dude's lucky he's not Bollywood or we'd fugg his brains out.

Oh man I loved it. The poor kid can't cut any break. He's so sweet, no diva bullshit attitude and he puts up with Simon's nonsense. Just to make Simon eat his words I want to call him 200 times and make this boy win. I appreciate it that he's having fun and taking risks with his hair and doing funky things and trying different do's. Good for him. Cause he's a boy, there are no tits to hike up in anything in 300 different ways. Leave him be I say.

Whatever we may think of his singing ability or his hairdo, he's become famous virtually overnight and will soon be making a lot of money, selling a gazillion CDs to preteen girls.

This is going to ruin the reputation of Italian-Americans forever.

I knew when The Messiah would come he would be mixed-race! And have great hair!
You gotta respect this kid's brass balls, he's know he's being decimated in the poposphere, and he comes out with this faux-hawk.

hahahaahahaaaaaaaaa

I'm not sure who just got pwned, but Mr K just pnwed somebody big time!

You make it so hard to cheer you on, when you do ugly things with your pretty, pretty tresses. It’s just not okay. At all. Don’t you care about the greater desi community? How will THEY be affected by your reckless decision to have bad hair? You represent our hopes and assimilative aspirations

I'm sorry. Who elected Sanjaya king of the desis? And how did I miss the memo?

I liked his hair, BTW. Like Paula said, he didn't have the attitude to go with it. He should have gone all out.

I'm sorry. Who elected Sanjaya king of the desis? And how did I miss the memo?

Memo:

Re: Sanjaya Malakar

America. America elected Sanjaya king of the desis.

@ Sahej. RMAOL - You know whatever it is that kids use these days to say they can't stop laughing.

Could he become the next fabio?

he needs to work out and become stupid, i think that would be the only way to become fabio

its never easy being different AND yourself.

And he can carry a tune and he handled bathwater syncopation better than either of the guys did in their Police covers. The other two guys sang songs with a range of a single octave.

His voice is soft. But I think AMerica is unfortunately a loud country.

Go Sanjaya!

whew.....and i still have my election 2008 opinions to spew....

is there a way to transplate the turbans that aren't being worn in amritsar to this poor kid?

psst... that's not a mohawk, not a fauxhawk, it's called a "banana-clip do" I know because I lived through the 80s in the south.

What this is, really, is a brilliant wink-wink nudge-nudge tribute to S.R. Sidarth, the original single malt Macallan.

anna,
You have deeply offended the sentiments of prohawk community. Also this is 3.14159% less funnier than previous two posts. How dare you? Burning of your e-ffigies will commence shortly.

I posted this in "Bringing Balance to the Force" but I had to post it again... just too tempting.

As fanatic a desi as I am, this kid is an affront to my sense of justice. I watch better singers than him get cut week after week while our little Sanjaya of the wobbly vocals just hangs in there. But hey, who can argue with public opinion! It's not Simon, it's the American voters. Democracy in action, America, love it or leave it, George Bush zindabad! Wasn't he re-elected by the American people, too?

Simon Cowell does the Pop Idol show here too. He always wears these tight black t-shirts that he's not quite in good enough shape to wear so tight. My girlfriend hates him and says she wishes she someone was on stage, then he sings, and Simon Cowell gives it his usual thing, really snarky, and then the singer says all cool and deadly, "Simon, you have bigger boobs than my girlfriend"

Leave poor Sanjaya alone! That semi-desi can't win for losing! World needs to go back to hating on Clay Aiken.

I don't watch AI, never have, but... WOOT! Go Sanjaya!

The whole Sanjaya phenomenon is perfect.

It's got:

1. A teeny-bopper who makes the teeny-boppers cry.
2. It's got an interesting character. As that Peter what's his name said on the British Invasion show, it's a voting competition, not a singing competition. I mean, how many technically good singers ala 'Mariah Carey whoopsie daisy watch me run this song up and down the scales' types can a person keep straight? Eh, they are good, but they run together. Can't keep 'em straight.
3. It's got controversy: Is Sanjaya being kept on the show for ratings, are a whole load of desis calling in (subcontinent, reap the demographic rewards. Bigger is better), is Sanjaya there for diversity (whiny and clueless, that).
4. It's got Simon saying interesting things. Simon, despite, or perhaps because of, his meaness, is the most honest in his criticism. He's quite often right about the things the other two are tip-toeing around.

