[SirLinksalot]

From Graycharles.com

---

On MSNBC Last night Simon Cowell said the following to Rita Cosby:

Rita: Who do you think will win? What’s your prediction on who’s gonna win? Who’s gonna take it all?

Simon: I have a horrible feeling the public is going to vote for Taylor, and I’d prefer Chris.


Click here : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12038418/ for the page scroll to bottom and click on “Video: Inside ‘Idol’ with Simon Cowell”. The quote is after the four minute mark.

SNIP SNIP

Why would Simon “prefer” Chris? Easy, Simon’s job is to market and sell the winner of AI to the public. Is Chris marketable? Absolutely and easily. Remember that first and foremost Simon would like to make money off the winner. With Chris, you have a performer that is easily packaged into a box that makes sense. Go ahead and try it for yourself --- write a one sentence summary of Chris.

Alt-Rock Edge in “nice guy” package - that’s mine.

Now compare Chris to another band thats popular today - once again, it’s all too easy.

Now try and do the same with Taylor Hicks - it’s much more difficult. If you’re in Simon’s shoes, how do you go about “selling” Taylor to the public? Name another musician that is big on the pop charts today that you could compare to Taylor. See the difficulty? This is the challenge that Simon doesn’t want to face.

Does Simon prefer Taylor’s music to Chris? I would argue that, for the purposes of this competition - it’s irrelevant. Simon prefers to make money - Chris can easily be a money making machine - Taylor, who knows? Now, before you go off on all the fans who watch AI lets remember that you constitue a small slice of the music buying public. Selling AI fans on Taylor is one thing, selling the world is an entirely different matter.

[Wyatt's Torch]

This is why Chris will win. The show is about making money. Period. Chris will sell more widely than just about anyone else in the cast and alt-rock is a genre in which AI has zero presence.

Personally, I like both Chris and Taylor. I just think Chris is the annointed one and will win the "competition".

[Wyatt's Torch]

Ay spoilers on song choices for tonight?

[Netizen]

Now compare Chris to another band thats popular today - once again, it’s all too easy.

Yeah. Another dime a dozen band.

[CajunConservative]

Chris can easily be a money making machine - Taylor, who knows? Now, before you go off on all the fans who watch AI lets remember that you constitue a small slice of the music buying public. Selling AI fans on Taylor is one thing, selling the world is an entirely different matter.

This is why the current music is crappy too.

[Netizen]

They tried pushing Bo at us last year, but Carrie still won. There might be hope yet. ;)

[stlnative]

all of this is soooo true!

Chris will be the money maker because of the whole package.

And the whole point of the show is to find the next American Idol who will sell millions and millions of CD's.

If Taylor wins due to the public voting him in, the recording company would be nuts not to scoop Chris up also. I say get them both into their own studios and recording right away and market both of their first CD's equally.

[elc]

I was reading about an American Idol bit on MSNBC last night, wherein the FCC compared AI to pro-wrestling (ie, they're both rigged). I think the segment was actually about votefortheworst.com

I had a nice laugh at that comparison, even though I love the show!

[SirLinksalot]

Let's analyze this statement made by Simon regarding why he regards a Taylor Hicks win as a nightmare and what it means for Taylor Hicks fans...

First question... out of the so many singers ( e.g. Kate, Mandissa, Elliott, Paris, etc.)
why is Simon singling out Taylor for worry ?

Well, if Gray Charles is correct in that marketing Taylor is a plunge into uncharted waters,
then I can't think of any other legitimate reason other than this --- TAYLOR IS LEADING THE VOTES !!

Think of it this way --- there are some other people who are marketing challenges. But in this batch,
I don't see a lot of problems. Let's look at them one by one :

It can't be Mandissa because we have Reuben Studdard as her male equivalent ( stout, talented and R&B). Mandissa
also has that gracious personality and her gospel flavored singing appeals to the spiritual nature of a lot of
viewers of which there are tens of millions ( not only here but overseas as well ).

It can't be Kate because she is eminently marketable --- young, talented, beautiful, sultry and goofy girl-next-door
personality.

It can't be Paris because she is very similar to Fantasia and has a pedigree that has worked ( her grandma, Ann Nesby).

It can't be Ace because he has the boy band, hunky yet vulnerable look that appeals to young ones and even older
ladies (dare I say Paula ???)

It can't be Bucky because he's probably going to go this week or the next.

It can't be Lisa because she's splitting the precocious child vote with Paris and clearly isn't winning. And even if
she does, so what ? She has the look, the cover-girl pinup model image ( perfect for 17 magazine ) and clearly can sing.
NO MARKETING PROBLEM HERE.

Simon clearly isn't worried about Kellie because he seems to be on her corner all the time ( prefering her over
Carrie Underwood ??? ). I think he already knows how to use her pretentious naivete to sell. Remember, this is the
man who among others, gave us the Spice Girls.


That leaves us with Elliott, Chris and Taylor.

Elliott is hard to market because of his image. He looks like the fawn, Mr. Tumnus ( anyone seen NARNIA ?) or
an Amish farmer with the bad teeth. How can you market someone like that ? Elliott is someone you listen to, not
look at. But Simon isn't worried about having to think of marketing Elliott, which indicates that he isn't on top
of the weekly votes.

So, WHY WHY WHY would he, of all people mention Chris and Taylor and then say he's worried that Taylor will win ??

THE ONLY LOGICAL CONCLUSION IS GOOD NEWS TO Taylor's fans --- IT IS BECAUSE HE IS ACTUALLY LEADING IN THE VOTES THAT
COME WEEK AFTER WEEK ( in case you didn't notice, Simon said this after Taylor sang Levon and he ate crow by saying he
was wrong about Taylor : "I have never seen a greater positive response to anyone in this competition" ).

Hence, take this as a race at this point in time between Chris and Taylor. It will all boil down to this in the end:

1) When the others are eliminated one by one, to whom will most of their votes gravitate to ?
2) Whose fans (Chris vs Taylor) are more rabid, numerous and motivated to vote.

So, to Taylor fans, DO YOU WANT HIM TO WIN OR NOT ? I can't answer that for you.

And if Taylor wins, how large is his fan base ? Will it be large enough like the Claymates to ensure platinum sales ?
If this question can be answered with a "yes", Simon will be glad to see Taylor win. At this point in time, the jury
is still out on this one.

My personal opinion is Taylor's career will be similar to say, the Grateful Dead. He'll have a cult following, but
won't be as mass appealing as say, Kelly Clarkson or Mariah Carey.