http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/7090#
NEWS
June 04, 2008
Nigel Lythgoe: "David Cook Needs a Personality"



If you thought Simon Cowell was blunt, how about this?

The Idol judge has nothing on his boss Nigel Lythgoe, who told OK! that this year’s winner David Cook could be as big as AI alum Daughtry – but only if he gets some personality.

The exec producer also revealed for the first time that the smash hit show had a run-in with the White House earlier this year over the President’s appearance on the Idol Gives Back special!

And he told us about hsi bizarre plans to turn America second biggest show, So You Think You Can Dance, into a tinned-food drive.

The Idol exec producer said yesterday that both of the finalists, Davids Cook and Archuleta, could have a shot at the big time -- except that they both suffer from a lack of onstage charisma.

Lythgoe said that he thinks 25-year-old Cook, who took the Idol title two weeks ago, could be “enormous for a long time” and even rival the success of fellow rocker Chris Daughtry, who came fourth in the show's fifth season.

“He can certainly sing – and I’d like to see a bit more personality when he’s singing,” he said.

“And that was the only thing that I think our finalists lacked a little bit this year, was more charisma.”

He said that the pair should use the American Idol Live tour this summer, which starts in Glendale Az. on July 1, to learn to put a unique sparkle into their performances.


Nigel, 58, also spilled that during the planning for the second annual Idol Gives Back fundraising special, which aired in April, America’s biggest TV show had a spat with no less a power than the White House!


He said that the show’s producers were so disappointed with President Bush’s efforts to combat the very poverty that the show was trying to relieve that they were embarrassed to have him on their TV show.



But Nigel said that Idol relented under pressure from the Pres's people, and allowed him to speak during the star-studded broadcast.

“The President is always saying ‘I want to be on [Gives Back],” said the Brit.

“We didn't ask the President this year to say anything because we are all a bit embarrassed about him, and the office insisted that, because the [primary] candidates were on it, the President would like to come on and say ‘thank you.’"

So far Nigel says, Idol Gives Back, has raised some $142million for projects in the US and Africa. But that hasn’t stopped him for developing some far more home-grown ways to help the poor.

The exec, who is also on the board of the after-school program LA’s Best, said that he is going to make the studio audience for So You Think You Can Dance donate canned goods for the program in exchange for an admission ticket.

"So if you want a ticket for So You Think You Can Dance, all you have to do is bring a can of fruit or vegetables or something.

"And I'll come and collect it each week and just take it away.

"And how sad is this? How sad is this in Los Angeles. I get angry with it,” he said.

So You Think You Can Dance airs on Fox on Wednesday and Thursdays at 8pm ET/PT.

Tickets for the Pop Tarts American Idol Live Summer Tour 2008, featuring the final 10 contestants from season 7 of American Idol, are on sale now.

David needs personality on stage as much as i need more carbs in my diet. in short, we got more than enough, thanks.

Thank heavens it's not Nigel that David needs to impress.

Cookie has more charisma and personality in his little finger than this
man has in his entire pitiful being. I don't recall watching an interview
that the hosts were bored with him, male or female. I'm trying to be
objective here, but this stuff just gets old after awhile.

-- Saundra

tnx for the info ^___^

BTW, Im sorry for how I posted that...its a little disjointed..I just did a copy/paste and it was talking about two different things..the article was not a straight on shot..it had pics and ads interspersed so it doesn't "read" properly however the content is there and it pissed me off. I think Simon L needs his head examined.

I read the interview
http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/7090

My first thought was this nigel guy never watch AI. Never heard David sing. Never heard the crowd respond. What a jackalope this guy is.... hopefully he stays where ever he has his head under a rock!

Men really, really don't get it do they? Simon C thought the word nerd confession would turn us off, instead it just made David even more attractive to us, especially with Hello following immediately after, Memo to the men of this world, women actually find highly intelligent men who aren't afraid to show it extremely sexy. Now Nigel wants more personality when he sings, excuse me, any more personality and mic fondling and the lot of us will expire - part of the reason we find David so god damm intoxicating is the personality he projects on stage, the CFM stare, the fondling, the half smile/smirk, believe me, any more 'personality' and the men in white coats will be coming to take me away. There's many reasons why David managed to seduce women of all ages, and the personality he projects on stage is a huge part of it.

that would really be bad since he's the producer of the show right?

i don't think all this matter anymore.. of all people i think the fans know how much charisma he has and shows and how he had grown since the starting of the show (which was lack of charisma) into somebody who we can relate and admire... so i don't really care of what other people said.. i think nigel just jealous that Cook and the rest of the idol finalists are more popular than he is.

