Bedtime for Democracy

It seems like this blog is becoming a forum for me to talk about things that we talk about in my courses. Today is no different... I found out today that there is a website that is actively voting for the worst contestant in American Idol (creatively named Vote For the Worst). In class we talked about how this is a subversive, dare I say, punk, act.

My prof was making the point that this action of voting for the worst, in essence kind of screwing with the producers' intentions, is an act of defiance within what limited choice we have as viewers. I guess that's one possible reading of this website. It is indeed going against the grain of the majority of America, but when going against the grain involves some 3 million people, it kind of loses some of the effect. Interestingly enough, at least last week, the worst contestant also happened to be a pretty boy. Apparently his hair is the object of various women's affections. Who knew?

I, on the other hand, don't think it's too subversive of an act. Sure, you are telling the people that be to fuck off with their traditional screening process, but we have to remember some things here. This dude made it to the final 12 or 11 or whatever number we happen to be at. He is in the "top" 12 singers in the US this year. He is not by any means bad. Vote for the Worst explains how the screening process works when interviewing masses of people before the actual judges get to tear them apart. Regardless of the workings behind the empire, Sanjaya had to jump through countless hoops to get to where he is. Voting to keep him in the show doesn't affect anyone. Sanjaya wins of course. The website wins because they carried this dude to the end. American Idol even wins. See, in the last 6 seasons, no one really notable has been created by the show. Even if Sanjaya has a less than stellar voice, modern technology and the capriciousness of the RIAA makes it almost impossible to release an album with a truly shitty voice. Don't worry, America, they'll do some recording magic on his voice to make it sound up to your par.

The biggest problem I have with a subversive reading of this website is the "canned rebellion" feel to it. Ooooh, you're voting for the shittiest guy in a talent competition. Who's telling you to vote for the guy? The owner of the website. How is that any different from having Paula, Simon or Randy tell you who to vote for? Or even voting for someone because they are from your home town? Democracy is the biggest sham in this show. There's an illusion of democracy, but really, it's nowhere near what the Greeks had in mind. Instead of following one shepherd, Vote for the Worst is following another. And, as I pointed out earlier, the ends makes no difference. American Idol is all about the means. American Idol is a television show, and like every other television show on earth, it exists to sell itself, to get ratings. American Idol isn't accountable, as far as I know, if they produce a talentless bastard. What's more, I think I can name more rejects from the show (Mr. Hung anyone?) than winners. All American Idol is accountable for is making money. That's why the illusion of voting is so important to this show. The more people voting, the more people involved in the Great American Idol Machine, even if you aren't watching the show. (I guess the truly subversive act would be to vote for the worst without really watching television - there you're paying money to screw the voting system while not really getting any enjoyment out of it. But still - who's getting the money? Again, it's all about the means, not the ends).

In the end, the messed up voting, subversive or not, will probably have no effect. 3 million people out of the 33 million that watched it last week can only hold on for so long. So, Sanjaya, with your undeniably weird name, good luck next week, because you can count on being shitty for only so long.