American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar, the waifish breakout star who lacks only a singing voice, is America’s latest wedge issue, according to The New Republic. One teenager went on hunger strike for 16 days to protest Sanjaya's continued presence, sparking a counter protest of "Binge Eating for Sanjaya" and "Slim Fast for Sanjaya."
VoteForTheWorst.com encourages Americans to vote for Sanjaya as the least-talented contestant in an attempt to sabotage the show. TNR’s Sacha Zimmerman writes: “It is so galling to see young people initiating protest movements over 'Idol' when the country is in the midst of a fricking war. But who needs to think about something so fretful when there are Sanjaya's doe eyes to peer into?” (More American Idol stories.)