American Idol: I'm Not Voting for Sanjaya

ams:

loved Bharatnatyam Barrier:)

wonder how we would react if steven baker decided to go for Indian idol?

Amrita, its called counting your rich neighbor's wealth and feeling kicked about it despite being a pauper;)

So what if some American of Indian origin goes up a rocket, wins a spelling bee or gets to be a director? Good for them but you don't see Africans strutting around for every Afro-American achievement in America.

BTW- seen the movie Dreamz? Its a parody of American Idol;)

glad you liked it :)

Is Steven Baker that Bollywood guy? Well, I've never seen him perform but I can tell you the following things straight off:
1) 10 people will writer op-eds in various papers/websites bemoaning our "colonial slave" mindset irrespective of how well he did
2) 10 people will write op-eds in various papers/websites congratulating us on our global integration.
3) Somebody's effigy will get burnt
4) Steven Baker will give five different "exclusive" interviews to five different TV channels
5) Steven Baker will lose

Dee - you remind me of a postcolonial class I was in once where I read this hilarious essay by an African who was mad as all hell that African Americans kept talking about their "African" heritage. "They're all Americans," he spat. Of course, he was dead serious but I kept laughing inappropriately. Didnt make many friends there, I can tell you.

More than the freaky kids who win spelling bees (havent seen Dreamz but plan to. Have you seen that documentary on spelling bees? they're all crazy people!) what makes me die laughing is how everybody is getting on Deepa Mehta's Water bandwagon. Dumbasses

(6) steven baker will win (all that free publicity)

Steve:

if you are reading this brush up on belting out aawaraa hooN, maiN aawaarah hooN... or mera joota hay japani/mera dil hay inglistani

Nah, there'll be some guy from Batinda who sweeps road crossings or something suitably heart wringing and he'll get the sympathy vote. We're not as accepting of immigrants as we like to think (if at all we think something of the kind)

Steve will definitely be a star though and get to act as the bad guy in Bollywood. Sigh.

Sorry to be such a thicko but who the hell is this Steve bloke?

Dee & Amrita:
Have you noticed the labelling difference? If any brown skinned man commits an offence / felony, he's the 'Asian'; on the other hand, if he/she wins a Booker or goes to the moon, she's 'India-born'.

Or is it just us getting too cynical?

DG, Steven Baker is a DC author Type his name on DC search engine and check his posts out to see what Amrita means.

DG, Steven Baker is a DC author Type his name on DC search engine and check his posts out to see what Amrita means.

DG - you're not a thicko, I wouldnt have known who he was if I hadnt chanced upon someone's post (Dee's I think) about racism in India. Steve's an American (?) actor (?) in india and he was talking about it or someone else was talking about it.

And hey, we;ve already got felons - the ones in Tihar will even make pasta or wood carvings or something. We dont need those firangis. Let them make fish n chips in England.

Dee doth not lie. He is indeed an author. thanks Dee

Sanjaya has a good voice. Whether you vote for him or not should have nothing to do with his ancestory. Even when the judges tore him to shreds, I thought that he did not do too badly, he sang in key and definitely did not deserve to be the bottom two.
I think you make too much of whether the Malakar's acknowledge their lineage. Give yourself a break... think outside the box.. live and let live... think of this world as a global village and let go of your 19th century values... in other word.. take a chill pill and relax.

Cliff

I agree with Cliff, you need to embrace the fact that people like him aren't afraid to be who they are, he's my hero and an inspiration. In the grand scheme of things, you may be right, but the reality of the situation is that it IS a big deal because it is unheard of for desis to get a chance like this. So you should be proud, when desis have been on American Idol for a few seasons, then it might be okay to start dishing the criticism, but the reality of it is, that Sanjaya is a pioneer, I wish more desis had the guts to stand up for themselves and follow their dreams and not worry about the criticisms of older generations stuck in the past. There's nothing wrong with being an American of Indian lineage. And Sanjaya has arguably one of the best voices in the entire competition, many critics have chosen him as being the one to beat. He's got one of the largest fanbases. It's sad that a lot of desis seem jealous of each other instead of proud, and I think that's what the problem is with the struggle for desis to advance in this society.

Oh and this one is for Cliff, Sanjaya actually wasn't in the bottom two, Ryan actually said that he was one of the top 4 boys.

Sanjaya represents the best music young people can offer - as an independent voice unfunded by big media you should be cheering him on, and rooting for his victory.

Cliff - thats the point: I dont care whether he's Indian or not. I care about his voice and no matter how much you like him [and I was one of the people who did pre-final 24] you have to admit he didnt bring it in the least on Tuesday night. Read the whole thing, not just the opening few lines please.

