Vote for the Worst
A website that rallied votes for the worst talent show contestants.
VoteForTheWorst.com (VFTW) was a website that encouraged viewers to vote for the worst, most entertaining, most hated, or quirkiest contestants on television talent competitions such as American Idol and The Voice. It gained widespread attention during the sixth season of American Idol for its support of Sanjaya Malakar, who became a cultural phenomenon. The site also ran a weekly radio show featuring guests including Ayla Brown, Trenyce, and Todrick Hall.
Quick Facts
- Registration
- Optional
- Owner
- VoteForTheWorst.com
- Author
- Dave Della Terza
- Launched
- 2004
- Current status
- Shut Down June 2013
Facts from the source article.
History
VFTW began on the Survivor Sucks message board before moving to a GeoCities website during the third season of American Idol. Its first pick was Jennifer Hudson, whom the site called "Boomquisha Santiago" or "Boomie," but it never supported her again after she improved. A shot of Hudson's cousin with folded arms during her performance of "Circle of Life" inspired the name "Whatevia," which became the namesake of VFTW's annual awards. The site upset regular viewers by backing John Stevens and Jasmine Trias, though it remained largely unknown to the public. In season four, VFTW moved to its own domain name and gained notoriety when Scott Savol outlasted Constantine Maroulis in the top 6 and Kevin Covais reached the top 11 in season five. Season six was a turning point: the site broke the story of Antonella Barba's racy online pictures and proved that the most explicit images were not of her. After Barba and Sundance Head were eliminated, VFTW picked Sanjaya Malakar, who lasted six more weeks and became a household name with support from Howard Stern. Entertainment Weekly called Malakar the most popular VFTW candidate ever.
Expansion to other shows
Following its American Idol success, VFTW expanded to other shows. It supported Casey Leblanc's six-week run on Canadian Idol 3 and Jaydee Bixby's nine-week run from the final 10 to the final 2 on Canadian Idol 5. The site also backed Bristol Palin on Dancing with the Stars. It had some success with Light of Doom on The Next Great American Band but could not help Boy Shakira on America's Got Talent.
Reaction from American Idol
American Idol producers rarely acknowledged VFTW, but executive producer Nigel Lythgoe called it "a fly buzzing around a cow" during season six to downplay its influence. In later seasons, Lythgoe sent humorous tweets to the site's Twitter account. Legal action was threatened by fans, but neither Fox nor the series issued statements about lawsuits. Della Terza claimed lawyers from the program contacted him twice about filing a lawsuit, but none was filed. Some fans accused VFTW of promoting hate speech and bullying, yet several contestants embraced the site. Josiah Leming joined the website and gave an interview to its radio show. Chris Sligh said "Hi, Dave" to creator Della Terza during a top 11 performance show. Sligh, Phil Stacey, and others posted on the site's message board. Amanda Overmyer and Crystal Bowersox also expressed support.
VFTW-supported contestants
VFTW supported contestants across twelve seasons of American Idol. In season 3, picks included Jennifer Hudson (semifinals week 1 only), John Stevens (top 10 to top 6), and Jasmine Trias (top 5 to top 3, third place). Season 4 picks included Scott Savol (top 9 to top 5) and Carrie Underwood (top 3 to finale, winner). Season 5 picks included Kevin Covais (semifinals week 3 to top 11), Kellie Pickler (semifinals week 3, top 10 to top 6), and Taylor Hicks (top 5 to finale, winner). Season 6 picks included Sanjaya Malakar (top 12 to top 7) and Blake Lewis (top 3 to finale, runner-up). Season 7 picks included Amanda Overmyer (semifinals week 2 to top 11) and David Archuleta (top 3 to finale, runner-up). Season 8 picks included Megan Joy (top 13 to top 9) and Kris Allen (finale, winner). Season 9 picks included Tim Urban (men's semifinals week 1 to top 7, tied for longest-running VFTW pick) and Lee DeWyze (finale, winner). Season 10 picks included Paul McDonald (top 13 to top 8) and Scotty McCreery (finale, winner). Season 11 picks included Heejun Han (top 10 to top 9) and Phillip Phillips (top 7 to finale, winner). Season 12 picks included Lazaro Arbos (top 10 to top 6) and Kree Harrison (top 4 to finale, runner-up). The site also supported Cher Maendel, Dave Moffatt, and Keely Hutton in season 3 of Canadian Idol.
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