Interesting article about 'fanbases' - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 04-09-2004, 05:14 PM

Theres polls on it and everything. Comments on the article? I have to agree with the article, not saying I like it though. My friends mom is a Diana fan and thinks the 2 Johns should be gone because its not fair that they get so many calls from young girls. But then I ask her.. if Diana winds up winning are you going to buy her CD? She said no. Then I said well.. those rabid young girls who are in love with JPL and such WILL buy his album. Thats the difference.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4649112/

‘American Idol’ gives too much power to the People
Rabid fans help untalented performers

"American Idol" John Stevens is still on the show, despite forgetting the words to "King of the Road."

COMMENTARY
By Linda Holmes
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 11:51 a.m. ET April 08, 2004

It's not news that "American Idol" isn't a meritocracy, given its long history of injustices. The Fox reality show wasn't through its first season before it elevated plastic punk-rocker Nikki McKibbin over powerhouse Tamyra Gray, and the lengthy run of hunky Marine Josh Gracin in the second season still boggles the mind. "Idol" is, however, supposed to be a democracy. Power to the people and so forth. Unfortunately, more and more, "Idol" is not about the people. It is about the People.

Who are the People? You know them if you've been where rabid "Idol" fans gather. They are the Ruben People. The Kelly People. The Jon Peter Lewis People. And, of course, the People who perfected Peopledom: the Clay Aiken People. They scream. They go to war with opposing factions. They trade stories of meeting a guy who knows a guy who met the contestant's father, who turned out to be just the nicest, sweetest guy! They trade low-quality MP3 files of contestants' bootlegged high school choir practices and try to give away sample CDs to unsuspecting strangers on the subway. (

)

Unlike the general public, which would probably be capable of trimming a list of candidates down to a serviceable pop singer by the end of a season, the People are systematically ruining it for everyone. The People must be stopped.

Witness last week's "Idol," when pink-haired Amy Adams was tossed. Joining her in the bottom three vote-getters were Jennifer Hudson, an over-the-top but undeniably talented belter, and LaToya London, a versatile performer who is probably the most talented person in the entire competition. Meanwhile, escaping inclusion in the threatened few were the distractingly twitchy Jon Peter Lewis, the disturbingly robotic Diana DeGarmo, and redheaded born-behind-his-time crooner John Stevens, who had offered a version of "My Girl" so flat that you could slide it under a door. (

) It was a ridiculous result, and although I can't prove it, I blame the People.

To understand why People are powerful, you have to understand the basics of "Idol" voting. Voting is free, and you can vote as many times as you can get through. And we're not talking about voting two or three times, either. The People redial constantly for the entire time that the phone lines are open. Remember, you don't vote for contestants to be eliminated; you vote for the ones you like. A good stable of People, therefore, can take a performer several rounds farther than his talent or his general appeal ever would have.

Horsing around
Jon Peter Lewis is a perfect example of a guy who really isn't very good, but has People anyway. They're the ones who fell in love with him during his bizarre performance of "A Little Less Conversation," which featured bad singing, apparent loss of motor control, and quite possibly appendicitis.

America cringed, but his People found his convulsive "dancing" adorable, and from here on out, they cannot be swayed by any number of mediocre showings. He could get up on stage in a given week, wave, spit on the floor, and leave, and they would dutifully vote for him for two solid hours. So far, they're keeping him in the game.

Clay Aiken garnered perhaps the most devoted fans of any "American Idol" contestant.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You see, People don't really care about the performances week to week. They treat "Idol" like a horse race. Pick your horse, bet on your horse, cheer for your horse. And, in some cases, carry your horse across the finish line. Above all, tolerate no suggestion that your horse has shortcomings.

He acted like a jerk? He's misunderstood! He sang badly? He has a cold! He has irritating, cloying, obnoxious mannerisms? That's what you love about him! No one understands him! Everyone is jealous of him!

The problem with People, of course, is that they don't respond to talent so much as to the ability to attract vaguely obsessive personalities. A cynic might argue that "A Little Less Conversation" was no accident — it was a well-planned effort at People recruitment. If it was, it was brilliant, because one of the rules of People is that People love geeks. They love underdogs, they love losers, and they love everyone who is picked on by Simon Cowell. Many mid-level performers struggle in the early rounds, but the real stinkers? The ones it hurts to listen to? They've always got People.

Another rule of People is that they favor the young. This is why DeGarmo and Stevens — both 16 — have People. So did last year's underage nightmare, Carmen Rasmussen. To put it delicately, a lot of People share demographic characteristics with 16-year-old contestants, and, all other things being equal, support them enthusiastically, talent notwithstanding.

So who cares? Why not let the People take over? Not everyone with People is untalented. Shouldn't those who care passionately be allowed to determine the outcome? In a word, no. It is past time to put an end to the reign of the People.

