American Idol - What Would You Do If You Were Sanjaya?

You're selected to be on the most popular television show in America by three of the most recognized judges of musical talent in the world. As you progress through the show, the same judges that selected you as one of the best twenty-four out of hundreds of thousands of auditions suddenly turn on you. One of them even says that he will quit the show if you win, even though he was part of selecting you to be there in the first place.

You start hearing rumors that the media is fixated on your hair. You also hear that websites and even Howard Stern are endorsing that people vote for you because they think you are the worst singer on the show. Knowing that part of the reason you might still be on the show is not for reason that you would want it to be, what would you do? Would you voluntarily quit the show? Would you walk away from your dream of getting a recording contract?

People who are demanding that Sanjaya quit the show should try to put themselves in Sanjaya's shoes. As part of American Idol, Sanjaya gets instruction from some of the best vocal coaches in the world. As part of the top ten, Sanjaya will get to go on a tour where he will likely earn a substantial sum of money. If Sanjaya wins, then he will get a guaranteed record deal.

If Sanjaya were to quit the show, then people would label him as a quitter. No record label would ever want to touch him, because they would be afraid his heart wouldn't be in promoting his CDs. Quitting American Idol would be the absolutely worst thing that Sanjaya could ever do to his career.

Would you walk away from your own dreams just because other people are criticizing you? Would you give up being trained by the best in the business just because some people thought you weren't good enough? Could you walk away from all the financial benefits that come from being part of one of the biggest tours of the Summer?

At only seventeen, Sanjaya will continue to grow and get better as a singer. And the best way for Sanjaya to continue to improve is to stay on American Idol and go on the tour so that he can keep working with the Idol vocal coaches.


While it is completely understandable why many people are upset that more talented singers could be paying the price for the vote for the worst movement, the point of this article is that the blame shouldn't be directed at Sanjaya. Sanjaya is only doing what probably the majority of people would do in his same position. Scratch that, Sanjaya is actually doing better than what the majority of people would probably do in his same position. A lot of people would probably crack under the pressure, but this seventeen year old kid is continuing to hold his head proud and do his best in the competition. He even seems to be having a little fun with America's infatuation with his hair.