David Cook has a Massive Baby Skull

I'm doing my best to be fair here, so in addition to my multiple criticisms, I'm also going to give credit where credit is due. Unlike the "word nerd" piece, this promo of David Cook probably represents the first time where he was actually a bit endearing. Sure, there was still the forced vocabulary, but when he was referring to his childhood pictures and his "massive skull" he suddenly became a bit likeable. There was just that tiny shred of genuine self-depreciating humor that made him seem like a real person, not this arrogant wanna-be who thought he was being clever. As I watched that clip, there was a part of me that hoped he could build on that and maybe become the type of contestant I could actually root for. Still, I'm not holding my breath.

Some other observations from this video...

1. I told you he had a big head!  Instead of trying to maintain his "image" by covering it up with his weird hair, David Cook should just rock that monstrous noggin!  When you're good, you're good, and people don't care about stuff like that. Do you see Will Smith pinning back his big ears?  No, he just is who he is and he owns it!  It's part of what makes him who he is!  If David Cook would just say, "I've got a big head and I don't care cause I can blow you away with my musical ability", I'd think he was amazing!  Instead, he's just coming off as a poser.

2. It also bugs me that David Cook clearly sits around and rehearses how he's going to act when the judges compliment him. It's something different every week. If you were genuinely surprised and excited by their compliments, then you would simply act the way you always do when you're happy. For example, David Archuletta always giggles and Brooke White always tilts her head to the side and smiles . However, with David, one week he'll be covering his mouth with his hands and be feigning utter amazement and then be bowing like an opera star the next. They just come off as totally contrived. Nobody naturally acts like that, well, unless they're naturally smug and cocky. So maybe he is being himself...

3. Another thing that drives me nuts is how Paula and Randy keep throwing around the words "original" and "creative" to describe David Cook. Is he different?  Absolutely. But he's not "original". Every week David Cook, by his own admission, goes through iTunes to look up different versions of the songs he's thinking of performing and picks one. Granted, this often results in a cool performance, but it's not "creative". If you're doing Whitesnake's version of "Day Tripper" and Chris Cornell's version of "Billie Jean", that's not being "original". In actuality, it's no different than what every other contestant is doing - covering a song written by somebody else. Again, David's performing very unique and interesting arrangement, but let's call a spade a spade. He's not being "original".