Maria - Sanjaya didnt get a chance to be on AI because he was desi. he got a chance because he had a good voice. And unless he can bring it back next week, I don't see why I should give him my vote just because he's a desi. its not Aspiration and Self Worth idol, as Simon might say. Its American Idol and whatever else you might need to do, you do need to sing.

AFan - so you're telling me the other 23 people on that show are backed by corporate america and as such dont deserve my vote? Ri-ight.

@#16
Sanjaya probably picked a tough song, it is really hard to emulate Stevie Wonder. Other than that, he sang pretty well... he was in "Key" the whole time...never missed one. What he lacks is stage presence, showmanship and experience. Give the kid a break, he will learn and improve... Most of all, give him a chance and may the best person win!!

I have to agree with Cliff again. The thing is a good part of your article was talking about him sucking....so it can lead a reader to believe that you don't like him, hence the title of your article. I will agree that he does need to step it up a little and take this competition a little more seriously, but like Cliff said, he's just a kid, he'll learn as time goes on. I voted for him because I feel he deserves another chance, not just because he's desi. Let's hope he takes it to another level this week.

OHHH! That Steve, eh?
Well, I should be paying more attention, you're saying. Ok, I hear ya!

Don't understand what's the big deal re Pop Idol and the like anyway. I've got fed up. I actually like the advice Simon dishes out - we got Sharon Osborne who sucks up to the crowd and Louis Walsh who just is there to get up Simon's arse. Why are they here? Good q. How does being Ozzie Osbourne's wife give her mega contest judge status, I don't understand. Louis Walsh bugs me immensely and has done so from the Boyzone days. Snooty bugger!

WTF is Steven Baker?

I like Sanjaya and I don't bother about his father's ethinicity. I like him because he is adorable, his voice quality is good and he has all the potentials of being an Amrican Idol, if not this year, then next year. He has lot many years to come.

Amrita,

You need to let go of your ethnic myopia.

There is a group of folks out there who identify with Sanjaya's ethnicity - hello! Those who ARE exactly of Sanjaya's background. Ahem, we "Indo-Americans" are a distinct bunch and don't appreciate it when "Indians" bash us because we are American. Desi parents have no right to try to "keep their kids Indian." If that's what they want, then they shouldn't come to the U.S.

For your information, if you have American citizenship, then you are an American. An Indian can come to America and "become American", whereas a white person cannot go to India and "become Indian."

Sanjaya is an American. I am an American. But that doesn't mean we have anything against other cultures. In fact, I see myself as a color-blind global citizen in addition to being an American, if you can believe that.

Sanjaya does not represent your definition of "Indian", but for those of use who are "Indo-American", we definitely identify with him.

You are going overboard with this issue. People vote for American Idols for various reasons. Some vote because they are humble, some vote because they sing well, some vote because they look beautiful, some vote because they hail from their state.

If North Carolina contestant is proudly claimed by north carolina people as one of their own can you call them fools? Yes it is American idol. It is not North Carolina Idol. Still they vote for him right? If an Indian votes for Sanjaya because he likes him for being originated from India, that is his problem. Certainly not yours and mine. Like someone said chill out. It is not that big a deal to pour your "emotions" out for such a petty issue! If you don't want to vote for him that's okay! Without your vote he is still in top 4! Why do you think others are thinking different than you? After all Indians constitue a meagre 1% of US population! I know none of my friends watch american idol. That makes very few Indian voting for Sanjaya. Did you think Sanjaya's entire chance is dependent on Indian votes! Then you are sadly mistaken.

I am not going to vote for a performance that didnt impress me..! I dont care if he/she is from anywhere....

Its supposed to be good music, good vocals, good personality and all about performance!!!

I absolutley agree with some of the people on this article. It is totally up to you what you like and why you vote for the Idol..! I kinda liked the NC example! its different perspective and broader too...Take it easy guys...!

Cliff - again, you seem to have missed the part where i said he probly flubbed coz he's too young for this competition. If he can bring it next week, that's all good - but I still won't vote for him just coz he;s "Indian".

Maria - I hope your faith is justified. I'm going to wait and watch. As for my article being largely devoted to him sucking - well, yeah. he did suck. in fact, other than Blake and Chris S [to some extent anyway] they all did. Unless we see a complete reversal next week, my money's on the girls this year.

Martin - precisely.

Baiju - NO! Really? There are people called Indo-Americans? You are an American if you have American citizenship? Wow, I never knew that. Not even when I wrote the exact same thing in my post. Say, I know they teach them to spell but do they teach Indo Americans to read? Oops, was that some mroe Indo-American bashing?

