Malakar Mania!

Are you asking me why would I be writing about a show and performer I have absolutely no interest in?

Why not? Everybody is doing it. Why shouldn't I?

Without watching a single performance of Sanjaya Malakar, I have gathered the following titbits about him. Some of them might be true and some of them might not. Readers of this blog should know by now that I don't care much for veracity.

1. He's the worst contender to come this far on American Idol

2. He's the most yahoo-ed and google-ed American Idol contestant ever

3. Simon Cowell has threatened to quit of Sanjaya wins (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this happens. If Simon quits, Idol will stink and sink. And not a day too soon!)

4. Along the lines of point #3, there is a web-site now http://www.ifsanjayawins.com/. Apparently, people come up with the worst thing that could happen to them, and put this down after "If Sanjaya wins ...". For example, here are a couple:

If Sanjaya wins, I will go on a date with Michael Richards to a 50 Cent concert.
If Sanjaya wins, I will tongue wash all the toilets in Grand Central Station.

Well, that's about it. Sanjaya already has a wiki page. I wasn't surprised. But what shocked me was that his sister Shyamali's name was mentioned with her own wiki reference. Yes, that's right. She's the hooters girl who got eliminated early. Her only claim to fame being that she was an Indian girl working at hooters. And ofcourse, she's Sanjaya's sister. Thankfully, when I went to her wiki page, I found this:

It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern:

Lack of noteworthiness warranting its own page

Thank God for those wiki soldiers (read 'editors' or 'gatekeepers') marching on tiressly bringing some order and sanity to our lives.

It is a well-known fact that past American Idol contenders have been 'carried' by certain segments of population irrespective of how they actually perform each week. The public pick their favorite contestant right at the start of the season and continue voting and canvassing for him/her through the season. If only, these leaders of tomorrow put some of this thought and energy into presidential elections.

Now, the million-dollar question is whether desis are carrying him in this competition. We desis, as everyone knows, are hypocrites. We cannot stand another desi getting popular, showing off, doing un-desi things, being talked about, bringing all Indians a bad name, everyone stereotyping Indians etc ("do you go to school on elephants?"). We'll be trashing them and distancing ourselves. At the same time, we'll also be proud of having 'one of our own' enter the mainstream consciousness of this country. So which way do we sway in Sanjaya's case? I do believe that desis who've been regularly watching the show and voting for idols are firmly supporting Sanjaya. This comes from a carefully mutated genetic tendency to "stick to your own" that has been the boon and bane for us desis in this country. How else would you explain a mediocre singer like Sanjaya making it thus far in this competition?

Here's another thought. Maybe, in this show - as in real life - its not always the best singers who come out successful. Its the complete package - talent, showmanship, looks, age, style, gender etc. And probably Sanjaya has hit something there that we aren't aware of.

Well, whatever the reason be, I don't begrudge Sanjaya his 15 minutes in the limelight. Regardless of what the media, public and Simon think of him, he's been smiling his way to the top every week. Or so I hear! You have to give it up to the guy for believing in himself and not taking shit from anyone. Maybe if he makes it to the final show, I might just get myself to watch him. Secretly, ofcourse...