Sanjaya Malakar
News (Page 3)

People sell a lot of crazy stuff on eBay. Remember the time someone auctioned off a vision of the Virgin Mary in his toast?

It can be frightening what some folks will bid on. And that certainly includes the doll of Sanjaya Malakar we came across. As of this posting, the leading amount for this item was over $102.

That's almost crazier than the fact that Sanjaya is still alive in the competition.

Just imagine what a Haley Scarnato doll would go for.

She may have been voted off American Idol, but Gina Glocksen still has a lot to say. Below, she comments on the one, the only ... Sanjaya Malakar.

"It's funny that everyone is asking is it tough that Sanjaya [moved on], I mean it's tough that all the other eight people did. It's not just Sanjaya," Gina said.

She also added: "He's just different. It's not that he's better or worse. He's Sanjaya and Jordin is Jordin and Chris is Chris and Blake is Blake; America, I guess, was through with me, and that's fine. I'm fine with it. I'm going to tour."

Sounds like a reasonable assessment to us. But still, come on, let's not compare Jordin Sparks to Sanjaya in any way please.

When asked what she thought about Sanjaya hanging in there every week, Gina Glocksen said: "I'm proud of him. He's hanging in there and he's not letting it get to him. He still comes out on stage every week and he gives his all."

Okay, Gina, but what about that hair? Do you have any styling tips for Malakar?

"Oh, no. No. It's funny; it's like a competition - who has better hair, and we're going to have a hair-off...I [the faux-hawk was] number one; I think it was awesome. It just set him apart from everyone else. It was crazy."

We can't argue with that.

Is Sanajaya Malakar fever out of control yet?

Check out this open letter to the strangely popular American Idol contestant:

Congratulations on catching America’s ears… and eyes.

Over the past month, you’ve wowed the world with your original performances. And, your ever-changing hairdos have made you almost as famous as KFC® Original Recipe® Chicken and Colonel Sanders himself.

On behalf of Kentucky Fried Chicken®, I want to serve up to you a tasty offer. If you don a bowl hairdo during one of your next nationally televised performances, KFC will grant you a free lifetime supply of KFC Famous Bowls®. We’re sure America will be as ‘bowled-over’ by your take on this classic look as they are by our KFC Famous Bowls.

From wavy to Mohawk to now the classic bowl – who knows, your bowl cut could start a trend as big as KFC Famous Bowls, which consumers ranked as THE most memorable new product of 2006.

In addition to free KFC Famous Bowls for life – if you sport a bowl cut, KFC will cut a check in your name to Colonel’s Scholars, a charity providing young people with much needed college scholarships. We’re confident that helping students afford college is something that even the toughest of judges would stand and applaud.

Your Fan,
Gregg Dedrick
President of KFC

Is this the night Sanjaya Malakar is actually, well good? You know it, according to his uncle.

"His objective has always been just to get to the Tony Bennett phase," Sanjaya's uncle Steve Recchi said Monday.

Famous crooner Bennett is this week's American Idol guest mentor. And Recchi is banking that now his 17-year-old nephew is going to "kick some serious butt" in terms of his singing.

"I'm not sure what he's doing to do with hair though," Recchi said, adding the extended family is delighted with Sanjaya's success thus far. "I'm proud of the boy. He's becoming a performer right in front of our eyes."

That's one way of putting it, we guess.

A bold stance, indeed. But this is how Edna Gundersen of USA Today sees it ...

The question tantalizes and terrorizes American Idol viewers: What if Sanjaya Malakar wins?

The toothy teen with the big hair — crafted into a fauxhawk Tuesday night — and minimal voice sailed into the top 10 last week, ensuring a spot on this summer's Idol tour. If he skates through tonight's elimination round (Fox, 9 ET/PT), the fuss over his confounding staying power is bound to intensify.

In the short run, his presence makes for spirited debate, but if Sanjaya is standing in the winner's circle, "it would destroy credibility the show's built up in the past five seasons," music consultant Tom Vickers says. "Instead of 30 million viewers a week, it might draw 20 million."

A Sanjaya victory "will ruin the show," says fan Catherine Schloss of Folsom, Calif. "If he wins, I really don't think American Idol will be back."

Says Bryce Smart of Seattle, "The franchise would be cheapened greatly, perhaps beyond repair." He says Idol's integrity would be shattered if Sanjaya wins or even outlasts a superior talent such as LaKisha Jones.

Radio host Howard Stern and votefortheworst.com have rallied Sanjaya support, but they "have very little influence when you're talking about 30 million votes," says Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. "People with talent have always won it. We've lost really good people a little too early, and sometimes the Sanjayas, Chicken Littles and John Stevens have lasted a little longer perhaps."

An upset isn't unprecedented. The Eurovision song contest that launched ABBA globally in 1974 shocked many when voters gave the 2006 prize to Finnish horror metal group Lordi.

So, could Malakar record a marketable album? Possibly, says USA TODAY's Idol coach Don Waller, suggesting the enlistment of Swedish pop maestro Max Martin, who propelled 'N Sync and Britney Spears.