Karthik - last I checked "India" is not one of the 50 American states. Its another country. Do you see a difference? As for Sanjaya getting into the top 4, if you're an AI viewer you'll know all about the VFTW-ers out there. VFTW = Vote For The Worst. I bet Sundance was one of those 4. They probably have him on speed dial.

PG - Its supposed to be good music, good vocals, good personality and all about performance!!!
Amen.

Rita - It is totally up to you. So why does this displaced nationalism need to come up? Thats my question.

I actually like Sanjaya's rendition of that Stevie Wonder song than Stevie's version. :)

Isn't it just as dumb to vote for Sanjaya because he's Indo-American, as to refuse to vote for him becasue he's Indo-American? Whatever the weak rationale I'm hearing from Amrita, that's the vibe that's coming across.

Sanjaya's performance Wednesday night was quite good, better than half of the other boys I'd say. it's all moot anyway, because the girls generally put the boys to shame. But it's wrong to make a contestant's ethnicity an issue, whether you think that ethnicity is a positive OR a negative thing.

DG - sorry, lost sight of your reply in all the Sanjaya love on this board :)
I havent seen Pop Idol, except on Youtube, but the clips I've seen of it makes me think its a lot funnier. Too bad we dont get to see it. :( And yes, I do love me some Simon even when he's being a pompous ass coz he's a pompous ass who actually seems to understand that he has a job to do.

Lerissa - I won't tell :)

JD - it would be dumb if I refused to vote for him in spite of his turning in a decent performance just coz he's "Indian". But as I've never said anywhere that I categorically refuse to vote for him because of his ethnicity, it strikes me that you can't read too good.

I read very "well", thanks. As I said quite clearly, regardless of the rationalizations, a hang-up about his ethnicity is what comes across in your posts. It sounds like you're quite prepared to rate him lower than you otherwise might *because* of his ethnicity, rather than in spite of it.

And yes, it's "well", not "good". Perhaps it's your writing, not my reading.

AMERICAN IDOL's sixth season continues to shine, with nine new celebrity coaches and guests scheduled to appear on the show. On last night's results show, Ryan Seacrest announced that Tony Bennett, Bon Jovi, Barry Gibb, Jennifer Lopez, Lulu, Martina McBride, Peter Noone, Diana Ross and Gwen Stefani will join the list of top musical talents who have made appearances on AMERICAN IDOL.

Will someone please fix the absolutely sucky design of this site? For heaven's sake, who uses black on teal for text that's supposed to be read?

What do you think of Sanjaya?

Amrita Rajan [EDITED] they call him indian cause thats what he is u moron america is a country indian is ur race/background gota be pround what you are cant deny it like you [EDITED], and stop contradicting youself [EDITED] "And I'm not less of an Indian for saying so" arent u American?? [EDITED]

Amrita you are missing the point i was saying earlier. Remember Vonzell solomon season 3 idol. She was a postal employee. Entire postal employees in the U.S rallied behind her. They didn't say "I am not going to vote for her because she is a postal employee"! You remind me of some Indian cricket umpires who try to be over-neutral and end up crucifying our own players by giving wrong decisions! Relax if some Indian is proud of this shy Indian kid (infact this guy behaves more Indian than some of them i find in India) and vote for him for heaven's sake don't all him a fool! That is called normal behavior. What you suggest seems to be little abnormal. Viswanathan Anand practically settled down in spain. Infact he got the highest civilian award from Spain. But aren't we all proud when he wins a title? Isn't that called natural?

Karthik(#24) said it the best. ..few Indian voting for Sanjaya(x% of 1% of US). Did you think Sanjaya's entire chance is dependent on Indian votes! Then you are sadly mistaken. JD's (#31) comment about ".. refuse to vote for Sanjaya becasue he's Indo-American? " is the feeling I get from this article.

Among very many AMERICANs, we see a majority being proud of their roots. So why is it a crime
to hope, expect someone from your roots who has talent to make it big ? And about VFTW,
AI or any other of it's ilk is a popularity contest. Singing is a big part. So, whatever
be the reason, people get to choose(for most parts) and accept the verdict. That's what's
working the world over. Though it has it's issues, it is better than a doped-up Paula choosing a winner each week ! :-) .

Remember how John Stevens was voted in each week despite his and Simon's disbelief. People root for the underdog as they relate with him-her. Sanjaya's is a similar case.

