Success of not-so-singing sensations like Sanjaya Malakar makes critics raise their eyebrows, but execs of the show say American Idol and vote tampering don't mix.
He’s young, he’s handsome, he’s been slow to come out singing, but he’s Sanjaya. And, no matter what he does or how he sings, the public seems to adore him. Sanjaya Malakar fever has swept over the media and the viewing audience alike. Everyone is talking about him. It isn’t always favorable…but that’s not the point.
The point is, he’s still around when arguably better singers (including last week’s elimination Chris Sligh, and former contestant Stephanie Edwards) are not, and the American Idol machine keeps on chugging along. The success of American Idol contestants that are perhaps a little off beat (Taylor Hicks) or a little off key (Antonella Barba, Sanjaya) seems to show that America isn’t interesting in singing pipes alone when it comes to their Idols. Rumors of American Idol and vote tampering have grown hotter as Sanjaya’s stretch on the show lasts. Do fans pick the worst, and could the worst singers win the day?
From the outset, Simon Cowell has maintained his Mr. Mean mien when it comes to judging Sanjaya – an activity he has taken to with his usual harsh relish and no-holds-barred comments. Cowell has even gone on record to say he might leave American Idol if Sanjaya makes it all the way to the end,
a bold enough claim. During last night’s performance, Simon said he was going to take a different tack and called Sanjaya’s rendition of a former Bennett smash “Incredible,” the word laced with heavy sarcasm.
But, the slicked-back do, crisp white suit, and somewhat rousing vocals were no doubt the best the crowd has seen from Sanjaya, whose usual tactic is to start out weakly with whisper-quiet words, hopefully to end on a single strong note once his song is all sung and done. Even despite this apparent success, Malakar is still enjoying the strong backing of the dark antithesis of American Idol, Vote for the Worst. The home page of the site contains a dancing charicature of the new reality hottie, replete with strange hair style and wide-wide grin. The site prides itself on urging visitors to pick the worst, not really to engage in vote tampering, but to be a thorn in Idol’s side. Howard Stern is also firmly on the Malakar bandwagon, apparently for similar reasons as Vote for the Worst.
Malakar is the one that just won’t go away, sparking new rumors of voter rigging and American Idol vote tampering, rumors that began in season 2 when (allegedly) votes for Clay Aiken were not properly counted. This time, it seems fans are opting to pick the worst singer, not the best. Always outspoken, Simon Cowell commented on this issue as well, implying that voting is perhaps skewed. The executive producer of the FOX reality hit, however, denies these claims. In a recent TVGuide interview, Ken Warick said that Sanjaya’s popularity probably won’t see him through to the end, and that Idol voting is totally on the up and up. Warick further said that Sanjaya is a good singer. Why, then, did Chris Sligh get eliminated? Sligh didn’t get any backing from Vote for the Worst – Malakar has had that locked up since Antonella Barba hit the road weeks ago.
So, what would happen if American Idol voters decide to pick the worst? Is it vote tampering, or is it just bad judgment? Taylor Hicks was unavailable for comment, but the Vote for the Worst web site proudly displays a grinning Taylor holding one of the site’s T-shirts.
