American Idle: ratings slide is on

This could be a first - a television producer blaming declining ratings on Daylight Saving Time. People so rarely surprise me, especially in Hollywood, but I don't recall a producer ever using that one.

Whatever the reason, the proof is in the pudding - Nielsen Ratings show that American Idol's popularity may be waning. Ratings for the Tuesday "performance shows" off 10 percent compared to last season. However, don't start crying a river for the likes of Simon Cowell just yet - the show is still pulling in an average of 28 million viewers every Tuesday night.

I have to admit - I haven't pulled this hard for a show to fail since Survivor. (Yes, I know, it's still on TV, but it's popularity is at least waning a little.)

This past Wednesday's "results episode," which saw Gina Glocksen get the gate, was the least-watched episode of the season, according to TV Week.

But Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe said, as reported on TMZ.com, that what's causing the problem is Daylight Saving Time, which started three weeks earlier this year. Lythegoe said that ratings trend down every year when the time change kicks in. That makes sense, really, because I'd rather go outside in the daylight and get eaten alive by mosquitoes than watch 60 minutes of Idol.

"Even if we lost 50 percent of our audience, we'd still be in the top three shows in the country," Lythgoe said at a press conference on Monday. Cocky and full of hubris, without question, but Idol has been such a ratings behemoth the last five years, I suppose he can afford to be.

I wonder (hope) if Sanjaya Malakar is the reason that ratings are down. I doubt it, though, because I think the show is actually getting new viewers because of this train wreck. I've already voted for him once, and I'll keep on voting for him, because I hate American Idol and I'd love nothing more than to see him win. It might bring down Rupert Murdoch's precious franchise, and nothing would be better than that.

Websites like Vote for the Worst have proliferated this year to poke American Idol in the eye.

In the About Us section on Vote for the Worst's Website, the sites creators hit on the head why I hate the show:

We're back! Votefortheworst.com was started in 2004 to support voting for the entertaining contestants who the producers would hate to see win on American Idol. Why do we do it? During the initial auditions, the producers of Idol only let certain people through. Many good people are turned away and many bad singers are kept around to see Simon, Paula, and Randy so that America will be entertained.

The site's right - finding the best singer in America is only a small part of Idol's goal. It's main purpose is to entertain America (and sell records). During the first half of the season, it's all about putting down bad singers, which I too believe the producers of the show intentionally let in just so morons Simon, Paula and Randy can belittle and degrade them. Reeeeeaaaalllllly cool.

Keep on voting, America - we need another week of Sanjaya, even if no one is watching because it's lighter out longer.

Photo from AP