It's what you like. Some like Snora Jones(yeah yeah, *Snora* despite the fame, Ravishankar and the loads of Grammys), some prefer Sanjaya.

Brilliantly written post Amrita.
I loved the "Bharatnatyam barrier" & Paris Hilton references. So Appropriate !
We just got the pehla card to watch AI & so the 1st episode I got to watch was the final 12 women. Lakisha blew my mind as did a couple of the other women.
I know ethnicity should not matter but AI is all about voter bases.
Hence AI consistently has been trying to increase its viewer base by including new ethnicity contestants. First they got in the hispanic contestants & this year an Indian & a South East Asian. Please to note that these both have typically ethnic names.End of the day its a viewership game.
Do u remember the Ruben/Clay final 4. Ruben was in the bottom 3 & Oprah just mentioned how much of a pity it was on her show. That was it, post that, Reuben won comfortably.

Hey!
I can't call a twit a twit but this bloke 'YO' can call Amrita a moron? No fair!!
Quote: Amrita Rajan [EDITED] they call him indian cause thats what he is u moron

Oops! Missed that choice epithet! I'm such a twit!

It's a bit extreme to say Sanjaya Malakar is outclassed by his peers...and I don't care if he's a FrancoWatusiTeutonicChoctawIndoAmerican. He was among maybe 3 male singers who sang in tune, and was completely relaxed with it. His choice of song sucked(he chose one of the weakest songs to ever fill a Stevie Wonder album.

He didn't take it a step further as he should have but he definitely didn't stuff it up like most of his peers that horrendous night. I mean that Sundance bloke? Oww! It's obvious that the judges and the public are still feeding off Sundance's 1st audition coz he certainly hasn't sung in tune since then. He's going to be another painful Katherine McPhee.

Malakar has a voice that is different from the pack. Some supposedly "good" Idol voices tend to sound the same - specially when they sing those twee, mushy ballads. But I can imagine Malakar bringing a lot of freshness to the same cliched ballads simply coz his voice is so different. The way he sang "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" - well - that's special, and he certainly deserves another chance.

Sure, Melinda and Lakisha are leagues ahead of everyone (and I'm rooting for Melinda, hands down). But I sure hope Sanjaya isn't being criticised here just coz the author is tired of other Indo-Americans supporting him due to his ethnicity and hence feels the need to run him down a little more than he deserves.

I think Judges need to be replaced. In the name of Judging showmanship Simon is spitting out ridiculous comments. I like the canadian idol couple of years back. Judges were better there. Especially when you see Simon who wears nothing but the same type of T is acting as a fashion police i feel like throwing up. I think there must be far better judges out there than these three.

That's the lamest thing I've ever heard. Stop trying to be some smart person who knows everything.

I'm not voting for Sanjaya because he's Indian, I could care less.

I'm voting for him because he is nice, cute, and I think he has a great voice (even though he didn't do so well last week).

And I'm sure that's the same for lots of other people to, so stop trying to be the little know-it-all and go vote for who-ever you want. Nobody cares.

Amrita, You are shame to your name. Your means sweetness and your write up is full of jealousy. Btw. What have you achieved so far in life other than writing these blogs ?

Hey Armita:

In my opinion, people should vote for whoever they like and for whatever reasons they choose to do so. They are beholden to no one and nothing.

My question to you is:

You wrote:

"..... who's bringing the fetus to television in ways I could have sworn only TR Knight of Grey's Anatomy fame could bring."


So I have completely missed the joke or the reference or whatever it is that you mean by bringing fetuses to television.

Can you please explain what it means?

Hey, hey
Now, now! Play nice, people. There is no need to get nasty and/or personal here. Amrita just wrote about something she felt strongly about - last time I checked, we still lived in free countries and had the freedom to write as we felt. If any of you feel strongly for Sanjaya or anything else, then write about it. Like Amrita has.
Oh and Rudy,
At least Amrita wrote about it - she didn't go around the town attacking people. Pls do not lower the tone of this board by saying stuff like "What have you achieved so far in life other than writing these blogs?", especially when you are surrounded by bloggers.

Except for chris sligh, none of the guys will survive.........

Wow, you go away for a couple of hours, and there's a deluge ... ok, first things first -

DG - thanks babe, but a couple of years on the net has pretty much desensitized me to peeps like Rudy. And it was pretty funny he'd say that in the midst of bloggers.

Aamam - you might be a twit but at least you're a twit who tries. Thanks.

