Sanjaya, I’ve never cringed more

I have never been a fan of reality TV. And most of all I can still never get myself to watch American Idol. Yet when something crazy (where crazy is the biggest understatement in this case) happens, it becomes hard to ignore. Gentle readers, do not worry, I am yet to watch an episode of American Idol. My interest in this farce of a competition was only remotely piqued due to the more than substantial coverage of it by desi bloggers, and of one particular contestant who goes by the name of Sanjaya Malakar. Yes, you guessed it right, he has desi roots (his dad is desi). This 17-something has apparently created waves not just in desi circles but the whole of the American media. His feminine looks, and a squeakingly irritating voice has made him the object of ridicule of many. Undoubtedly, he has been among the worst of the worst, be it for his singing abilities or for his stage performance. So why am I concerned? Well he's still in the top 12, when better contestants have packed their bags. His survival has thrown the whole American Idol selection process in doubt, though the general opinion is that his survival owes much to the pre-teen demography and certain campaigns. To quote from Wikipedia:

On March 19, 2007, Howard Stern announced that he was launching a campaign with his listeners to vote for Malakar to win the competition.^[6] Some Stern regulars, such as Jeff The Drunk, have claimed to have voted for Malakar at least 300 times. The weblog Vote for the Worst has Malakar as its current "pick" for the sixth season top 12 after previous candidates Antonella Barba and Sundance Head were eliminated.[link]

Well but what irks me is his latest hairstyle, if we could call that. Agreed, he's only 17. But what were his dad and mom and his 'advisory panel' thinking? The similarity to roadrunner is uncanny!

Before

After

[Source TMZ ]

Of course, I am no expert on the whole American Idol process, and I will leave it up to the others who have documented Sanjaya's fortunes in much detail. One of the judges, Simon Cowell had threatened to quit American Idol if Sanjaya wins. In a way I wish he wins, and the veracity of the whole American Idol voting process is thrown into dust, and it implodes under the weight of criticism. It will be in line with what the show has dished out all these years, that mediocrity always wins (AI pulls in mega ratings despite it being absolutely rubbish, and hence the crappiest contestant should also win)