April 8th, 2011
05:38 PM ET
'Showbiz Tonight' Flashpoint: Is 'American Idol’s' Voting System Flawed?Like so many people today, I’m still in shock over Pia Toscano getting voted off “American Idol.” She’s so talented and she had a good shot to win the whole thing. A lot of people are outraged. They're saying the “Idol” voting system is all messed up, that it shouldn’t just be decided by viewer votes and that judges should get a say in the finals - like “Dancing with the Stars.” They should look into changing the voting system NEXT season so you're only able to vote once per text, phone call or online. To change it now would be unfair to those contestant who are already gone. But for now, it is what it is. Pia’s done (although I think she’s definitely going to get a record deal). Speaking of “Dancing,” talk show host Wendy Williams will be right here for a "Showbiz Tonight" Newsmaker interview. She was recently dumped from “Dancing with the Stars.” Wendy will reveal what Pia must be going through – one day you’re there, the next day you’re gone. Tell us what you think in the comments below. Some other big stories we’re fired up about today… Startling attack on Bristol Palin, who makes $260,000 for speaking out about teen abstinence The very first star reaction to Donald Trump possibly running for President “Jersey Shore” multiplies, but does the cast have staying power? Plus, we’re naming the Most Provocative Celebrity of the week. The nominees: Donald Trump, Pia Toscano and Mariah Carey (who recently posed nude on the cover of Life & Style). Who do you think it should be? Vote here. See you live at 5 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET/PT on HLN!
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I've totally lost interest in american idol because the show is judged so infairly I thought american idol was judged upon the best singer not most popular. So at the end who is really The American Idol ? Will we ever really know???
Pia was by far ,the best vocalist of this season 10 of A.I. which will and should transform to her having a great music career !! Her humbleness,beauty and great talent will definitely take her places !!
Everyone is so upset over this girl getting voted out, why? I bet half the people that are upset didn't even vote. If you don't vote its going to happen right? Enough already...She will get somthing out of this..
BETTER QUESTION: Is the voting RIGGED!?
It doesn't seem to matter who gets the most votes. If contestants make it to the final 12 or so and they're really good, they will sign a record label regardless of what their standing is. Pia isn't crying by any means. She got more recognition being voted off than if she would have stayed. She's already well on her way to signing with a record label, she's been contacted by several celebrities, Tom Haniks included. Remember Reuben Stoddard and Clay Aikins? Reuben won. Hear of him lately? Clay, the loser, went on to record, tour, and make a name for himself. So it matters not, how many votes you get, if you're that good, you'll end up a winner.
Just to remind everyone. . . . American Idol says to vote for your favorite. It doesn't mention they have to be the best vocalist. I may decide my favorite contestant by a combination of their voice (and remember, what I like may not be what you like) their stage presence, and yes, their appearance. The best technical voice may not be the one I want to buy a CD full of music from. To have the Judges have some sort of permanent "veto" power over the votes of the viewing audience just raises the question, why have the viewers vote? Change the name to Judge's Idol and be done with it. Let's not insult each other just because we have different tastes. Just Saying.
Dead show walking. The voting has always been flawed. Surprised that Carrie actually won when she did. The most talented need not always win, but it shouldn't be left to those who are so fanatical to vote 500 times to pick the winner.
I was in total shock!
I just wonder how Stefano felt?
A mistake wasn't made. People didn't vote. The judges picked some bad contestants for the top top 13 anyway.
Young girls find Pia too complex, mature, classy to understand. This is the problem. Most of these tweeny girls are molded like spring breakers ready to drop their breasts for their male idols.
You are funny. I did not know that you knew the reason people voted the way they did. Tell me why I voted the way I did.
AI has not been the same since Fantasia won. Honestly, I only watch AI when auditions are taking place. After that, I do not watch it. I do not think America should solely vote, the judges should have some say so on who stays and goes. It is almost like a popularity contest. *Kanyeshrug
Pia had a beautiful voice, no doubt, but she lacked in stage performance. She just stood there. She sounded great, looked great, but in the end, boring to watch. I don't believe she should have won AI in the end, but it could be argued there are others that should have left before her. As far as voting goes, there should be a limit to the amount of votes received from one phone, but judges should have more say. They are pointless really. These judges are soft on these constestants and have praised really weak performances, bad ones even. And in the end, does what they say even matter? They make no decisions...
So, I have often said that to make the voting system work on A.I., you need to vote for who goes home, not who stays. I think the results would be VERY different.
I agree with Tom J...
When Sanjaya was voted off I lost all respect for AI! Hahaha!