Oops yes, I said Simon L, meant Nigel. I agree tho, he can't have possibly EVER watched anything DC did to make those statements. Obviously didn't watch any of the press DC did the last 2 weeks either.

but isn't that like giving a movie a thumbs down when you haven't even watched it yet? i think Nigel Lythgoe just don't get it. If he doesn't, it's his loss.

BINGO!! Subtlety goes a long way and those glances, seductive looks, gestures, etc are intriguing. NO he doesn't get it at all. Dope.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I second that.

*points to the flab in own tummy*

Not sure what he wanted DC to do. Lick the mic stand?

OMFG.

don't say that!!!!!

now it's stuck in my head....

and i like it!

david would not have won us - his gazillions of fans all over the world, had he not have that charisma.

*Giggles like a fangirl*

I must try and find that clip of Nigel dancing on the Royal Variety Show

There goes Nigel, talking to hear himself speak. *sigh*

Look, I could say so many things, but I think I'll stop at . . . who is this guy? Was he a dancer? Singer? Performer? Can't figure out what his background is (what puts him in the center of AI and SYTYCD). When he gets up on that stage and shows us "sparkle," I'll listen to him.

In the meantime, leave Cook alone. He is doin' jus' fine without ya, Nigel. Something tells me you wouldn't know charisma and personality if it smacked you in the face (in the form of 54,320,000 votes)!

He was a dancer in a very cheesy 1970s group - and I really, really wish I could find that clip of him, it's hilariously bad *goes back to googling*

Since Nigel is the producer and judge for SYTYCD, I have this suspicious thought, "Are you saying David isn't having enough personality just because he's a sugarfoot?"

I believe he has more personality than you think, mate - be it whether he can dance or not.

Sure sounds "sparkle"-worth. Yes, Agent Krycek, please post the clip if you find. I'd dearly love to see it.

So, OK, Nigel's a dancer, and this puts him a position to critique musical performers . . . how? Sorry, but I find his criticism a bit absurd.

I'll put in my two cents worth here. Nigel is older than I am, amazingly enough, and we grew up watching cheesy variety shows where the performers were WAY over the top in order to communicate to their audience. Reading your posts clued me in to something I hadn't thought of before this: David really is an artist and performer for these times. By which I mean High Definition times. His communication with the audience is subtle not blatant as suits the medium by which most of his audience will view him. HD changes everything. Thank goodness his skin and teeth are so perfect, too, bc HD is very unforgiving of any flaws. Fortunately, he has none.

*raises an eyebrow* I mean really, is he serious? No charisma? *shakes head* Honestly, that man needs to get his head checked.

And agreed to whoever posted about licking the mic stand. *shudders- in a good way*

I concur, Agent. Those eyes...that half-smile...those teeth....made me want to do very bad things. And I didn't even get to watch Idol until the Top 4, and had to recap an entire season of DC performances in one week. It's soooo cliche but....he had me at "Hello" Oh. My. F-ing. GOD. *Shivers* Yes David, it IS you that I am looking for! Sexy. Smart. Talented. Funny. Size 13 boots...what else could a woman want in a man? *Looks Innocent*

P.S. Anyone know exactly how tall His Hotness is? With a size 13 foot....I'm just sayin'.

Just goes to show most men really DON'T KNOW what women want.

DC excluded of course!!


Now are we talking about height or length here.....

I love your statement and it's so TRUE!

Oh, yeah David does know what we women want from him!

David Cook needs more personality as much as someone with Multiple Personality Disorder needs another one.

I think I saw somewhere that he was 5' 11". Just right!

Ol' Nigel doesn't get out much, does he?
My goodness! I find it hard to breathe now! If DC had any more charisma I'm sure I'd be a goner!

Hmmm...not sure what show Nigel was watching, but I don't think it was the same one I was watching. Perhaps he didn't tune in the day they announced how many votes there were. Somebody out there thinks David is okay.

Oh well...perhaps he figures if he makes crazy statements like that, the person will sit and read the article and he can get his plug in for SYTYCD.

Jeannine

He obviously has charisma if 56million people voted for him in the final and he won the whole competition!

He could use a plug for SYTYCD! I've tried to sit through that "show" a couple of times and it's almost painful! I've really tried to like it but I just can't. This is the first season I've watched so maybe it gets more interesting as it goes along?

This Nigel guy is a joke ... seriously! Where is the world has he been when David has been performing actually where has Nigel been for the whole competition. I am not bias in anyway ... really, I am being objective ... but David has the charisma. He has proven that he has the charisma and the charm and most importantly a personality. It is obivious that Nigel just sits backstage with earphones listening to the SYTYCD theme playing over and over again .....

What Saundra said.... shaking head.... Nigel needs to get a life!

