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Sherbabe
Member
07-28-2002
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 11:27 am
LOS ANGELES (March 31) - For the last few years, three-quarters of the network television executives in Hollywood have tried to figure out how to derail "American Idol," the Fox juggernaut that dominates the prime-time ratings. He Makes Girls Weep ... and Music Snobs Scream -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sanjaya is hardly the only 'Idol' contestant to fall flat when singing. Now Howard Stern, of all people, says he has found the way. For the last two weeks, Mr. Stern has been promoting a Web site created by a 24-year-old "American Idol" fan that encourages people to support the worst performer on the popular talent show. Their candidate has been Sanjaya Malakar, the off-key, lyric-fumbling, elaborately coiffed teenager who is perhaps the most talked-about "Idol" contestant ever. "We're corrupting the entire thing," Mr. Stern said on his Sirius Satellite Radio show Thursday, the day after Mr. Malakar secured a place in the top nine finalists. "All of us are routing 'American Idol.' It's so great. The No. 1 show in television and it's getting ruined." By promoting Mr. Malakar, Mr. Stern says, he hopes to turn the talent competition into a farce and destroy its popularity. Imagine a World Where Sanjaya Wins Expect the impact of Malakar's victory to be felt everywhere. The stakes of the battle are not insignificant, either for Fox or for the contestants. In its sixth season, "American Idol" has drawn an average of 32 million viewers each week, nearly 50 percent more than the next highest-rated show and better than the show has measured in any previous season. Some past winners of the competition have gone on to produce chart-topping singles and albums, including Kelly Clarkson , who won the first season, and Carrie Underwood, who won the fourth. Jennifer Hudson, who was eliminated in a late round during the show's third season, went on to win an Oscar for her performance in "Dreamgirls." Mr. Malakar, who at 17 looks like a 1970s pop star of the David Cassidy/Bobby Sherman/Andy Gibb variety, had been among the lowest two or three vote-getters in the first weeks of the season. But after Dave Della Terza, the founder of a Web site called votefortheworst.com, first appeared on Mr. Stern's radio show on March 20, Mr. Malakar has not been among the lowest vote-getters. ("Idol" does not release total vote tallies, but each week reveals which performers are in the bottom slots.) A number of those voting for Mr. Malakar may be genuine fans, many of them in the pre- and early-teenage brackets, to judge from posts on a number of Internet bulletin boards dedicated to the show. But the fans also include older women and Indian-Americans, and Mr. Malakar's progress is being tracked voraciously by Indian newspapers in both the United States and India. And they probably include executives at Fox, the television network that is riding "American Idol" to the top of the ratings. Mr. Malakar, who is from Federal Way, Wash., also has some prominent detractors, not least some of the show's judges. (Although the judges eliminate contestants in early rounds, results at the current stage of the show are determined solely by viewer votes.) Simon Cowell, the acid-tongued British judge who is one of the show's biggest draws, threatened to quit the show if Mr. Malakar wins. "I won't be back if he does," Mr. Cowell recently told the television show "Extra." Randy Jackson, another of the three "Idol" judges, responded to Mr. Malakar's recent performance of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" this way: "That song was almost unlistenable for me, man." Who Soared? Who Stumbled? Week-by-Week 'Idol' Action, On and Off the Stage -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cooler Explains: This Is How 'American Idol' Works -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Burning 'Idol' Questions A Fox spokeswoman declined to comment on Mr. Cowell's comment, but the network said in a statement that efforts like Mr. Stern's do not affect the results. "With 30 million votes every week, and hundreds of millions of votes over the season, the power of true fans of 'American Idol' dwarfs any attempt of people trying to gain notoriety," the statement said. "Despite the press coverage, these campaigns don't affect who moves forward in the competition." Mr. Stern, through a spokesman, declined to be interviewed for this article. Unlike Mr. Stern, Mr. Della Terza, a community college teacher near Chicago, said he did not want to destroy "Idol." "We're not out to take the show down," Mr. Della Terza said in a telephone interview. "We like the show. We want to keep around the guy we think is funny and corny." His aim, he said, was simply to spice up the show by toying with the results, keeping what he calls the "cheesiest" contestants on for as long as possible. In a recent interview on Mr. Stern's radio show, Mr. Della Terza said he understood that his efforts might be affecting contestants who are better singers. "Everyone tries to say we're crushing dreams with what we're doing, but we're trying to help Sanjaya's dreams," he said. "He wants to be the American Idol too." Ms. Hudson, coincidentally, was the first contestant to be recommended for support on votefortheworst.com, something that is not lost on Mr. Della Terza. "We picked her the first week because of her crazy outfits and over-the-top singing," he recalled. But she improved, and the site switched its recommendation to another contestant. Last year the site also picked Taylor Hicks, the eventual winner, as the worst performer when five competitors were left. Seen and Heard Jaw-dropping discoveries from the vast blogostubenets "If we had not recommended him, maybe he wouldn't have won," Mr. Della Terza said. It is unclear how many voters have been influenced either by Mr. Stern or the Web site. Sirius has six million subscribers but does not release listener figures for its individual shows. According to Mr. Della Terza, votefortheworst.com had been receiving a million or so hits per "Idol" show this season; that number jumped to more than three million after his first appearance on Mr. Stern's show. Now, Mr. Della Terza said, the site will stay with Mr. Malakar for the duration, even though he thinks there is no chance he will win. (The bookmakers at bodog.com have placed 25-to-1 odds on Mr. Malakar's winning the competition; the favorite, Melinda Doolittle, is listed at 4-to-5.) "Even if by some miracle we get him to the final two," Mr. Della Terza said, "I think the rest of America will be so outraged by the possibility of him winning that they will vote against him."
