American Idol Buzz Meter

The Buzz Week in Review

In the Buzz this week, consumers continued to be nickeled-and-dimed, new price highs meant new lows, and a daytime talk show became an unlikely political battleground—with allies from unlikely places.

On 'Idol'
In a season beset with complaints, "American Idol" had the last laugh by putting on a smashing finale—as well as pulling in its third-highest ratings finale ever (or did it?) and dominating iTunes. After subjecting two nice boys to bad boxing analogies and some risky business, a well-paced Wednesday show brought in oodles of searches for celebrity guests like ZZ Top (+437%), Donna Summer (+534%), and George Michael (+1,826%). The David vs. David face-off hyped up the suspense, and many (like Buddy TV) assumed an Archuleta victory. They should have paid heed to the Buzz Log projection, which was posted nine days before the winner was announced. (The projection's secret formula: geography and gender. Or as one audience placard put it, "Cougars for Cook.") Yet the producers can't rest easy, because (as New York Magazine opines) a Cook win really means restless fans want change.

On Idle
As oil executives testified before Congress on why crude oil passed up $130 a barrel, American Airlines added a $15 fee for checking in the first piece of luggage. The Wall Street Journal predicted a future of higher fares and airlines liquidating. Perplexed lawmakers trying to get a straight answer about costs may want to check HowStuffWorks' piece on just what oil drilling entails.

On Idyll
May is the new June, with all the celebrity weddings and engagements going on this month. Promptly after the California Supreme Court struck down a ban against same-sex marriage, talk show host Ellen Degeneres announced her engagement to actress Portia de Rossi. A few days later, she interviewed Republican presidential candidate John McCain on the issue. While she didn't sway him from his civil-union stance, another interview with newlywed Jenna (Bush) Hager resulted in a casual thumbs-up for Degeneres to use the Bush ranch for her upcoming nuptials. That show is scheduled to air next Wednesday ... so far.

Also spiking in Buzz this week ...
•A fatal driveway accident killed Christian singer Stephen Curtis Chapman's 5-year-old daughter. Sympathy searches rose up more than 6,000% for the Grammy award-winning music artist.
•Crime-fighting pays off in a weak economy, according to the New York Times. Crime Stoppers have reported increased snitching so tipsters can pay their bills or buy groceries.
•Texas welfare authorities appealed a state supreme court ruling allowing the return of nearly 500 children to the Yearning for Zion compound. Among the reactions was that of the ex-wife of the alleged compound leader, who stated in a Houston Chronicle profile that the court ruling could mean "we have lost another generation."

Idol Talk: Buzz Consolation Awards

If "American Idol" audiences had a nickel for every time the judges and host Ryan Seacrest boasted that this season had the best contestants ever, they might be able to afford a six-pack of blatant product placement.

"Best ever" may be debatable, but the blame doesn't entirely rest on the singers. What with the show's sped-up, assembly-line process and its decision to squeeze in another telethon, the competitors barely got time to show some spark of life.

Still, as Season 7 fades into the horizon, and the Davids congratulate one another on a contest well-tussled, and the glow of nostalgia diminishes Jason Castro's Marley massacre and magnifies the memory of his ukelele Aloha spirit, it's time to appreciate the highlights and lowlifes with the Buzz Log Consolation Awards. Heckuva job, kids.

We Are Citizens, Hear Us Roar

For years, political pundits have been wringing their hands over dismal voter turnout. Now, with the most energized Democratic presidential primary race in decades, they've been nagging the candidates to wrap up their show, for the good of the party.

Well, the voters aren't ready to stop voting. In poll after poll, citizens are saying that they want their say. If the record turnouts haven't clued in political observers, this might: Searches for "register to vote" this year have more than doubled those in 2006 and 2007 combined.

People love their suffrage, whether it's choosing a president or anointing a celebrity. Speaking of which, two reality shows wrapping up this week have built their success on supersizing the democratic process. Forget the milquetoasty appeal of "one person, one vote."'ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and FOX's "American Idol" welcome ballot-box stuffing with the glee of a penny-ante dictator.

Yes, the ABC ballroom competition does temper voters' passions with the judges' more measured expertise, like a pop-culture echo chamber of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The FOX singing contest, on the other hand, injects steroids into its audience's voting muscle—although unlike its creative progenitor, "Pop Idol," the judges winnow the hopefuls down to 12 before America gets to dial in.

That these two shows dominate this week's voting-related queries doesn't speak less of people's more sober civic duties, not even the negative campaigning that occupies the number one slot below. Instead, as the recent spike for "clinton supporters count too" underscores, it shows that the impulse to stand up and be counted shouldn't be counted out too soon.

Idol Talk: Results are Cooked?

Does David Cook have to watch his back now that David Archuleta's father has been banned from the set?  Did Jason Castro psychologically flub his lines, or was he undone by unwillingness to knuckle under the "Idol" machinery? And, seriously, how has Syesha Mercado managed to survive and flummox the critics?

As "American Idol" careens to its crowning moment, many questions arise. Of course, the most paramount is who will win season 7. The contest was supposed to come down to second-chance Cinderellas Michael Johns and Carly Smithson. Over the weeks, Cook has evolved from "dark horse" (per judge Simon Cowell) to Idol personified (per judge Paula Abdul), while Mercado's theatrical flair paradoxically made her more real.

Mercado, though, is past her expiration date, so unless an upset (or a stage dad) is in the offing, odds favor a David vs. David scenario. In straight unadulterated searches, the 17 year old leads by a skimpy 5%. In the complicated Buzz Log formula however, which depends on geography and gender, the projection calls for Cook to win Season 7. And the chart please...

Idol Talk: Where the Faithful Live

One thing thrilled fans and disgruntled critics might agree upon during this contentious "American Idol" go-round: Both should be glad when a winner is declared in two weeks.

Who decides the winner may depend on geography, a factor explored in an earlier post. In years past, the South had a stranglehold on the competition, and Alabama alone proudly declared itself the birthplace of winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks, plus finalist Bo Bice. The mighty South fell last year, however, to a girl from Arizona.

When the show started again this season, the South may have been hoping to rise again. Alabama placed second only to Oklahoma in January searches for "American Idol," followed by North Carolina, Georgia, and Missouri.

Repeating the patterns of 2007, however, southern passions waned as the months wore on. Over the past 30 days, the Yellowhammer State has dropped to number 9 among "Idol" searchers. Hawaii, in typical tropical fashion, sauntered in late to monitor the show (as it does year after year), but its fidelity has helped the Aloha State clinch first place among the "Idol" faithful.

Ultimately, however, the 2008 contest may be determined in the Heartland. Below is the list of top 10 states tracking "American Idol" online, and a map illustrating the show's Search base.

"Idol" Faithfuls, Past 30 Days

Hawaii Oregon Utah Oklahoma Missouri

Connecticut Wisconsin Indiana Alabama Ohio