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  Missionary Position

American Idol’s David Archuleta Leaving Pop Music For Two-Year Mormon Mission

david-archuletaWe had always hoped that David Archuleta might follow the same path as Clay Aiken—they’re both shy, gay-faced products of the American Idol machine.

Archuleta, who had been seen at New York’s gay dance club Splash last year, denies he’s an Adam Lambert type, though. But we still hoped Archie would at least perform on Broadway like Aiken did in Spamalot.

Alas, we shall have to wait to see him practice the discipline of jazz hands and pop eyes.

David announced tearfully to fans on Monday night that he’s putting the brakes on his musical career to serve a two-year mission with the Church of Latter Day Saints. The Utah crowd predictably hooted and hollered their support.

The always-clever TMZ pretended they were breaking his coming-out announcement (ha ha) and later quotes him as saying: “It’s not because somebody told me that I was supposed to do it, not because that I no longer want to do music anymore, but it’s because it’s the feeling that I felt that I need to do next in my life.”

When he’s back, we suggest he heads straight to The Great White Way and demands the role of Elder Kevin Price in Book of Mormon. He’ll have lived the part by then, after all.

Photo via Nick Stepowyj

By:           Evan Mulvihill
On:           Dec 21, 2011
Tagged: , ,
  • 29 Comments
    • No. 1 · Cam

      A lot of Mormon guys come out after the mission is over. The church is very weird and unfair to them on missions. If they are going to break with the church, the Mission is often the push they need.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 2:44 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 2 · Kurt

      I’m sure it will be a good experience for him.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 2:49 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 3 · Brandon

      My mission is what compelled me to come out and leave the LDS church behind. It also wasn’t all bad. I enjoyed my time and hopefully so will he, whether or not he is gay…

      Dec 21, 2011 at 3:01 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 4 · Dania

      How are they products of the American Idol machine when they were very successful performers decades before they were on TV? Clay won singing competitions and was in musical theater since he was 5, Archie was a Star Search kid years before Idol. These talented guys are a product of their own work ethic, Idol was just another rung on the ladder.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 3:02 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 5 · Empyrean · Member · 6 comments

      He has a musical career?

      Dec 21, 2011 at 3:11 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 6 · Meowzer

      That is so surprising to me.
      Not that he’s in the missionary position, but that he thinks he has a music career.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 3:24 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 7 · hyrolinj

      I didn’t know the mormons let in gays.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 3:37 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 8 · Steven

      @Meowzer: “Not that he’s in the missionary position”.

      Snort.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 4:00 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 9 · Will G

      The NYC gay club where he was seen last year was Club 57, not Splash.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 4:00 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 10 · Ted

      I wish him lots of luck on him moron mission.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 4:01 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 11 · ashton cruz

      “David announced tearfully to fans on Monday night that he’s putting the brakes on his musical career to serve a two-year mission with the Church of Latter Day Saints”

      What fans??? What musical career??? I’m so confused right now.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 4:04 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 12 · Marie Cohn

      Let’s hope he doesn’t get sent to France, where he’ll have to pull a chain to flush the toilet or shop for food before every meal because there’s no refrigerator…

      Dec 21, 2011 at 4:34 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 13 · Erik

      No matter how many Mormons come to my door, I will never believe ancient Israelites sailed across the Atlantic, 500 years before Christ, and established a civilization in America. DNA analysis proves, without any doubt, that Native Americans are descended from ancient Siberia, approximately 10,000 years ago — NOT the Israelites.

      How smart people, successful people, can believe something so obviously a fraud is just astounding.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 4:38 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 14 · CBRad

      @Will G: Club 57, yes. (Splash. LOL. This dumb Queerty bunch). But…David no!! I actually find him quite charming and talented. I was sorry to miss his Christmas tour this year (which began in NY).

