| Anyone familiar with American Idol and that is just | | | | does have its problems as the celebrities with the |
| about anyone who is not living underneath a rock is | | | | biggest fan bases sometimes seem to garner the |
| familiar with the staying power of Sanjaya Malakar. | | | | lions share of votes. In the past season country |
| The seventeen year old has become famous for his | | | | singer Sarah Evans continued to plod along week |
| ability to stay in the talent contest although he | | | | after week even though she was by far the least |
| possesses the weakest singing voice, thanks to | | | | talented of the performers, at least in the dancing |
| campaigns from websites like Vote for the Worst, | | | | department. A large contingency of country music |
| and the backing of media powerhouse Howard Stern. | | | | fans tuned in to vote for her every single week and |
| The grassroots campaign to keep the mediocre | | | | she only left the contest after issues in her personal |
| singer within the contest have increased the | | | | life arose. |
| popularity of the show with stories running in popular | | | | Though the system is flawed, there is a much better |
| celebrity weeklies such as Star Magazine and the | | | | chance of getting a better winner when both judges |
| National Enquirer, and scores of stories on television. | | | | and fans have a say in the outcome. Contestants |
| According to the show, they received their highest | | | | who have large fan bases, or get large amounts of |
| number of votes this season, 33 million, probably due | | | | sympathy votes cannot guarantee an overall win. |
| in part to the Malakar controversy. | | | | The same thing can be said for a contestant who |
| Simon Cowell, usually the most truthful of the judges | | | | just does not seem to strike the fancy of the |
| has vowed to quit if the young singer wins. In fact | | | | judges, and can be sent packing prematurely though |
| most of us will lose if Malakar actually wins, because I | | | | they deserve to stay and compete. |
| cannot think of anyone who would actually buy an | | | | Judges are after all people and they will of course |
| album created by the creaking voiced crooner. | | | | have their favorites. Dancing with the Stars message |
| The present controversy does shed some light on | | | | boards have been lit up with the prospect that the |
| the weakness of the American Idol system. While it | | | | judges have been much too kind to former NBA star |
| was the premise for Americans to vote for the | | | | Clyde Drexler though his dancing has improved very |
| person they felt was most talented, those with less | | | | little since the onset of the season. The voters of |
| than altruistic motives can affect the results of the | | | | course can take him to task and can create a level |
| show if they have a big enough following. Perhaps it | | | | playing field. The same can be said for American Idol. |
| is time that the creators of American Idol address | | | | It is doubtful that many would have remembered |
| this by making some much needed changes on how | | | | Sanjaya Malakar after this season of American Idol. |
| the contest winner is chosen. | | | | However, now he will either be known as the face |
| Another fan favorite show, Dancing with the Stars, | | | | of the person that killed Idol, or the reason that the |
| allows both the audience and judges to have a say | | | | rules were chanced. Either way, Malakar has helped |
| so in the outcome of the show which should equal | | | | to change the television show American Idol forever. |
| the playing field for contestants. However, this too | | | | |
