Then:
KFC Popcorn Chicken using MC Hammer’s “2 Legit 2 Quit”
This commercial ran during the early 90’s on american television. It puts Hammer in a back stage stand-off. Hammer refuses to go on stage for some reason, then someone holds out a box of popcorn chicken to Hammer. Hammer takes a piece, flicks it up, catches it in his mouth and says “Now that’s popcorn”. Hammer then takes the stage performing “2 Legit 2 Quit”.
Now:
An open letter to Sanjaya Malakar:
Congratulations on catching America’s ears…and eyes.
Over the past month, you’ve wowed the world with your original performances. And, your ever-changing hairdos have made you almost as famous as KFC® Original Recipe® Chicken and Colonel Sanders himself.
On behalf of Kentucky Fried Chicken®, I want to serve up to you a tasty offer. If you don a bowl hairdo during one of your next nationally televised performances, KFC will grant you a free lifetime supply of KFC Famous Bowls®. We’re sure America will be as ‘bowled-over’ by your take on this classic look as they are by our KFC Famous Bowls.
From wavy to Mohawk to now the classic bowl – who knows, your bowl cut could start a trend as big as KFC Famous Bowls, which consumers ranked as THE most memorable new product of 2006.
In addition to free KFC Famous Bowls for life – if you sport a bowl cut, KFC will cut a check in your name to Colonel’s Scholars, a charity providing young people with much needed college scholarships. We’re confident that helping students afford college is something that even the toughest of judges would stand and applaud.
Your Fan,
Gregg Dedrick
President of KFC
Join the legacy. [Thanks, tipster Sonia!]
I think our eyes and ears will be seeing and hearing Sanjaya um…forever? As I said before, this kid is brilliant. Marketing genius. He is a publicists dream child.
Thank for that jarring trip back to the past,maybe Sanjaya could knockout a typewriter dance for old time sake.
Dear All,
If you were Sanjaya, and you knew America is voting for you
because ofdespite the fact you suck, would you still continue to compete on the show? I am quite sure the fellow contestants won’t mince any words in highlighting his lack of competency.I don’t whether to applaud his courage or mock his self-delusion?
Sanjaya is the William Hung that got through.
It was fairly easy getting through on the voting line last night, which isn’t a good sign. Dialidol has him at third, but it’s margin of error is so large this week as to be useless.
I’m not sure why I’m following the Sanjaya situation so closely. Maybe because he’s got more media attention than any other desi I can think of in my lifetime. I realize the readers of this blog have various opinions on Sanjaya, but I can’t believe how strong the reactions against his singing has been. It’s all relative, but he’s not that bad of a singer. Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones and probably Jordin Sparks are certainly better singers, but I don’t think Sanjaya is any worse than the rest of the group, esp. Haley Scarnato and Phil Stacey. Even Tony Bennet said Sanjaya was a good singer last night.
He’s an amateurish singer with great personality and star quality. I like him, really, he’s sort of adorable. Two things go into a successful career as an entertainer, I think: Star quality and talent. Too bad for those with only one and not the other, but in reality, the former is easier to sell.
Also, he’s toned down his singing. His initial audition was still the best, he had some real fire in his voice. He’s trying to be smooth and a crooner most of the time and I think his voice is better with a bit of soul and heat in it. Have some passion in your singing Sanjaya! I wonder why he ran away from the original Stevie Wonder stuff?
AI is not a ‘talent contest’, its a popularity contest and Sanjaya is doing exactly that. Charm goes a long way. He is evolving into a intelligent entertainer knowing who his target audience is, teeny boppers. And there are some worse singers than him on the show like Haley and Timberfake
Power to him!!
Yeah, his audition was really great – actually I like Stevie Wonder’s song more now b/c he sang it a new way.
However, I’m beginning to get worried about him. At the audition, he was so painfully shy and unsure of himself. Now, last night he says ‘welcome to the universe of sanjaya.” What the heck is Hollywood doing to him?!?
I really wish he auditioned five years from now. He’s too young and immature for this much fame. He changes his looks because he’s still trying to find himself.
Yes, he def can sing, but maybe he’ll end up hosting his own show or something – I can’t imagine him as a pop star like Kelly C.
I dont know why people keep comparing him to William Hung. Different animals. Hung could not sing. This guy can sing he’s just not American Idol good. Or maybe he is now …………
I’m not sure why I’m following the Sanjaya situation so closely. Maybe because he’s got more media attention than any other desi I can think of in my lifetime.
Its the most popular show in the United States.
Its somone like you, brown and 2gen. That means you either support him viscerally, out of solidarity; or you join the bandwagon and mock him to show how “objective” (American?) you are. You laugh along with everyone else.
So he’s getting mocked but still managing to endure. In the process, hes managed to charm some people. Most people would have wilted. He’s not wilting. Thats what I like about him.
Hmmm.. I still don’t understand why people still watch American Idol, the show gets wose every season…
I think there have been other Indians that have gotten this much attention — Deepak Chopra for example, who I think was a media conspiracy (make some stupid dude famous to make the desi community look bad)..
