Longing for the day ...

Best wishes, Dan

Well, I was shocked to see Dan knocked out. But I was not displeased.

As I have noted before, Dan had the weakest voice and one of the weaker on-stage presences in the competition. I was sure he'd go further, though, because, as Dicko and Marcia have pointed out, he's gorgeous and the girls love him.

So, why was he knocked out despite the pathetic performances of Casey and Hayley? Possibly song choice - I'm no fan of Creed - but in this case, I think there was something more interesting happening. It's what my former boss calls "expectations management" in elections.

Remember, this is not a talent contest, it's a popularity contest in which talent plays a major part. Dan was, despite his performances, annointed by the judges as unlikely to be beaten. If his voting base is young girls influenced by his appearance, I suspect they may have believed Dicko and thought that if he was going to win anyway, they might vote for someone else. If enough of them do that, Dan gets the least votes.

I'm rather frustrated that I can't see the voting totals each week. I'm sure they would go a long way to confriming or disproving my theory. If anyone knows where I can see them, please let me know.

Bring on Sunday!