american family
amazing race 13
america's/talent 3
american idol 8
the bachelor 12

big brother 10
the biggest loser 5
celebrity apprentice
celebrity rehab
the contender 3

dancing/stars 7
deadliest catch
dirty jobs
extreme makeover
hell's kitchen 4

high school reunion
the hills
I love money
kid nation
making the band 4

the mole 3
project runway 6
nashville star 6
paradise hotel 2
real wrld hollywood

rw/rr challenge
real housewives
road rules
the surreal life 6
survivor gabon

top chef 5
top model 11
work out

> all other shows

American Idol 5

Vote for the Worst promises to “get a bad contestant as far as possible” again

Last year, producers of American Idol told Access Hollywood that a web site “Each week millions of votes are received for each contestant, and based on the tiny number of visitors this site has allegedly received, their hateful campaign will have no effect on the selection of the next American Idol. Millions of fans of “American Idol” have voted for their favorites so far this season, and that success speaks far louder than any vicious and mean-spirited website.”

Of course, that just fueled Vote for the Worst’s fire, and their burning desire is to make horrible contestants advance in the competition. After the first live show, which airs a week from today, they’ll announce which two candidates in the top 24 they’re supporting, and they’ll continue to support them unless they’re eliminated. When the top 12 rolls around, they’ll pick the suckiest candidate and support him or her, encouraging people to vote for that awful singer.

Why would anyone do such a cruel, heartless thing? The site says it’s because “American Idol is not about singing at all. Carrie Underwood was a lifeless, boring farmbot, and she still won.” Plus, as Vote for the Worst’s Dave Della Terza writes, “American Idol lets really untalented singers into their casts, such as Scott Savol from last year. These people are placed in the competition for ratings, because they wouldn’t be there if this was a legitimate competition to find the next big superstar.”

The site also calls producers on their flagrant hypocrisy, noting that they “profited from a ‘Worst of American Idol’ DVD set last year. How can the producers let Simon mock all of the contestants but then call us ‘vicious’ when a campaign exists to help those very people?”