Why Has American Idol Contestant Sanjaya Malakar Made It So Far?

It's no secret that people are obsessed with Fox's reality television singing competition, "American Idol." Fans have gone so far as to create clubs which are designed to both worship and obliterate certain competitors on the show. That being said, this season's shocker has revolved around one contestant named Sanjaya Malakar.

For some reason, the world cannot seem to figure out how he's made it through the contest thus far. There are plenty of conspiracy theories floating around online and elsewhere. (Take a peek at votefortheworst.com or listen to Howard Stern). But when you think of it, there really are a few good reasons why this 17 year-old young man has made it as far as he has on the show.

1. There Are No More Wholesome Child Stars- Quite frankly, the reason that Sanjaya seems to be winning over thousands of fans is because he represents a type of artist that is currently missing from the mainstream music industry.

Young artists these days seem to have grown up overnight. Their music and lyrics are so "adult" these days that it seems that all the truly wholesome child stars have all but disappeared. Enter the stage, Sanjaya Malakar. His undeniable charm and pleasant disposition have garnered him enough adoration to keep him on American Idol.

2. Sanjaya Really Can Sing- Contrary to popular belief, Sanjaya Malakar has quite a sweet and lovely voice. However, the reason many people have failed to "connect" with him is because he's shy and inexperienced. He is still learning how to project with his voice and perform on stage. Therefore, his attempts at "fitting in" often make him look exceptionally goofy. But when one listens closely to his overall tone, it's easy to tell that Sanjaya is actually very good at holding a melody. The judges all agree that though he needs some work, he is still talented. Audiences know that the young man has a pretty good voice, and they vote for him because of this.