BloggingStocks readers and AOL Money & Finance visitors have spoken, and below are the Best & Worst of 2007. (See the individual posts for full results.)

Company of the Year: Google, internet search provider turned diversified services giant, received 51% of the vote, beating such strong contenders as Apple and Coca-Cola.

Hottest Gadget of the Year: After all the hoopla surrounding the launch of the iPhone, it's no big surprise that it tops this category, with 47% of the vote, besting second place finisher the Nintendo Wii.

Dumbest Celebrity Feud: Rosie O'Donnell's squabbles with Donald Trump (and also with Elizabeth Hasselbeck) garnered 66% of the vote, easily beating out the back-and-forth between Britney Spears and her ex, Kevin Federline.

Hottest Car of the Year: The Cadillac CTS led with 43% of the vote, easily beating the BMW M3 and others in this category.

Dumbest Moment in Business: JetBlue's stranding of passengers on a cramped, grounded airliner for hours netted 51% of the vote.

Continue reading Best & Worst of 2007: Final results

Best & Worst of 2007: Final results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We recently took a look at the Best & Worst of 2007 in sixteen categories and asked you to vote for your favorites, as well as sharing the reasons for your picks and any other contenders we may have overlooked. And voting is off to a strong start, with more than 100,000 votes in each category so far.

Some categories have shaped up to be close races. Chuck Prince, Bill Ford, and Bob Nardelli each have a little less than a third of the vote for Best CEO Departure of the Year. Britney Spears and Michael Vick are neck and neck as the Celebrity Most Likely to Lose It All, while Lindsey Lohan's relatively low profile recently has garnered her just 6 percent of that vote. In the Most Shameless Attempt at Cashing in on '15 Minutes', Sanjaya Malakar has a slim lead over Howard K. Stern/Larry Birkhead, but poor Chris "Leave Britney Alone!" Crocker has gotten no respect with a mere 6 percent of the vote. McDonald's has a small lead as the Hottest Chain Restaurant, thought Chipotle isn't far behind with more than a quarter of the vote. And while the iPhone has the lead now as the Hottest Gadget of the Year, it and the Nintendo Wii have been trading places as the front runner.

Continue reading Best & Worst of 2007: Early voting results

Best & Worst of 2007: Early voting results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I was outraged this morning when my local news station broadcast the results from last night's "American Idol" -- Melinda Doolittle was voted off.

Simon Cowell made his preferences clear on Tuesday night. He wanted Jordin Sparks off and expected two finalists: Doolittle for her consistently excellent singing and Blake Lewis for his risk taking. I am guessing he thought those two had the best chance to make him money through record sales. I would have preferred to see Lewis go since I find him a mediocre singer who uses -- what I find very annoying "beatboxing" -- to make up the difference.

So why did Doolittle lose? There is no way to find out why she got fewer votes but my hunch is that she lacks charisma. Lewis probably took up the Sanjaya Malakar slack with the 12 year old girls and 17-year old Sparks exudes confidence and talent. While Doolittle lacks that magical quality, there is no doubt that she can sing better than the two finalists.

And if her post-Idol career is anything like last season's #4, Chris Daughtry's, Doolittle will be fine. However, with Doolittle off the show, it may hurt the ratings a bit for Idol owner, CKX Inc. (NASDAQ: CKXE) and News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates, a management consulting and venture capital firm. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in CKX or News Corp.

American Idol outrage originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 May 2007 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

American Idol didn't just jump the shark last night. It transformed itself into a nauseating celebration of corporate sponsorship and celebrity self-indulgence that was breathtaking to behold.

Though AIDS in Africa and hunger in America are serious issues that deserve the public's attention and charitable donations, I had trouble taking "Idol Gives Back" seriously. Then again, my cynicism kicks into high gear whenever I see a gaggle of celebrities trying hard to convince me that I should care about something. Actors and corporations have a right under the first amendment to express their political views, but I have just as much of a right to ignore them.

"Idol Gives Back" was all about the close bonds between Hollywood and Wall Street.

American Idol makes big money from the advertising that's integrated into its show such as the glasses on the judges' table that have the Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) logo on them and those idiotic Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) commercials featuring the contestants doing renditions of pop hits that have as much musicality as a high school rendition of "Grease."

As an Idol viewer, I can live with all of that stuff. Heck, I even put up with the hapless Sanjaya Malakar, who was in the audience last night.

But host Ryan Seacrest took America's top-rated program into new territory last night with his prodigious thanking of all of the sponsors, including Fox's parent News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) and ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM). He made these multi-billion corporations sound almost saintly at times.

Continue reading Media World: American Idol didn't just jump the shark

Media World: American Idol didn't just jump the shark originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch probably was the no. 1 fan of the most hapless "American Idol" contest in history Sanjaya Malakar ,whose time on the top-rated show mercifully came to an end last night.

Love him or hate him, Malakar made this season interesting. Otherwise, people would have grown tired of dishing out superlatives to Melinda Doolittle, who is the best singer in the competition's history, or trying to figure out half the things said by judge Paula Abdul.

