May 23, 2007 10:11

I Heart Jordin Sparks

Not really. She seems sweet and all, but how the heck could she win a national singing competition over a true talent like Melinda Doolittle? What is wrong with you, America? And I realize I'm preemptively calling the contest, though there's still the outside chance that Blake--I don't even know his whole name--could pull it out. Enough with the beat-boxing already. It's so 1988. I get the feeling we're all going to look back on this season's Rewind shows and cringe.

Oh, and did you check out the guyliner on Chris Daughtry?

This here is my attempt at some American Idol watercooler chat. I stood by the actual watercooler five feet from my office door, waiting for some colleague to pass so I could blurt out my deep thoughts on Jordin et al. But no one did. It might have been because everyone was at the morning story meeting. Or because everyone I work with is too busy talking about the conflict in Lebanon and the immigration bill. Or because I work with camels who don't need regular libation.

(For a more professional assessment of TV entertainment, visit my colleague Jim Poniewozik's excellent blog.)

If I worked with normal people, we'd be gabbing about Idol all through the coffee break. That's according to a new Workplace Snapshot survey from recruiting and staffing company Spherion and Harris Interactive. Some results:

• 37% of U.S. workers named American Idol as the TV program discussed most often in the workplace, up from 35% in 2006.

• Nearly one-quarter (21%) admit discussing the popular TV show during company time

&bull: 10% of workers have engaged in debates over the contestants on American Idol.

There's apparently a gender breakdown:

According to the survey, women named American Idol and Grey’s Anatomy as the two most discussed TV programs at work (44% and 28% respectively), while men named American Idol and 24 (31% and 14% respectively). Women are more likely than men to discuss American Idol on company time (27% compared to 15%) and are more likely to have gotten into a debate at work over the contestants (12% vs. 9%).

That must be it. Way too many men around here. Straight, white men over 40. I bet the Idol chats rock downstairs at InStyle.