AMERICA'S OBSESSION WITH AMERICAN IDOL SANJAYA MALAKAR IS GOING STRONG

Sanjaya Malakar has taken America by storm !

While many may consider him vocally challenged, there is no doubt that Sanjaya Malakar is becoming the biggest obsession of Americans that is making its way into national political debate. While presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is asked if she would vote for the 'American Idol' wannabe, one of the leading newspapers, the Los Angeles Times, ponders in an editorial 'What's Saving Sanjaya?'During a radio call-in on Wokq-FM, the New York Senator was asked what the United States can do about Sanjaya, the television show's underdog who has confounded his critics by surviving deep into the voting on this season's program."That's the best question I've been asked in a long time," Clinton said. "Well, you know, people can vote for whomever they want. That's true in my election, and it's true on American Idol". Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the national bandwagon when she appeared on NBC's 'Tonight Show' with Jay Leno, where she apologised for being late. She'd had to cast a critical vote, she explained to the late-night talk-show host. Leno said he understood democracy takes precedence, but Pelosi said it wasn't that - she had to cast a vote for 'American Idol' contestant Sanjaya Malakar.Everyone seems to have a theory about what's behind this season's Sanjaya surprise. Some say it is the teenyboppers who are in love with Sanjaya's flowing locks, while others blame shock Jock Howard Stern and other such people who are promoting Sanjaya to wreck the credibility of the program, which is watched by some 30 million people. Another conspiracy theory making round is that Indians working in call centers are flooding the phone lines in support of the 17-year-old Indian-American.The Los Angeles Times explains that Sanjaya is the lightning rod of this year's show, may be because "he's such a good sport"."Although all idol contestants must suffer public judgment with a smile, Malakar's grin seems to be that of an ingenuous, bewildered kid instead of a well-coached contestant. His flamboyance such as that surprise Trojan-helmet-like 'ponyhawk' hairstyle is tempered by a timidity rarely seen on national TV," the paper said in the editorial."Malakar may win nothing more than a hair-product endorsement. But he will have shown that even in a genre dependent on egomaniacs who display highly scripted humility, a plain old good sport can survive for a while".Whatever be the reason, the controversy is proving to be good for the TV reality show. As one TV network put it "whatever effects these things have, if any, Sanjaya is now officially the most interesting thing about 'American Idol'. He is not the best singer, the best dancer, or the most engaging personality. But Sanjaya has in some ways begun to embrace those things that people ridicule, and that makes him far more remarkable than the assortment of cardboard cutouts alongside him".

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