'Idol' longshot can still spin fame into fortune if she takes the high road

By Carrie Stetler
The Star Ledger
March 03, 2007

PHOTO: Antonella Barba singing on American Idol

If Antonella Barba wants a future in show business after the "American Idol" gig ends, experts have one clear piece of advice for her: Keep your clothes on.

While the Point Pleasant native continues to advance in the Idol's singing competition, it hasn't been her vocals skills that have grabbed the nation's attention -- it has been the titillating pictures of her on the Internet.

Can she turn that around when her 15 minutes of fame ends?

"If I was managing her, I would sit her down with her parents and say, 'If you're going to do a sexy calendar or something edgy now, you can grab a lot of money, but you won't have a career with longevity,'" says Joshua Estrin, an author and agent who has represented reality show stars as a lifestyle coach.

Barba, who has made it to the final 24, has a few clear choices after her "Idol" days are over. The 20-year-old student can try to find anonymity, finishing her architectural degree at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and then disappear -- which could be difficult given her notoriety. She can cash in on the scandal surrounding her racy Internet photos, or she can hold out for more respectable jobs that may pay less, say entertainment insiders.

"People who are going to give her a call are going to be the sleazier types," says Mike Paul of MGP & Associates, a public relations firm that specializes in high-profile clients with damaged reputations. "She needs to show people what she can really do. Maybe you weren't the best singer, but can you dance? Can you act?"

Earlier this week, Hugh Hefner expressed interest in featuring Barba in Playboy to an "Access Hollywood" reporter, who showed him her photos. But if she can't establish herself as a legitimate performer first, it won't be a good idea, experts say. And the money might be less than she'd expect.

"Unless it's someone like Pamela Anderson, it can pay as low as $10,000," Estrin says. "For Maxim, since she's still a relative nobody at this point, it probably wouldn't be more than a few thousand."

The Internet photos of Barba, who topped Technorati's list of blog mentions this week, showed her in a variety of suggestive poses: straddling a basketball; nude and covered with rose petals; posing topless with friends, hands over breasts. Others showed what friends claim is a Barba look-alike engaging in sex acts.

Even before the photos surfaced, though, Barba's good looks had drawn the attention of "Idol" viewers. Former "Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee got far using her sex appeal, but she's considered a better singer than Barba, who has drawn severe jabs from "Idol" judges.

But the success formula is simple: The longer she can persist on the show, which has a viewership of more than 30 million, the better her chance of pursuing a music career.

She just needs to choose simpler material than the Celine Dion power ballad she attempted on Wednesday's show, says Joe Carmanica, music editor of Vibe.

"A more Pussycat Dolls-type song might work for her," he says. "I actually think she can sing. ... She has a crisp, clean voice, very radio-friendly."

Her most lucrative option might be a tell-all book, Estrin says.

"If there's something in her history that's somewhat salacious, she could get $10,000 to $20,000 off the bat," he says. "If she has depth of character or a good ghost writer, she could take people on her journey. America is curious about her."

Barba -- with her broad smile and glimmer of Jersey girl attitude -- may also have a shot at an acting career. It's impossible to tell if she possesses the powerhouse talent of Oscar-winning "Idol" reject Jennifer Hudson, so she'll probably start with smaller roles, contends Estrin. A small part on Broadway or in a soap opera, or straight to a DVD teen movie are possibilities, he says.

Whatever she does, much will depend on her post- "Idol" interviews. She's been barred from talking to the media until she leaves the show.

Paul of MGP urged Barba to address the photos immediately and express contrition.

"I think if we see a humble young woman who takes responsibility and uses it as an opportunity to educate young people about mistakes in judgment, that's her best chance," he says.

Estrin thinks Barba has nothing to apologize for.

"Most of the ones I've seen, they're not slutty pictures. They're glamour shots from the mall taken up a few notches," he says. "'American Idol' for whatever reason has been perpetuating this squeaky clean persona, and then they enter an industry that's wrought with sex and drugs."

© 2007 The Star Ledger