Just get rid of the show entirely...the premise is tired, the results get whined over every season and in an environment where we are supposed to be discouraging bullying, what do we call the entire televised audition process where we make fun of the less talented?
Hi eddie
Paul and Casey are horrible. The judges made a huge error when they used their save on Casey. It really should have been used on Pia. But in reality, it doesn't matter who wins. The talented people go on to do big things anyway. Look at Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry.
To all you little squirts that voted for your favorite cuties......congrats!
Pia had a most awesome voice and was a stunning singer – but she was also lacklustre in the personality department on stage and wasn't very stimulating to watch – its not just about singing alas – if it was she'd win easily – its about being an 'idol' – someone who inspires others in some way. If pop music were soley about singing talent then Lady gaga's (to mention just one person out there today) career would've been very short.
Gman, you're not very smart.
Here's the way they should do it: America votes their brains out, but the judges should score each contestant – make 'em earn their money – with their scores kept secret until the results show. Then the bottom 3 are picked out according to the judge's scores and the lowest vote-getter among them gets the boot.
Not bad, I like it
The system is all backwards! The voters should be voting for the contestant they think should be kicked off. That way the volumn of votes will not matter as mutch.
@ tim u r right women r at a disadvantage on idol tween and teenage girls vote for the cute boy not the talented vocalist and its sad that a great show will die off b/c of teenage hormones people will decide not to watch what for when the best talent will fall by the wayside while awful performers move on a disgrace to talent compition
Casey is not a good looking person, so your theory about girls voting for the cute guy is jive with the real situation. People who love Pia are just looking for an excuse to blame everyone else but Pia. She was boring. Great singer, but boring. She seem scared to sing and she did not show any confidence in herself. Very easy to see that.
Pia really was the best performer on the show. All the other girls have rather bland plain singing voices. The little huy that tries to sing like Elvis and talks in the deep voice is just about retaarded. Maybe he is getting the 11 or 12 year old girl vote. The bearded guy is just dumb. Every season I do the same thing. They sucker me in to watching the show then the best get kicked off. I am through for this season. No more American Idol for me.
Remember jordan sparks one of the worst winners ever she cant eveb book a gig at the county fair
idol if it continues with the current voting format will not last much longer
The reason in my opinion Ms. Toscano was voted off by the public was not because she is not good at singing, because she is great, the reason is that the public does not want Ms. Toscano to be restrained by American Idol's rules. If she had won she might not be able to colaborate with other artists , or pose in any mag she may want to pose in, in the future. So thats why America voted the way it did. Know it is tuff Ms. toscano but know that your now free to sign with the hundreds of lables that will no doubt what you. 🙂
Remember Chris Daughtry? He was voted off 5 weeks before the final. It was at that point that I began railing against the illegitimate Idol voting system. How can a show like American Idol allow more than one vote per voter and expect anyone in their right mind to consider the enterprise legitimate? Regarding Pia, however, I have to say that, for reasons only they would know, Randy and the gang have vastly overrated a throat singer who strains mightily to reach her high notes and often sounds screechy. Jacob, on the other hand, has enormous breath control and his tone, particularly in his lower register, shows his training. Which brings to mind a second question, does the man have any concept of vocal talent?
Actually, Daughtry didn't get voted off 5 weeks before the final. He finished in 4th place. This was only 2 week before the final.
Seacrest likes the chubby pickle and is a gay wad
I thought Pia would, and deserved to win. I didn't voted for her because I thought enough others would, and tried to help two others stay in. I'm sure I'm not the only one who unfortunately, made this mistake. Pia will have a career, we are just missing what else she would have sung on AL. (Check You Tube, if you want to hear more.)
I stopped watching this b/s called a singing contest about 3 yrs ago the best talent hasnt won in a long time teenage girls vote for the cute male they like and if the voting system doesnt change the show will get much worse pretty boys/girls that cant hold a note in a bucket while win record deals they dont deserve u should get 1 vote period
Pia was gonna go,just a little sooner than I thought. CHANGE the VOTING SYSTEM, PLEASE!!!.
whatever u say i think if u are a pretty girl u should be smooching with me right now. any pretty girl that doeant like me is just dumb. i am nice and would treat u like an angel or princess. guess thats why i am posting on here right now. pretty girls dont want to bne treated nice.
I'll say it again....A.I.'s voting system drastically needs amendment. Pia should never have been eliminated. And I hear on Wednesday night, in the recap, her voting number was not shown. People should be asked to vote for the contestant they want taken from the show, instead of voting for the one they want to keep. The judges should definitely have a % of the vote (around 50% would be fair). They at least know what they're talking about and know talent when they see it. The teenieboppers haven't a clue....they just want to woo the young boys. Change up or step out, American Idol.
