American Idol 4: What's With The Voting?
Wireless Is Killing American Idol
By Eleanor Meilinger
March 31, 2005
If video killed the radio star then wireless is about to take down the Idol.
What explains the strange voting patterns we've witnessed in recent weeks?
Two words; TEXT Messaging. The winner of this year's American Idol is Cingular Wireless, which absorbed ATT Wireless last year. Other than friends and family of the contestants, it's unlikely that anyone over the age of 21 would waste the time and money to place multiple votes through text messaging. There is no limit to the number of times you can vote from one device using the Cingular service.
Why was Scott safe when he has no obvious sex appeal? The desire of millions of overweight people to change the image of what it takes to be a star and prove that looks don't count. Which is a great cause but a worthless battle if the contestant doesn't have the talent to back it up.
Watch the contestants be picked off by the power of the "TM".
As the field narrows the demographics will become clearer and talent will lose out to the misplaced loyalties of those that wield the phone - until their parents get the bill! Then maybe we'll see some logic re-enter the contest. In the meantime the results will remain unpredictable, unless we let our inner (chubby) child take over.
Does this make me mad? NO. I have become resigned to the fact that (most of) Reality TV is business. No more, no less. Justice doesn't figure into the bottom line. Ultimately the ones placing the calls and texting their votes are the ones attending the concerts and buying the CD's. Since none of us have a vested interest in the franchise we have the right to be indignant about the seeming unfairness of it but as the saying goes "Nobody promised you life would be fair."
We complain when the producers manipulate the votes. We complain when the decisions are made by judges who do not agree with our preferences. We complain when acts of God or human error influences the decision making process. Can anyone determine a foolproof, fair system of determining the winner that will result in no one crying "foul!"? Until then, I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best - that's all any of us not using "TM" can do.
Eleanor is about to take the leap from "writing to keep out of trouble" to "Writer with Resume". With a little luck you will be seeing her name in some of those credits by the end of 2005. She'll still take time to comment on everything RTV - it's cheaper than therapy!
You can contact Eleanor at ifyouaskme@msn.com
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