Voting that is driven by the People, after all, rewards a level of fanatical devotion that generally cannot be sustained over any significant period of time. Being a Person is a full-time hobby, but you can't make it a career. Thus, the exposure that "Idol" offers is wasted on the commander of whichever fan base can remain the most fanatical for a period of a few months, while performers who might actually develop into long-term prospects — as Gray might have, and as London might — wash out because the admiration for them is wide but not sufficiently deep. And by "deep," I mean, "blessed with large quantities of free time."

FOX
Talented, or just carried along by rabid fandom? You be the judge.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It also detracts from the show to see better performers kicked off in favor of poorer ones. Sure, some of the disastrous auditioners in the first episodes are amusing, but no one wants to watch an insipid voice linger week after week. No one wants to see a kid who's in way over his head struggle through Big Band night being berated by Simon and screamed for by — you guessed it — his People.

So what's the answer? How can it be stopped? Fairly simply, as a matter of fact. Votes shouldn't be cast for who you like; they should be for who you want to see eliminated.

I have absolutely no doubt that the People would attempt to coordinate their efforts — they would conspire in their various online speakeasies to vote for one particular person in an effort to protect their darling. But it wouldn't be as easy to do, and they would at least be at risk of some other group of People choosing their guy as the target of the week.

Elimination-oriented, "Survivor"-style voting may not be an ideal solution. It's nice to think that you can succeed by accumulating fans, rather than by avoiding the wrath of detractors. It is also possible that the People might turn even uglier as they zeroed in on targets. But in the end, the best way to avoid the injustice of the steady, relatively solid performer being eliminated while a far inferior one advances is to sap the power of the People.

I am Him · 04-09-2004, 06:00 PM

Jon Peter Lewis is William Hung with better looks.

He is a novelty act. He is someone who will generate a buzz for 15 minutes and then the novelty will wear off thus ending his career.

I am Him · 04-09-2004, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤
But then I ask her.. if Diana winds up winning are you going to buy her CD? She said no. Then I said well.. those rabid young girls who are in love with JPL and such WILL buy his album. Thats the difference.

They will buy one of albums. JPL is a novelty act like William Hung. He doesn't have long term selling potential. I mean can you imagine JPL singing the national anthem at a ball game, or performing during the next American Idol finals? Everyone will laugh in his face.

Diana on the other hand has the talent to possibly sell 2 or 3 albums. And those same rabit young girls will buy it if she is the next American Idol.

David · 04-09-2004, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Witness last week's "Idol," when pink-haired Amy Adams was tossed. Joining her in the bottom three vote-getters were Jennifer Hudson, an over-the-top but undeniably talented belter, and LaToya London, a versatile performer who is probably the most talented person in the entire competition. Meanwhile, escaping inclusion in the threatened few were the distractingly twitchy Jon Peter Lewis, the disturbingly robotic Diana DeGarmo, and redheaded born-behind-his-time crooner John Stevens, who had offered a version of "My Girl" so flat that you could slide it under a door. (

) It was a ridiculous result, and although I can't prove it, I blame the People.

I thought JPL was mediocre and John was really bad that week. He should've been in the bottom. They were bad this week too (John worse than JPL), and shouldve been in the bottom 3. However, John could cough through his whole song and be safe, so theres nothing i can do. I do however disagree about the Diana DeGarmo comment. She was great that week. She has talent.

Quote:

Horsing around
Jon Peter Lewis is a perfect example of a guy who really isn't very good, but has People anyway. They're the ones who fell in love with him during his bizarre performance of "A Little Less Conversation," which featured bad singing, apparent loss of motor control, and quite possibly appendicitis.

I liked that performance... however i feel that his last few werent great.

Quote:

Clay Aiken garnered perhaps the most devoted fans of any "American Idol" contestant.

atleast he's talented. People dont vote for him JUST because of his looks

Quote:

You see, People don't really care about the performances week to week. They treat "Idol" like a horse race. Pick your horse, bet on your horse, cheer for your horse. And, in some cases, carry your horse across the finish line. Above all, tolerate no suggestion that your horse has shortcomings.

I totally agree. I mean, yeah people get to vote for whoever, but eventually if they carry them too far than they deserve, it will ruin their reputation in a way. Like when Nikki passed Tamyra in season 1. Once that happened people started hating Nikki....

-*Leah*- · 04-09-2004, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by I am Him
They will buy one of albums. JPL is a novelty act like William Hung. He doesn't have long term selling potential. I mean can you imagine JPL singing the national anthem at a ball game, or performing during the next American Idol finals? Everyone will laugh in his face.

You have been wanting to start a fight about Jon Peter Lewis since American Idol began this year, haven't you? Every single thread you have made on the board has been aimed negatively at him. I think it is very immature.