Sanjaya is idol-riffic! As the careers of Madonna*, the Monkees, David Cassidy, etc. show, it's not always about the singing.....

*I like Madonna, child of the 80s that I am. But she's an idea, not a singer. Work it, girl from near Detroit city.

Besides, WWGHD? What Would GujuHottiee Do?

MD, I agree, Sanjaya's presence brings a lot of the viewers in, race, age, popularity, all of it heightened because of his staying. But what I hope he wins and brings the entire show to its knees. A win for him would completely destroy the credibility of the show.

Indian Idol is coming again on ZeeTV soon. It's American Idol without the attitude. Any fans?

Back to American Idol, if Melinda Doolittle wins, as she should, it will prove once again that the show is ultimately about singing, not just performing. Rubin, an overweight Southern African American, Kelly Clarkson, a homely looking waitress from Texas (I believe), Fantasia, admittedly a near illiterate with some speech defect that prevents her from pronouncing the "s" sound without making it an "sh." All great singers, winning over better "performers."

HMF: The show has credibility? Who knew? :)

Come to think of it, the Sanjaya phenomenon has a #5: People seem to like to hate things.

Well, obvioulsy because of my own semidesi-ness, I have a bit of a soft spot for little Sanjaya. I think Simon is a bit hard on him. He has a nice voice and is usually pitch perfect. He's just painfully shy-seeming.

As for the hair, I believe it has been dubbed a "ponyhawk"

Also, Floridian, I think Kelly Clarkson actually worked for Jamba Juice (let the ribbing begin for my knowledge of detail for American Idol) ;0)

Are we talking about the same guy here?

Q: When did you first start to sing? A: Once I stopped crying.

Q. What are your personal goals in life? A. To become witty.

This sexless kewpie doll who makes little girls cry and steals their hairdos has become an object of support and comparisons to Madonna? No. Just say no.

Sanjaya is made of teflon, I had to laugh when he was not in the bottom two last night.

"(let the ribbing begin for my knowledge of detail for American Idol) ;0)"

Did Paula really have an affair with that guy who was booted out of the show?

that said, though, just say a big YES to the sanjaya's-sister animated GIF. that's some good bouncin'.

#28: Remember what people said about Madonna in the eighties? She was nothing but a teeny-bopper idol back then, with 12-13 year old girls in lace gloves and those stupid bows in the hair, crying at her concerts. The Reformation started about 88 and really took hold in the early nineties. And then, Argentina, the baby, and Camille Paglia championing her as a feminist icon. No one took her seriously in 1984, and she was quite the joke.

I am sad that I know all that.

The first time I 'saw' her was on tv in the early eighties, singing Borderline on that Dick Clark show, I think it was. I thought she looked weird in the pseudo-dreads and black tights....

The comparison was meant to the earlier teeny-bopper period, not to the level of talent, or lack of it..... :)

"And then, Argentina, the baby, and Camille Paglia championing her as a feminist icon. No one took her seriously in 1984, and she was quite the joke.

Madonna in Evita is my idea of a perfect performer. The singing was there, of course, but so was the acting. I have been meaning to visit Argentina ever since.

I love his spirit...that so many expect him to fail week after week and he is going up there, having fun and singing his heart out makes me want to vote for him. I don't, but that is beside the point.

P.S. Fauxhawks are hot. I wouldn't get one but that is beside the point too :)

sanjaya.. is..dare i say, brilliant?

seriously, brilliant..

he is polarizing the american idol idiot watchers...
everyone is talking about it..
people are either:
a. amused
b. disgusted
c. upset
d. crying
e. shocked

you cannot pay for this type of publicity..

he is the true american idiot...

from the vote for the worst fans...to the howard stern listners voting him in...

let him 'hula his way into your heart'..
cheerio my brownie brother..
the nurses i work with are horrified with your ability inability to carelessy whisper
i just laugh..and sing this tune..

If you don't get the Sanjaya effect, you were probably never an eight-year-old girl back when A-HA was huge.

Morten and Magne...

(sigh)

what??!!

