won some country awards.. But then again, Carrie has the class and grace that Kelly and Jennifer lack!
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2-01-2007 @ 11:50PM
VSJ said...
I agree with #4 - it's a public spectacle (See the movie "Network"). The bottom line, we can sit here and speculate where Jennifer would be with/without AI, but no one knows - she may have made it to Dreamgirls or some other vehicle for her success, anyway. Let's not forget AI is record label with a reality show - the objective is not to find the best talent, but to find the best potential Sales Tool!
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2-02-2007 @ 8:27AM
GrumpyOldMan said...
Good Golly. Without American Idol, she'd still be scooping ice cream cones at Friendly's.
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2-02-2007 @ 9:25AM
SpaceVenus said...
She was brainwashed? Not much of a brain if it was washed in the American Idol audition process.
How much do you want to bet nobody is going to remember her a year from now?
Good bye, Jennifer.
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2-02-2007 @ 9:36AM
me said...
Regardless of how she feels about her Idol experience abused or other wise it launched her career.. It's a very competive career abuse comes with it in many shapes and forms
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2-02-2007 @ 9:38AM
Gordy said...
God had a plan for Jennifer. She got where she did through Him, not American Idol. Trust.
As far as her comments, Kelly Clarkston, Fantasia Barrino, and Bo Bice have made the same types of comments.
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2-03-2007 @ 3:41AM
Preston said...
To answer, I think that Jennifer Hudson was uncomfortable being on that show and didn't want to be pressured on that machine that American Idol puts on some finalists. That is, cramming loads of trendy pop producers and writers on your first album and expecting it to sell big. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it backfires. I compare this to the fiasco movie of From Justin to Kelly that they put on Kelly Clarkson. The movie bombed at the box office and Idol should have NEVER gotten into the movie business. Kelly lashed at Idol for that. But back to Jennifer, she's moving on and isn't going to mess with Idol. She's going for hers, it's not an ego thing to me, and she's been winning awards left and right for supporting actress in Dreamgirls. Yes, she's going to get flack, but she's not going to hear any of it. This is what she wants to do with being an actress and singer and going her own course!
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2-04-2007 @ 7:40AM
fancy said...
The classy thing to have done was keep her mouth shut and not appear ungrateful. She didn't have to sing praises for Idol but there was no need to say negative comments about a show that gave her exposure. Her negativity and bitterness will just come back at her!
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2-07-2007 @ 9:39AM
Hardeegirl said...
You guys are truely haters!!! What are you doing with your lives? Jennifer is doing what God has purposed for her life and nothing you can say or do will stop her!!! What is the purpose of calling her nasty names? Maybe if you get a life and get off the blogs you will find inner peace to accept the differences and opinions of others. How many times have you gone back to thank someone who rejected you. It's called human nature! Get a life and get out of JennyKate's!
Out!
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2-07-2007 @ 11:06AM
Jazzcop56 said...
The saddest thing about this whole blog is that it shows how a lot of you Americans love to see people ridiculed and abused on television. That is what American Idol does. I watched it with my kids one night and could only stomach about 15 minutes. The look on one poor kid's face when Simon made fun of not only his voice, but his clothes and the way he spoke really hurt my heart. If you can't see that Jennifer has real talent, talent that has been evident since high school (and yes we will know her name a year from now) and more than likely would have gotten the role in Dreamgirls through other means. We all knew her here in the Windy City and it was more than obvious she was going places. And if you don't know this already than take note; Simon has a production company that signs the winners of the contest. He is about making money off those kids and he throws aways the ones he doesn't think will fill his pockets!
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2-12-2007 @ 5:39PM
anthony said...
i was a jenifer hudson fan along with , lotoya, and dianna digarmo. i do believe that jenifer got knocked off alittle to early. i think besides digarmo any of the other two should have been in the finals. hudson had a powerhouse voice and a remarkable ability to change notes from high to low , low to high within a split second. she as all contestants got critizism as well as praise. i remember one week wher she got the most votes and simon said she by far the best that night. i guess she for got about that. to hear a comment like that from simon is something that she should not forget. i am sure that all the judges were shocked when she was exited. to say that she never wants to look back to me makes me believe that she is only upset she did not win. that show as definately helped her in a singing career as well as the acting career. how should she thing otherwise. i liked hudson and don't believe she should have made those comments and think she should apologize. in fact she should thank american idol.
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