I was thinking Jason Castro!

What is everyone hearing about Jason getting signed to a label? Any good rumors yet?

I heard one this weekend that he is going into a folk genre of music.

I don't know that it would necessarily be folk - but I would guess it would be acoustic.

One day til the tour starts. Jason must be beside himself with excitement.

Regarding signing, I know they can't actually sign with anyone besides 19E until after their AI contracts end (which for most of the contestants is right after the tour). But can they start entertaining offers before then? Or can they start shopping demos to labels? I'm sure it's fine for them to write songs and even record them - if they have the time considering how busy the show keeps the kids.

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But can they start entertaining offers before then? Or can they start shopping demos to labels?

My guess is that they can, but these contracts have varied every single season on AI, so who knows. Actually, I think it may be against fair trade agreements to not let someone at least talk to others.

Any chance 19E might sign him?

Not if Simon has anything to do with 19E Unless of course he has changed his tune about Jason and thinks there is big money to be made.

firecracker wrote:

Not if Simon has anything to do with 19E Unless of course he has changed his tune about Jason and thinks there is big money to be made.

Gee, he's no fun, is he!

Jason would be wise to head to the Universal Music Group of labels as their diverse artists might be a good spot for him. And it would remove him from Simon's influence if that is a problem.

I have a love/hate relationship with Simon Sometimes I love him (because he cracks me up) and sometimes I hate him (because he can be too cruel)

He said some pretty cruel things to Jason, but from what I have heard about Simon chances are when the finale was over he went over to Jason and was quite nice to him. He appears to be like that. One way on camera and another off. Most former contestants have a lot of nice things to say about Simon once off the show. Not Clay though. Clearly there is major bad blood between those two.

I do think it would be good for Jason to sign with a label that appreciates that genre and will not try to stuff him in a box he doesn't belong in.

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He said some pretty cruel things to Jason, but from what I have heard about Simon chances are when the finale was over he went over to Jason and was quite nice to him. He appears to be like that.

There are two ways to interpret this tendency by Simon. The charitable way is to say, "Oh, look. He's just mean for the cameras, he's really a nice man."

My interpretation is to say, "OK. Now that you have humiliated this kid, made him out to be a stupid stoner, destroyed his reputation, and greatly damaged his chances of getting a recording contract after the show is over, NOW you want to make nice?"

Look, it's all very well and good to say "The mean thing is all an act for television", but that mean act makes and breaks these kid's lives. If I hadn't gone to the homecoming, and gotten a good sense of how sane and smart he really is and how much love and support he has from his community, I'd still be very upset for him.

I couldn't agree more about what can happen to someone's career because of Simon - hence the hate part of the relationship. I also think a lot of people in the biz are seeing Simon for exactly what he is and take that into consideration. I think if the right people in the biz see talent and a chance for success for Jason they will ignore what Simon has said and do what they think is good business. Now bloggers are a whole other story. They just run with the insults on everybody and continue the jokes. That is what I really find most damaging about the things Simon says. Seems once Simon says you are a joke you pretty much stay one in the bloggers eyes Well let's face it, they like picking on Idols either way

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If I hadn't gone to the homecoming, and gotten a good sense of how sane and smart he really is and how much love and support he has from his community, I'd still be very upset for him.

That's so nice to read. With that going in his favor he should have smooth sailing for getting signed to a major label and we should be seeing lots of him after the tour.

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I also think a lot of people in the biz are seeing Simon for exactly what he is and take that into consideration.

The hatchet job he did on Cook during the finale judging probably didn't Simon's reputation. I don't know if he sandbagged David C. to create sympathy votes or what, but that was ridiculous. As far as I'm concerned, it puts all his comments about everything - including Jason - into doubt.

I'm sure he did that to sway the votes to Cook.......not that he needed it!

I think so too Sky. I have re-watched DC's winning moment and Simon is standing there BEAMING! I mean really thrilled. He had said for months he thought Cook should win. He said on LKL that DC's the CD he would buy. He said on Leno his heart was telling him Cook should win. I think he may have thought that was a good way to make it happen. Not saying it is right (and I also agree Sky that DC didn't need it) but I think Simon knows when he says stuff like that it fires up the fans.

<---------- Lookie! my 4444 post!

And it strengthens the perception that he either does not mean what he says or he does not know what he is talking about.

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My interpretation is to say, "OK. Now that you have humiliated this kid, made him out to be a stupid stoner, destroyed his reputation, and greatly damaged his chances of getting a recording contract after the show is over, NOW you want to make nice?"

Look, it's all very well and good to say "The mean thing is all an act for television", but that mean act makes and breaks these kid's lives. If I hadn't gone to the homecoming, and gotten a good sense of how sane and smart he really is and how much love and support he has from his community, I'd still be very upset for him.

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And it strengthens the perception that he either does not mean what he says or he does not know what he is talking about.

Yeah. Up until this season they kind of tried to make it more subtle in the way they go from praising someone to, when they become a threat, being super-duper critical of them.

So, that whole thing about Simon being the most "honest" one really flies out the window, doesn't it?

I mean either he's a douchebag who praised Cook and then decided he didn't want him to win, so he suddenly bashed him OR he's a douchebag who decided that bashing Cook was the best way to rally his fans. Either way, as Abrahammy said, he either does not mean what he says or doesn't know what he's talking about.

Simon realizes his power and critiques accordingly and now we're sure it's not based purely on an appraisal of the actual performance, but on who he wants to win and who he wants to go home.