AA - its a sort of involved joke: TR Knight plays a guy called George on Grey's Anatomy who's... um, kind of a baby? Looks like one too but they mean it in his interactions with people mainly. So early on, one of his friends calls him "fetus" when he annoys him and that kind of stuck. You can say it with affection and you can say it with complete annoyance. usually, a mixture of the two.
good news is, George is now a toddler.

ok, now for the flotsam and jetsam -

JD - wow, so you do know your adverbs! good for you! As a continuation of your studies into the english language, may I suggest you next look into the word "sarcasm". I would have proposed "colloquialism" but let's start slow and easy. My writing is just fine - you on the other hand have a huge hangup vis-a-vis race which you apparently cart around everywhere you go. But that's ok - so do a lot of other people on this board.

YO - No, I'm not American. Duh. And also, he's Indo-American. Thats his ethnicity. Like literally. And hey, if you can call me moron, can I call you a dumbass who can't even get some basic info before he opens his big, fool mouth? No? Okay, then.

Karthik - no, I didnt miss your point. I got it and thought it was wrong. Sanjaya is only the latest in a long line of people that Indians like to claim for themselves. There is such a thing as community pride - you're right about that. But there's a line between expressing that pride and laying on the guilt, which is what I object to. I'm not going to get guilted into voting for Sanjaya merely because his father originally comes from the same country as I. Moreover, I think this whole "Indian" business is a rotten thing to do to some 17 yr old kid who barely knows who he is much less where his cultural identity lies. What I see is people making him a cultural strait jacket for their own purposes and then waiting expectantly for him to step into it. If he grows up and thinks of himself as "Indian" then more power to him. But he is the only person who can do that. You and I don't get to decide for him. Similarly, if it makes you [general, not specific, you] happy to vote for a kid based on some spurious connection, good for you. But I'm gonna concentrate on other things.

And btw, Vishwanathan Anand may have lived in Spain "for years" but he's always represented India internationally. A better example would have been someone like say Zubin Mehta but I still wouldnt have agreed with you re: Sanjaya :)

Anupallavi - there is nothing wrong with people being proud of where they come from. The problem, as I find myself typing again and again and again...zzzz - wha? oh, sorry. Yeah, the problem is when OTHER PEOPLE are proud of it FOR you. How would you react, for example, if he stood up tomorrow and said, I really hate India and I think all Indians suck except for my dad who sort of sucks when his Indian side comes out? Most probably [and I dont know you personally so I cant say for sure] you'd be running around yelling racist just like all those people out there yelling at Naipaul even though he is only of Indian ORIGIN, not an "Indian". But I digress - the point remains, unless Sanjaya can sing me over, I won't vote.

Jemima - Not at all. Like I've mentioned elsewhere I thought he was really good in the beginning but Tuesday night was terrible. If he can bring it back next week, I'll be really happy for him and vote. But, like the article says, I'm not voting out of a racial bias.

Steph - How, exactly, is expressing my opinion acting like a know-it-all? Are you trying to tell me somebody else knows more about how I feel? Oh, and obviously, you care enough to tell me nobody cares. Hmm.

Rudy - and what does "Rudy" mean? "My parents didnt care enough to think of a proper name"? Maybe in your neck of the woods, people only write articles once they've published their autobiography but thats not how things work elsewhere. So I guess you'll just have to wonder.

Kim - thanks! I'd forgotten about the Oprah thing. You know, I'm constantly reminded of the voter base thing: I mean, they can't find a single contestant worth their salt from either LA or NY? seriously? And I know people first hand who;ve gone to audition and were really good and were told, not this year sweetheart, you're not what we're looking for because, obviously, they were making space for William Hung to audition. Which isn't to take away from AI winners but... gah!

Chandra - yeah? Not even Blake and his amazing hair? I do like Sligh but he seems a little too awesome to be true, know what I mean? The facade cracked a bit on Tuesday night even if he did make a save on Thursday.

whew! is that everybody? I think that's everybody except for the AI ad and null who needs to talk to the publisher :)

Hey Amrita,

Re: bringing fetus to the TV

OK so all you're saying is that this Sanjaya guy is a sweet/annoying kid. Cool.. Thanks for explaining that. I would never have figured it out, especially since I don't watch grey's anatomy or American Idol or anything else. :) I actually don't even own a TV.

I support your ideas in this post but you should know that every society extracts its membership price and it usually comes in the form of conformity. So you should take your cue and learn how to be an Indian :)

A fitting quote:

The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.

~George Bernard Shaw

Amrita:
*kneels on the ground and bows* oh girl, you so totally rock. I like the way you socked it into them, wham, bam, left, right and center. Jeez, that 'flotsam and jetsam' just creased me up!
You go, girl!!!
Still ROFLing!!!!!