OK, that wasn't half as bad as the title made it out to be, but I worry about the winner getting this much negative press, especially from his backers, this early in the game. (Check out the latest article in the David Cook LJ about Fuller not wanting to "tempt fate").

OTOH, maybe they want to back off of the "selling MILLIONS OF RECORDS!" thing months before the album comes out. I don't think they've ever goten on that bandwagon as far for a former contestant before.

I don't want to go to TWOP because it's toxic. Is anyone else on non-fan AI boards worried?

What a retard. I think Cook has a lot of charisma...maybe he needs to visit Webster's to clarify the actual meaning of the word...

1) A rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm.
2) Personal magnetism or charm, personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.

If anything...charisma sums up Daivd Cook. Ummm, if I remember correctly didn't he win by like 12 million votes and put like 12 or 17 of his songs on the itunes charts with is single going pretty much straight to number one? Didn't his album that isn't even out yet make it to Number 2 on Amazon in presale orders and didn't all the other Idols on Larry King state that David Cook always got a rediculous number of flowers before each show? If that isn't showing that he's aroused fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm amongst people and fans...I don't know what is. Hasn't he charmed and influenced people older and younger and everywhere in between to be crazy for cookie? I am sorry but Nigel has no clue what the hell he's talking about. That David Cook charm and influence when he sings is exactly what kept his show floating this year. Ratings had dropped and I think a lot of us were watching only beacuse we were hooked on Cook! I think Nigel lacks charisma...have you seen this guy on So You Think You Can Dance...I mean how monotonous can you be?

My son is a little over 6'2" and he wears a size 13 shoe.

Seriously, Nigel doesn't know what he's talking about. Anyone who watched David sing and bare his heart and soul week after week for us would feel the charisma oozing out of the tv. I think pretty soon he'll see what millions of David's fans have already seen in David Cook. Hopefully he'll get it.

OK is a tabloid, on par with National Enquirer and Star.

Nigel could have said that way back in the early days, not recently.

That's what tabloids due. They cull comments over a long span and out of context and create an entirely different spin/story.

Food for thought ... Nigel said on Ryan's radio show right after Cook's win that he thought Cook was fabulous.

Also, Bush sux, he is an embarassment, but that's a different topic for a different forum

My son is also the same size. I also read that David is 6'2".

And Nigel needs to have his head examined. Maybe David could show him a thing or two

I will agree that David does not have an over the top, in your face personality and that's probably the main reason I find him so compelling. His quiet confidence and low key attitude is a refreshing change in a era of who can be the loudest, most outrageous celebrity. From what I've heard and seen in his recorded music (Axium & AH) and from his AI selections he tends to let his music take center stage, not his persona. I appreciate that. Perhaps I gravitate toward things that are more subtle and classy and that's why everything David has presented thus far seems so appealing. Is the general public so desensitized that they can't be provoked to BUY unless it is garish and smacks you in the head? David won AI by being true to himself and I hope he never changes into something he is not. His softhearted rocker style is currently pretty unique in the market. Works for me.

Bullsh*t. David's got more personality and character than any other previous AI contestant. He's handled fame better than any other winners in the past. i hate tabloids.

I don't think I have ever seen anyone with more personality when singing ... wow! Was this guy watching the same thing we were?

This sums it up for me:

love the LOL kitties!!!!! kitties!!!! is it CATurday?

clearly Nigel doesn't read these boards! maybe his definition of 'personality' is a lot different than what the general public perceives.

IMO, david has more charisma than any idol i've seen in the past 3 seasons. can you spell wit, charm, warmth, humility, vulnerability?????

I'll bet he did... Probably trying not to look like an idiot!

I am confused like most of you.

Isn't this the same Nigel who after David sang "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" was seen jumping up and down next to the stage and pumping his fists in the air?

I think once again, this is a created controversary for ratings and drama, period!

I'm really confused about what these folks are looking for but it has been a theme the whole season.
Randy wanted David to move around more at his audition (that was strange, who does a dance at the auditions?).
Simon didn't like the wordnerd, now Nigel and these comments.
Paula 'got' him from the beginning so maybe it's a guy thing.

I think David's shown plenty of personality and it's all good. I still melt when I watch a lot of his performances. And David interacted with the audience while he was performing, which many of the contestants don't.

We'll see how he does on the tour when he can let loose a bit.

To quote Morrison, The men don't know but the little girls understand.

I haven't read through all the posts, but the way his personality shines through his performances and interviews are exactly why we love him!!!

Hahaha. Nigel is obviously too preoccupied with So You Think You Can Dance to be objective about DC's personality. The guy already won AI, is that not proof enough of his charisma? I'm sure the millions who voted for him did not vote for his singing ability alone!!! Or we would all just be listening to the radio! Hello!!!