The American Idol judges have some weird things over the years, but what Harry Connick jr. did on the show last night made us more uncomfortable than just about anything else we’ve seen.
When Harry left the American Idol 2014 judges’ table to lift up a teenage girl onto his shoulders for a piggyback ride, we think perhaps he crossed the line from being wacky to being downright inappropriate. The young girl did not look comfortable straddling Harry’s neck in very short shorts or being singled out in front of the cameras. Even if it was a pre-arranged stunt, it looked and felt awkward and disturbing.
When host Ryan Seacrest at one point asked with concern if the girl was “okay” up there, she replied with a strained “yeah” and a wan smile. She did not look thrilled at the experience at all, she looked miserable. If that had been our teenage daughter, we probably would have been rather displeased at having her manhandled in such a manner — even if it was by a celebrity.
In general, Harry acted like a fool pretty much all night long, repeatedly jumping up from the American Idol judges’ table to dive into the crowd, claiming he just couldn’t resist. It was disruptive and odd, leaving even host Ryan Seacrest at a loss for words at several points. The bit with the poor girl he held captive on his shoulders, however, was just too much.
What do you think of Harry Connick Jr.’s behavior on American Idol 2014 last night? Was he just being his usually silly self, or do you think he went too far this time?