Favoritism Out of Control on American Idol's Season 8

For a long time, hardcore Idol fans have been complaining about "pimping," which means that the judges and producers favor a certain contestant and push for that contestant to go through, either with over-the-top reviews or with favorable placement in a given week in the competition, which is last or second-to-last.

Let us look at the first three weeks. Danny Gokey, the widower who tragically lost his wife four weeks before the auditions, was given the final singing spot of the night. This is colloquially known as the pimp spot, because last is best. Because the voting lines open as soon as the show ends, viewers will remember the singer they heard most recently. This almost always guarantees safety for the next week. Danny's rendition of Mariah Carey's Hero was nice, but three of the four judges gushed over him as if he were the next big star. He might very well become a superstar, but that performance was not as good as they made it out to be.

The following week had Adam Lambert in the final spot. Lambert is another who probably would have made it to the next round regardless, but it is almost as if the producers want to make sure that that would happen.

And during the week leading up to the final heat of the wild card round, bloggers speculated that Lil Rounds would go last. So I tuned in on Tuesday night and what do you know! Lil Rounds closed out the show.

This is not to say that this kind of favoritism did not exist in season's past. The judges are human, so it is to be expected that they will like some performers over others, and the producers have a vested interest in getting a win for the singer they perceive to be the most marketable and thus, most profitable. Yet you never saw such outright pimping (for lack of a better term) than you have this season, and it is turning off a lot of fans because this flies in the face of what the show is supposed to be about, namely, finding the best talent and letting the people decide.

Perhaps this is due to past winners who have not sold a lot of albums, such as Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard. Perhaps wanting to avoid a winner who is less marketable, the judges and producers are working extra hard to get their people through. Again, this is all speculation, and I have no evidence to back up these assertions, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck....