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First of all, let's get one thing straight: This is American Idol. It shouldn't be taken too seriously. I watch the show. I am a fan of the show. I admit that I want the winner to be good. I want the show to continue to be successful - but it's really not that big of a deal. Come on, folks. It's only a TV show.

Now that that's out of the way, we can move to full-on Dork Mode.

The public voting system that American Idol has put into effect (which has effectively been the same for each of the show's seasons) is great, from a television ratings point of view. It involves the public in the show directly, by making the process of finding the next "idol" interactive. The problem with open voting is...that it's open.

A new trend has emerged in American Idol voting. It has become popular to vote for the goofiest or worst contestant. Some do this in an attempt to sabotage the show. Others do it just to support their favorite part of the show, which happens to be the "bad" contestants.

Those that are trying to sabotage the show are simply laughable. The idea that organizing mass participation in something will hurt it in some way is ludicrous. No matter who you vote for, YOU'RE STILL VOTING. Also, don't you have to WATCH THE SHOW to know who to vote for? You're not punk-rock. You're not revolutionaries. You're only making the show stronger.

The people who vote for unlikely contestants because they want see more of that type of contestant on the show are more intriguing. These groups and individuals are creating a new dynamic within American Idol. It's becoming a different kind of game. The singers most likely to be eliminated from contention are those who are not at either extreme - really good or really...uh...something else.

Taylor Hicks was an American Idol contestant who was rumored to have had help from this "alternative" voting trend.

By the way, when I say "alternative," I mean simply that. I'm not talking about the ridiculously vague genre of music called "alternative," and I'm not talking about "alternative lifestyles." OK, enough explanation. Back to the point.

Taylor Hicks was an American Idol contestant who was rumored to have had help from this "alternative" voting trend. Taylor Hicks is not a terrible singer/performer, but he is goofy. It is likely that he simply caught the attention of the "alternative" viewers. These people found him fun to vote for because he was clearly NOT the traditional "pop star." He was very different from that stereotype. Whether they

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