Dave Della Terza, the creator of the snarky Vote for the Worst Web site that "championed" Malakar along with shock jock Howard Stern, aptly described "American Idol" as a "carefully crafted reality show."

When the 17-year-old Malakar walked into the audition room, the producers knew exactly what they were getting. Even as Malakar sung his heart out badly, his goofy earnestness somehow made him likeable. In other words, he was pure television gold.

Continue reading Rupert Murdoch will miss Sanjaya Malakar

Rupert Murdoch will miss Sanjaya Malakar originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last night's American Idol yielded two big shockers this morning: Sanjaya Malakar can sing and J.Lo may be splitting with her husband.

As J.Lo said at the beginning of the show "I think the key to any Latin thing is passion." Malakar, who sang "Bésame Mucho" delivered on that premise -- particularly with the Spanish vocals. And I guess that J.Lo is not getting that Latin thing from her husband -- Marc Anthony. MSNBC reports that she blames Anthony for her stalled career and his "controlling ways" -- and plans to divorce him.

But none of this matters. What's really important is that if Malakar can sing, he's no longer the worst. And who will Howard Stern pick to replace him?

Malakar bursts Stern's bubble originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Yum! Brands Tries to Strike Deal With Sanjaya

Yum! Brands Tries to Strike Deal With Sanjaya originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When I first heard about the rumored $50 billion Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) buyout, I thought it was speculative nonsense stirred up by a U.K. tabloid. It turns out my skepticism was justified.

Late yesterday, Dow flatly denied that it was having discussions about a leveraged buyout. Wall Street analysts thought a buyout was unlikely. The U.K.'s Sunday Express, which reported the story, first disclosed these rumors in February.

Whenever investors see reports about mergers, acquisitions or buyouts, they need to consider the source. News organizations such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Bloomberg News or the Financial Times are very careful about printing stories about potential mergers and acquisitions. I don't remember a situation where a story where a story from these sources was flatly denied.

Remember that investment bankers use the business press all of the time to promote deals that they are working or would like to work on. This is like the child's game Whisper Down the Lane. Someone talks to someone else about a possible deal which becomes a potential deal than a likely deal. Eventually. people aren't sure how the rumor started in the first place.

But before you discount this story entirely, remember that the Sunday Express didn't come up with this idea by itself. Maybe this was a trial balloon floated by a banker or public relations person. I have no idea whether Dow management has ever spent one second even considering a buyout.

But as the hapless American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar shows week after week, anything is possible.

Dow buyout isn't happening originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Okay now, I've kept quiet on the subject thus far even though it has given me cause to question the validity of music appreciation and of "reality" television in general. This week, however, I find it impossible to keep my thoughts to myself. American Idol was blessed this week to be graced by the presence of Tony Bennett, the man who put the "B" in ballad and an icon of music history who is probably as responsible for as many loving moments as Issac Hayes.

For me, it shapes up like this: I don't care what Sanjaya Malakar looks like, how he dresses, how his hair is done, where he comes from, his race, religion, sexual leanings, culture or favorite muppet. The sad fact of the matter is that by now the marginally talented kid has no business occupying a spot on a stage where he could even consider the possibility of looking a man like Tony Bennett in the eye. At this point in the game it's wrong, just plain dead wrong.

You may play games with this kid if that's what you'd like to do America but think for a moment about the message you're sending to the world with your votes. You have no taste. You have no guts. You'd rather opt for humorous shenanigans over an exercise of honest conscience. You have taken the futures of at least a half dozen seriously talented people and tossed them at the dumpster because you thought it an appropriate joke to vote against what you knew to be the truth. Jim Cramer must be proud of you.

My greatest sorrow with this situation is the recollection of the passing of that other divine crooner Frank Sinatra. I really wish that Frank was still around to have witnessed this all going on. The reason being, Frank and his Rat Pack would have put an early end to all this nonsense without America being any the wiser. This is no longer a case of bad judgment. It has become a inexcusable display of gut twisting bad taste. Please America restore my faith in your recognition of talent. Reaffirm the proposition of "May the best one win".

Sanjaya Malakar assaults Tony Bennett... Film at 11:00 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vote for the Worst enjoys being a fly around the Tyrannosaurus Rex that is "American Idol."

`"American Idol" isn't really a talent competition," said Dave Della Terza, who founded the snarky Web site in 2004, in an interview. "It's a carefully crafted realty show."

Della Terza hasn't made many friends at Fox and its corporate parent News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) or among rabid fans who regularly accuse him of trying to ruin America's most popular television show. Their angry emails on Vote for the Worst are hysterical.

Topic number one on the minds of his readers is Sanjaya Malakar. For those of you who are in a cave or in a coma, Malakar is a hapless young man who has managed to charm his way into the hearts of the American public. Every week, millions of viewers wait to find out what pop song the 17-year-old will butcher next.

In other words, Malakar is perfect for Vote for the Worst.

"It's pretty obvious that he's scared out of his mind," he said. "It's so awkward that the judges never know what to say."