It would be dissapointing if Sanjaya is the best that Indians can do and if he is the best Indian singer in America, I think there are better looking more qualified singers (like the dude that was spotlighted just recently on SM) they just are not involved in this freakshow that is American Idol..
risible, great points.
Transcending mockery – could anything be more desi?
I also have to add that Popeyes is much better quality than KFC..
What makes Deepak Chopra famous? The way I see it people who follow him admire him and he only makes the Indian community look good. Am I missing something?
Best Indians can do? Are you for real? This isn’t the Oscars where Indians send their entry and hope it gets picked. He got picked by America. He’s American. Get a grip. This is the kind of stuff that sends me over the edge. It’s the most popular show in America and America is picking him, it’s irritating as hell to make him suddenly representative of the best of Indians.
i dislike the show. this is why i love sanjaya. he may be the downfall of the show… and it’s fun watching FOX squirm… howard stern, perez hilton, and votefortheworst.com, have all joined in voting him in, to make a point.
besides kelly clarkston and that carrie girl, no idol winner has really made a dent.
at least he is entertaining with wacky hairdo’s and horrible singing. i don’t think people will think all brown people sing like this, or take that as the best our community has to offer..
and if they do, that in itself is amusing.
Meeeee tooooooooo hehe. First of all he’s adorable and please he’s a child and he’s got heart. Good for him. I want to see Simon eat his words and that show to go down. Please there were a few duds that show produced as winners that haven’t done well at all. And then there were rejects from that show that went onto become really successful and have good careers. So obviously the show is total stupidity.
Jeet, I agree. AI is a popularity contest, and despite Howard Stern, the hunger strike girl, etc., I think most of his votes are genuine (and even the Indian community vote is probably only very small). So you have a lot of Americans genuinely voting for this guy, but there’s a lot of negative comments about him too.
I think showmanship is a large part of most pop music. I am in no way comparing Sanjaya’s talent level to the Rolling Stones or James Brown but those artists paid a lot of attention to their live performances in terms of choreography, stage show, etc. and Sanjaya does have the showmanship down.
Risible,
Good points. I’ve never watched AI before and only started watching in the last 3 weeks. For the record, I think Doolittle should win but I’d be happy to see Sanjaya in the top 4.
I don’t think he does haircuts.
His voice is not yet strong enough to do what he wants to do, as this guy noticed, so I think it’s interesting that Sanjaya can indicate what he’s trying to do without actually singing it –when he’s not just carrying a tune straight, that is. Plus he’s a gifted dancer. You can’t be an idol if you sing brilliantly but look like a potato.
I’m enjoying YouTube selects of his performances, available early the next day.
Whoops, yes he does do haircuts!
here is an old youtube video of sanjaya back during choir days.. don’t have sound at my computer, but you tell me how hawt or nawt he is..
The ‘welcome to the universe of sanjaya’ comment was actually a good comeback to Simon’s snide ‘you’re in your own universe’ comment the week before. The kid is getting stronger, not weaker. And interestingly, all the contestants who’ve been booted off have had nothing but good things to say about him. Sincerely too. They’ve defended him. He’s sweet and he’s got guts.
His mannerism reminds me of the kid who played Naseerudin Shah’s son in Monsoon Wedding – the male diva kind.
Chick pea! That youtube of Chariot is awesome. He is pulling back on the show! Why? He’s got grit in that voice; why doesn’t he bring it to the AI performances? Sanjaya, you can sing. Bring back the gospel vibe from Chariot……
he either: 1. is saving the best for last, and taking us all for a ride (super brilliant.. and if that is the true case, i bow down to him) 2. puberty might have messed up his vocal talent.. 3. all he cares about is entertaining, charming folks, and making young girls cry
p.s. his father looks like him (sans hair ;))
If you’re looking at singing ability, you’re completely missing the point. Both are novelty acts, both were pawns of American Idol, and now both have the potential to embarass the show (Hung already did, by getting a record deal, video, etc…)
Wasn’t that character gay?
And it’s an interesting embedded echo of “Welcome to America” So, again, is Malakar the new McCallan? History repeats itself, the first time as (averted?) tragedy, second as (unavoidable) farce.
Feminine, yes. Gay, ambiguous.
I guess you know more about singing than Diana Ross and Tony Bennett, both of whom complimented him. He wouldn’t have been selected as a contestant for American Idol if his singing was “horrible”.
yes i do. know that he is ‘horrible’ compared to the other singers. it’s his ‘personality’ that keeps him in. he can likley belt it out, but doesn’t. maybe you cry when he sings. i just laugh.
even more brilliance.
those bowls look so unappetizing that i wouldn’t even dare to eat one. sanjaya – you better change the terms of the contract before you accept the offer! i suggest mashed potatoes, biscuits, and/or cole slaw, but not those bowls…
I personally dont think there is any ambiguity to Sanjaya’s gay-ness…he’s just 17 and might not actually realize it himself. Im actually impressed that the mainstream media isn’t pushing it. I hope he figures it out soon…we don’t need a brown MJ running around.
Sonia,
What is your point?