Amrita,FYI i have followed last 4 seasons of AI. But never voted for anyone. Even some of my favorite contestants. It is not about voting for Sanajaya for whatever reason. You say you won't vote for him because he sucks. You could have stopped there! You had to add You won't vote for him just because he originates from India! Even if he sings mind-blowingly i don't have an obligation to vote for Sanjaya. Can i go around saying people "Don't vote for Sanjaya. He is not feeding you or your family!" . Hope you understand what i am trying to get at. You are taking on a highly subjective issue. I can vote for Sanjaya because he shares the same birthday as mine or whatever bloody reason!! If someone votes for Sanjaya because he hails from India why do you think he is guilted into thinking that way! Infact voting Sanjaya for that reason seems more logical than voting him for being an under-dog or voting him for being cute! Last year Taylor Hicks i thought he would not even make top 12! He ended up winning the contest! If you think Taylor, Reuben won because of his singing then you are wrong. SOnly upto a point singing comes into play. After that singing plus how you connect with the audience plays a huge role. Going by your theory you should have addressed all the reasons people vote for Sanjaya other than for his singing skills! Not just ethnicity! Just take it easy. What will you do if Sanjaya is your own brother and he really sucks! Will you still vote for him? What if he is your neighbour who visits your house very often?

Amrita,
I don't know how old you are but it is immature on your part to publish a negative article about a 17yr old kid whose major fault appears to be that he is an Indian-American.
AI is not just about singing talent, if it had been, they could have brought in some more judges and decided who the best singer is using some set criteria without any public voting, like it is being done in Miss Universe.
This kid can use all the support from Indian-Americans and here you are discouraging Indians from voting for him. It is just some TV show for you and me but it may mean a lot to Sanjaya, so just relax and for heavens sake remember he is just 17, he is not some female oppressing Indian MCP with patriarchal, hierarchical, brahmanical and Hinduvta beliefs, atleast not yet. I assure you no one will say India shining if he wins or moves to final rounds.

During season 3 I voted a lot for Jasmine Trias, partly because I thought she was a good singer but mainly because she's Filipino, and I wanted to see a Filipina American win American Idol. However, when it dawned on me that some of the other singers (especially LaToya London and Jennifer Hudson )were eons better than her, I switched allegiances because I felt that one of them far deserved it more.

I think Sanjaya is pretty good, but chose bad songs the last two weeks.

And for accuracy, Sanjaya is only half-indian. His mom is white.

No you shouldn't care just because Sanjaya is half-Indian, but you should be proud to see at least a half-Indian make it to the live TV portion of American Idol.

The problem, as I find myself typing again and again and again...zzzz - wha? oh, sorry. Yeah, the problem is when OTHER PEOPLE are proud of it FOR you.

I too feel that his singing is not upto the mark. But does all those who have become successful in the music industry have become so due to their talents alone. It also depends on the looks and on your support system as well.

I had to re- visit this topic again. kind off waking up the sleeping dogs. Surprise.. surprise our 'pretty boy' Sanjaya survived another round, he looked more like a lost sheep out there in the lime light... even he knew his time was up... but somehow "America" managed to keep him alive and boot out more taleneted "AJ". Only hope... Sanjaya can kick it up a notch and come back next week with a "mother of all performance" or in his case " grandfather of all performance" since he drops his grandpa's name every chance he gets.

He's got potential, no doubt...but you got to show it off and earn those votes instead of freeloading on the sympathy votes.

Cheers

sanjaya is a good singer regardless of his ethnicity. and he is a good person! a good example of a young dreamer!

Amrita, I know many Indians such as yourself who seem to have major issues with their own identity. They get so confused about who they are that they end up spewing out this non-sensical rage about the difference between an Indian and an American. So what if people refer to Sanjaya as that Indian contestant? It's the simplest and most effective way to identify who he is. And I can't understand why you get so pissed off at others labeling him as Indian, but its perfectly fine to refer to yourself as one. The way I see it, you both have Indian parents, thus you're both Indian.

more comments:

AA - yeah, can't shut up here :)

DG - kisses!

testing...

Karthik - with all due respect, that's a completely bogus argument. Its a singing competition and I and millions like me are the people who make it all happen. I find it interesting that you say "subjective" when what you seem to say is that its only ok to be "subjective" as long as you have nice things to say about people. Which is, pardon me, complete BS. As for Sanjaya being my brother - are you kidding me? Talk about mealymouthed.

