American Idol Sanjaya Malakar is not Hung yet.

American Idol has gone from our televisions screens leaving us with lots of good memories. The faces of Jordin, Blake and Melinda will be with us for a long time into the future because the level of their talent will keep them front and center in the lime light. There is one other face that we will continue to see as well, that of Sanjaya Ma lakar, not because he is of superior talent, but because in his own way he is special.

American Idol learned a huge lesson from William Hung. Hung did no more than audition for American Idol and instantly became a counter culture icon. Hung went on to earn serious money marketing himself and the American Idol franchise didn't get so much as a taste from the money Hung made. Call it a lesson learned for American Idol because it took them a few years, but they created their own American Idol counter culture Icon by the name of Sanjaya Malakar. Now we will have tweenies begging their parents to take them to see Sanjaya and teens showing up just because, and all the while filling the pockets of that American Idol franchise.

American Idol will be on tour all summer long with the top 10 American Idols from this past season, They will all be working for a wage, including Sanjaya. Arguably the tour has to be the best place for all of the Idols to hone their performing and singing skills. Sanjaya may seem like more of a joke right now, but I am suggesting that after a summer on tour with American Idol, he will develop and blossom. It is hard to imagine being out on tour with the behind the scenes people that run the road show, that Sanjaya won't be subjected to lots of tutoring and coaching.

Throughout history there have been a lot of rock stars that couldn't sing worth a damn but lead their bands to gold records based on either the tune being sung or the showmanship of the lead singer and band. Sanjaya has some singing skill and it can only improve, He hasn't yet become a William Hung and he may never become the joke Hung is. I would look for this young man to turn a sows ear into a silk purse.