About Us

Posted by thefunnystone on Friday, January 05, 2007 at 7:22 AM EST

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Votefortheworst.com was started in 2004 to support voting for the entertaining contestants who the producers would hate to see win on American Idol. We vote en masse for the contestant that we feel provides the most entertaining performances that go against what the producers want in a winner and that annoy the viewing public. We don't necessarily vote for the worst technical singer; we take into account many factors like the contestant's personality, how well they dance and move around the stage, if they talk back to the judges or have an attitude, and how likely they are to annoy everyone when they stick around. We vote for the most entertaining contestant using our own criteria, but bad vocals are usually standard. Why do we do it? And are we ruining American Idol and crushing dreams?

During the initial auditions, the producers only let a fraction of the people who audition advance. Many good people are turned away and many bad singers or over the top personalities are kept around.

Now why would the producers do this? It's simple: a show like American Idol is not about singing at all, it's about making good reality TV and enjoying a guilty pleasure. The contestants are TV personalities. At Vote for the Worst, we get that. The producers purposely cast the show with contestants who they know will never become the next big singing sensation. Ever notice how the finals are never indicative of the best singing talent in America? That's done on purpose. We think that the less-loved contestants are more entertaining than the producer favorites, and we want to acknowledge this fact by encouraging people to help vote for the amusing antagonists that annoy the judges. VFTW sees keeping these contestants around as a golden opportunity to make a more entertaining show.

The show starts out every year encouraging us to point and laugh at all of the bad singers who audition. If American Idol was really a show about finding the next great talent, these bad singers wouldn't be allowed on the show, let alone allowed to advance through 3 auditions to see Simon and the gang, right? We want this entertainment to continue into the finals, so we choose the contestant that we feel provides the most entertaining performances that annoy the judges and the viewing public and we start voting for them. The show encourages us to vote for whomever we'd like. If the producers and judges put Sanjaya and others through to the semifinals, why do they get so mad when we start voting for the people they picked?

The American Idol producers don't like this because they've already spent time "pimping" the contestant that they want to win. Because the producers don't like our site, the show has called us "hateful" and "mean spirited". Doesn't it seem a tad hypocritical to say that when the show has weeks devoted to making fun of bad auditions? The producers also profited from a "Worst of American Idol" DVD set. How can the producers let Simon mock some of the contestants but then let us be called "vicious" when a campaign exists to help those very contestants? We don't hate the people we vote for, we actually love them!

Vote for the Worst encourages you to have fun with American Idol and embrace its suckiness by voting for the people who the general public and the producers are rooting against. We rally behind one choice so that we can help make a difference and pool all of our votes toward one common goal. Join us and vote for the VFTW contestant as many times as you can each week. Our aim isn't to win every single week, but to get a controversial contestant as far as possible. If our VFTW pick is ousted from the competition, we'll move on to someone new. If we can help someone in trouble get one spot closer to winning, that's a great success! We care less about succeeding every single week than we do just enjoying the performances as they happen. No one here takes the show that seriously.

People may tell you "VFTW makes no difference, their votes don't count." Former executive producer Nigel Lythgoe called us "a fly buzzing around a cow." Obviously this makes no sense, because every vote counts. We're a fanbase just like the fangirls who somehow think Danny Gokey is a good singer. If this show actually counts votes, then our votes are just as legitimate as any others. And if our votes in a large bloc don't count, then a tween's votes for her favorite non-threatening male certainly don't count. Besides, how else can you explain Sanjaya Malakar's stay on the show in season six?

We've had VFTW victories in the past with contestants like Scott Savol, Kevin Covais, Taylor Hicks, Sanjaya Malakar, Megan Joy, and others. And now we're taking on season 9 of America's Largest Karaoke Contest. So, go on, embrace the cheesiness of American Idol. Help us Vote For the Worst!

Evalution

Posted: 3/24/2010 at 5:27 PM

Joined: March 2010

If you think American Idol is sucky, find something productive to do with your time, and don't watch the show. The only reason I started watching it is because, though I don't share the taste of the masses of the USA for the most part, and I wouldn't choose to listen to many of the contestants if I stumbled across them on the radio, their courage inspires me.

Does anyone reading this have the guts to stand on a stage in front of millions of people and pour their heart into the best performance they can muster? Singing is one of the most vulnerable, personal kinds of performance art possible. I am a singer, and used to turn my nose up at anything that "wasn't my taste," but I matured (to old to try out for Idol) to the point where I admire anyone with raw talent, charisma, and guts.

I agree that American Idol is a TV show with a goal of getting as many viewers as possible, and they probably pick people based on wanting to start with a balanced variety of colors, ages, sounds, genres so that people with all different tastes will be motivated to watch the show. At the same time, it is obvious to me that Simon's record company is looking for people who will sell a lot of records. At least part of the likelihood of that comes from talent, taste, and creativity. Of course a manicuring process like American Idol feels like an unnatural way for a star to develop, rather than working their way up from the street on their own. But I enjoy watching the process of someone who needs some coaching and guidance developing awkward talent into performances that are satisfying to watch and hear. Siobhan's interpretation of the Stones' "Paint It Black," left me picking my jaw up off the floor. Hayley Vaughn singing Jason Miraz' "I'm Yours," Lacey's performance of "Landslide," anytime Alex Lambert opened his mouth, and Lily Scott's do of "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke were exciting and memorable performances.

