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Taylor Hicks "Most Dangerous" Idol by Joal Ryan Apr 28, 2006, 5:10 PM PT back to story
On the American Idol stage, finalist Taylor Hicks is full of tics. Online, his screensavers are full of bugs. So says a new survey conducted by a Web-patrolling consumer software company, which found 46 percent of popular downloaded Hicks-themed screensavers contained spyware or led to outbreaks of pop-up ads and spam email. "At some level, he's the most dangerous American Idol," said Shane Keats, market strategist for SiteAdvisor.com. On another level, Ace Young is the most dangerous Idol finalist. Though eliminated from the Fox singing competition Apr. 19, Young is second only to Hicks for having his momentarily famous face used by sneaky spyware manufacturers. His screensavers turned up hidden computer-clogging extras 36 percent of the time, the SiteAdvisory.com study said. Even more troubling to Keats, the problem Young screensavers led computers to two "sexually explicit sites." Given the number of children who follow Idol and are likely to follow their favorite Idols online, Keats said the spyware makers "should be ashamed of themselves." The other top Idols among the spyware crowd: Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler and Lisa Tucker. The survey said 27 percent of each of that trio's screensavers were trouble. Like Young, Covington, Pickler and Tucker are done with their Idol runs, having failed to muster enough viewer votes. Their spyware popularity probably speaks to the weeks of run-up time it takes the "spyware guys" to make their programs, Keats said. That said, it's probably not a coincidence that Hicks, the gray-haired "Soul Patrol" provider, and prime contender for a spot in the season finale, is the go-to face for nefarious Netizens. "The people who make spyware go to where the popularity is," Keats said. A similar ethos exists among those who write viruses: The bigger the name, the better the chance it'll be used to lure unsuspecting fans in email subject lines. Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and Microsoft's Bill Gates are among those who have had their bold-faced monikers attached to bugs. So far, Keats said he hasn't seen any infected Idol-related emails: "I don't think we've got the Ace Young virus going around." As for the screensaver problem, Keats recommended computer users stick to downloading from official sites. He also plugged his own SiteAdvisor.com, which offers a free download that rates a Website on its likelihood of causing computer problems, from "safe" to "caution" to "warning." Another option is to download a Melissa McGee screensaver--from any old place. According to the study, not one of the surveyed screensavers devoted to the 21-year-old singer from Florida proved problematic. Guess there's something to be said for being voted off the island first. |
This article is a nice find. The feeling that the deck is stacked is one I've had since the top twelve began.
First of all, the overall choice of guest star coaches. Now, asking them to sing om the style of them?....that's actually counterproductive for these future singers. It's sellout stuff and the very thing a lot of us liked about the show is that it got past the compromises singers make to achieve success.
This supports my feeling that Kelli was dismantled by bad advice, particularly the last two weeks, that she tried to follow. Saying Otis Redding is not classical enough for this week is ludicrous. It's AMERICAN IDOL, stupids. And while I'm ranting, Paris doing Streisand was just dress-up week, and one of her worst...lots of jazz greats knew how to do love songs, she should stick to that.
I also did not think Gideon was given a fair break, with negative comments. And Mandisa going first, in a bad wardrobe choice.
If Simon wants Katherine or Chris, good for him. Me, I want Taylor to get up there and do Taylor, and let this show at least achieve something this year....Eliot can give hope and inspiration to millions of diabetics!
Grrrrrr......hate it when I'm right about bad stuff.