Suri - on the contrary I think its highly immature for you to say that I should cut him slack for being 17. He didnt come on a show to be 17 - he came on the show to be America's Idol. He;s seen the show and he wanted it badly enough to put himself out there. If my saying he sucks and being "Indian" shouldnt shield him from criticism is the harshest thing he has to undergo then he should count his blessings every day.

Kaonashi - I was a Mikalah fan for about two weeks coz I thought she had potential before I learnt my lesson and switched. Never again.

Ty - why? He didnt make it there because he's half-indian. India doesnt or at least shouldnt play into the equation at all and that is exactly how it should be.

Anupallavi - maybe you should have looked past those fascinating 'zzzz's? Coz the answer's right there.

Anita - thats true. :) Doesnt mean I like it but that's true.

Cliff - well, thats a change in tune.:) Let's see what happens on Thursday.

Mj - Oh lord, spare me the amateur Freud. Or is it Dr. Phil? Sometimes a sucky singer is just a sucky singer. And who his daddy is doesnt really matter.

Amrita. I think thank god people don't think your way!! Sanjaya made it to top 12!! You cannot blame people who voted for him now! You know what? I don't like any of the male contestants. Everyone sings like sh**. But you say they "blew away" sanjaya. That's what make your argument so biased !! You are just over-compensating your "neutrality"! To be honest every single guy sucked. Only one contestant looked like having singing capability. Lakisha. All the rest sucked big time. In a situation where everyone sucked obviously most likable personality will get votes. That is what happened. I don't think even 0.0000999% would have voted for Sanjay because he is an India. Your argument becomes totally irrelevant in such a scenario.


"Its a singing competition and I and millions like me are the people who make it all happen."

- one word - preposterous. Music Industry does not depend on American Idol. In my view American Idol is a reality competition show just like any other show. Nothing more. Nothing less. Music Industry is not going to die if American Idol does not produce worthy idols. It is just a cash cow for Fox Network.

I like this kid and his sister - I thought they were so cute when I saw them - and they both sing beautifully. I do like Sanjaya's voice but this competition is not for him because he is lacking the stage presence, performing experience, and confidence. I don't know who is voting for him - I personally have not voted at all for anyone - but as an Indian I did jump off my seat and gleefully did a little dance around the room when tonite they sent Sundance Head home and Sanjaya joined the twelve finalist!

Is Sanjaya's survival the result of reverse American OUTSOURCE?

@#62:
Politics is in my near future :-),

But speaking of Sanjaya... he may survive yet another round if you look at the early polls, I hope I jinx it and get us all out of the misery of watching him again next week :-)
I guess some day he will learn from this expereince and make a name for himself in some field.....hey... it could be in Music even ;-)

Well, gee Karthik, congratulations! I guess we can all be happy that a lot of people do think like you and now you can all hang your self esteem on the increasingly excruciating performances of a kid who has two things going for him: massive indifference because this is a pretty lacklustre year and the teen vote because he's the only thing they find familiar. Although he might have put paid to that with his his hula hooping last week.

S - its a combo: teens + VFTW :(

George - ROFL, got the idea from Howard Stern did you?

Cliff - clearly :) and dude, from your keyboard to God's eyes. I cant even work up my emerging hate for Sligh properly coz this dude's in the way.

The only reason Sanjaya is alive is thanks to the multitudes of votes from the Indian origin whatever people and ABCD's (American Born Confused Desis-some of whom have managed to write a comment). If it was somehow limited to one vote per person, Malakar would have nevermade it this far. Simon and the gang must be kicking themselves for brining him till the hollywood stage. Sanjaya sounds like a bathroom singer and atbest like a singer in a karaoke bar who's had a few beers. He's too young to drink but I know people who sound better in a karaoke bar! Good write up Amrita.

Amrita, you probably have to hang yourself after taking some slow poison after today's performance of Sanjaya!! Sanjaya is a disgusting creature only in a sick little world where Amrita is the god. If you think you are craving for the voice of any of the 11 singers left then you have very sorry taste in music. Sanjaya is not a great singer we all know that. But not bad as you as make him out to be. He is not that bad compared to some of the horrible singers who can't sing on note, who can't remember words. Sanjaya sang on note every time, he never forogt any words. Singing is not all about screaming at top of your voice that only dogs can hear.

Karthik - sorry buddy, I'm not the one who's personally invested in Sanjaya and his success or failure. That would be you and your shaky self esteem. I know you love to project but keep it to the folks on TV if you don't mind.

And please - people who support artists based on their ethnicity shouldn't even begin to THINK about criticizing other people's tastes in music.

Your article reeks of the double-standards of Indian women who cheer when the ugly Negra acts in a fat Punjabi's flick but burns with jealousy when a cute Indian is successful.

