04.24.2004
In this washingtonpost.com article on American Idol, there’s some discussion of whether text messaging (which has an extra cost) skews the outcome of voting along unexpected lines, especially considering the fact that the toll-free numbers are often busy:
The “American Idol” imbroglio was a major topic on yesterday’s “Tom Joyner Morning Show.” One caller angrily reported that she had tried repeatedly to vote for LaToya, Jennifer and Fantasia but never got through because the lines were always busy. The caller suggested it was intentional. Another caller theorized that the reason the three women were the lowest vote-getters this week is that African Americans “don’t text-message,” whereas “these little white kids” vote repeatedly with their cell phones. (LaToya, Jennifer and Fantasia are African American, as is contestant George Huff. Text-message voting was introduced to the show during its second edition, when Ruben Studdard, who is black, won the competition.)A Vote Fix at Fox, Or Just ‘Idol’ Gossip? (washingtonpost.com)
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