Agree and I wish he would just speak what he really truly feels and let the chips fall where they may.

There was a Newsweek article about the F3 during Clay's season that pretty much set my opinion of Simon's honesty.

He noticed during the rehearsals that Kimberly Locke was outsinging Ruben - by a lot. He got very worried, told the production staff that they had a big problem, and adjusted his comments for that night. He deliberately sandbagged her, giving her comments that he knew were unfair and overpraising Ruben to the skies. That was deliberate, and it's documented.

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"When there's only three left, you are going to be slightly tactical," Cowell admits. "What you're trying to do, if you can, is to tell the audience who you want to be in the final. You're not getting accurate judging. You're not."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/59424?tid=relatedcl

So Simon's not honest unless it suits him to be honest. Which is getting off the topic of Jason, but be certain; some of what happened to Jason those last weeks was deliberate sabotage. I've heard some rumors that before they went after him, his popularity was continuing to grow while Archie's had stagnated. They were afraid he might develop enough steam to challenge for the runner-up spot, and when it became clear that the Dreadheads had the power to get him through a bad night (Memory) and send home a prize pet (Carly) well...

Now we see that Idol has set up a deal with Disney for the American Idol experience at Walt Disney World. I suspect they've been salivating over Archie for that gig since they first saw him.

Simon is not honest. He never has been.

Which is not to take anything away from Cookie, Firecracker. He's the rightful winner, he earned it, he really is the most marketable, the most popular, and the best overall choice for the title. The ultimate result doesn't bother me at all, but the process stank. It just stank.

I completely agree with that. I actually remember reading that article when it came out. We've known since season 2 they would say whatever they needed to to get the result they wanted. No way did Ruben ever deserve the insane amount of praise he used to get. I hate to say it but KLo was my second choice at the time. Now I do not like her at all . But it was soooo obvious they would say anything to make sure Ruben won. Same with Fanty.

You could see that Archie fits their Disney branch to a tee. They must be over the moon with that!

What I don't get is this (and I know it should be in the AI thread instead of Jason's) but if they care so much about who wins and making their guy/girl the winner, I don't see what difference it makes when they sign KLC AND let her release her CD months before winner and runner-up Looks like they are pretty much going to do what the want regardless of who wins.

Wow Abrahammy. That is very interesting. Especially since they're totally and completely denying it now.

I think discussion about Simon is very relevant in Jason's thread since he really did a number on that poor boy. Yes, his popularity was growing while Archuleta's was decreasing. They wanted the F-2 they wanted, just like Ruben and Clay.

I truly believe they started this nonsense because of the Tamayra Gray fiasco when Simon, STILL petulant over that, didn't get the Kelly-Tamayra finale he wanted. Since then (unfortunately the first season) he will gun down anyone who is a threat to the f-2 he wants.

If they used the same tactics in the first season, Justin Guarini would NOT have been standing next to Kelly.

If Simon had not used his tactics, Jason would have definitely been standing there next to Cook. There was a major problem with this: It wouldn't have been a nail-biter. It would have been obvious Cook was going to win and the finale wouldn't have been as exciting. Just like in the first season where we totally knew Kelly was going to win.

Jason Castro's recent myspace bulletin:

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Date: Jul 1, 2008 2:21 PM
Subject: quick news!

hey guys! i hope you this finds you all well. so were getting ready for the big first show tonight! woohoooo!!!! things are getting crazy! im really exctited and cant wait to see how it goes! now obviously since im going to be busy tonight i was thinkin wed have to do a lunch date. haha and i taped it and everything but some issues have come up with me posting my videos and pics. i guess im under alot more rules than i thought... its complicated. haha but fear not! iill figure it out. i just have to get some things worked out with everybody so we're all happy! so if i dont make it tonight...please forgive me! ill get a new video up as soon as i can! i cant wait to let yall know how the first show goes!!! ttyl!

jasonnn.

What is the significance of the two extra "n"s in his name? Does he always sign off with that spelling?

It's textese. The kid's literate, but he chooses not to be.

USA Today blog says that 19E told him that there was no interest in him from any labels - a nibble from one, but they did not think it would amount to much.

I don't know quite what to make of that. I don't know if there really is no interest at all in Jason or if 19E is deliberately squelching it.

Ha! He is funny! Jasonnn He is a cutie.

Whether it is true or not - I find it horrible that they would put that out in a paper. Did Jason say it? Did 19E tell the paper? Goodness that is awful either way. I can't imagine he couldn't get signed by somebody. I mean even JPL got signed to some small label - and I thought he was horrible on the show and didn't even have the pretty eyes or charm to get away with it! I am sure something will happen for Jason. He just needs to be really impressive on the tour and show his stuff. Some label will notice. Maybe he should dye is dreads light blond and sing country

I guess 19E is currently managing Jason. Or should I say Jasonnn - boy needs a good proofreader or some punctuation lessons!

No label yet - well, its still early, it might happen sooner than later.

So they are managing him and trying to find him a label and saying none are interested? Is that what happened? So they want to manage him but not sign him? I just don't know how all this stuff works. Or is 19E managing all top 10 until after the tour?

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Or is 19E managing all top 10 until after the tour?

From what I understand, that is correct, FC. So it is definitely to their advantage to hook him up with a label. If nothing else, so they can get some initial sign on money. So I suspect they are probably out shopping him around and working to get him signed.

Now if he doesn't get signed with 19E behind him, then I doubt he will. But it is still early yet, so we shall see.

I hope something happens with his career. I'd hate to lose this talent, it's so real and emotional.