My son-in-law, the American Idol, has a nice ring to it. No?
Such a nice boy, this David Archuleta of "American Idol" fame. He plays the piano and performs such songs as "Imagine" and "Waiting on the World to Change" because he likes their "good messages."
Several years from now -- say, after Natalie is out of college -- I would happily welcome David into our family as a son-in-law. David's dream is to become the next pop sensation -- and, unwittingly, the teenager has become the gold standard as "Dream Date" material.
I believe it was David's third appearance on the show when I turned to Natalie and told her, "That's the kind of boy you can bring home."
This is in contrast with the losers on most reality TV shows, including MTV's "Parental Control."
"Do NOT bring a guy like that home," I tell her.
Years ago, when I was a teenager, my mother encouraged me to date "clean-cut" guys. Specifically, Caucasians. Odd, given that my parents were of Mexican descent. As it turned out, I did marry a great guy with light brown hair and blue eyes.
Mom was right, provided she was saying something about clean-cut guys, not race.
So, here is David, 17, who is part Honduran, with dark hair and hazel eyes, according to various fan Web sites. The Utah resident has won over thousands of viewers with his unassuming demeanor and strong voice. Critics of the show say David's popularity is because of his good looks and the teenage girls who vote to keep him in the competition.
As I mentioned in my blog at centralvalleymoms.com, even if he couldn't sing, the manner in which David carries himself and speaks is impressive to a mom like me. I'm not alone in this assessment. As blogger Genevieve Hinson wrote: "He is a mother's 'dream date' for their daughter."
I imagine David arriving at our home with a lovely bouquet of spring flowers. "I'm honored to date your daughter, Natalie," he would say. "I'll have her home exactly at 10:30 p.m."
Off they would go to see a PG-13 movie.
David is a refreshing example of a high school-age male. Most of the teen boys I see at my daughter's campus and the local malls underwhelm me. They have poor posture, and despite drinking cans of Red Bull, they look sleep-deprived and speak in monotone.
David, on the other hand, is clear-eyed and a-dor-a-ble. I'm betting any manufactured gossip about David would be only a shameless celebrity news bait-and-switch.
Gossip: "The secret David doesn't want fans to know."
Reality: His mom still does his laundry.
Gossip: "David's secret heartbreak."
Reality: He's not old enough to donate blood.
Gossip: "Shocking secret photographs revealed!"
Reality: His baby pictures appear on the Internet.
Fellow blogger Lisa Boyles thinks my wish to have David as my future son-in-law is a long shot.
"You and thousands of other moms [would want David as a son-in-law]. How are you going to get David on board with your plan?" she wrote.
OK. I don't have the details ironed out. I'm just saying Natalie hasn't rolled her eyes at me about my matchmaking plan. She rarely agrees with anything I say, and she's OK with this one.
"With four teen girls, I know they'd probably be better off if their dad and I could just choose their husbands," another blogger, cherylo from Clovis, wrote. "If only they'd agree ... That David really is a doll though!"
David has raised the potential son-in-law bar. Daughters who insist on dating "bad boys" will hear their mothers' disappointed assessment: "He's no David Archuleta."
E-mail story
Printer friendly page
Subscribe to Print
