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Fox faces claims that AT&T swayed the American Idol result unfairly because they gave Kris Allen fans free “power texts.” This comes after claims that the more conservative Kris Allen beat out Adam Lambert in the show's finale based on homophobia since pictures of Lambert kissing men surfaced on the internet throughout the season.
Since the more conservative Kris Allen beat out Lambert in the show's finale Wednesday Idol pundits have speculated wildly that the over-the-top Lambert --who's had pictures of him kissing men surface on the Web since Idol began -- lost to Allen based on homophobia.
Now, another controversy with the latest American Idol has surfaced, this time involving the fans using the text-messaging service to vote.
Fox faces claims that AT&T, a corporate sponsor, swayed the American Idol result unfairly because they gave Kris Allen fans free “power texts.”
AT&T supplied phones to give free texting services for two Arkansas parties for Allen the night of the finals, according to The New York Times. Reports say AT&T reps instructed party-goers on how to “power text,” sending 10 texts with one touch of a button, which is a violation of show rules.
Adam Lambert fans were not provided with any free texting services, and complaints have been made that voting for the competition was rigged.
Fox, Idol producers 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia denied the claims:
“Fox and the producers of American Idol are absolutely certain that the results of this competition are fair, accurate and verified. Kris Allen is, without a doubt, the American Idol. We have an independent third-party monitoring procedure in place to ensure the integrity of the voting process. In no way did any individuals unfairly influence the outcome of the competition.”
AT&T release this statement in defense:
“Last week, countless parties were held in homes, bars, and other public places across America to watch the American Idol finale. In Arkansas, a few local AT&T employees were invited to attend two local watch parties organized by the community. Caught up in the enthusiasm of rooting for their hometown contestant, they brought a small number of demo phones with them and provided texting tutorials to those who were interested.
“Going forward,” the AT&T statement concluded, “we will make sure our employees understand our sponsorship celebrates the competition, not individual contestants. That said, it’s quite a leap to suggest that a few individuals could have impacted the final results.”