I don't know why you think bland Tim Urban's vacant stare and disconnected vocal bs is entertaining. There are many totally vapid sources of entertainment if you get off on watching zombies aimlessly wander around in front of a camera. My boyfriend compares you to the juveniles who play video games for the perverse thrill they get from purposely killing all their teammates. Is cynicism really all you have to share with the world?

WickedMe

Posted: 3/25/2010 at 1:40 PM

Joined: March 2010 Location:

I sure wish I had known about this site long, long ago. I applaud your efforts and totally agree with you. Idol is a joke; should be treated as a joke. I'm in and will be voting right along with you each week.

worster101

Posted: 3/30/2010 at 3:13 PM

N00b Trainer Joined: December 2009 Location: Resort VFTW... watching FaFu, Papaya, Timmeh, and Chile.

I have to refer people to this page ALL THE TIME.

Last edited by worster101 on 4/27/2010 at 4:18 PM

Piaf

Posted: 3/31/2010 at 12:16 AM

Joined: March 2010

Just joined. Happy to be here. Loved you guys since the beginning. Voting for Timmy! Don't let my post-menopausal sparkle cow exterior fool you, I am a worster to the core.

FlemishAmerican

Posted: 4/2/2010 at 5:02 PM

Joined: April 2010 Location: Ghent, Belgium

You know there are reality shows all over the world now and I haven't seen your concept picked up too much here in Belgium. Any chance of extending the site to include pages for the Idol competitions from other countries? With the right networking I'm sure it would attract a lot of traffic.

very very sad

Posted: 4/15/2010 at 10:53 AM

Joined: April 2010

you people make me sad. you might truely believe what you do is ok but it is not!! i don't care about the producer of the show and who they pick and don't pick. i care about all the contestants especially the ones that truely can sing and try this show as ameans to break into a really tough business. you are embarrassing tim urban and his family. he is not stupid. and yes i agree you are bullies= apparently none of you were bullied in school so you don't recognize it. it should stop being fun when it hurts others. what if it was one of ya'll relatives could you stand with the pick knowing your loved one was only getting votes because they were soooooooo bad? you are all idiots

Shavonski

Posted: 4/17/2010 at 2:39 PM

Joined: April 2010

I've suspected all along that Tim would probably (and sadly) win because I believe he may belong to this website and is a plant. It's a thought anyway as he looks so wide eyed and demented every time he is safe. I think it'll make great TV when he admits that he was a plant, or at best admits he was the worst. This is one explanation. Or are American tweens really this dumb? I guess their mothers are.

Proof... Siobhan posted on her face book a quote from Tim's fan page and I paste here:

"Fans ~ Don't forget to Vote! Check out this post I just saw on Tim Urban's fan page: "I am so glad that my 3,500 votes every Tuesday night is paying off for you! Congratulations! My 18 yr old daughter loves you! She also votes a lot. Thank GOD I can send 20 votes in at one time on my phone."

"I've heard people say ...they've gotten in close to a 100 votes, but 3,500??? Scary!! that one mother voted like 1300 or 1800 times in one night because her little daughter loves Tim!"

So multiply that mother child union a few million times. Looks like Tim doesn't need VFTW after all. If Tim had an ounce of dignity left, he'd remove himself from the running and join an Ashram far far away. But his lack of the 'd" word makes for frustratingly good drama and TV. Anyone who was expecting art and presence to be filtered into the music business should remember the word "business". And that's all folks.

Last edited by Shavonski on 4/17/2010 at 2:43 PM

usedtobefan:/

Posted: 4/27/2010 at 4:20 PM

Joined: March 2010 Location: The bank where Timmeh worked

The first time I ever heard about this site was in Season 5. Taylor Hicks beat out my 3 favorites: Kellie, Elliot, and Daughtry. I thought it was terrible that such a site could exist while knocking out the good contenders. But then, in Season 6, I read the VFTW "About Us" section. -And I saw how wrong I had been. I then became a daily "lurker." A little while ago, I made an account and actually began to VOTE for the worst-- because that is the most important part. (And I'm glad I did...) Pickler

PS: Thanks worster101 for recruiting me. x100000

americanidolluv

Posted: 5/14/2010 at 5:39 PM

Joined: April 2010

all the people that u guyz made go home cuz of this stupid thing are awesome like alex todrick, mike didi,lacey and more............casey is horible by vting 4 him ur ruinig this show...... get a life... and if ur gonna vote for someone vote 4 lee or crystal cuz they r actually goodstop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its anoying 2 see awful pepole go through evry weekif ur one of the jerks doin this stop if u dnt ur a tard:

casey makes me Barf