The TV Zone

That's right - Daddy Dearest was banned, or at least banned from the back stage, if you're just catching up to this news Sunday morning.

But the big question now is: Why? Could he have been harassing the remaining two contenders (as reportedly is his wont?) Interfering in some other way distracting to the other front-runner, that being David Cook?

Meanwhile, this outstanding question: Will his absence from the backstage, where he's been right in Archie's (David Archuleta's) face right up until game time, have some impact, positive or (gulp) negative on the presumptive winner of "American Idol?"

TMZ first reported the banishment late Friday and the AP confirmed yesterday, saying that Archuleta - AKA Stage Dad from Hell, in TMZese - had meddled once too many times, and that the straw that broke the camel's back was when he insisted on fiddling with lyrics on last week's song.

But this seems very thin to me. Meddled in lyrics? He's been meddling in lyrics all season; he's the MEDDLER from Hell. What could possibly have been so outrageously different this time, leading the show to banish him just two weeks from the finale?

Here's the AP on the details that the show cared to release:

"Jeff Archuleta's intense backstage involvement had become a source of concern for the series, the person connected with 'American Idol' said — but it was a lyric change on Tuesday's show that pushed producers to act.

"Despite a warning, Jeff Archuleta insisted on altering 'Stand by Me,' one of two songs his son sang on the show Tuesday. By adding a verse from Sean Kingston's 'Beautiful Girls,' the father incurred additional costs for 'American Idol,' the person said. "

What!!??? "Incurred additional costs?" This is a show that can "incur any cost"" it damn well pleases - it "incurs additional costs" like trees "incur" leaves or the sky "incurs" stars.

This, in other words, smells like a bogus reason to mask what could be the real one - was he perhaps doing something to interfere with the competition's outcome and something which might not withstand scrutiny if the other contenders decided to object?

Simply, the ejection of Archie's dad was the most sensational development of this season, and that's no exaggeration.

Before you decide this isn't a big deal, here's what TMZ reported weeks ago on Archie's "Star Search" days:

"We're also told the father of the year harassed Tiffany Evans, his 'Star Search' rival, lurking outside her practices, even trying to coerce her into drinking milk before a show to ruin her voice. She didn't listen (obviously) and went on to win. Sources also tell us Daddy Dearest sometimes screamed at his son and has even withheld water during rehearsals, even bringing his son to tears. As far as 'Idol' goes, we hear papa's wrath is still in full blossom..."