So here's a disclaimer: I'm not an American Idol fan. I actually believe American Idol brings out the worst in America and the worst Americans. But all this fuss about Sanjaya Malakar and whether he should or should not win the title, is just too good to pass up. I mean Howard Stern, starvation stunts, and even MySpace pages devoted to Sanjaya are all over the Internet. The nation is obsessed with the Sanjaya brand. And he's only 17. Either this is an uber-effective marketing campaign by the producers of American Idol or Sanjaya is the savviest 17-year old this side of Delhi.
Truthfully, the most interesting thing about this whole Sanjaya craze is not Sanjaya himself. Basically, he's just a mediocre singer with a nice head of hair. What's enticing is the American public's reaction to Sanjaya -- on both sides of the opinion polls -- and the extreme measures people will go to take Sanjaya on as their cause du jour.
Take J for example. The 23-year old New Yorker, who looks like she hasn't missed a meal for quite some time, decides to starve herself until America votes Sanjaya off the show. No, she doesn't do this in the privacy of her home -- that's so anorexic -- she does it on YouTube of course (the place where every privileged teenager with a dream goes to become famous). J is using technology for the betterment of mankind. I mean in today's world, what other reason would there be to take a stand? The Iraq war, REAL children starving, and global warming are so passe. Really, what better way to spend your energy then on Sanjaya-mania?
Then there's Howard Stern. He wants America to vote for Sanjaya so he'll win and expose American Idol as a farce. Stern and his friends over at votefortheworst.com have been trying to secure votes for Sanjaya to the dismay of Sanjaya fans everywhere who want him to win on his own merit (good luck).
All of this adds up to one thing. Technology is becoming a little too good at its own game. Technology, the great equalizer, which brings disparate people together and fuels globalization, is now being used so anyone, anywhere can voice their opinions about anything. You want to starve yourself? Great. You'll have an audience of 200,000 to watch and egg you along. You can't think of a reason to contemplate suicide? Don't worry. Just tune into American idol and watch Sanjaya sing. You'll be reconsidering by morning.
You think J is just an isolated case of one cooky girl making a show of herself. Over 200,000 people watched J starve herself for Sanjaya until doctor's orders made her stop. Not only that, but J has 615 friends on MySpace and a group of followers, some of whom have followed in her footsteps and are starving themselves as I write this blog.
Not that the producers over at American Idol are trying to stop them. Any attention is good attention in the world of television marketing. Just ask Ken Warwick, the executive producer of the show. " The fact of the matter is if someone is on the show getting attention it doesn't really bother me, obviously."
And why should it? The Sanjaya brand has American Idol laughing all the way to the bank.
Related Stories: | Topics:Work/Life, arts + entertainment, Sanjaya Malakar, American Idol, Media, Entertainment, Television |
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
Recent Comments | 13 Total
April 6, 2007 at 9:52am by Sara
I think that this show is not what it used to be. It really doesn't matter if you sing well. I probably will not watch next season because of it. Watching really talented singers voted off before the non-singing actors just makes me upset. There has to be a scam somewhere. There is no way its a fair competition anymore.
April 6, 2007 at 9:52am by H
I agree that this season of American Idol truly shows the worst in America & Americans. People like Howard Stern & his cronies that I suspect has a jelousy issue with American Idol succesfull show and trying to sabotage it by pretending to be the leader of the "people" (off course He will say it is rubbish but is it really? Everybody has motive ps.the effort is kind of back fired isn't it) And the fact that this situation hardened Americans' image as manipulative people who care nothing about everything that is consider as right and decent as long as it is profitable for them (at any level).
Anyway that was my opinion and everybody is entitled to an opinion(don't get me started on that one)
April 6, 2007 at 10:07am by craig henry
I'm sure they like the ratings now, but is it good for their brand? If the hair kid wins and people see it as a big joke, then the show could have some problems. Their core audience might desert them because who wants to participate in a hoax. Especially since the joke is on the devoted viewer who really wants the best singer to win.
April 6, 2007 at 10:15am by klairyberry
This season has been so disappointing I don't even care if the DVR records it while I'm at work. I also stopped voting, because it doesn't matter anyway... Sanjaya should have been the first kicked off. The fact he's still there is ridiculous! People can do what they want, but I am no longer a fan like I was last year. It will be a real joke if Sanjaya wins. Honestly, I'm not sure why he was in the final 20 anyway. There were so many better than him. It seems they had to represent different varieteies of individuals, but come on... no one else was better than Sanjaya?
