Sanjaya Malakar - Top 12 Red Carpet Pictures

(Sheesh, I wrote an essay...)

Sanjaya Malakar makes it to the Top 12 of American Idol! We're taking it one day at a time, and our next goal is to make it to Top 11, and then Top 10. I think it's possible. Wheeee!

I'd like to say that I just love the Con Con Girl - Ace Young Peeps synergy going on in some of the posts. Keeps the pure haters in check... and keeps me laughing with the wonderful sense of humor.

I expected the Sanjaya-bashing from the very beginning. Not because I am supporting him -- that shouldn't matter -- but the simple fact of who he is and what he brings to the show. Here's Sanjaya, a brown, effeminate young man with a smile that could light up your living room every performance night, with no cares in the world but just being himself (like Rickey! Hahaha). No pandering to the audience. No tried-and-true appeal to the Southern voters. Just plain being a likable person -- his very being screams "love me" -- the same type of appeal/strategy that is making Melinda Doolittle a powerhouse in this competition.

Let's not kid ourselves that this is a simple singing competition -- there are many factors in play here. I may have explained this before, but in a nutshell, someone like Britney Spears won't win best vocalist of the decade any time soon, and yet she has managed to sell millions of CDs and people listen to her music. Not because she's pretty and she's sexy -- but because people like her. Now if her fans like her because she's pretty and sexy, then so be it. The bottom line is we like people for different reasons, and singing ability being only one of them. This is the reason why we continue to watch American Idol even if not everyone of them is a knockout vocalist.

If you are watching American Idol to look for the best singer in America for 2007, then you are probably looking at the wrong place. I suggest learning some Italian and buy yourself some CDs of Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi and Beverly Sills. I've listened to their music and they are fantastic. Just save yourself the anguish during elimination night on Fox -- the CDs you are looking for are already on Amazon.

Back to Sanjaya -- so I like him, and yes, I still believe he can sing. Admittedly, he has been whispering recently, but I am still hoping that he can dig deep and find that magic that his fans are just waiting for him to deliver. I don't know if its going to happen with Diana Ross, but I always keep a positive attitude. LOL. (This is like Bunthony and Chicken Little all over again, and I'm psyched!)

Also, thank you, for believing that I am actually responsible for getting Sanjaya Malakar into the Top 12. Haha. As much as I'd like to believe that myself, American Idol is so much bigger than this blog, and no, I don't have minions who do my every bidding. Can't you see I'm begging for people to vote for Sanjaya? Some kingmaker I am. I have a history (thanks amber!) of supporting some guys who are unpopular with readers of this blog, and even when I supported a really popular one, people still turned against me (remember that Chris-Taylor war last year that came out of nowhere?) And if this site was as popular as it is now when I was supporting Fantasia, I am certain it would have been a bloodfest.

Also bear in mind, that for effect, the producers have chosen to put Sanjaya in some sort of bottom 2 situation every single elimination night. This gives the impression that Sanjaya is responsible for getting someone else eliminated, even when he was the top 4 vote-getter at one point. I'm not saying it's unfair, but after 5 seasons of this, we know that Idol has to inject some drama into these elims. Rule #1 -- there is always a shock elimination. Rule #2 -- there is always a contestant who makes it far despite mediocre performances. Rule #3 -- Paula always cries for the hottie. Rule #4 -- the audience gets amnesia, and falls for these tricks every single time.

Finally, I am not alone in my love for things Sanjaya -- there are thousands of us out there, and with the help of those lost souls at votefortheworst (the bastards), we will not be denied. (Insert evil laugh here). Bottom line, we watch for our entertainment. And if you are no longer entertained, don't watch. It is in this spirit that I was hoping we could discuss this show, but some people have chosen to take it far more seriously then they should have. So what if Sanjaya wore a fedora -- no one died. We would all appreciate it if some of you guys can tone down the hate speeches -- Sanjaya doesn't read this blog, WE DO, and we, Sanjaya and non-Sanjaya fans alike, are offended by some of the things written here in the past 24 hours.

Go Sanjaya!