American Idol '07

E-mail
IM

Mar. 20, 2007 | 06:00 AM EDT

What's the Secret to Sanjaya's Staying Power?

Photo by: Frank Micelotta / FOX

It's almost down to the Top 10, and there are still some remaining contestants (insert: Sanjaya Malakar) who have judges and viewers scratching their heads. The sweet South Asian performer has managed to stick around long after seemingly better performers have gotten the Idol boot. Which leads to an interesting question posed by the New York Post: What's the secret to Sanjaya's Idol success?

As the first South Asian on the show, the paper suggests the 17-year-old is receiving strong support from the Indian-American community. He even has a dedicated Sanjaya fan site, which at last count on Monday had 61,296 hits.

And there's something to be said for being notably "bad": Sirius Satellite Radio deejay Howard Stern has called Malakar his "favorite" contestant, and has encouraged Idol fans to vote for him. Sure, Stern may not be serious, but Web sites like Vote for the Worst – whose mission is to keep Malakar in the Top 10 – are. But if Malakar makes it through Wednesday's cut, maybe the joke's on the Sanjaya naysayers.