Fuerza Dulce (#17) after seeing that hilarious clip (and the Sanjaya version for that matter), I at least had to post this to bring some justice to that poor song.

Did Paula really have an affair with that guy who was booted out of the show?

I don't know...the answer to this mystery has eluded me. my powers....they're....failing

I don't watch American Idol, but I always thought it was at least one way to try to make a break into music without having to already know someone in the business. Record executives don't have the most sterling reputations when it comes to protecting the interests of aspiring musicians, as the legions of broke soul, doo-wop, etc. artists demonstrate.

But - Sanjaya is yet another example for my theory of how the pop culture complex seeks to make Indian (and even half-Indian) men appear as clowns and buffoons. Sanjaya's Italian half is not evident, and a name like Malakar is not going to give any insight into his mixed background. Norah Jones, another 50/50 takes her genuine talent, and fuses it with a pleasing to the eye package. Her Indian half is largely ignored - she's just a pretty young woman with talent.

Jesus H. Christ, that is bad.

I don't give a shit if that dude is brown, white, black, green, red, or magenta. That is horrible. I agree with Simon on this one. He's in his own weird world and if people keep voting for it, I guess he'll continue on. But considering this is a weaker 'idol' pool, he's got a shot of going further for sheer 'out there' factor.

I ain't giving him a pass for being a desi doing this. No way.

Gwen Stephani was hot. Uber hot.

That's interesting... I wonder how the media and the public would deal with Norah Jones' race differently if she shaved half her head and sang about cake.

"Norah Jones, another 50/50 takes her genuine talent, and fuses it with a pleasing to the eye package. Her Indian half is largely ignored - she's just a pretty young woman with talent."

i think her indian half is largely ignored for two reasons: her music has no relation to india and her relationship with her father was very rocky to non-existent growing up, since he never married her mother and then married the mother of anouskha shankar. she rarely chooses to speak about him.(alhtough their relationship is a bit better now) the indian part of her look - and it is there - is also not "conventionally indian" enough for americans to make that association, unlike with sanjaya malakar. i wonder if sanjaya was considered to be a really good singer if they would just refer to him as american and forget about his indian side. and as with halle berry (who gets some flak from some whites for choosing to identify with black america more), they would resent him or anyone else identifying him as indian, which is ok when he's an object of fun and ridicule.

GujuDude, despite your name, I'm giving you props for saying the one thing no one else seems able to say. I don't care what way you paint it, this is just bad. Bad.

Oh, and both "deepal" and "Whose God is it anyways?" -- for different reasons -- brilliant.

Seemed like just the other day everyone was ripping Kaavya apart... and now Sanjaya. In his defense, at least he does his own singing. Heck, if Ashley Simpson can make millions lip syncing, why not Sanjaya ?

hmmmm, MD has a point. when camille paglia declared madonna a feminist icon it seemed outrageous, as did many of her statements, but now, not so much. madonna is a feminist and paglia mainstream. who'd thunk it.

likewise, Sanjaya is poised to make a beatles like transformation. the mohawk clearly signifies his allegiance to sidharth (as mr k reveals), the native americans, and most importantly, punk rock.

punk rock was really just like american idol, and has more in common with boy bands than the earnest ideological fans of the clash are willing to admit, as anyone who knows anything about the history of the sex pistols and Malcolm McLaren understands.

so sanjaya can't sing. either can bob dylan, who simon recently dissed. so sanjaya is dylan's revenge, whispering into our ears, as we watch idol, johnny rotten’s prophetic words: "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" he may be the greatest pop subversive ever.

Fine, you don't like Sanjaya as a rep for the desi crowd? Well how about his sister, who apparently works for Hooters in Tacoma.

Maybe this will revitalize their business.

Not being part of the punkological movement, but, I don't think people who were in to punk neccessarily would go in for the Clash being representative of punk music, or for any band to represent punk music. One of the points was to make DIY music and not be identified by one particular "scene" or need validation of an aesthetic. In practice, certain bands and looks may have become "punk" but this was an unintended conquence. I think punk music was very much equated with the live music scene in a given area as much as large national bands that were identified as punk. So I think to label the Clash punk music while at the same time not giving the same credit to "punk band X who played in Tacoma" is against the spirit of punk. In theory and practice, both the Clash and "punk band X" were supposed to be on the same level and to prioritize one over the other based on label-status or "mainstream" appeal was antithetical to the purpose of it all

Not really a retort specifically to what you said above, just addded commentary

I gotta admit that I loved the faux/pony/banana-clip hawk. He's got the makings of a pop star: a great look, a desire to please, maybe not the best voice but, lets be honest, that doesn't matter all that much. I think its in him. He's like that o you really really really want to happen.

