Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Is Going First a Curse?

Last night I promised you more information on the curse of going first on performance night…

Monday, USAToday.com posted a story detailing the statistics of which slot leads to being eliminated most and it is indeed the number one spot.

According to WhatNotToSing.com, in 69 finals episodes, the first singer has been voted off 20 times, which is seven more than would be expected based on “statistical probability.” In four out of six weeks this season, the first performer has been in the bottom three, twice being eliminated.

The best spots to be in, according to the article? 7th, 11th and 12th. Only one Idol has been eliminated from the 7th spot and no one has been knocked out from the 11th or 12th spot (Only one has been in the bottom three--Kristy Lee Cook.).

So how is the performance order determined? Executive Producer Ken Warwick told USAToday.com that the producers vary the order each week “to be fair,” but they also try to arrange the performances to “make the most entertaining show.”

So why is the first spot the dreaded spot? USAToday.com offered three theories: 1) Fewer viewers at the start 2) Judging standards (no bad performances to be compared to) 3) The gap between singing and voting.

We’ll see tonight if Syesha falls victim to the jinx, just as Michael Johns did…