As an official sponsor, you would think AT&T might avoid any conflicts of interest and just be happy that its brand gets plugged ever four minutes on the show. But that wasn’t the case: The wireless carrier provided free AT&T phones (the only cell phones that can be used to text in votes to the show) at fan-organized parties for Kris Allen so attendees could shoot off votes for the now-winner. Not only that, but AT&T representatives showed party-goers how to send “power texts” (10+ messages at once) to mass vote for Allen, despite Idol‘s own rules prohibiting block votes. Meanwhile, nothing similar was done for Adam Lambert. So could a few AT&T phones at just a couple of pro-Allen parties have swayed the end result? Not likely, since the margin between the two contestants was likely at least a few hundred thousand, if not a few million. But it’s already getting AT&T in trouble with Lambert fans, who are shouting “no fair” on all the message boards. Uh oh. Are we looking at a boycott of AT&T for being anti-gay? Quick, toss your iPhone down the gutter and let the conspiracy theories commence!
Enrik
I have heard from numerous sources that AT&T did in fact send reps to Lambert’s Idol parties but that the roomfuls of gays ended up dimming the lights and putting on porn and having some grand old orgy and everyone forgot to vote. But now AT&T is so ashamed of this, they’re covering the whole thing up and denying they sent guys there in the first place.
htfaul
Ugghhhhhhhhh I wish people would stop trying to make this a gay issue. I’m gay and from Arkansas, where Kris is from, and I voted for him every week. I think he is cute and really talented and I could see myself buying his album, where as I don’t think I would ever buy Lambert’s. I really think this had little to do with sexuality, as a lot of people in AR didn’t even really believe Adam was gay. Also why are we holding him as some kind of gay idol, even though he won’t actually say he is?
Kbutterum
@htfaul: Bless you and your fierceness.
bigolpoofter
Amen, HTFUL!
Mary, get down off the cross, someone else needs the wood…. and I’ve got some of my own for Kris Allen!
jim
What is this, TigerBeat?
bobito
What is this American Idol thing I keep reading about? Is it something I should care about?
Win
Oh lets just drop it.. I am an Adam fan and was from the beginning. At least by not winning AI, he will get to do what he wants with his music.
Prof. O. G. Whataschnozell
@Enrik: Never send a twink to do a mans job, huh?
Dylan
Remember when Katy Perry had a cape when she was singing that said ADAM LAMBERT on it?
anyway
Who effing cares?! As far as I’m concerned, Glambert got the better end of the deal because we don’t have to listen to him sing that awful winner’s anthem!
Adam’s going to be fine. He already has more tracks than Kris in the iTunes top 100 — and something like three times as many Idol clips in the iTunes top 50 videos.
Chill. Adam’s going to be a mega star — and he’ll likely get more creative freedom with his first album than if he’d been the winner.