@46, 48: It is all too common to associate a hairstyle with Punk Rock. I saw an interesting documentary (don't remember the name) in which Henry Rollins talked about how punk clothing and style (mohawks etc.) got associated with the music. This was way after the pioneering bands (The Clash, The New York Dolls, The Sex Pistols) had passed their peak. I really don't think any band epitomized the Punk Rock movement really (one that is still alive: Blink 182 and maybe even Green Day), not even The Sex Pistols. In short, I really can't see the connection, tongue-in-cheek or otherwise, between Sanjaya and Punk Rock.

Oh Sanjaya! The little gay indian that could

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJZiV4Di4k0

He was SOOOO CUTE in the faux-hawk.

Well, maybe it depends. Maybe punk was more of a style of thinking versus any specific band or hair cut, so in one case a mohawk would be punk but in another case it would totally not be punk

i think your right sahej (#48). my swipe at the clash was just to point out that they were in essence totalitarians, and thus devoid of irony, unlike the sex pistols and sanjaya. so the clash fans hold dearly to the notion that punk emerged spontaniously from the streets, devoid of profit motive, like some bad social realism novel.

the pistols, who malcolm mclaren put together with more care than Lou Pearlman handles his child porn collection, were a personification of warhol's soup can, ie, anything, even the ordinary, can be art...which is your point. sanjaya may be the utimate punk.

Well, my opinion is yes-and-no on whether any old thing is "art". I would not say banging two pots together is art, art is "something" and I don't think its enough to perform a random act and call it art, and then it just becomes ipso facto art. I think punk was in some way egalatarian and was a rebellion not to the idea that everything was "art" but that "art" sometimes was stymied by crap that got a leg up because of things beside artistry.

I don't have a specific disagreement here, just fleshing out the ideas on different aspects

Sanjaya reminds me has a mix of Justin Guarini and William Hung. They both had there 15 minutes and then were done.

i'm going to say, i love me some sanjaya. i don't watch american idol and i don't vote - but i do scour youtube and blogs the day after to see how he did. i think people take him too seriously - those of you here who seem to be taking personal affront to his lack of skills, can you even name an 'american idol' who didn't suck? perhaps kelly clarkson, but she's pure pop sweetness, not a genius songstress or anything. point is, sanjaya's not some beacon for desis in music and american idol's not the benchmark for good music - what's the point of holding either them up to some greater standard?

i like sanjaya cause he's quirky and an interesting character on a reality tv show, he's got a bit of spunk and it seems like he's letting the insults roll off his shoulders (not to mention blatant discussion of his sexuality in the public - probably pretty tough for a teenager). will he have a minute over 15 minutes? doubt it. will i enjoy it until it's over? definitely.

@53. One has to go a long way from claiming that The Sex Pistols were a manufactured act to imply that The Clash and all of Punk Rock is manufactured. But I am getting ahead of myself here. Nuance and the Blogosphere are not compatible.

Just to be clear-- the only thing I am trying to state is that I can't stand THIS specific hairstyle. I loved him curly, wavy, etc. But this...I cannot abide. Maybe if they were ponytails which ended in spikes instead of...foof. I love the mental picture I just had of him applying Elmer's in the dressing room, until he had something fierce glued to his head.

Otherwise, I think he's a little bit o' cute. I want to dunk him in my cold coffee. I don't really care whether he can sing, the only stuff which stokes my inner fire is when I sense racism or other bullshit in people's...reactions to him. I hope he is unaffected by all the haterade, that he is enjoying his moment.