Cute Indian? You mean half Indian, unless you don't want to give credit to the Italian mother who gave birth to him! Cute is not the word to describe this "thing from the swamp who murders good songs"!

Flicker: Word.

Arjun - you can't have a conversation in your head and expect me to follow. So what're you talking about?

fuck him.

sanjaya = shit

sanjaya is [EDITED]
even though he is hot!
girls, we should have sex with him!
It will feel awsome!

Anleasa - you first.

the blog is really third rate

Amrita ,why don't you and Anleasa take a Sanjaya blow up doll and have group sex with it and get over your Sanjaya hangover once and for all

sorry for the above post,i feel ashamed i lowered myself to such a level

Hello, Kela - I see you';re back begging for some attention. Was that supposed to make me angry? Was it supposed to make me upset? Sorry dude, try some other chick.

Why don't you just admit it? You're a sad lonely little man who has no life and this is the only way you can ever get a woman to pay you any attention.

I think you're also one of those poor little men who think they're being daring and think the women they go around harassing are too afraid or meek to get back at them and then run away yelping like wounded curs when the woman says anything.

Now I could give you what you want and talk about how you're descended from the diseased sweat of a mangy lizard or something of the kind [in shuddh Hindi as befits a Delhiwali) but I dont care enough.

You don't matter.

Is that clear enough for you? And pls, dont tell me I don't matter or something silly like that coz it's very clear that you're the one who can't keep away. Sad. Get a life.

amrita- personal attacks again but then again i'm not surprised
I'm harassing you now ? look at the comments you make-it seems you guys are out on a witch-hunt.Do the following comments befit a person with a healthy mind ?

#82-Aneleasa girls, we should have sex with him!
It will feel awsome!
# 83-Amrita - Anleasa - you first.
Besides i already apologised for my comments

Anyways you'd never catch me hanging around your types,so enough with your sick fantasies :) i landed up on this blog because of Anand Jon,and also i've been keeping track of Sanjaya on idol,thus my interests in these two posts :) But don't worry i get bored easily and will be moving on soon ,unless of course i get banned before that :)

Amrita- i don't matter to you ? how disappointing,what will happen to me now ? i really thought you were interested in me when you bothered to reply to all my posts.I am really tired of my lonely existence,having sex with my blow-up doll is not exciting anymore,you were like a breath of fresh air in my dull pathetic life.Now all is finished

there does that make you happy ?

Kela - and yet, here you are again. Do I really need to say more?

this post was made earlier.check the time ma'am :)

once again...

- rolling eyes -

I liked Onkar Judge. Wonder why nobody is discussing him. I think he was too cool for the judges.

Hey guys,

Onkar judge is going to blow away all malarkies.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=e7ilbC4kJhY

Durgesh - if William Hung got a record deal then why not Onkar, right? I think they're mad because he broke their set.

I'm just back from the AL message boards,it seems like our boy Sanjaya did a splendid job tonite woohoo..another week for the haters to spew their venom though :)i just love it

Earlier I didn't buy the argument that people resorted to Sanjaya bashing to look cool.However after going through the Iron Maiden concert article I am fully sold.It would be interesting to know the music tastes of the author of this article(i won't take names,she might get carried away)In the IM concert article i posted a comment wherein i said most people resorted to dropping names like Deep Purple and Pink Floyd to show they were cool and listened to western music.It's another thing that they were completely ignorant about other great rock bands and genres of music.Maybe the author of this article,a delhiwali who now is based in the USA,wishes to be the perfect indian american in the eyes of the majority of the population that lives there who think brownies can only be good at computers and driving taxis and not least making a huge mess.

Ahem, i guess someone must be feeling really foolish now LOL

i cried with my papaya Sanjaya :(( ,but i just loved it when he ad-libbed towards the end of his song " .......other than hair" lol you should have seen the look on the judges faces especially simon HA HA HA priceless

And I thought Phil was going to buy it because he doesn't have enough fans, and Chris saved his own neck with that VA Tech comment. I am so glad to be so wrong in my prediction.

Simon's facial expression when Chris gave that VA shout-out was pathetic and his cover-up was even lamer,you could easily tell he was listening to what Chris was saying on stage and that face he made was not in reaction to something Paula said.

Ahh!!! Finally this guy is out of the competition

Holy Mother of God! Two fucking days people!

Anyhoo, for those who care, I couldnt log in so I posted the Sanjaya update at Blogcritics. Sorry, peeps but its only a click away. :)

For those who don't, carry on trolling.