American Idol Controversy

Main article: American Idol controversy
American Idol has come under fire for maintaining what some claim to be total control of the careers of the winners of the contest. Former cohost Brian Dunkleman referred to the show as "owning" the winning contestants, noting that winners sign contracts to only record with companies owned by the show's producers and to allow related agencies to manage their careers.
Former contestant Corey Clark told reporters in April of 2005 that he and Idol judge Paula Abdul had a "secret affair," prompting an internal Idol investigation.
The show is known for encouraging favoritism within the contestants and having viewers vote for their "favorite" rather than singing ability. This treatment of music places social status above musical aesthetics.
Since the 2004 season, American Idol producers have battled services like DialIdol.com and Worldsentiment.com. These sites use very large samplings and algorithms to predict the outcome of the vote-off long before the on air-announcement. Some in the media have implied that Las Vegas odds makers exert behind-the-scenes influence in protecting the services.