Idol's David Hernandez Shouldn't Be Punished

American Idol is billed as the "big break" for some unknown talent. They can use the show to go from an everyday person who can sing well to a superstar. It seems too good to be true. For some like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, they've used the opportunity to jump-start an amazing career. Others fizzle out before the credits role. For others, they are not given a fair shake because of past instances in their personal life. The latest idol scandal deals with David Hernandez, the 24-year old from Glendale Arizona. Reports surfaced that Hernandez worked as a stripper at Dick's Cabaret in Phoenix, which is a male strip club. There are also reports that Hernandez performed fully nude and provided lap dances to the male customers. Along with working at Dick's, Hernandez also supposedly worked at a gay club called Burn.

All this is the latest in American Idol sex scandals. And with the latest allegations against Hernandez and whether or not he should continue on with the show, I ask why is there even a question? Hernandez was not doing anything illegal. He was making money in a legitimate fashion, and earning a living for himself. In fact, he did not return to the club since successfully auditioning for Idol. So far on Idol, he has gotten excellent reviews from the judges, and has potential for a successful singing career.

American Idol is notorious for having contestants who are involved in some sort of activity that many people may have taboo or risque. The first instance came in season 2 when Frenchie Davis was cut from the show after pictures surfaced of her on an adult web site. Davis at the time of the photos was 19 years old and was posing on the site to earn money to put herself through college. Davis was pegged as someone who could very well win that season, but after being cut from the show, Idol fans were left wondering whether or not it would have been maybe Davis instead of Ruben Studdard as the winner. In fact, Davis informed the shows producers of her modeling and everything seemed to be fine until the media caught wind of the photos and made a big deal about it.

Last season, a big deal was made about 20 year old Antonella Barba, who also had some racy photos on the web. Unlike Davis though, Barba's was not for money, but for the fun of it. Barba was not booted from the show, but did not make the top 12. It's unclear whether fans really did not like her singing or just didn't vote for her due to her personal life.

The media, in my opinion makes too big of a deal about the private lives of these contestants. Everyone has their own life that they lead, and nobody's perfect. It's really unfair to ostracize these people for doing something they did years prior to being on television. I understand that American Idol is a family show, and these contestants are thrust into the spotlight and treated like every other "celebrity", but I didn't think that this country was that stuck up to kick great singers off a singing show for doing something legal to make money. The solution is if parents are going to be upset, just don't allow your kids to look at the pictures or websites. That's all you have to do. Don't punish girls like Davis who was doing something to put herself through college. She wasn't out selling drugs. She wasn't participating in prostitution. So what's the problem? The same goes this season for David Hernandez. People may not like his lifestyle, but in the end he's not hurting anybody. Just leave him alone!