"I see Sanjaya as a Leif Garrett or Shaun Cassidy. He can talk-sing light ballads and uptempo kid-friendly pop. Since looks are a big part of the sales job, they've got to take pages out of bubblegum. He has to do wistful puppy love stuff, no double entendres. Crotch-grabbing is a disconnect.

"I'm sure (BMG chief) Clive Davis can throw an army of producers at the kid. The guy can't sing? What's new? This archetype keeps coming back."

The following article is courtesy of The Portsmouth Herald ...

TIME Magazine voted you its person of the year in 2006, and you're already showing off.

You and your fellow Americans have banded together - largely through the use of the Internet and other media - to shape the course of one of America's most popular television shows, American Idol.

Yes, the reality show - now in its sixth season - does voluntarily leave the voting power in the hands of its viewers. But never before has as large a number of viewers been compelled to pick the contestant they consider the least talented.

Over the past several weeks, millions of viewers have cast their precious Idol votes not for those largely considered to be most talented, but for 17-year-old Sanjaya Malakar. It's a trend that has prompted threats from the show's creator and judge Simon Cowell, who said he will quit if Malakar wins the competition.

So why are so many people casting their vote for a contestant who, strictly based on vocal talent, probably doesn't deserve it?

It could be any number of reasons, including a desire to belittle the show - or true affection for the contestant. But the point, according to UNH professor Josh Meyrowitz, is this: It's working.

"It's a flexing of the grassroots muscle," said Meyrowitz, a professor of media studies in the Department of Communications.

Meyrowitz linked the Idol phenomenon to a shift in power with relation to new media, the same shift that prompted TIME to name you its person of the year.

"It represents a use of this new power and an awareness of what it will actually work for," Meyrowitz said. "You want a candidate on or off American Idol; you can do it." The new media Meyrowitz refers to includes Internet sites such as votefortheworst.com, which encourages fans to vote for American Idol contestants the producers would hate to see win in an effort to derail the popular show. The site also suggests that keeping contestants like Malakar around makes for a funnier program.

Malakar has even been endorsed by radio show host Howard Stern, who's confessed he'd like to see Malakar win because he's the least talented of this year's finalists.

But despite the success of the movement to support Malakar, Meyrowitz said he is a little discouraged.

"I don't think it's the most mature application of the new technology," he said. "It's kind of a nasty manifestation of the potential."

While describing the media-generated power shift, Meyrowitz repeatedly returned to the image of a rebellious teenager.

"It's kind of like an adolescent saying to (his/her) parents, "You have no control over me,'" said Meyrowitz, who noted the American Idol trend may only be a sign of what's to come.

"In one sense, it represents a co-option of popular culture," he said. "On the other hand, it represents an infiltration of the public saying, "We're not going to let you decide.'"

Many fans are left scratching their heads as to why Sanjaya Malakar is still singing on American Idol.

But one fan is scratching her empty stomach instead.

A young lady who calls herself "J" on MySpace is staging a hunger strike until Sanjaya and his ever-changing locks are voted off of Idol.

"I have always been a big fan of American Idol, so like many people I was excited for the 6th season to start this year. Aside from the initial debacle with contestant Antonella Barba, season 6 was starting to look like it may be actually very good. However, there is one hinge in this broad spectrum of talent this year ... Sanjaya Malakar," J writes on her MySpace page.

"We have no problems with Sanjaya personally...However, he does NOT belong on American Idol.

"So until the day that Sanjaya is no longer American Idol, I will be going on a hunger strike. This means I will refuse to eat anything until American Idol voters wise up, and stop voting Sanjaya through each week ... if you would like to see this hunger strike end, the only way to let this happen is to vote for anyone OTHER than Sanjaya after 'American Idol' on Tuesday."

Too bad for J. Stephanie Edwards was voted out. We think we can her her tummy grumbling from here.

Here's good news for Elliot Yamin: his debut CD hits stores this week. Fans can pick up a copy across the country.

Here's bad news: The American Idol contestant from last season is beginning to look a lot like Sanjaya Malakar.

Although with the number of times he's been in the news lately, along with the number of votes he's been receiving on Idol this year, maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.

Either way, take a look at the two crooners below. While Jordin Sparks continues to impress judges on stage with her vocal talents - and Haley Scarnato attracts votes with certain other traits - these two lovable also-rans can still steal a heart or two ...

Okay, we've railed against the vocal talents of Sanjaya Malakar enough by now.

It's lunacy that he's still competing with the likes of Melinda Doolittle - but he does have other American Idol finalists beaten in one category: hair.

The man changes it for each audition, but this doesn't look to be anything new. We invaded Sanjaya's MySpace page and found these images of the adorable young singer:

America loves Sanjaya Malakar.

The fact that he isn't the top singer in this year's American Idol field doesn't appear to matter to voters.

So, what it is that draws people to Malakar? Maybe his resemblance to Halle Berry. Seriously. Take a look: