INTERVIEW WITH DAVE OF VOTE FOR THE WORST
http://63.134.243.57/index.php/2006/04/28/exclusive-interview-with-dave-from-vote-for-the-worst/#more-258
Vote For The Worst Endorses Taylor - Those Of You With No Sense Of Humor Should Now Check OutExclusive Interview With Dave From Vote For The Worst.
Continuing our trailblazing over the top creative roll we present - Q&A with Dave, creator and evil genius mastermind of Vote For The Worst.
It’s a must read folks . . . big big props to Dave for taking the time to respond.
Q: When you started the site was it a “goof” or did you expect it to grow in popularity as it has?
A: It was just a fun little joke at the beginning. We definitely wanted people to come by and vote with us, but we had no idea it would grow to the heights that it did. I’m literally shocked that it gets more and more popular every year, but if a craptacular show like American Idol can get even more popular every year, so can our website.
Q: What do you think your readers most relate to on the site?
A: I think most of the people who enjoy VFTW see American Idol for what it is, a manipulated promotional tool for one or two singers and not a true talent contestant. It’s also a reality television show where they put some people on (Pickler, Kevin Covais) for ratings and not because they will win. We merely love voting for the ratings boosters and we love all of the bad performances. I was seriously going to wet my pants during Kevin Covais’s “Part Time Lover” because I loved it so much.
Q: How much time do you personally focus on “content” vs. the “business” side of running a popular site?
A: I spend a lot of time on content and trying to brainstorm new ideas for the site, but probably equally as much dealing with promoting it and handling interviews and stuff like that. I also spend time on the phone with Fox, since they pay me millions to do this site and to pretend that it’s a renegade site. Seriously, I’m moving to my own private island next year to run the site.
Q: Who makes the ultimate decision about the “VTFW” pick? You or your board of directors?
A: Ultimately, I do make the final decision, but we ask our members what they think first. Normally, we go with the majority, but when we picked Kellie most people wanted to go with Bucky. I chalked that up to a lot of new people to the website who didn’t understand our goal, as Bucky didn’t fit the VFTW theme at all since he was as boring as paint drying. So we overruled the votes and went with Kellie, and that worked out really well. But usually, the poll is pretty accurate as to who we’ll pick.
Q: Do you think most viewers forget that Idol is essentially a reality TV show?
A: Of course they do. If this was a real talent competition, someone like Kellie Pickler wouldn’t be on the show, Taylor would be able show off his real talent and do better songs, and Paula would be sober. In fact, all 3 of the judges would be kicked out because they all offer absolutely no helpful criticisms at all. They’re just basically 3 caricatures of stupidity, but they’re incredibly entertaining, especially train wreck Paula. I hope they keep getting her drunk before the show, because she’s hysterical.
Q: Many of your readers express very interesting forms of (ahem) creativity shall we say. Have you seen any user created content that has been great?
A: Oh yeah, some stuff that people design for the website is outstanding. We have a thread at the board called “Trailer park tips from VFTW’s Kellie Pickler.” It’s a thread full of photoshopped images of Kellie giving out her tips for living in a trailer park and moving to LA, and it’s priceless. We also have a hilarious movie posters thread and tons of other stuff. VFTW definitely brings out a really funny side in people because it is first and foremost a humorous site.
Q: If you had to add a new judge to the panel, who would it be and why?
A: Whitney Houston. First, this would make sure that when any contestant attempted a Whitney song, she would be there to smack them down. Second, she’s probably so messed up on crack, she’d be even more entertaining than Paula. And third, she would probably bitch slap Simon into submission a few times a week, and I’d pay to see him cower.
Q: GrayCharles.com readers across the board are endorsing your pick and your site. In response, I’m noticing today that quite a few of your loyal readers are saying - essentially, WTF? They seem to be a bit taken aback that you have perhaps changed your “mission”. How do you respond?
A: We never changed our mission. Our mission is to vote for the most entertaining bad person and right now that’s Taylor. Taylor is a little different in that he is not bad, however you can tell that he’s being forced to sing songs he doesn’t want to sing. The producers keep changing his songs on him, and that’s really obnoxious of them, so he keeps phoning in performances, or he goes all out and acts crazy. Either way, we love it because it’s so anti what the show wants to produce in a winner. So, we do think Taylor is bad, but it’s because of the restrictions of the show and not necessarily that he himself is bad. We actually love our Worsters usually (Kellie was an exception), and they’re our favorite contestants, so there’s no hate toward Taylor at all. While we mock his performances, we do that for everyone, and it’s more of a friendly ribbing than it is vicious.
Q: Has being a celebrity gone to your head? Do you demand Christal in clubs and pass by the peons waiting in line at the velvet ropes?
A: Actually, it’s funny because I’m a pretty private person who doesn’t necessarily love attention. So I think it’s funny that people think I’m doing this to make people pay attention to me. I’d rather people like the site and never know I existed because I like my quiet life! Though now that I’m on the A-list, I do demand at least a super sized meal at McDonalds instead of a regular sized one. I feel my celebrity has earned me that much. I can be heard shouting “Do you know who I am? I hope y’all find out who I am” Juanita Barber style as they escort me out of the building.
Q: What does VFTW do in the “non-idol” phases of the show?
A: It depends. During the summer, we vote for Canadian Idol because many of our members are Canadian. Canadian Idol produces some great train wrecks, so it’s always fun to watch. We’re also going to see what other shows are coming up. We sometimes try to VFTW for new shows, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It didn’t work at all for “Rock Star” because the judges could kick out whoever they wanted. It didn’t work for “So You Think You Can Dance” too because that is the worst piece of crap show ever invented and I fell asleep about an hour into the premiere. If people think Idol is bad, try watching “So You Think You Can Dance”. It’s seriously so awful that it’s unwatchable.
Q: Does Scott Savol know where you live?
A: Scott doesn’t know where I live, but I’d love to go out for coffee with him sometime to chat with him about how much the site loves him. I’m sure we could blaze Starbucks and show them we’re the real rockers who order chai lattes. I’d actually love to meet many of our contestants that we supported, especially the ones with senses of humor since our site isn’t vicious. I personally want to meet Mikalah Gordon and Brenna Gethers at some point, because they’re two of my favorite contestants ever on the show since they understood Idol and were in on the joke. Maybe we can get a VFTW reunion going.
This post is about song choices.
Some of you Taylor fans have been enthusiastic about Bob Seger's songs as well as the Eagles' songs for this coming Tuesday ( where one of the themes is -- Songs from the Year you were born ).
One thing to note --- CAN THEY BE CLEARED ?
I myself am partial to Seger's NIGHT MOVES because the SOUL in the music as well as the rhythm and energy fits Taylor to a "T". But two things to consider :
1) Each contestants will be singing 2 songs. Therefore, the time limit comes into play again. NIGHT MOVES is a song that can only be done justice to if you give the contestant TIME to BUILD into the music.
Come to think of it, if you listen to UNDER THE RADAR ( Taylor's self-produced CD ), most of the songs he sings are like that... starting low key and building eventually to a flourishing finish. But then it takes at least a minute and a half. Something you CANNOT DO in this venue.
2) THE SONGS HAVE TO BE CLEARED BY WHOEVER OWNS THE RIGHTS.
Not sure if both can be done by Tuesday for Seger's song and the Eagles.
Another bummer. Which just shows you that observations made by Dave of VFTW is spot on.
A: Of course they do. If this was a real talent competition, someone like Kellie Pickler wouldn’t be on the show, Taylor would be able show off his real talent and do better songs, and Paula would be sober. In fact, all 3 of the judges would be kicked out because they all offer absolutely no helpful criticisms at all. They’re just basically 3 caricatures of stupidity, but they’re incredibly entertaining, especially train wreck Paula. I hope they keep getting her drunk before the show, because she’s hysterical.
ROTFLMAO!! The more I read about the VFTW guy the more I think I like him.
Thanks for posting that! Funny stuff! :)