      Dec 21, 2011 at 5:17 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 15 · Cam

      @Dania:

      Oh God save us from delusional fangirls.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 5:43 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 16 · Red Meat

      I’m sure he will get all the dick he wants from his brothers.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 5:49 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 17 · DenverBarbie

      Missions are great because they allow these young kids to see what life is like outside of Utah and Idaho. Upon seeing city living in some cases, or extreme poverty and other harsh conditions in others, many of these missionaries open their damn eyes.
      And Red Meat is totally spot on! I live a block away from the apartments some Denver missionaries are housed in (a good, short walking distance from gay strip clubs, bars, video arcades, sex shops, and the greatest vegan ice cream shop known to man!), and those boys are seldom gung ho on the church policies (dogma) anymore. In fact, a couple have been somewhat openly gay. And all of them (regardless of orientation) are pretty openly hot and bothered. They’re 19-21, for fck sake!

      Dec 21, 2011 at 6:22 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 18 · Ian

      Awe, David is so cute. I’m hoping he does his mission in my area and knocks on my door. I’ll invite him in for some “conversation” about the lord.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 8:21 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 19 · hf2hvit

      I think he ans Justin beiber would make a cute couple…one gay guy, one lesbian

      Dec 21, 2011 at 8:45 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 20 · chuck

      My opinion is the same for a gay Mormon going on mission work as I am about GoProud working for the RePugs.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 10:21 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 21 · sam

      Wow. Rather than living his own life he’s going to go and force his religion on others! Great church right there

      Dec 21, 2011 at 11:45 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 22 · Dan

      Mormonism proves people will believe anything and will join cults without using the rational side of their brain. Mormonism is complete fiction of a madman. Grow up. Ancient people didn’t know crap about the universe; they made it all up. That anyone believes the bs years later is pathetic beyond all reason.

      Dec 21, 2011 at 11:51 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 23 · UWSguy · Member · 104 comments

      Poor kid he’s doomed to a dismal future with the Mormons (Morons)

      Dec 22, 2011 at 12:13 am · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 24 · Bil

      I feel so bad for him. I thought he would be out by now. Is the doe eyed innocence act real? Nope! At least some tweens still have hope that he will someday marry them.

      Dec 22, 2011 at 1:14 am · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 25 · Joshua

      My gaydar went off as soon as he was on American Idol. It’s very sad that he doesn’t just come out, has he seen the success of Adam Lambert, Ricky Martin to name a few. Poor thing, I really hope he finds the courage to be himself. He seems like a great human being.

      Dec 22, 2011 at 6:43 am · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 26 · Sed

      @Brandon: Brandon. What about your mission made you come out? What is it that the Mission made you realize and why?

      Dec 22, 2011 at 7:20 am · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 27 · Mike in Asheville

      @Cam: Amen.

      Dec 22, 2011 at 1:41 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 28 · Victoria

      I think people who are leaving comments have no statistics for what they’re saying. First for a singer who is not promoted he is widely popular. He only uses Twitter and Facebook and still he has thousands of fans all over the world who buy his music and go to his concerts. He’s opened concerts all over Asia this year in huge venues. I doubt a lot of celebrities are able to have concerts in other parts of the world except in the States. Just because he has physical features a lot of girls like doesn’t make him gay. If you’ve met him in person you would know that he is nice and all but not feminine. He’s just nervous on television and he has a high toned voice thus the confusion. Which is why he was so popular on Idol because of his high tenor voice. A lot of people might not see him on the media and stuff because he’s to quite and also a bit stingy on paying for promo but that’s all. I’d rather he became popular because he could actually sing and put out good music in the future. He’s only 20 and so much time ahead of him he’ll figure it out. Let him live his life the way he wants too!! If he wants to go on a mission so what that doesn’t make him weird a lot of people in the world do that. It’s actually takes commitment to do it no one can force him!!

      Dec 22, 2011 at 8:54 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag
    • No. 29 · Billy

      I think this is all a cover-up for his family to send him off (against his will) to one of the Mormon condowned places that claim to be able to convert gays to straight, since it is a CHOICE or a WHIM anyway (they say). This is why he is so tearful and unenthusiastic in the goodbye videos. He is being forced to go away for these 2 years to “get fixed”. Of course it will never work anymore than a group could take someone and change the color of the eyes they were born with. Can’t wait to see if this actually “comes out” as the real reason for this crazy 2 yar sabatical!

      Mar 29, 2012 at 1:11 pm · @ReplyReply to this comment · Flag

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