What's the difference between voting for your favorite or voting for the person you think should leave? It's all the same as long as there is this stupid gazillion vote texting system mastered by young and mostly musically illiterate tweeny girls with cell phones. That has to change.
The Judges should be judgeing the Singing Competion, NOT trying to change or direct the contestants!!!!! Pia voice is one of the best and we all agree on that. Remember, all the contestants that were told, No by the judges.the contestants only sang infont of the judges, no dancing, no gimmicks, just there voice. Now the show begins and the judges are trying guide the contestants that is WRONG!!!! They should DO there job and judge the voices of the contestants. The voting has to change also... J lo and Randy owe this girl an apology!!!!
I think Pia was the best thing on that show and casey was one of the worst to be honest. I was shocked to see her at the bottom and to be sent home....just shocked!
The judges knew that they screwed up by using their save too early. Pia was the most talented on the show. She is just like any other new performer – she needs some coaching on stages performance, but that will come.
The voters did get it right. Come on....where was the stage presence...where was the personality? Just soooooo boring. Good voice...glam too but I wouldn't be paying my CDN$ for her CDs. Also, I thought AI judges were supposed to be impartial. What was all that fuss about Pia departure from them!
I vote to change the channel. Wrestling is much more entertaining and REAL. not fixed at all.
Let the judges decide! They are the professionals. Half of these people voting are little girls, ie. "Tweens", who base their vote on how cute someone is. It's a SINGING contest, not a cute contest! This show needs to pull their heads out of their asses and change the voting process. Untill then, this will happen again and again! What a joke.
No way do I want a judge to choose for me. They sometimes praise someone while they are sitting there listening to them live, and then they change there mind once they watch it back on tv and catch a lot of stuff they miss. And there have been times when they praise people I could not stand singing. So no Judges. They are sometime bias just like people on here who are bias towards Pia, very pretty thing I might add. But was very boring. But she really could sing but not doing it for me in that department.
One vote from a phone; one vote from a PC and one text vote...multiple votes...up to 50 votes from one device is ridiculous!
I would have sent the black male contestant home after his disrespectful editorial comment.
american idol is to political, she was probably voted off because some record label wants her. can't be signed while your on the show.
she should have just tkaen off her clothers
Does anyone remember the season when David Cook won? It came down to the final 2, David Cook and David Archuletta. I remember reading something about a possible voting scandal then. Not sure, but I think it may have been Season 7. It had something to do with computers being rigged to keep voting over/over/over. Something like the mass texting of today. I dont want to give any wrong info here, and I cant exactly remember the facts. Maybe someone else out there remembers what Im talking about? Id like to know
You are all so blind and immature. American Idol is not about looks, dancing, movement, personality, etc. etc. etc.
It is about SINGING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PIA was the best singer on the show hands down. The Italian – boring..........
Haley – whatever........ The screaming rocker – been there, done that. The blond guy with the girl voice????????
The beard who was voted off already.......... and the fat young blond girl!!!!! Get real.
It's about being an IDOL..."The Whole package" The signing, the looks, the performane" etc.
She was one of my favorites..... I don't know if she would have won the whole thing, but she should not have left before a lot of others.
Its about being an Ido. It was obvious that she wasnt. You have to be able to pull everyone in from all age groups. Pia did not. Haley seems to be doing it. Does it mean Haley is a better singer than Pia? No but she was more fun to watch and listen to then Pia. Get it, not very hard to understand unless you have blinders on and refuse to digest the truth.
hello! I'm sorry, but....YEAH, they should change the voting ruleing on american Idol!!
I understand how it works and obviously if they can vote off Pia when she was the BEST singer on the show, there is a problem! Maybe they could take all America's votes into consideration and actually let the professional judges make the final descision! That would make more sense to me. Isn't that what they should be there for in the first place! thankx. nic
Only allow people over 30 to vote. That will kill the show and it will die a hasty death.
i wish i could wiggle around. never was able to even when i was young. i am backo retardo. the one with the twisty retarded back : )
What?????
