Sanjaya makes top 10 on American Idol |
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We’ve been without TV for 274 days and I’m still curious over the American Idol vote hacking to keep Sanjaya alive. This interests me for a couple reasons. One because Sanjaya is a local teen the same age as our oldest son (17) from Federal Way, Washington. Two because I think it’s funny that it took this long for organized attempts to manipulate Idol voting to hit a fever pitch.
Votefortheworst.com, Howard Stern and others are fueling a movement for Sanjaya. Stern’s crew has been producing some very funny spoofed endorsements saying “vote for Sanjaya.” Conversely, “J” on MySpace has gone on a hunger strike as long as Sanjaya is not voted off. Either that’s an effective weight plan, a compelling way to boost your myspace traffic, stupidity or some combination thereof.
The crotchety judge Simon Cowell reportedly has vowed to quit if Sanjaya wins, but his contract says otherwise.
How long will Sanjaya last? I’ve never heard Sanjaya sing so I don’t know what his pipes are like, but something tells me he’s got to be more talented than William Hung if he made it into the part where the audience votes.
Whatever Sanjaya’s Idol destiny, he’s safe for another week.
Update 3/22/07 10:22am PST: A commenter going by the name of Pappy’s Fella left a link to a post with the following YouTube video. Funny stuff!
I don’t listen to the radio or read up much on American Idol, but my wife watches it so I sit with my laptop and watch from the corner of my eye; I believe it when you report there’s some vote manipulation, because he really isn’t that great. Good, but not great. There were in fact better singers that are now voted off- Sanjaya’s expression says ‘I can’t believe I’m still here’ more each week as he makes it to the next round.
Comment by mikull — March 21, 2007 @ 9:04 pm PST
I don’t think it takes much to tilt the scales of AI towards a cute-but-miserable performer without extensive rigging. John Stevens, the red-headed lyric-forgetting lamer from a couple of seasons ago, was propped up for weeks by adoring grandmas and teenyboppers everywhere.
Of course if my dog Pappy had made it, the fix would have been in.
Comment by Pappy's Fella — March 22, 2007 @ 10:10 am PST
LOL Pappys Fella, although I have noy voted for any of the contestants any year — at least that I can remember anyway — I would make an exception for Pappy!
Comment by TDavid — March 22, 2007 @ 10:21 am PST
The answer to this manipulative voting is simple. Don’t put anyone on the show unless they can sing. That way we can vote for the ‘best of the best’. That’s the way other legitimate contests are handled.
Comment by Jackie F. — March 28, 2007 @ 1:39 pm PST
i disagree. it’s a singing competition pooled from around the country - everyone should get a shot like now. (plus the best part it watching the people who can’t sing get kicked off)– but in the beginning, the judges decide who should and shouldn’t make it to the next round. eventually they get their top group, and leave it to ‘America’. It is here that it ceases to be a singing competition, and becomes a popularity contents.
Here’s a hypothetical situation: Say “Joe” and “Marie” are the final 2. Joe gets 4 calls from 4 people who think he’s better. Marie gets 5 calls from 1 person- and Marie wins. Joe was the better singer, got more ‘real’ votes- but lost. I think this is also how our Presidential election system works…
Anyway, this is exactly what’s happening now: a popularity contest. To make it truly fair, efforts should be made to only allow one vote per household. There has to be ways to narrow down the margin of accuracy. This is why it’s currently a joke.
Comment by mikull — March 28, 2007 @ 5:53 pm PST
I believe that American Idol is a singing competition not a popularity contest. It is an unfair to the other singers in this competition to keep Sanjaya Malakar safe. It is clear that compared to others who were sent home Malakar does not have the talent to continue on the show.
Again, I believe that his popularity with his fan base it clearly what is keeping him here. question? How fair is it to the others who clearly have significant talent such a lakisha, Melinda and Jordan. These three ladies clearly shine above all the others.
Comment by Kathleen W — March 28, 2007 @ 9:49 pm PST
I go back to what I originally said. It’s the producers of American Idol that are destroying this show by putting kids on as a joke. I’m not saying the kids can’t audition so that they can have their fifteen minutes of fame, I am saying that the producers should not put these individuals on the actual show. It makes a mockery of the whole thing and I wouldn’t blame people like Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson and the other wonderful singers who have won, if they disassociated themselves from the show that made them world famous.
Jackie F.
Comment by Jackie F. — March 29, 2007 @ 6:30 am PST
Jackie, I say you’re right and wrong. Producers: yes, destroying the show- but taking the singing competition out and letting the public interaction element in. Youth: aside from the fact that there’s a rule about the age you must be to compete, I still call age discrimination on you. You can’t define maturity by a number any more than you can say Carrie Underwood or Jennifer Hudson are adults. To many, they are just kids too- I don’t agree with age cap for the older folks myself, but there’s nothing wrong with young people getting a chance. If the voting was fair, the youth you dislike would be eliminated, yes?
Comment by mikull — March 29, 2007 @ 7:48 pm PST
Mikull, I think you misunderstood me where it comes to age. I never said anything about age. If you meant the fact that I used the word ‘kid’, hey, I consider anyone under 40 to be a kid.
About allowing only 1 vote per household, this wouldn’t solve it either, because there are thousands of people voting who have no interest at all in the show. They just think it’s their mission to tear down any person or any thing that’s popular. Of course I’m talking about the ‘vote for the worst’ website, plus the thousands of Howard Stern fans that will do anything he tells them to do.
I stick to my original thought. This is a singing competition. Only those that can sing should be on the show. It’s the start of a brand new life for some lucky, talented kid. Hopefully that person will win.
Comment by Jackie F. — April 2, 2007 @ 11:05 am PST