-*Forever*- · 04-09-2004, 09:56 PM

That whole thing is true except the Diana comments.

db108108 · 04-13-2004, 01:14 AM

This articles are SO VERY TRUE. I don't have an hour to sit and vote for my favorite, but I watch the show. So when my favorite gets eliminated, I'll probably stop watching.

JPL is a novelty act, if he wins it, his first (and last) album will be a bomb. Because "the People" can't sustain an artist. 22 million votes cast. Let's say 15% for JPL. That's about 3.3 million. then factor in "the People" who are voting 100 times. Quite quickly you realize that his fanbase isn't big, but it's fanatical. Unless they go out and buy 10 of his albums each, he'll crash and burn just like Justin Guarinni.

I don't hate JPL, but I think his progress is turning the show into a joke, ditto for Jon Stevens. Kelly Clarkson won because she was talented. Ditto for Ruben and Clay. They sold big amounts of albums because they crossed over beyond Idol (esp. Clay) because they were talented. JPL doesn't have that cross over quality because he isn't that good.

Simon must be quite nervous right now with the huge popularity of this guy. He can't stop him from winning, but if he does win, it'll be a huge bomb money-wise.

04-09-2004, 05:14 PM	#1
¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ MISS APRIL Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 19, 2001 Location: Parsonsfield ME Shaws - Screwing my way up the employment ladder! Posts: 68,780	Interesting article about 'fanbases' Theres polls on it and everything. Comments on the article? I have to agree with the article, not saying I like it though. My friends mom is a Diana fan and thinks the 2 Johns should be gone because its not fair that they get so many calls from young girls. But then I ask her.. if Diana winds up winning are you going to buy her CD? She said no. Then I said well.. those rabid young girls who are in love with JPL and such WILL buy his album. Thats the difference. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4649112/ ‘American Idol’ gives too much power to the People Rabid fans help untalented performers "American Idol" John Stevens is still on the show, despite forgetting the words to "King of the Road." COMMENTARY By Linda Holmes MSNBC contributor Updated: 11:51 a.m. ET April 08, 2004 It's not news that "American Idol" isn't a meritocracy, given its long history of injustices. The Fox reality show wasn't through its first season before it elevated plastic punk-rocker Nikki McKibbin over powerhouse Tamyra Gray, and the lengthy run of hunky Marine Josh Gracin in the second season still boggles the mind. "Idol" is, however, supposed to be a democracy. Power to the people and so forth. Unfortunately, more and more, "Idol" is not about the people. It is about the People. Who are the People? You know them if you've been where rabid "Idol" fans gather. They are the Ruben People. The Kelly People. The Jon Peter Lewis People. And, of course, the People who perfected Peopledom: the Clay Aiken People. They scream. They go to war with opposing factions. They trade stories of meeting a guy who knows a guy who met the contestant's father, who turned out to be just the nicest, sweetest guy! They trade low-quality MP3 files of contestants' bootlegged high school choir practices and try to give away sample CDs to unsuspecting strangers on the subway. ( ) Unlike the general public, which would probably be capable of trimming a list of candidates down to a serviceable pop singer by the end of a season, the People are systematically ruining it for everyone. The People must be stopped. Witness last week's "Idol," when pink-haired Amy Adams was tossed. Joining her in the bottom three vote-getters were Jennifer Hudson, an over-the-top but undeniably talented belter, and LaToya London, a versatile performer who is probably the most talented person in the entire competition. Meanwhile, escaping inclusion in the threatened few were the distractingly twitchy Jon Peter Lewis, the disturbingly robotic Diana DeGarmo, and redheaded born-behind-his-time crooner John Stevens, who had offered a version of "My Girl" so flat that you could slide it under a door. ( ) It was a ridiculous result, and although I can't prove it, I blame the People. To understand why People are powerful, you have to understand the basics of "Idol" voting. Voting is free, and you can vote as many times as you can get through. And we're not talking about voting two or three times, either. The People redial constantly for the entire time that the phone lines are open. Remember, you don't vote for contestants to be eliminated; you vote for the ones you like. A good stable of People, therefore, can take a performer several rounds farther than his talent or his general appeal ever would have. Horsing around Jon Peter Lewis is a perfect example of a guy who really isn't very good, but has People anyway. They're the ones who fell in love with him during his bizarre performance of "A Little Less Conversation," which featured bad singing, apparent loss of motor control, and quite possibly appendicitis. America cringed, but his People found his convulsive "dancing" adorable, and from here on out, they cannot be swayed by any number of mediocre showings. He could get up on stage in a given week, wave, spit on the floor, and leave, and they would dutifully vote for him for two solid hours. So far, they're keeping him in the game. Clay Aiken garnered perhaps the most devoted fans of any "American Idol" contestant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You see, People don't really care about the performances week to week. They treat "Idol" like a horse race. Pick your horse, bet on your horse, cheer for your horse. And, in some cases, carry your horse across the finish line. Above all, tolerate no suggestion that your horse has shortcomings. He acted like a jerk? He's misunderstood! He sang badly? He has a cold! He has irritating, cloying, obnoxious mannerisms? That's what you love about him! No one understands him! Everyone is jealous of him! The problem with People, of course, is that they don't respond to talent so much as to the ability to attract vaguely obsessive personalities. A cynic might argue that "A Little Less Conversation" was no accident — it was a well-planned effort at People recruitment. If it was, it was brilliant, because one of the rules of People is that People love geeks. They love underdogs, they love losers, and they love everyone who is picked on by Simon Cowell. Many mid-level performers struggle in the early rounds, but the real stinkers? The ones it hurts to listen to? They've always got People. Another rule of People is that they favor the young. This is why DeGarmo and Stevens — both 16 — have People. So did last year's underage nightmare, Carmen Rasmussen. To put it delicately, a lot of People share demographic characteristics with 16-year-old contestants, and, all other things being equal, support them enthusiastically, talent notwithstanding. So who cares? Why not let the People take over? Not everyone with People is untalented. Shouldn't those who care passionately be allowed to determine the outcome? In a word, no. It is past time to put an end to the reign of the People. Voting that is driven by the People, after all, rewards a level of fanatical devotion that generally cannot be sustained over any significant period of time. Being a Person is a full-time hobby, but you can't make it a career. Thus, the exposure that "Idol" offers is wasted on the commander of whichever fan base can remain the most fanatical for a period of a few months, while performers who might actually develop into long-term prospects — as Gray might have, and as London might — wash out because the admiration for them is wide but not sufficiently deep. And by "deep," I mean, "blessed with large quantities of free time." FOX Talented, or just carried along by rabid fandom? You be the judge. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It also detracts from the show to see better performers kicked off in favor of poorer ones. Sure, some of the disastrous auditioners in the first episodes are amusing, but no one wants to watch an insipid voice linger week after week. No one wants to see a kid who's in way over his head struggle through Big Band night being berated by Simon and screamed for by — you guessed it — his People. So what's the answer? How can it be stopped? Fairly simply, as a matter of fact. Votes shouldn't be cast for who you like; they should be for who you want to see eliminated. I have absolutely no doubt that the People would attempt to coordinate their efforts — they would conspire in their various online speakeasies to vote for one particular person in an effort to protect their darling. But it wouldn't be as easy to do, and they would at least be at risk of some other group of People choosing their guy as the target of the week. Elimination-oriented, "Survivor"-style voting may not be an ideal solution. It's nice to think that you can succeed by accumulating fans, rather than by avoiding the wrath of detractors. It is also possible that the People might turn even uglier as they zeroed in on targets. But in the end, the best way to avoid the injustice of the steady, relatively solid performer being eliminated while a far inferior one advances is to sap the power of the People.
	__________________ DAVID COOK FOR AMERICAN IDOL