I should be on that show because I have a voice of an angel! I'm sure I can bark out a tune or two with my heavy smoker's voce and rocking on stage shaking my fat rump 🙂
who cares. i am not watching it anymore. only 1 person less so they dont care. they got the 12 year old girl vote captured. that is all that matters to them. plus it is just a tv show. they can make up votes or even just decide the outcome and pretend this or that person had so many votes. it is just a fake tv show. i am not watching anymore. who cares.
i didn't like her and would never have voted for her. boring as hell and brought nothing different to the table. Is this about being an idol or just having good pipes? Scotty McCreary, Alaina, James Durbin, Casey... now those guys are different. Not some classically trained Pia. ugh. glad she's gone.
James is mt favorite.....He does sound like Adam Lambert....Who should have won when he was a contestant.
Totally agree. You sure got that right.
It would be much more accurate if viewers voted to send someone home, not their favorite. Of course the producers know this, they must have a financial reason to allow multiple voting for favorites.
The financial stake of the show is by announcing 55 million votes as they did last week it sounds like a lot more people are watching the show then there actually are. 55 million sounds like a lot, but in reality if every person voted their full 50 votes on the website, that is only a little over 1 million viewers. It's AI's way of masking their true viewership to their advertisers so they can make more money off of them.
I agree with Linda's post. The right person isn't winning idol anymore due to the power of text voting. It is obvious that Adam was way more popular but the southern states, especially Arkansas, rallied behind Kris, with the help of AT&T representatives, I might add, and that's why he won. Allowing only a certain number of votes per person would solve this problem and the show would be fair again. As it is, I quit voting after Adam lost. Don't want to waste my time. This year Scotty will take it since he's from Alabama.
Just exactly how and who will get to define the 'right' people? The right people is the lasting one standing by the design of the system. So stop whining.
I think they should limit the votes the way DWTS does. If there are 13 contestants, then you get a total of 13 votes per device (13 votes with a telephone number, 13 votes by texting, and 13 votes online). So the max would be 39. As contestants leave, you get less and less votes. This would properly predict how the contestant would do IN REAL LIFE after Idol. Exit polls showed that 66% of the voters supported Adam Lambert and 33% supported Kris Allen; but with massive unlimited text voting Kris won. So Kris received MORE votes, but had half as many ACTUAL PERSONS VOTING.
There is debate that it won't be changed because the unlimited nature of it makes AT&T money. But especially this season it's showing how tremendously flawed it is.
Also, the unlimited texting tends to appeal to die-hard fans and teenage girls. Most viewers (like older adults) watch the show and may vote one or two times for someone they like. A lot of the teenage girls, however, are NOT buying the contestants' albums once they're off Idol.
I agree that the American Idol system is flawed-only 1-one vote per person from caller.
American Idol is not about talent-it is about how many teenyboppers will text 500 votes to Scotty,Kris, or Lee.
I have stopped watching American Idol because of this and will join a boycott of the show until the voting system is changed and fair
Yikes! Now America Idol will go from 28 million viewers, to 27,999,999.
you're wrong..............Idol IS ABOUT TALENT............granted the voting system is flawed however many young talented performers get the necessary exposure to get a record deal, whether they win or not........
I agree, you can be THE worst on that show...and as long as you have enough friends to vote for you...Your in!
either way stefano was going to be safe, to be a singer you should be charismatic and appeal to your viewers, maybbe Pia is a nice girl but she doesnt have dedicated fans like the others contestants,
fano is there cause he has fans who vote for him, go fano!
I like Stafano, and his story is truly touching. But, so far he's been a one trick pony....Everythig he sing's sound the same.
.......and the other contestants are not painful to watch?????? Listen and open your eyes...the same can be said for all of them.
... good point, but then it comes down to the fans. Don't blame America did not vote for her, but blame her fans who did not vote or did not vote enough. Don't be shocked if you as her fan did not do either.
Why shocked? It is painful to watch her hitting her high notes: body frozen, eye shut, face knoted, not to mentioning every song of hers sounds the same.
Exactly ! all the people making such a fuss are apparently old fogies who like lounge lizard acts. they can go to Vegas for that. AI needs fresh sounds – not the same old boring bland stuff
Really Blank? How how else do you hit a high note? She should be voted off for the way she hits a high note? Get real.
Its clear people have opinions on who is good and who isnt but dont be be stating those as if they are facts.
Ive read posts from people who want certain people gone who clearly have the talent to go far in the music industry. Why? Opinion. Its not their thing maybe. So they slag it off.
Change the voting system to 1 vote 1 person (any other method is ludicrous and flawed and unfair – especially on the girls),
Or if the audience cannot vote fairly like those sad idiots influenced by votefortheworst then take the audience out of the loop and let professional experts have the final say. Make the audience vote still exist but not affecting the outcome, only used so people can see how the audience voted AFTER the judges make their final decision.
