NYTimes: AT&T swayed voting to favor Allen over Lambert

[SemiCharmedQuark]

I'm posting this because this particular AI contest has been discussed at length here because of RW attempts to sabotage Lambert's chances.

Via NYT:


"AT&T, one of the biggest corporate sponsors of “American Idol,” might have influenced the outcome of this year’s competition by providing phones for free text-messaging services and lessons in casting blocks of votes at parties organized by fans of Kris Allen, the Arkansas singer who was the winner of the show last week."

"Representatives of AT&T, whose mobile phone network is the only one that can be used to cast “American Idol” votes via text message, provided the free text-messaging services at two parties in Arkansas after the final performance episode of “American Idol” last week, according to the company and people at the events.

There appear to have been no similar efforts to provide free texting services to supporters of Adam Lambert, who finished as the runner-up to Mr. Allen. "

...

"Representatives of AT&T helped fans of Mr. Allen at the two Arkansas events by providing instructions on how to send 10 or more text messages at the press of a single button, known as power texts. Power texts have an exponentially greater effect on voting than do single text messages or calls to the show’s toll-free phone lines. The efforts appear to run afoul of “American Idol” voting rules in two ways. The show broadcasts an on-screen statement at the end of each episode warning that blocks of votes cast using “technical enhancements” that unfairly influence the outcome of voting can be thrown out.

And the show regularly states that text voting is open only to AT&T subscribers and is subject to normal rates. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/business/media/27idol.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Smirk." - Da Fundies

"We gots our own special wide-stance brand of, um, 'honesty' and 'fair' competition and that kind of shit. Smirk."

- Da Fundies

[Codeine]

2. Who cares?

Elevator music for the anti-art crowd anyway. Pabulum.

[spanone]

7. it's not the music, it's the fairness

[Codeine]

8. It's reality television.

It's not really assumed to be fair by any but the braindead. It's entertainment for the illiterate.

[saracat]

11. Apparently you have never heard Lambert. I suggest you look him up.

he is a power rocker /glam rocker with the pipes of Freddie Mercury if not better. Hardly pablum or elevator music. Part of the reason AT&T didn't want him as Idol. He rocked Areosmith and Led Zepplin.

[Oregone]

14. American Idol isn't a singing competition

Who cares about his pipes. Yeah...he is a power glam rocker who screeches in high pitch tones (thats part of the problem for him). It isn't that parents don't want to have their daughter bring him home (more than Allen), its that their daughter gets creeped out and prefers the other guy (as does the high dollar companies that hand out endorsement contracts).

Its a marketability contest, and he failed this time around.

[saracat]

15. The numbers don't support marketibility failure but whatever..

And he doesn't shreik. He is listed as one of the 100 best countertenors of all time by Opera Review but ignorance is bliss.

[Oregone]

18. Then go buy his albums

Become his fan base and send your money off to their record company, and prove everyone wrong in the real world.

Im sending my money to neither. Manufactured corporate music blows, no matter how you feel about the front man singing the tunes.

[county worker]

3. I would have never known who these people were without this AT&T story making the rounds.

What pisses me off is that AT&T has thrust American Idol into my world! Bad enough I have to see it on MSN home page, here it on every radio station in the morning and on every news channel.

I guess to some who wins American Idol is really important.

[saracat]

13. It is when it is a social issue and now is associated with corporate fraud.

But hey, some folks ignored talk radio too.

[blm]

4. 100 million votes cast across America and 38 million of those were from.....Arkansas.

Some powerful communications network brass certainly allowed ease of access to Arkansas callers that the rest of the country didn't get. This would go beyond the text voting party.

[WeDidIt]

5. AT&T Cheats Man Out Of Prize Because He Is Gay

Fixed the headline for 'em.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. Well the other guy was a good, married, christian man.

[ecstatic]

9. It sounds like Allen's fans organized better parties. AT& was not invited to

Lambert's parties, which was a big mistake.

“In Arkansas, we were invited to attend the local watch parties organized by the community. A few local employees brought a small number of demo phones with them and provided texting tutorials to those who were interested.”

[xultar]

10. AT&T shouldn't have allowed employees to go to parties and teach Power Texting.

An AT&T person won't teach you to power text on your phone if you call them now.

[Oregone]

12. Who cares?

American Idol isn't even a singing competition. In fact, its only partially a popularity contest. Moreover, its a profitable marketability test, whereas they are seeing how marketable (profitable) these shotgun stars will be to the public at large (who will sell more albums, throw bigger concerts, get more private endorsements, etc). Being that a big company like AT&T got behind Allen, its only proof of his ability to obtain large private endorsements from big companies (And thereby make money). Hence, he won the contest based on the real criteria they are looking at.

More little girls will have Allen's posters (cost money) draped over their beds in their rooms. More guys in high school might go out and buy his singer/songwriter like albums. Pepsi and Toyota will contract him to promote their products more often. Thats all the bottom line.

[saracat]

16. Why are you responding if you don't care?

[Oregone]

17. Because people are up in arms of the results of a singing competition that isn't about singing...

Im just trying to promote a little understanding of what an "Idol" is. Its a frontman for a corporate music company. Once you understand that, don't care about the program or what the fuck they do on it.

That doesn't mean I don't find posts like this annoying