As the "Idol" audition tour wound itself up in Atlanta on Super Tuesday night, we pored over the last returns in "American Idol's" own primary season and had some thoughts on a looming, potentially huge demographic battle shaping up -- one that could spell R-E-A-L-I-G-N-M-E-N-T for seasons to come and bring millions of disenfranchised voters into the "Idol" system.
Long considered by many the sleeping giant of "Idol" voting blocs, this may be the year when the goth vote at last awakens. For six seasons, America's vampires and ghouls were relegated to the margins of the electoral process, merely allowed into the public stage as oddities to fill out the audition episodes. Last season, however, the goth bloc made a tentative step into the arena when partial goth Gina Glocksen made it as far as the Top 10. This year, goth nation may be fielding a standard-bearer with the resources and potential broad appeal to be a serious player in the race. Amanda, the nurse/biker chick, showed in her audition that she has the vocal power to potentially be a true factor in this race.
That said, Amanda may want to look at the Glocksen experience as a cautionary tale. My experience canvassing the crucial 5- to 11-year-old electorate who turned out in masses last season at the Idoldome indicated that these critical voters considered Glocksen's gothiness "scary," not in a fun way, and upsetting. If Amanda can show the ability to move past the scary factor, she has the potential to do for goths what Blake Lewis did for beat-boxers -- end seasons of disenfranchisement and bring them into the system. Or could Amanda take it one step further, even?
Another thought to chew on at the audition period's end: The rocker demographic may turn out to be the great white hope that in the end was too good to be true. In Season 4, "Idol" voters were stunned by the from-nowhere emergence of two quasi-rockers in the Final 12, Constantine Maroulis and Bo Bice, with Bice reaching the finals. In Season 5, "Idol's" purest rocker, Chris Daughtry, was considered the favorite for much of the season and went on to become the fourth-bestselling Idol of all time. In Season 6, however, the bottom fell out of the rocker bloc and not a single candidate reached the Top 24.
This year, we've had a few glimpses of rockers with some potential, but the advisors to the rocker camp must be very worried about the emergence of a strong goth candidate -- a rival clique whose appeal targets the same voters.