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Sherbabe
Member
07-28-2002
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 11:30 am
Kinda thought this article deserved it's own thread.
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Chy
Member
07-19-2003
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 12:24 pm
Well, I usually try not to pay any attention to Dave. I thought the site picked Chris S earlier, and Brandon before that. If and when Sanjaya is booted, they will pick someone else and still claim victory some how. The true fans had seen through Dave's game a long time ago. All that said, I'd love for AI to make a change and say ten calls or puter clicks per number/IP Addy. They are doing that for the sweeps, so it couldn't be that difficult to implement such a rule for weekly votes....
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 1:04 pm
for sweeps? is this a first?
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Twinkie
Member
09-24-2002
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 1:23 pm
I must have missed something. Dave who?
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 1:36 pm
Twinkie, Dave is the guy who runs Vote for the Worst.
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Chy
Member
07-19-2003
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 5:41 pm
Sorry, Pamy. My hit & runs get me in trouble all the time. I meant to say for the "Sweepstakes". If that's what they call it. The one which they ask viewers to give the correct answer for a chance of money.(Never did it, can't tell you the amount.) I think one of the qs were something about which of the A,B or C is going to start in the BWY show Color Purple.
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Caprica
Member
02-10-2007
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 9:26 pm
The purpose of the web sight is to show people that AI is not about giving talented people a chance to be discovered,but about putting bad singers on TV and humiliating them.The sight also claims that many good singers never even make it on the air because their stories don't have enough personal drama.(this from the web sight not my personal opinion)
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 10:10 pm
Would be nice if instead of a negative web site, these people would put effort into a TV show that worked they way they want it? Oh? Too expensive? Riiight! But it is more "fun" to mess with someone else's effort/work/expense I suppose.
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Twinkie
Member
09-24-2002
| Sunday, April 01, 2007 - 1:45 am
Thanks, Jimmer. I swear I had to go through that article 4 times before I saw the Dave in front of Della Terza. LOL I guess that shows how little I know about the stupid website.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Sunday, April 01, 2007 - 7:53 am
That's a good thing, Twinkie. I agree with people who don't like it when they show truly stupid acts to the judges and put them on TV. By truly stupid, I mean ones that are deliberately bad. However, I do think it is good that they show a mix of the better and lesser talent that show up for the auditions. As far as VFTW goes, the guy has got a gimmick and he is working it hard. Do most people think that Taylor defeated Katharine because of VFTW? I doubt it. As far as Sanjaya's talent goes, I don't think he is significantly worse than most of the guys in the competition. As far as I'm concerned, they may as well have eliminated all the guys this year, right at the start of the top twelve (except Blake). The reason I dislike VFTW is that it makes life miserable for people who truly like Sanjaya's performances.
