(AP)
60 years after Mohandas Gandhi's civil disobedience movement led to the end of British rule in India, the gentle Sanjaya is just as peacefully (if less than tunefully) bringing Viceroy Simon to heel.
American Idol is an institution built on an ideal: the most talented singer wins. In the end, all it has is its credibility. That's been crippled now, perhaps beyond all repair. And once the tipping point is reached (one week from now? Two?), HMS Idol will sink fast.
I've written extensively about the stunning parallels between Gandhi and Sanjaya. (Of course their hair is a contrast, though Sanjaya has at least one more week to debut a chrome dome. This I would not advise. Sanjaya's eyes are too closely set to pull off a bald look.)The parallels between the Brits of the 19th and early 20th centuries and Simon are worth examining. In both cases, it was the hubris of the otherwise ingenious Englishmen that did them in. The Brits in India with their oppressive Salt Taxes and brutal suppression of their Indian subjects; the imperious Simon with his gratuitous, sometimes cruel, insults of a young man with a real, if not enormous, fan base. (Simon overstepped with his colonialist hauteur. And now millions of families are paying a dear price as the sun sets on their favorite TV show.)
The implications are huge indeed. It's about more than a single show or a major network. The entire Reality Show Raj may already be teetering. Idol whetted our appetites for talent contests, by far the most enduring of the reality sub-genres. Without Idol, Heather Mills may as well hop back across the pond (where I suspect her countrymen will promptly trade her for the servicemen held in Iran).
And all because of one soft-spoken Indian.
****
UPDATE: So it's the end of the road for Chris Sligh. A sign that the influence of the Christian Right is waning? With his dismissal and the survival of Sanjaya, one thing is clear: This is a new America.
P.S. What was up with Chris Richardson totally hogging air time during that Ford commercial? Not cool!
*RELATED ARTICLE: IS IT RANDY'S FAULT?
Reader Comments ( Page 13 of 13)
181. iwas asinger once and ino bad singing but this is the worst ive ever heard i pray that america please wake up oh one more thing please somebody tell the parents to stop the teeny boppers from voting over and over again for sanjaya because hes cute almost ex watcher.
michael davis at 8:18PM on Mar 30th 2007
182. Folks,
Although this is not necessarily my opinion of what is or what should be, I really do not understand why at this point everybody is so surprised that Sanjaya has moved on so far. Maybe in the beginning his fan base got him past the first couple of eliminations; or maybe people picked up on the reality of what is going on before I did.
This is now not about singing -- this is about protest. It really would not matter what Sanjaya sang, nor even about what Simon would say; as indicated in his prior comments that 'people are not listening to the judges or what they say about Sanjaya' - or something to that effect.
American Idol represents BIG BUSINESS and to some BIG GOVERNMENT. Sanjaya is 'everyman' who appeals (to many) to those who got abused by their boss, by 'SIMON CLONES'; by their employer, by their teachers, by their government, etc., etc.....
This is not only about ethnicity although I am sure this does have a factor.
BUT MOST OBVIOUS: Voting for Sanjaya are peoples way to protest, to say screw the establishment, this is my way to put a wrench into the system, to say 'the hell with it -- I am not going to take it anymore.'
Howard Stern is the classic antiestablishment symbol, although after the money deal he made with SIRIUS, this can be questioned by some. Regardless of the reality -- his involvement and his symbol and how he is perceived is huge, not because of who he is or what he says, but rather what he represents.
Ryan's wearing of the hair, and Jimmy Kimmel's efforts, and all the news and late night comedy exposure regardless of the reason are tapping into a large portion of the American conscience and sub-conscience of those who feel helpless in a political reality of big business and even more big government dictating and in some cases, ruining lives.
Voting for Sanjaya is a safe and cheap way of, dare I say, - "sticking it to the man."
In terms of a symbolic nature, it is almost like a vote for Sanjaya is a vote against George Bush.
Some say it is sad that some better singers are getting washed away by this reality, but if you look at the big picture, by many, these are minor sacrifices.
And as Dave said- in effect - on his 'vote for the worst' site; Sanjaya has equal dreams and desires of winning as those getting voted off.
You need to realize that this is not even logical or thought through by many people, rather many of these votes these are even sub-conscience reactions to what Sanjaya represents. So no harm might possibly be intended by some.
Simon Cowell said he would leave if Sanjaya won, now isn't that negative reinforcement in a true classic sense. Do people really like a bully who I heard drives a Rolls Royce while many are living week to week?
A cheap safe protest against one of the largest multi-media companies in the world is a no-brainer. AI represents status quo and order, a vote for Sanjaya goes against this.
A lot of people are pissed off about what is going on in the world - and those people are finding a safe and anonymous way to vent.
Why are so many confused? Weird.
Respectfully,
Michael
Michael Sirkus at 9:17AM on Apr 1st 2007
183. Folks,
Although this is not necessarily my opinion of what is or what should be, I really do not understand why at this point everybody is so surprised that Sanjaya has moved on so far. Maybe in the beginning his fan base got him past the first couple of eliminations; or maybe people picked up on the reality of what is going on before I did.
This is now not about singing -- this is about protest. It really would not matter what Sanjaya sang, nor even about what Simon would say; as indicated in his prior comments that 'people are not listening to the judges or what they say about Sanjaya' - or something to that effect.
American Idol represents BIG BUSINESS and to some BIG GOVERNMENT. Sanjaya is 'everyman' who appeals (to many) to those who got abused by their boss, by 'SIMON CLONES'; by their employer, by their teachers, by their government, etc., etc.....
This is not only about ethnicity although I am sure this does have a factor.
BUT MOST OBVIOUS: Voting for Sanjaya are peoples way to protest, to say screw the establishment, this is my way to put a wrench into the system, to say 'the hell with it -- I am not going to take it anymore.'
Howard Stern is the classic antiestablishment symbol, although after the money deal he made with SIRIUS, this can be questioned by some. Regardless of the reality -- his involvement and his symbol and how he is perceived is huge, not because of who he is or what he says, but rather what he represents.
Ryan's wearing of the hair, and Jimmy Kimmel's efforts, and all the news and late night comedy exposure regardless of the reason are tapping into a large portion of the American conscience and sub-conscience of those who feel helpless in a political reality of big business and even more big government dictating and in some cases, ruining lives.
Voting for Sanjaya is a safe and cheap way of, dare I say, - "sticking it to the man."
In terms of a symbolic nature, it is almost like a vote for Sanjaya is a vote against George Bush.
Some say it is sad that some better singers are getting washed away by this reality, but if you look at the big picture, by many, these are minor sacrifices.
And as Dave said- in effect - on his 'vote for the worst' site; Sanjaya has equal dreams and desires of winning as those getting voted off.
You need to realize that this is not even logical or thought through by many people, rather many of these votes these are even sub-conscience reactions to what Sanjaya represents. So no harm might possibly be intended by some.
Simon Cowell said he would leave if Sanjaya won, now isn't that negative reinforcement in a true classic sense. Do people really like a bully who I heard drives a Rolls Royce while many are living week to week?
A cheap safe protest against one of the largest multi-media companies in the world is a no-brainer. AI represents status quo and order, a vote for Sanjaya goes against this.
A lot of people are pissed off about what is going on in the world - and those people are finding a safe and anonymous way to vent.
Why are so many confused? Weird.
Respectfully,
Michael
Michael Sirkus at 9:18AM on Apr 1st 2007
184. FOR ONCE...............THE PERFECT FINAL 4, THE RIGHT TWO LEFT. NOW WE HAVE A CONTEST.
SLL at 12:21PM on May 3rd 2007