Last night was no exception. Malakar put his long flowing brown hair into a mock Mohawk. His rendition of No Doubt's "Bathwater" was weird. Simon Cowell summed it up perfectly when he said that at this point it doesn't matter what the judges say about Malakar. Cowell is Sanjaya's "favorite" judge because he's "brutally honest," according to the show's Web site.

This season has had a few highlights for Della Terza. Idol contestant Chris Sligh, the chubby guy with the curly hair, gave him a shout out after finishing one of his songs. The site was also mentioned on VH1's "Best Week Ever."

"He understands the humor behind our Web site," he said of Sligh.

Maybe he'll have more time to enjoy Vote for the Worst. Sligh's rendition of "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" didn't rock the house.

Try as it might, Fox can't ignore Vote for the Worst.

The site gets about one million hits a day and as many as four million hits on show nights. I had trouble getting on Vote for the Worst during last night's broadcast.

Vote for the Worst makes money, but not enough for Della Terza to make a living, he said.

Della Terza took pains to point out that he has a real job. Actually, he's got two of them.

"This is definitely not a job," he joked.

Media World: Vote for the Worst pokes fun at "American Idol" originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When I read on our sister blog TV Squad that CNBC was developing an animated show, I couldn't believe it. Then again, this is the same TV network that thinks Donny Deutsch is a talk show host and that Maria Bartiromo is a journalist. Anything is possible.

Just to be clear, I am talking about a cartoon. Not the type of "animation" that viewers of Jim Cramer's Mad Money show regularly enjoy. I used to work for The Street.com, the company he co-founded, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that Cramer is almost as energetic in real life.

Getting back to the cartoon, CNBC's show is based on a comic strip called CEO Dad. I checked out the strip's Web site and found it amusing in a Dilbertish sort of way. The strip features the adventures of Frank Pitt, "President and CEO of Pitt Packaging International, the third largest manufacturer of Styrofoam peanuts in Bucks County, Pennsylvania."

I'm not smart enough to predict whether CEO Dad will be a smash hit. I didn't think Sanjaya Malakar would last on American Idol and the appeal of Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ:CROX) shoes eludes me.

This got me thinking what could be next for CNBC. Perhaps a musical version of Squawk Box? What about Cramer action figures? The possibilities are endless.

CNBC is developing an animated show -- no joke originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Mar 2007 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So the controversy continues. I was researching the rules to American Idol in response to a comment I received from someone claiming to be a former employee of Fox TV that suggested there is a disclaimer regarding the voting and selection process at the end of the show in fine print. I could not find the disclaimer but I did find this on Wikipedia:

• American Idol is broadcast to over 100 nations outside of the United States, including many with their own version of Idol; however, it is not a live broadcast and may be tape delayed by several days or weeks (excluding Pakistan, India, Israel, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates in which it is also aired live).
• And this: International networks broadcasting American Idol - In India it airs live on Star World.

Is the Wikipedia info correct? Does AI air live in India? Are all the people cursing me up and down wrong for even suggesting that Indian call centers might be skewing the American Idol vote?

Let me state clearly that upon further thought I believe that this is far fetched, never the less, Sanjaya Malakar is still on the show and more talented singers are gone. Howard Stern, and the vote the worst crowd are having an impact. My original post was followed by Sunday Funnies: American Idol - Indian Idle, sharing some of the comments I received, then American Idol puzzle solved: Market Theory, considering a broader range of factors, and continuing with Amercan Idol or Survivor: It's for real.

From a business perspective, American Idol is probably getting higher ratings with Sanjaya then it would without. Hollywood is not new to controversy and only politics is more corrupt in my view, so who knows the real story? I have been accused of being racist for even suggesting that race is a factor. Well in business, I cannot leave out race or any other considerations that may influence a situation. I am not passing judgment, I am sharing an observation. Can you even discuss racial issues without being a racist in some peoples eyes? Last night Stephanie Edwards, one of the four "black divas" was voted off. She has superior talent to others and I do believe that vote splitting affected her support on the show and that one of the four white males will be in trouble next week for the same reason. This is not racist, but objective analysis of the real world.

Disclosure: I invest in international stocks and one of my favorites is ICICI Bank ADS (NYSE: IBN) one of India's largest private banks.

American Idol broadcast live in India originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Much as it pains me to disagree with the articulate rant of my fellow blogger Sheldon Liber, the Vote for the Worst Web site is the cause of the mischief on this season's "American Idol" not Indian call centers who are responsible for every other ill in modern society.

Vote for the Worst perverts the very wholesome nature of the number television show by gleefully encouraging people to vote for the worst singers in the competition to continue. The nerve of these people!

The scandalous and talentless Antonella Barba was championed by the site, as was the charming but erratic Sundance Head. Sanjaya Malakar is now the object of their attention and I am scared. Sanjaya is so bad that I don't think he would be cast as the lead in my local high school musical. He might become the next American Idol if we don't stop these fiends.

Of course, the real winner in all of this hubub is News Corp. (NYSE:NWS), which continues to rake in huge profit from the show whose popularity is showing no signs of slowing.

So America, remember to vote for your favorite idol. This isn't an election for president. It's really important.

Vote for the Worst is messing with American Idol, not Indian call centers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.