Who Says Americans don't vote?

July 11, 2003 12:48 PM

The public socks it to the FCC"This is not about race - It's about voting for the very best one and being cheated out of that vote!" Clay Aiken fans and Reuben Whatshisname haters unite to make their voice heard. Oh, the outrage! (via The Smoking Gun)
posted by Gilbert (23 comments total)

you know this reminds me, i never got a reply to my letter to the WWF about the way Human Armpit cheated Aryan Crusher out of his belt...
posted by quonsar at 12:57 PM on July 11, 2003

that's why i never wrote letters about the whole bush/gore thing.
posted by quonsar at 12:58 PM on July 11, 2003

so this is what it takes to get america to stand up to the man - American Idol?
posted by trbrts at 12:59 PM on July 11, 2003

sometimes people need to take a step back, breath, and listen to themselves.
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 1:07 PM on July 11, 2003

This is why George Bush may win the next election.
posted by mildred-pitt at 1:08 PM on July 11, 2003

Let us not forget that Clay was actually eliminated earlier on, and only brought back for a second chance on a WILDCARD. His fans should be glad he's done so well after such a near miss.

[blinks]

Did I say that? How do I even know that? Why am I talking about this?

[slaps self]
posted by scarabic at 1:10 PM on July 11, 2003

George Bush George Bush George Bush... Oh wait, we've already mentioned him. This thread needs no more legitamizing.
posted by dazed_one at 1:10 PM on July 11, 2003

if you don't see the connection between some dimbulb complaining about his AI vote being stolen and george bush, then you are one of the people we are dissing here.
posted by quonsar at 1:12 PM on July 11, 2003

Considering that I failed to write the FCC about the abominable media ownership de-regulation, I'm not sure that I have a right to mock.
posted by machaus at 1:18 PM on July 11, 2003

The FCC had about as much power when it came to deregulation as they did with regard to the American Idol outcome.
posted by jpoulos at 1:23 PM on July 11, 2003

If only so many people were so adamant, enthused and willing to vote in political elections. Hmmm ... maybe we should make the presidential candidates sing solos on TV rather than debate the issues?
posted by Orb at 1:24 PM on July 11, 2003

It's letters like these that remind me why my TV only shows my DVDs these days. How people get so wrapped up in TV shows is amazing. I used to work with a guy would would make me ill every Friday morning with a full recount of what happened on Friends, and what he thought would happen next week.
posted by DragonBoy at 1:28 PM on July 11, 2003

The authors of some of those letters seemed awfully unclear on just who they were writing, as if they thought the FCC produced the show.

My guess is some fan in a chatroom suggested everybody email the FCC to complain, and many people thought FCC meant Fox Communications Corporation or something and fired away.
posted by me3dia at 1:28 PM on July 11, 2003

Well, heck, I tried voting for three hours (intermittently ) and never got thru once.

From what I have heard statistically, with the phones swamped as they were, the reality is that it was practically a dead heat. But don't cry for Clay, he made it on the cover of Rolling Stone.

And my 64 year old mother BOUGHT ONE.
posted by konolia at 1:28 PM on July 11, 2003

I think you're missing the point, konolia.
posted by jpoulos at 1:34 PM on July 11, 2003

All I know is my MOTHER bought a copy of the Rolling Stone. I couldn't care less about the FCC.

What I will tell you is that there are some RABID forums out there that are treating this as if it was along the same lines as the Grassy Knoll. (One of the forum threads was NAMED that.)

One thing is for darn sure, American Idol couldn't buy this kind of publicity.
posted by konolia at 1:40 PM on July 11, 2003

whoosh.
posted by quonsar at 1:54 PM on July 11, 2003

I fear that the American public get the Idol--and the president--they deserve.
posted by ahimsakid at 2:26 PM on July 11, 2003

Ok, to me the people writing those letters need their own branch of the Please Please Please Get A Life Foundation.
posted by dnash at 2:31 PM on July 11, 2003

Who are these people you're talking about and why is this a FPP?
posted by signal at 4:25 PM on July 11, 2003

Oh yeah, this is soooo much more important than media ownership rules, or having HDTV shoved down our collective throats, or the mandated V chips everybody pays for yet nobody uses. Let's hear it for writing our public officials.
posted by ilsa at 4:35 PM on July 11, 2003

Michael Powell must be laughing his head off. If he needed something to point to to legitimize the way he ignores public comments, this might just about do it.
posted by George_Spiggott at 5:40 PM on July 11, 2003

*smack* Guess I shoulda sent that letter protesting media consolidation to Simon Fuller.
posted by chipr at 8:14 PM on July 11, 2003