Producers, network defend show's results
Advertiser News Services
LOS ANGELES — Was La Toya London knocked off "American Idol" by a tidal wave of Hawai'i support for Jasmine Trias or something more sinister?
Although Trias, of Mililani, flubbed her performance this week, it was judges' favorite London whom viewers sent packing.
An anguished "Why?" rose from the ranks of her fans and bewildered "American Idol" judges, as it did when another standout contestant, Jennifer Hudson, was booted off last month.
Maybe it was simply the result of overwhelming Hawai'i support for Trias. Others, however, raised the bleak possibility of racism or a misguided system that allows multiple votes.
"American Idol" producers and Fox issued a statement yesterday defending the show.
"The producers and network have gone to great lengths to (ensure) the integrity of the voting process on 'American Idol.' America votes, an independent company calculates the tally, and the show reports those results," the statement said.
Left standing in the Fox talent contest are Trias, Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo. The finale is May 25-26, when one singer wins the "Idol" crown and a record contract.
Acerbic judge Simon Cowell, who had called Tuesday's disco-song performance by Trias "really average karaoke," had suggested there was one chance for her survival.
"You better hope that every household in Hawai'i has at least five telephones, because you're going to need all the support you can get," Cowell told a tearful Trias.
One phone company's records might hold clues to why her weeping proved unwarranted.
Hawai'i's 1.25 million population completed a total of 1.23 million calls in the two-hour voting period after Tuesday's show, a large portion of which were for "Idol," says Kevin Laverty of Verizon. That's 24,000 more than were recorded in New Jersey, which has seven times the population. Overall, Hawai'i logged more calls than all of Verizon's 29 coverage states, except for New York and California, in the post-"Idol" hours.
"Idol" viewers can vote as often as they wish within two hours of the broadcast.
It's possible there was a regional factor beyond state pride. Because of the time difference — Hawai'i is six hours behind the East Coast — viewers in the Islands might enjoy a less-crowded calling period to cast votes.
Though island votes helped Trias, they make up only a small portion of a national total that regularly tops 25 million. Other theories abound about how the vote veered so wildly from the consensus of judges and observers:
• The stealth return of "American Juniors." Many "Idol" followers believe children and teens, who are more likely to be passionate and prolific voters, lean toward their own age group, which includes DeGarmo and Trias.
• The reverse Simon. Some fans appear to be casting votes against the judges, especially caustic Cowell. When Cowell ripped John Stevens, voters kept him. When he praised the 16-year-old, voters let him go.
• The personality factor. "This is not a competition for best singer," executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said. "You vote for your next American Idol. You need a lot of other things. You need charisma, you need warmth. Maybe America felt La Toya had a fantastic voice but she wasn't as warm."
He and others suggest Trias' tears after Tuesday's performance might have gained her votes.
London concedes that she's reserved and that young voters might relate more to her younger competitors. But she isn't analyzing the vote. "I want to move forward," she says. "I know my career is going to do well, because I'm not going to stop."
The most unsettling speculation centered on the possibility of racism, which was also raised when Hudson lost viewer support. London and Hudson are black.
Even pop star Elton John, who has participated in the show, said recently that he suspected racial bias was a factor in the voting.
In Internet chatter and conversation yesterday, fans of the show speculated that race may have been a factor in the first season's early elimination of Tamyra Gray — and with the recent votes. Some said their opinions were unaltered by last season's victory by Ruben Studdard, who's black.
In contrast to the show's vote, an AOL online poll that attracted 300,000 votes this week had London the likely winner. Before Wednesday's show, 47 percent of the votes picked London as the next "Idol," followed by Barrino with 26 percent, DeGarmo with 21 percent and Trias with 6 percent.
It's unusual for the ongoing survey to be so out of whack with the show's results, said an AOL spokeswoman. In the week that Hudson was voted off, for example, she was ranked low in the online poll.
Fox, which releases scant voting data, declined yesterday to provide a geographical breakdown on the count.
The audience determines the contest's outcome, with the three-judge panel only providing commentary after having narrowed the field early in the contest.
The Associated Press and USA Today contributed to this report.