Something has to change because quite how DeWyse beat Bowersox and how Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert is still a mystery unless you see the 'cute boy' factor kicking in. Im amazed David Cook beat out Archuletta actually but Im glad he did.
Go Casey, Go Haley !
Wow!! Compo! I actualy agree with everything you said!! And yes Go Haley and Casey... and James too!!
I cant believe we are still talking about Pia. She was a good singer we already know that. But that was it, you need to be able to do more than just sing. She was not unique enough. If she had a record out there I would not know it was her unless I looked at the album. You have to entertain and sing, and you at least have to sound different then all those singers out there. And Pia was no unique.
Yes, I agree the voting system is unfair. The ability to 'mass vote' has ruined the whole compition. I think you should only be able to vote 1 time for a contestant per #/text/computer address. Either that, or a maximum preset amount, determined by the show ahead of time. Voting should be based on the persons ability to sing. ONLY! Not b/c he/she is cute, ect.I imagine the whole show would change if the voting system changed. I guess well have to wait and see what happens. Something needs to change.
I agree w/ you....it's no loger about the talent...it's all about how many people you know (or fans you have) that vote 4 you. And that's crap! N
The voting is truly flawed. We should vote for the one who should be eliminated, not to as many times as we can for all who should stay. At least until the final 3.
Have been screaming this for years. In fairness to the voters I've always said it should be limitied to 10 calls/texts per phone. However, AI would never go for that as then they couldn't say "after 34million votes" every results show. It sounds so much more impressive for ratings and advertising rates. Those little tweens and their raging hormones have been voting for the 'cutest' contestant for years. When's the last time a woman won? Plus a lot of the nasty stuff written about Pia on sites like this sounds like jealousy. Haley, Paul or Casey should left this week. Just sad.
Why change something when it has worked for ten years?? Cause someone you liked got voted off. You could "mass vote" from day one, so I don't think anything needs to be changed. Everyone has their own opinion, and they can like whoever they wat. You may think a singer is bad, while someone else looks closer and loves them. I am so glad Pia is gone, did she sing the same song every week?
Isn't the whole premise of the show flawed since none of the winners ever get anywhere in the music business?
I do think 1 vote per text, phone line or on line would be better. There are too many young Tweens testing thieir little brainless hearts out as we can see from past few years. I think a few of the girls that have been eliminated were better than . She definitely is a lounge type performer. The judges could be more critical. F
Like the last singer, Paul is terrible and to say the Johnny cash performance was great-Hello it was terrible he needs to go there are some weak males and they better go before the girls that are left. Not watching the show because you don't like an outcome is silly, should make you vote all the more. And what is up with the web site that encourages people to vote for the weakest performer, that is just plain ridiculous
you are off base..........there have been winners who have done very well...........look at Carrie Underwood...........and there have also been many contestants who have not won that have had great success from their exposure during the show........
Hello! Have you ever heard of Kelly Clarkson or How about Jennifer Hudson....Oscar and a Grammy!!!
Just a reminder.
...Yea... who?
To American Idol Show : I do not believe the count was accurately taken on Pia at all ! I believe a severe mistake was made and its too late too correct it . I know just alone with the group of people we gather with....it doesn,t seem likely ! Maybe this was political ? unknown too many , but i can honestly say that all my friends and family will not watch anymore after all these years ! The worst part of this situation is that the new judges brought such a new and energized show . I give the judges great revues , but the actual ( counting numbers system ) failed horribly !
Nicole... Hello! Jennifer Hudson was not a winner...
Where have you been? Remember Kelly Clarkson? Remember Carrie Underwood? Remember Clay Aiken? Where have you been?
The voting isn't flawed, it has worked fine for 10 years. People try to blame other reasons for their favorite singer going home, other than just accepting it. I was not a fan of Pia, you like what you like, and I do not like her. I like Casey and James and Paul. I am not going to try to force my views on others, you don'tlike Paul? Awesome, good for you. Thats great. Pia was good but never amazed me, and I am glad she went home.
One vote per line is the only rational voting system. Its simply outrageous that unethical people vote dozens of times, and even worst if they let their kids corrupt the system. I knew there had to be a reason why Pia was eliminated when she was far and away the best.
PS do not give me the she doesn't move BS, only two of them move in a way that is not embarrassing.
I was so mad when Stefano got voted off... So I went online and looked for an automatic American Idol voting system and I found one that can get in 20 votes every 5 minutes. It's insane!
If you guys want to check it out, here's the link:
http://autoamericanidolvoting.blogspot.com/