As in: Media , Reading

Regarding American Idol, it seems to me the yucksters over at Vote for the Worst (link unavailable when I checked, see this article) are the strange grandchildren of Michel de Certeau.

This pledge is to keep whoever we've selected as the worst competitor in the competition by voting for them for the entire time alotted every week. Even if you live outside of America, tell people about the pledge and spread the word. At the top of this page, we will post a banner with the contestant that we're supporting. If you so choose, vote along with us and help keep the no talent of the week in the competition.

These folks are indeed making do with what TV offers them. They're interacting, taking this pre-packaged show and making their own fun of it. Perhaps this is where sampling and mixing come in. What if they re-cut AI episodes to look like the people they wanted to win won? Does interacting with the show on its own terms (esp. given the likely manipulation of voting totals by Fox execs) make do, or are they just giving the show more publicity? Perhaps this is just a more direct version of the William Hung phenomenon.

Vote for the worst directly opposes one of my film students from UF, who told me that she was a rabid Clay Aiken fan (during that year on AI), and that she participated with a group of folks who made collage-videos for his songs and posted them online. Making do indeed.

Posted by briley at May 4, 2005 9:12 AM