Wow, all this talk of Sanjaya...and not a single "he's not straight, is he?" comment! I also think after Tuesday he's getting a little cocky now. He'll lose his vote from the "he's such a nice kid" constiuency if he keeps that up. Thankfully, its Howard Stern and www.votefortheworst.com that are basically the power behind Sanjaya-mania. Here's what VFTW said about the pony hawk:

"That ponytail mohawk can only mean one thing, Sanjaya loves us! Sanjaya, you're awesome and your fun antics keep us coming back for more. Nice work, you're keeping this show interesting. To vote for Sanjaya, call 1-866-IDOLS-04 or text VOTE to 5704. Because if we keep him in, he can only pick a new fun hairstyle that's even BETTER next week. Nice work, buddy! And to all of you haters: Go vote for No Neck or something."

One has to go a long way from claiming that The Sex Pistols were a manufactured act to imply that The Clash and all of Punk Rock is manufactured.

yes, q-t, that is a long way to go.

I loved Sanjaya's hair on Tuesday. In all fairness, there are other Idol contestants still on the show who sing worse than Sanjaya - that Haley girl, who has not been cut yet.

Sanjaya can dress. He has great hair. A killer smile. And spunk. He's really cute. Who cares if he's so metro that people wonder if he is gay?!

It's funny. I also made the comparison to Madonna when I was telling a friend about his performance on Tuesday. He effectively changes his look every week. He knows how to flirt with the audience. He can dance too. If being a famous singer was just about a having a good voice, every church gospel choir singer would be famous. Image is important.

Although he performed better the week before, I think he is getting more confident each week.

mam: no need to scour, just go to Idollogy

great! thanks sanjaya...
now not only is it "do you eat beef", and "whats the red dot on the head for",
there is also ....."do you know that indian guy on idol"

i don't watch american idol-- and now that gwen 'i'm not indian??!?' stefani was on it, my hatred for it increases.

if there is one thing my friends and family know about me-- i totally abhor/loathe/dislike/hate gwen stefani. and no doubt. and anything related to that group. or her.

BUT THE DUDE CANT SING WORTH A DIME!! PLEASE PEOPLE OPEN UR EYES! ...lol but i digress . The hair is getting crazier and crazier though. On a lighter note, who else is in for the pics of his well endowed sister :D

That do is badass in a Harajuku Girls kinda way. Which was the theme I think.

Mohinder_Suresh

who else is in for the pics of his well endowed sister :D

if there is one thing my friends and family know about me-- i totally abhor/loathe/dislike/hate gwen stefani. and no doubt. and anything related to that group. or her.

from comments i've read on other sites, gwen stefani on idol was HORRIBLE... she seemed scripted, forced to be there...and it's pretty pathetic when out of 10 contestants only 2 sing one of your songs.. the rest of the songs were a potpourri of randomness ranging from singing sting to cyndi lauper.. who knows...i don't know why she was there...

I loved his hair. After everything he's done to it in the past few weeks, I was anxious to see what he would do next. And it definitely blew me away =) I don't care for his singing (well, I thought he was good in his audition), but I can't WAIT to see what his hair will look like next week! The minute he disappoints in that department, he's a goner.

chick pea on March 30, 2007 06:06 AM · Direct link

and it's pretty pathetic when out of 10 contestants only 2 sing one of your songs.. the rest of the songs were a potpourri of randomness ranging from singing sting to cyndi lauper.. who knows...i don't know why she was there...

Come on now Miss Pea - you aren't keeping up with your gossip blogs! They were singing songs that inspired Gwen in her career, more so than singing her songs. Don't tell me you're slacking on the celebrity gossip =)

Now wait a minnit!
Are you saying its not the call centers that keep pushing up his votes?
Who would've thunk?

But - Sanjaya is yet another example for my theory of how the pop culture complex seeks to make Indian (and even half-Indian) men appear as clowns and buffoons. Sanjaya's Italian half is not evident, and a name like Malakar is not going to give any insight into his mixed background. Norah Jones, another 50/50 takes her genuine talent, and fuses it with a pleasing to the eye package. Her Indian half is largely ignored - she's just a pretty young woman with talent.

Hear, hear!!

And it's interesting that Sanjaya is the Desi's great brown hope for making a fool of himself every week, yet Mira Nair and The Namesake have barely made a ripple in the media.