April 6, 2007 at 10:58am by Cheese
Remember - Randy, Paula, and Simon let the hair kid through in the first place....
April 6, 2007 at 11:38am by Kyle Gonterwitz
What's the big deal if he wins? He is more talented than some artists with contracts currently, and he is nearly guaranteed to be a huge hit among teenage girls, who are a record company's prime target.
What is the difference between Sanjaya, New Kids on the Block or the Wiggles? They are not my cup but they are successful.
I did not agree with Idol when Reuben beat Clay Aiken, but that didn't stop Clay. Sanjaya has a market already, whether he wins or loses. He has fans and more importantly haters - he is a winner already.
April 6, 2007 at 11:59am by Tom O'Leary
What many people seem to forget is that the judges themselves saw something in Sanjaya; as they voted him through to the Hollywood round without any involvement from the American public. Now, Simon and the rest of the nation is wondering how he got there? Uh, he competed and you voted for him. Get over it.
It is a sad commentary on our culture that such events gather so much momentum in the public space. Imagine if as many people were passionate about solving real problems like world hunger, human trafficking, child abuse, domestic violence, etc.
April 6, 2007 at 3:28pm by John
>>>What many people seem to forget is that the judges themselves saw something in Sanjaya; as they voted him through to the Hollywood round without any involvement from the American public.
I'm suspect that they put a few people they don't care for through to be the low hanging fruit in the first few episodes until people are on board with the better singers. But I agree they can't complain if the fans don't follow the plan.
April 8, 2007 at 10:26am by Fern Ellen Cohen
Through all this, I have been watching and wondering, "Can we harness this energy and/or voting power and use it for a more socially-redeeming issue?
Howard Stern has proven he is a great influencer and that is wonderful. Now, Howard, can you take your influence and convince your listeners to lobby their members in Congress to fund stem-cell research, so that people like me, dying of a fatal disease, might find better treatment, or even a cure? Can we rally these zealots together, and have them convince gangs in Newark, NJ to turn in their guns so that less innocent people don't have to find themselves in the paths of fatal bullets? Can we take this energy and channel it into feeding the hungry or housing the homeless. Instead of trying to "bring down" American Idol, why don't we bring down child labor overseas, or the Iraq War, animal cruelty or any kind of violence?
April 9, 2007 at 3:22am by roger fulton
Fern Allen Cohen,...well said above. Never watched American Idol, never will. So much clap-trap. Reminds me of the Beverley Hill Billies days when it clogged the American mind. Reminds me of the H L Mencken theory "you will never go broke underestimating the taste of the American Public." As to this Sanjay fellow, when Jackson first came out rememberedd a review of him that said kids will follow him because of his "uni-sex" nature, neither one nor the other.
Looking back now, I shudder. Don't you?
April 11, 2007 at 8:26pm by caitlin carlson
hey take sinjaya off of american idol that si my vote he sux
April 11, 2007 at 9:56pm by Ranny Levy
I have to admit that my boyfriend got me hooked on the show. Unfortunately, this season has demonstrated that the populous vote concept doesn't work if you are trying to vote for "the best singer/performer." What happens is that it doesn't become a popularity contest in the traditional sense but a contest wherein whoever can figure out a way to get the most votes wins. Sanjaya is only one example of what's wrong with this season.
April 17, 2007 at 7:45pm by Joe Newberry
I think this is hilarity personified. People are starving themselves to death over a TV game show. As Ranny noted, this isn't a case of people abusing a perfect system, this is an example of people pointing out its flaws. Namely that the best singer doesn't win, the singer that gets the most votes wins. If everyone was limited to one vote and you could actually regulate that, you might get the best singer according to American public opinion, which still doesn't say anything about a person's talent, just America's taste at the moment. That's why the show hasn't interested me before now, because I personally don't care who America thinks is a great singer. I prefer to decide that for myself. I've seen people say Sanjaya's victories are crushing the dreams of other contestants. But don't the judges start the season by doing that to a select group of people all over the country, telling them that they are terrible and that they should never pursue singing as a career? I think the saddest thing about this is that it shows a lot of people are willing to curse, threaten, and even starve to change the outcome of a stupid contest in which they don't even have a stake.