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Kizz
Member
07-26-2001
| Sunday, April 01, 2007 - 2:53 pm
Geez, I think Stern would claim he cured polio if he thought he could get away with it. I've said it before in other threads, people who follow Stern or who log onto VFTW are at best curious. Most aren't going to spend any real time dialing the phone, trying to get thru, etc. (although I am aware that some of Stern's most die hard fans have caused mischief on different call in news shows, this type of stunt seems too anonymous to appeal to them for long). And hello? Doesn't anyone remember the adage "There is no bad publicity"? This is a tempest in a teapot, and it happens in one form or another every season. Fox won't limit the dials because they want to be able to say "40 million votes" or whatever, but VFTW had both Sundance and Antonella, and they are both gone. And if Cowell would rather be McDonalds that a 5 star Michelin restaurant, like he said on 60 Minutes, then he's not concerned in the least about Sanjaya, he's PSYCHED he's going to be on tour.
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Justalittlebean
Member
08-15-2003
| Tuesday, April 03, 2007 - 11:26 am
American Idol did this to themselves by using people for ratings. AI should fire the judges who are picking these people just to get ratings. Randy say's the same thing every week, "Dawg, it just didn't do anything for me, or the song was pitchy". Paula just tip toes around her opinion and Simon, well I don't know anyone who understands him. The show has become a joke!

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Lurknomore
Member
07-07-2001
| Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 12:15 pm
I agree Idol is doing this to itself...but I think it's by allowing the unlimited voting so they can keep saying they have 80 gazillion votes each week, as Kizz touched on. They can easily stop this madness by limiting each line to X number of votes, like Dancing with the Stars does. I would think they are secure enough in their fanbase to not keep throwing out the millions of calls at us to impress us, but guess not. Seems to me if they don't do something soon, this show will be joke and lose all credibility. And I do think this can be a HUGE problem for Simon, since he gets a percentage of the earnings. Anyone really think Sanjaya is gonna sell lots of CD's? Even his biggest fans don't like listening to him lolol I hope this wakes up all TPTB at Idol...look at how weak a group they have this year. I blame them focusing more on the horrid singers for the early shows and not really looking for talent. That and the vote will be what kills this show IMHO...not Stern etc. Those folks are being idiots as usual...but if Idol didn't give them an easy way to do it, it couldn't happen.
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Hobbs
Member
08-05-2002
| Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 12:23 pm
As I've been saying for since the Camille Valesco year. Who cares how they go, as long as the top 3 are the best. Look at year 1. Nicky was number 3! My opinion was that she didn't belong there.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 12:37 pm
IMO Nicky was better than Justin (who was number 2). Idol wants millions of votes because it sounds good and also they want the winner to be supported by fanatics (fans) who care enough to vote repeatedly.
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Hobbs
Member
08-05-2002
| Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 1:05 pm
Your right Jimmer, Justin was only top 6 material IMO. He got the teeny-bopper vote. Just like Sanjaya. Now there's a scary thought: Sanjaya #2.
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Serate
Member
08-21-2001
| Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 1:10 pm
If Sanjaya makes it to the final 2 I'm voting none stop for him on land line and cell line!
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Lurknomore
Member
07-07-2001
| Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 2:15 pm
Jimmer...we found a show/topic to agree on hehe. I must say I was surprised by something. I saw Taylor Hicks in concert last nite and it seemed like the core group of folks there were following him show to show. So you really hit the nail on the head about the fan support. It is what keeps them going after, at least until they can get their own legs under them and get past their Idolness lolol. I was also suprised that it was mostly an older crowd. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was surprised by this. But it proves that not only the kids will go to shows and support their Idols! (heck I made it out of the house....someone set off some fireworks!). And one thing is for sure...if Sanjaya makes it to the top 3, we will know for sure that this is one reality show that is NOT fixed lolol. Given the attention he has been getting I am sure TPTB are still ok with him being there. But if they start losing anyone with real talent over him, and I think they will stroke. The one good thing about this mediocre bunch of talent is that there are a lot to pick off lolol. Personally I think it is going to get serious when we get down to Melinda, Jordin, LaKeisha, Blake and depending how they are singing one or two more. But if he stays then, that is when the show is gonna take a hard hit IMHO. I wish I rememember who posted this in the main thread a week or so ago, but I think they were spot on. They said how most of us grownups vote for a short time after the show. But the kids vote for hours...hence explaining Sanjaya lol. But one thing I found encouraging. I saw Crying Girl interviewed on one of the entertainment shows and she said how NONE of her friends like him that much and they don't think he can sing well. She didn't care. So there is some hope!
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Caprica
Member
02-10-2007
| Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 3:48 pm
I have suspected for a long time that American Idol was FIXED, and I think that the web site votefortheworst.com is bogus. Nobody votes that much for Sanjaya. Someday we may discover that vftw real purpose is to restore AI's credibility.
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