04-09-2004, 09:56 PM	#6
-Forever- <3333333333333333333 Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 22, 2001 Location: Manlius, NY in reality. Deerfield Beach, FL in my heart. Posts: 28,001	That whole thing is true except the Diana comments.
	__________________ "Mmm... no... Jeter does not do it for me. He looks like the Rock had sex with a muppet."

04-09-2004, 06:00 PM	#2
I am Him Six Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2003 Posts: 1,529	Jon Peter Lewis is William Hung with better looks. He is a novelty act. He is someone who will generate a buzz for 15 minutes and then the novelty will wear off thus ending his career.

04-13-2004, 01:14 AM	#7
db108108 Teacher (for now) Senior Member Join Date: Mar 20, 2003 Location: 2 hours north of Detroit, 2 hours south of Toronto Posts: 1,023	This articles are SO VERY TRUE. I don't have an hour to sit and vote for my favorite, but I watch the show. So when my favorite gets eliminated, I'll probably stop watching. JPL is a novelty act, if he wins it, his first (and last) album will be a bomb. Because "the People" can't sustain an artist. 22 million votes cast. Let's say 15% for JPL. That's about 3.3 million. then factor in "the People" who are voting 100 times. Quite quickly you realize that his fanbase isn't big, but it's fanatical. Unless they go out and buy 10 of his albums each, he'll crash and burn just like Justin Guarinni. I don't hate JPL, but I think his progress is turning the show into a joke, ditto for Jon Stevens. Kelly Clarkson won because she was talented. Ditto for Ruben and Clay. They sold big amounts of albums because they crossed over beyond Idol (esp. Clay) because they were talented. JPL doesn't have that cross over quality because he isn't that good. Simon must be quite nervous right now with the huge popularity of this guy. He can't stop him from winning, but if he does win, it'll be a huge bomb money-wise.