Has anyone already put up a link to the "Sanjaya Anthem," Scott Culver's pseudo-reggae anti-tribute to Sanjaya?

link

"Sanjaya, Sanjaya, gonna set this place on fire"

Don't tell me you're slacking on the celebrity gossip =)

darn it miss sonia..
i gotta get caught up asap.. away from the country for 1 week and i'm seriously behind the times..

and still gwen sucked as the celebrity guest.
i saw some of the episode, and she was horrific.

oh well.
j-lo in 2 wks.
we'll see if mr. macaca survives and can shake his hula booty with her...

amardeep:

i did in my comment number #35

Per Mr. K and Manju, this picture says it all.

yet Mira Nair and The Namesake have barely made a ripple in the media.

um.. in my humble opinion, i thought the movie was so-so.. it wasn't brilliant, i wasn't at all moved.. and really didn't enjoy my 2 hours while watching it..

yes, i'm likley in the minority.. oh well.. but i think sanjaya is more entertaining... and original...

so i'm not surprised it didn't cause a big buzz...
but of course, i'm likely in the macaca minority on my viewpoint of the flick and the book (which i also disliked)..

Amardeep (#72), did you notice in that song he said "Sanjaya, Sanjaya, means victory"?

That's awesome...the parodist actually incorporated the real meaning of the name 'Sanjay' into the parody...that was cool.

Sanjaya and Subversion:

Sully gets it.

fanjaya for life!

Do you guys really think that a macaca boy in this country has a reasonable chance of winning a show by popular vote?

sanjaya is a performance artist who is de-constructing popular culture with vocal styling of a late 80s morrisey and the visual appeal of a gender bending mid 70s skinny amitabh. His exposure of the contemporary american gestalt are simply brilliant.

His finely tuned and nuanced yet complex performances will be written about and studied in academia for years to come. :)

those of you here who seem to be taking personal affront to his lack of skills, can you even name an 'american idol' who didn't suck? perhaps kelly clarkson, but she's pure pop sweetness, not a genius songstress or anything.

Hello, ever heard of an Oscar winner named Jennifer Hudson?

eh, i find jennifer hudson a bit underwhelming but i know i'm in the minority. abigail breslin was robbed! (jk)

Sanjaya can sing, but has a hard time performing. The other 17 year old has had a lifetime of performing experience on the show. Anyone doubting his ability to sing can watch his 'Sweet chariot' video on youtube. Public Speaking is listed as number one fear for people in a survey....now imagine singing where 30 millions are judging you. I am sure the nerves makes breathing difficult for sanjaya (who is self admittedly incredibly shy)...and this affects his performance

I have seen several Live concert (some on TV), and half of the so called pop stars sing horribly out of tune. Gwen Stefani, maddonna, brittney, jessica Simpson, Boyz to men, sting, Mick jagger have all horribly out of tune live. Sanjaya sounds better live than all those listed before. The only ones that have sounded good to me live are Phil Collins, Hall and Oates, Eagles...(there may be others). Norah Jones and sanjaya's vocal ability sound the same to me.

Perception has become reality, and for the poor kid...bashing on him is the thing to do. I sense some racial undertones to bashing...similar to how making fun of indian accent vis a vis Apu is considered acceptable. Typical latent feeling is that since some Indians are voting for Sanjaya, we are going to tear him to bits...never mind that Sanjaya is only half Indian.

Hopefully sanjaya gets a good agent and milks his 15 minutes for all its worth.

And this is what I was afraid of. The Sanjaya backlash turns racist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjVpfHLAsZI&NR=1

I am not a AI watcher, but I am going to be a regular from next week :). However, I have watched all the Sanjay Youtube videos that are available out there. IMHO , the boy can sing really good. It would be purely against my conscience if I say he cannot. If you ask me if he can sing like Gwen Stefani, may be not. Then again …there is Gwen Stefani to sing like Gwen Stefani. Sanjaya sang in Sanjaya way. I did not find it unbearable. He has very good vocal controls. Also, he is in a crucial age as far as his voice is concerned ( I am not sure if his voice broke already into the manly side .. but doesn't sound like it ). Also, didn't hear him going off-key like many people say ( may be staying in key is off-key here in America :)). Also, don't you think his Indian classical music training, may have trained him in singing like that? Which may be the reason he is not screaming like many people here expect him to.. just a thought .... About his hair .. Interesting .. :) ( Sorry Anna chechi.. thats all I could say about his hairdo ).

