Alert Webster's Dictionary!

Over take out food delivered from the local Dominican diner tonight (and may I say, they do seem to have the grilling of poultry firmly in hand), Hollaback Girl and I mused about American Idol. I'm not watching the show but I'd have to be a resident of another planet not to be aware of the Sanjaya effect and the impact his continuing presence has created on the show. This has provided bountiful speculation for conspiracy theorists, pranksters and other sundry nose thumbers; indeed, his continuing survival on the show has spawned a surprising amount of media ink, some of which has infiltrated my daily news reading.

While part of me takes a sick pleasure in the big Fuck You that is his wrongful success, part of me is sorry for the actually talented singers who are earnestly attempting to compete. People love spoilers as a rule and I don't wonder if this, like a bad joke that goes terribly awry, won't go too far and put a wrongful crown upon this poor kid's head. One only hopes his hairstyle for the finale will be accommodating for such a heady mantle.

Let's say the force that's fostered this movement (and let's also assume these are people who disdain deeply the pablum that is American Idol and feel compelled to sabotage its formulaic success) has planned this action. Let's say the voters do elect Sanjaya as the next American Idol. If this result is revealed in the finale, the show has essentially rang its own death knell--it has become not a barometer of America's chosen singer but a cheap joke at the expense of the American public's good faith. If the producers realize that they can't crown Sanjaya and they meddle with the ballots to elect an alternative, at some point that will come out because a lie is always revealed in time. That will herald the show's downfall. Regardless, this is a low point; even the smug Simon Cowell is incredulous and well, I completely understand.

I appreciate one direct effect of this season's American Idol (though you'd have to pay me to sit through the entire show, especially those heinous Ford car commercial/music videos). It has coined a new verb that will soon fall into regular usage in my work vernacular: Sanjayed. Here's an example: "John expressed interest in our project proposal, but then he sanjayed it." I think I can get some mileage out of that one.

So regardless of how this poor kid actually does end up in the final tally (and shame, because he went from an earnest competitor to a bit of a joke), I hope it won't be at the sacrifice of the pure faith the public had in an honest talent competition which at the heart of it is an genuine intent.

Oh wait. He just got voted off...um...never mind.

I'm still using the verb.