Shaggy haired & bearded contestant booted from American Idol for refusing to cut and shave?
The latest rumor is that Sean Michel, who looked more like Fidel Castro than American Idol when he audition - impressively - in Memphis with a Johnny Cash song. But now the rumormill is buzzing with the fact Sean got disqualified for refusing to cut his hair and get a shave.
If you missed it, here is the video of his audition and mini interview during the Memphis audition show.
Since Hollywood week for the contestants has already been and gone, I have to ask why would they have shown his audition last week if he had been disqualified? No reason to bring about bad publicity for booting someone from the show based on looks. Undisclosed criminal records, yes, but because you look like Bigfoot? Nope.
He also did a recent interview that seems to imply he definitely was at Hollywood Week.
In fact, for Sean Michel, the best part of the American Idol experience has been getting to know the other contestants, and seeing what God has done in their lives. According to Sean, the American Idol auditions are “like summer camp. You’re with these people all the time, 24/7, hanging out, and you become really close friends, just like that.”
As much as he enjoyed the people, it seems that Sean has experienced some frustration with the show’s musical directions. He wished that they could, “just trust the fact that what’s in my heart will be good enough. You’ve got to trust the artist as an artist.” He also found some difficulty in “getting used to what life is like in front of cameras. I can’t stand t.v. cameras.”
Michel is under a confidentiality clause that prohibits him from speaking (smart thinking American Idol, if he does get the boot!) but he has said he still has his long hair and beard.
So what do you think? I suppose in the end, Paula, Randy and Simon could just decide not to pick Michel based on his looks… after all, it is their right to pick the ones who have the potential to be the next American Idol. And I have to admit, Sean Michel just doesn’t look like an Idol.
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