A poll about American Idol's Michael Johns and the rest of the American Idol Top 10 shows absolutely nothing worth hearing about. I am writing today so that you may know, polls matter much less than the valuable time that you waste to go there and cast your vote. In the end, they don't change a thing except for perhaps the number of hits on a website's page. All polls really prove is that a particular site might be made up of, or attract a certain type of demographic, thus ensuring the outcome of a poll before it is even announced.
I will assume that most of my readers know what I mean when I say demographics, but bear with me a moment so I can explain it to those who haven't yet had any exposure to marketing or media descriptions. A demographic can be most simply described as a group of people meeting a certain criterion or characteristic. It is used to classify people for statistical purposes and is based on different factors. These factors might include such things as age, gender, location, income, etc. Truth be told, these groups can be broken down into as many different categories as the pollster chooses to break them into. They can even be added together in some cases, if they still meet a likely result.
Most of the things I write about are based solely on my opinion. This particular subject, however, is based more on actual experience. I spent a total of ten years doing market research for any number of national brands. Five of those years were in statistical data analysis, the other five were in sales and management. Where market research holds a valuable place in the marketing field for any brand, in my opinion, not every poll holds that same honored position.
You might ask me what's the difference between the two, since both are in essence trying to determine the public's opinion of whatever is the subject of the survey. Depending on the type of study that's being conducted, the differences don't always vary that much. Here's an example:
You're just sitting down to dinner, and that annoying telemarketer calls again to interrupt your meal just to ask your opinion. The survey this time is to find out which color Michael Johns' fans would prefer for his current tour color. The only choice you are given on which to base your decision must be made between orange and blue.
![Rolling [Explicit]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W%2B1R%2BTMVL._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
1 - ariadne
This is one of the better written articles on polls, fans, and American Idol I've seen. Colour me impressed with your logic.
2 - Ultimat1
Thank you ariadne, I appreciate your comment.
3 - Elaine
HAHA! Making sense from the senseless. So there is an idiot born everyday and an internet idiot born every second. Loved your blog. I'm guilty or at least was. Once I stopped and thought about it I changed my tactics. I only vote on polls that appear to be valid. Good Job!
4 - Ultimat1
How long did it take before you too figured out online polls are a worthless cause unless the site you visit is reputable? Thanks so much for your comment!
5 - Idolfan
There are two other factors that have biased even your own supposedly cleaner poll by A.I. First, fans have been known to discover polls like this and spam a site to pump up their favorite's numbers. If someone's fans don't find out about a particular poll, they might not go where the poll is to vote. And there have been TONS of these polls since the competition. Only those with a lt of time on their hands will tend to find them all and vote. So this also skews results. Secondly, believe it or not, not all Idol fans keep going to the AI site forever. Many, like me, rarely go there now, instead frequenting the fan site of the favored idol. I only get on there now to watch "Sharp Dressed Man", which I can't download and own. Nothing else is bringing me to the site for the endless silly polls that are there. So, the AI poll is also contaminated and not worth the time. Having been to the Idol Tour, I can assure you that 72% of the people are not there primarily for Michael Johns! The screams tell the tale. He got plenty, but there were at least 3 others who got more.
6 - Ultimat1
You've made my point exactly. However, with regard to the poll at AI, it was time limited as are all of their polls and closed down months ago. I've never been back.
7 - Sherry
I agree with you - most online polls are worthless. Even the official AI site polls are only interesting in whether or not the ignite a particular person's fanbase to vote a bunch of times.
For instance a recent poll asked which former Idol people would like to meet. I think the list included Taylor Hicks, Elliott Yamin, Ace Young, Dannie Noriega and Haley Scarnato.
At first Haley of all people was leading. Then a couple of days later Taylor took a huge lead with Elliott 2nd. I think Taylor and Elliott fans went out and decidedly put them first.
It does show fan bases exist at the very least. Same as in the poll with Michael Johns you mention in your article. His fans (including myself) are still not happy with where he finished on the show and want to show they are out there.
8 - Ultimat1
Thanks Sherry for your comments. Absolutely it proves there are fan bases exist and stand behind their favorite Idol. That's why I find this poll so interesting. You would think since it emcompassed everyone's fan base, (for those who'd already gone home), the numbers might have been more evenly spread. I would be interested in seeing what the final number was, but do not know if results of AI polls are ever published. It wouldn't matter, since it changes nothing (see above) and I wouldn't know where to look to find them anyway. As mentioned before, I have not been back, nor do I ever intend to go there anymore. :D
9 - lavender1960
Even if you know the poll is useless but it is still bragging rights for the artist or a test for the fanbase to mobilize.
There was a poll, ehem, on a certain website for a MAJOR music TV station in respect to who was the Artist of the Year, 2006 I believe was the year...
Well the 2 fan bases of those artists that finished 1 and 2 waged war and it got dirty, made even funnier by the fact that the one artist was a Christian Rock band and one of their fans actually posted the software to use to vote illegally in massive amounts in order that their band could win, well naturally the fans of the other band, whilst scolding the lack of ethics of the fans of a Christian rock band upon this discovery, still used the same program to help their band, it was neck and neck, but the Lord won out, just barely and that band now has in all its articles and promotional material how they were voted Artist of the Year for 2006 [never mind that 99 per cent of people had never heard of this band, and probably still haven't, far more people would be familiar with the 2nd artist, another 3rd artist, her fan base was strong but clearly didn't discover the voting software in time ha]
10 - Ultimat1
Another fascinating example of the unfortunate truth. Thanks for sharing that with us. I hadn't heard that one before.