|
Mark Kennedy Life Stories
Just when you
thought reality television was only about eating bugs, fake
romance and bombastic billionaires, a little story comes
along that represents a ray of hope for pop culture. Kyle
Trent, 19, was one of 25 million Americans last spring who
made watching "American Idol III" on Fox a weekly ritual.
Mr. Trent, a student
at Cleveland State Community College and a parttime produce
clerk at a Bi-Lo supermarket in Cleveland, Tenn., asked his
boss for time off every Tuesday night.
"I just said, ‘I have a commitment,’ " Mr. Trent explained.
His "commitment" was to one Diana DeGarmo, a cute
17-year-old singer from Snellville, Ga., a suburb of
Atlanta.
For some reason, Mr. Trent couldn’t stop thinking about the
young singer, whose powerful voice helped her survive until
the final night of the "American Idol" competition.
"I thought, ‘Wow, is she really 16?’ " Mr. Trent mused after
seeing Ms. DeGarmo in one of the early rounds of the show.
"She sounds so good. Then, I read that she lives in Georgia.
She’s about my age. I thought she was just so amazing. She
was just so talented."
Soon, Mr. Trent began to visit "American Idol" Web sites and
to chat with some of Ms. DeGarmo’s most ardent fans.
Eventually, some of her close friends in Georgia began to
think of him as the singer’s "Tennessee super-fan."
Some of the Snellville folks sent Mr. Trent a white T-shirt
imprinted with these words: "I dial for Diana. She’s off the
hook."
Mr. Trent got so revved up during the competition that he
started a get-out-the-vote campaign for Ms. DeGarmo in
Clevelend. ("American Idol" competitors survive on the show
by winning call-in votes from Fox viewers.
He tried to persuade his friends and classmates to vote for
her, and he even made a talk in his college speech class on
her behalf. "I made an A on it," he said, proudly.
Asked if anybody ever made fun of his "Idol" worship, Mr.
Trent seemed perplexed by the question. "No, not really," he
said.
He squirmed when the show’s caustic celebrity judge, Simon
Cowell, made critical remarks about his favorite idol.
"He said she was too manufactured and fake," Mr. Trent
remembered. "But he never criticized her voice."
Every week, as Ms. DeGarmo survived the cut yet again, Mr.
Trent’s excitement — and anxiety — grew. By late May, the
group of 32 finalists on "American Idol III" was down to two
contestants, Ms. DeGarmo and Fantasia Barrino.
On the day of the two-hour finale, Mr. Trent remembers that
he was nervous and fidgety. "I just wanted it to be over,"
he remembered.
Alas, Ms. Barrino — not Ms. DeGarmo — won the call-in vote
and with it the title of "American Idol III."
"I think the vote margin was less than 1 percent," Mr. Trent
said. "I was disappointed. But I knew she would still do
good."
Mr. Trent’s disappointment turned to amazement a few weeks
later as some of Ms. DeGarmo’s friends in Snellville invited
him to her 17th birthday party in Stone Mountain Park. He
got a VIP pass and a personal introduction to the young TV
star.
He was nervous. He stammered, "I think you’re awesome,
Diana."
His most vivid memory of the meeting? "She’s gorgeous," he
said.
"It was amazing to feel like one of her friends. After the
party, me and her friends went out to eat with her at
Applebee’s. I never expected all of this."
In July, he went backstage during a concert of American Idol
contestants in Atlanta, and spoke with Ms. DeGarmo again. He
has pictures.
Now, he’s part of her "Dream Team Fan Club." He’s printing
out flyers to promote her new CD, "Blue Skies," which goes
on sale Dec. 7. As an insider, he’s heard all the songs in
advance, he said.
"I’m going to support her all the way," said Mr. Trent.
"When she makes it big, I can say I was there in the
beginning."
Is it just me, or is there something authentically sweet
about this?
E-mail Lifestyle Editor Mark Kennedy at mkennedy @timesfreepress.com.
Source:
http://epaper.ardemgaz.com/WebChannel/ShowStory.asp?Path=ChatTFPress/2004/11/28&ID=Ar05601
|
