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| URL | http://www.votefortheworst.com |
| Commercial? | Yes |
| Type of site | Entertainment website |
| Registration | Optional |
| Owner | VoteForTheWorst.com |
| Created by | Dave Della Terza |
| Launched | 2004 |
VoteForTheWorst.com (VFTW) is a website that is devoted to voting for the worst, most entertaining, most hated or quirkiest contestants on the Fox Network television series American Idol. Smaller campaigns have also been started on the site for CTV's Canadian Idol, Fox's On the Lot and The Next Great American Band, NBC's America's Got Talent and ABC's Dancing with the Stars. The website was started in 2004 during American Idol's third season.
Contents |
History
VFTW started at the Survivor Sucks message board[1] and moved to a GeoCities website during season three of American Idol. The very first VFTW pick during Season 3 was Jennifer Hudson during the semi-finals (but the site never picked her again as she improved in further weeks).[2] The site began to upset regular Idol viewers with their support of John Stevens and Jasmine Trias, but it was largely unknown to the general public at this time.
During American Idol's fourth season, the site moved to its own domain name. VFTW gained its first bit of notoriety when Scott Savol outlasted Constantine Maroulis in the top 6 of Idol's fourth season[3] and again appeared in the news when underage crooner Kevin Covais made it to the top 11 in season five.[4]
Season six of American Idol became a turning point for the website due to its support of candidates Antonella Barba and Sanjaya Malakar. Vote for the Worst was one of the first websites to break the story about Antonella Barba's racy online pictures.[5] The site then made headlines by proving that the raciest pictures that appeared online (involving a Barba lookalike performing a sexual act) were not of Barba.[6] After Barba and Sundance Head were voted out of the competition, Vote for the Worst selected Sanjaya Malakar as their pick. Malakar went on to last 6 more weeks in the competition, becoming a cultural phenomenon while gaining momentum along the way with support from celebrities such as Howard Stern.[7] Entertainment Weekly called Malakar "the most popular Vote for the Worst candidate ever" and Malakar helped make Vote for the Worst a household name.[8]
Season seven of American Idol saw the site stir up some major controversies. As the season began, Vote for the Worst posted a blog that season seven was being stacked with contestants with prior music industry experience[9] and the controversy was picked up by news sources, including MTV, who decided to ask American Idol producer Ken Warwick about the issue.[10] The site went a step further to also prove that Randy Jackson, a judge on American Idol, was the vice president of A&R at MCA Records while Carly Smithson, a season 7 contestant, recorded an album there.[11] The second controversy started by the site was exposing contestant David Hernandez as a former gay stripper.[12] Outside all of the controversies, Vote for the Worst supported Kristy Lee Cook during the time that judge favorite Michael Johns was eliminated,[13] as well as Brooke White when more popular Carly Smithson was eliminated.[14]
During season eight of American Idol, Vote for the Worst's longest running contestant was Megan Joy[15], a quirky singer from Utah who made bird noises.[16] The site also posted pictures of popular contestant Adam Lambert kissing another man[17], leading the general public to question Adam's sexuality due to the fact that he had not discussed this topic on the show.[18] Bill O'Reilly ran Vote for the Worst's pictures of Adam during a news segment, but the show cropped the pictures to eliminate the actual kiss.[19]
Expansion to Other Shows
Because of the success of their American Idol campaign, Vote for the Worst has expanded its site to sometimes include other shows. The site's biggest focus outside of American Idol is on Canadian Idol. VFTW has had a mixed bag of results for this show. The three biggest successes were Casey Leblanc's 6 week run during Canadian Idol 3,[20] Jaydee Bixby's unprecedented 9 week "worst" run from the final 10 to the final 2 during Canadian Idol 5,[21] and the infamous Cloris Leachman on Dancing with the Stars 7. Other contestants from Canadian Idol have supported the site, including Montana Martin Iles[22] and Tyler Mullendore.[23]
Vote for the Worst's mixed bag extends to other shows. The site has had some success with a group like Light of Doom during The Next Great American Band[24], but was unable to help others such as Boy Shakira during America's Got Talent.[25]
Not all of the shows mentioned on VFTW are in a bad way. The site is a big fan of America's Best Dance Crew and supported Fanny Pak in season 2. There was also an unofficial group that supported Dynamic Edition in season 3.