Went to school with Gwen Stefani in OC back then she was into the ska/punk thing. On key singing was not a priority for her back then. Don't know why she is picking on Sanjaya now. Also, I think he was playing homage to Gwen/No Doubt's punkier roots with his faux hawk.

to #85: the response has been racist from the start.

look at today's piece in the NY Times and explain to me why "conventional wisdom" cannot countenance the real possibility of this kid actually doing well in this competition, which is extremely flawed to begin with. the premise of the article is that the process is being sabotaged, but further down in the article it is apparent that the numbers of potential saboteurs can't account for any difference. meanwhile there are plenty of other examples of "losers" winning and "winners" losing in the annals of idol. so who f*cking cares?

"Mr. Malakar, who at 17 looks like a 1970s pop star of the David Cassidy/Bobby Sherman/Andy Gibb variety" - sounds like an idol to me.

the comparison with norah jones is silly. this kid has an ethnic name and is dark-skinned and hairy, not just vaguely exotic like n.j. he is macaca incarnate. that and his less-than-masculine demeanor are the two reasons for all the howls of execration. he knows it and is flaunting both qualities with pride. that officially makes him the shit!

m.r.u.

"the comparison with norah jones is silly. this kid has an ethnic name and is dark-skinned and hairy, not just vaguely exotic like n.j. he is macaca incarnate. that and his less-than-masculine demeanor are the two reasons for all the howls of execration. he knows it and is flaunting both qualities with pride. that officially makes him the shit!"

Yup, the main reason why Norah Jones' indian side is ignored while Sanjaya's isn't is probably chiefly to do with names.

I'm sure if Norah Jones went by her birth name, Geetali Norah Jones Shankar, her indian side would certainly not be ignored.

And if Sanjaya was named..say Tony Smith, his indian side wouldn't be highlighted.

Sanjaya sang better than Gwen, and better than the Kinks.

The widespread hatred is another vindication of the underlying racism in America.

Sanjaya, my heartfelt congratulations to you for being brave, and for sticking with it.

At least the hairdo reminded the Anglo-Saxons that this land is acquired land, snatched land. Canada (a mohawk word!) is more tolerant, more civilized.

And yes, Haley Scarnato was amazing!

And this is what I was afraid of. The Sanjaya backlash turns racist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjVpfHLAsZI&NR=1

I know that racism is alive and well in America, but to see such racist parodies and vile comments directed towards a harmless young man is mindblowing. It's as if they're implying "Who would actually vote for Sanjaya,even if he was extremely talented?"

In my opinion, anyone who can go out there in the face of such intense scrutiny, and rock the CRAZIEST hairstyle EVER on AI...is awesome! Sanjaya is totally giving the finger to all the naysayers, and is saying "Yeah, I'm not the best singer, but I'm just gonna go out there and do my thing...love me or hate me, I just don't care!"

Rock on - I hope Sanjaya sings all the way to the bank!

BTW, I think he is a MUCH better singer than his performances indicate. He is obviously the most inexperienced of the contestants and I think he choked in the early rounds. He's gaining in confidenc. If he continues to impress, I may just do something I've never done before: Vote! :-)

This is probably his revenge performance against Gwen Stefani for her bindi wearing days. :)

J/K - I actually thought it was a fun song for him to sing. I dug it. He makes me feel warm in places that a 17 year old shoud NOT affect me. Ugh, I feel so pervy for admitting that. :)

Go Sanj! - I totally agree with your assessment.

What makes me grimace, rather than Sanjaya's perforrmances, is hearing how Ryan Seacrest butchers his name every time he says it. If I hear him pronounce the first syllable like "Sand" one more time, I think I'm gonna break out in hives...

Oh, one more thing - a couple of sources have him pegged as half Bengali. Aren't names that end in -kar usually from Maharashtra?

Where is Mr. Malakar Senior these days? I haven't seen him in the audience for weeks. Maybe he's at the office? But Tacoma's not that far from L.A. -- BRING BACK THE BROWN BABA!!!

Josh (81) and macacas r us (88):

I agree. He also has the best musical tastes of all the contestants except maybe Chubby. His idol is Stevie Wonder. Stevie rocks.