Reaction from American Idol
American Idol producers rarely acknowledge the site, but Nigel Lythgoe, an executive producer, did issue a statement, calling Vote for the Worst "a fly buzzing around a cow" to play down any press the site had received about being influential.[26] Legal action has been threatened against the website from fans of American Idol, but to date neither Fox nor the series have issued statements regarding any lawsuits.[27] Della Terza claims that lawyers involved with the program have contacted him twice about filing a lawsuit, but nothing has yet been filed against the site.[28]
Many contestants from American Idol, though, have embraced the site. Josiah Leming, a contestant from season 7, is a member of the website and gave an interview to their weekly radio show.[29] Chris Sligh, a season 6 contestant, gave a shoutout to site creator Della Terza during the top 11 performance show by saying "Hi, Dave."[30] Sligh and fellow contestant Phil Stacey have also posted on the site's message board,[31][32] along with many other former contestants such as Brenna Gethers,[33] Chris Labelle,[34] Phuong Pham,[35] and Montana Martin Iles.[36] Season 7 finalist Amanda Overmyer has also been vocal about her support of the website.[37] Vote for the Worst also has a weekly radio show that has featured guests such as Trenyce,[38] Leslie Hunt,[39] and Steffi DiDomenicantonio.[40]
VFTW-supported contestants
American IdolSeason 3[41]
Season 4[42]
Season 5[43]
Season 6[44]
Season 7[45]
Season 8[45]
|
Canadian IdolSeason 3[46]
Season 4[45]
Season 5[45]
Season 6[45]
On the LotSeason 1
America's Got TalentSeason 2
The Next Great American BandSeason 1 Clash of the ChoirsSeason 1 America's Best Dance crewSeason 2 Dancing With The StarsSeason 5 Season 7 I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!Season 2
X Factor (UK)Season 6 |
References
- ^ Survivor Sucks Messageboard: "'Vote The Worst' Pledge; Jasmalien!"
- ^ American Idol 3 | Vote for the Worst
- ^ Constantine voted off American Idol 4; is Vote for the Worst campaign to blame?
- ^ USA Today - 'Idol' mystery: Sky isn't falling on Kevin
- ^ Reality Blurred: Antonella’s topless photos go unmentioned but Simon says Ryan is “trying to date” Alaina
- ^ February 28, 2007 Update: Antonella Barba Gets to Stay!
- ^ Vote for the Worst: Howard Stern Shoutout
- ^ August 29, 2008 American Idol | A chat with the creator of Vote for the Worst
- ^ Vote for the Worst | The Truth About the Contestants of American Idol 7
- ^ MTV News: 'American Idol' Executive Producer Weighs In On Some Contestants' Professional Backgrounds
- ^ Radar Online: Randy Jackson Using American Idol to Push His Failed Artists?
- ^ Strip club: 'Idol' once danced here
- ^ Michael Johns is Eliminated, VFTW Victory!
- ^ CARLY IS GONE CELEBRATION RADIO SHOW!!!
- ^ Vote for the Worst declares victory as Megan Joy hangs on
- ^ Utahn exits 'Idol' with a 'Caw Caw!'
- ^ Adam Lambert Has Pictures of Himself Kissing Another Guy
- ^ Adam Lambert: America's First Gay 'Idol'?
- ^ Bill O'Reilly Outs Adam Lmabert. Sort Of...
- ^ Vote for the Worst: Canadian Idol 3
- ^ a b "Vote for the Worst: Jaydee Bixby - VFTW's Longest Running Pick Ever". http://www.votefortheworst.com/forum/topic3413.html. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
- ^ Vote for the Worst: CI5 Episode 16: Top 9 Perform Songs from the '60s: "Who Cares...Montana's A Worster!"
- ^ Vote for the Worst: He's Seen'er, Buddy - Tyler Mullendore Loves VFTW
- ^ a b Next Great American Band Spoilers for 12/14/07
- ^ Boy Shakira Eliminated: Shame on You, America
- ^ The founder of Vote for the Worst talks about Sanjaya and 'American Idol'
- ^ Enjoying their worst
- ^ Sour Note: Is a Web Site Altering 'Idol'?
- ^ Josiah Leming Talk to VFTW Radio
- ^ Vote for the Worst: Top 11: BEST.SHOW.EVER. Sanjaya Rules and Sligh Gives Us a Shoutout
- ^ Vote for the Worst: Chris Sligh
- ^ Vote for the Worst: Phil Stacey
- ^ Vote for the Worst: Brenna on VFTW
- ^ Vote for the Worst: Chris Labelle in the house... hahahaha
- ^ Vote for the Worst: New to VFTW...AI 6 Alumnus... Phuong Pham
- ^ Vote for the Worst: Montana Martin Iles - The TRUE Winner of CI5
- ^ Chile Wedding Shoutout
- ^ VFTW Radio Presents Trenyce (American Idol 2)
- ^ VFTW Radio Presents Leslie Hunt (American Idol 6)
- ^ Vote for the Worst Radio Premieres THIS WEDNESDAY with Guest Steffi D!
- ^ "VFTW American Idol 3". Hall of Fame. http://www.votefortheworst.com/20040610/american_idol_3. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ "VFTW American Idol 4". Hall of Fame. http://www.votefortheworst.com/20050601/american_idol_4. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ "VFTW American Idol 5". Hall of Fame. http://www.votefortheworst.com/20060601/american_idol_5. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- ^ "VFTW American Idol 6". Hall of Fame. http://www.votefortheworst.com/20070609/american_idol_6. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
- ^ a b c d e "Master List of Past VFTW Picks". http://www.votefortheworst.com/forum/topic3727.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ^ "VFTW Canadian Idol 3". Hall of Fame. http://www.votefortheworst.com/20051101/canadian_idol_3. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
- ^ Lot #2b Circling the Drain.
- ^ Vote for the Worst: You've Won Us Over - Everyone Vote for Boy Shakira on America's Got Talent
- ^ View topic - Clash of the Choirs - LACHEYOWNAGE! VFTW VICTORY! | Vote for the Worst Message Board
External links
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