Editor’s note: This letter is in response to viewer reaction to the VFTG American Idol 14 Picks of Holly, Tracia, Lanise, and Kellie.
I am well aware of it. I pretty much understand the backlash of the decisions of allowing two male Vote for the Girls picks — Nick Fradiani and Riley Bria.
All four moderators on the pink team (Holly Everman, Kellie Rock, Lanise White, and Tracia Ward) earned an advantage for American Idol 14 that as the webmaster and executive producer of Vote for the Girls (this web site you are viewing right now). Those decisions to allow Riley and Bria as Vote for the Girls picks were not made in vain.
As fellow moderators, we have have to judge based on one audition in the opening round. The decision to add the two males into the mix of Vote for the Girls picks came down to based on Riley Bria’s vocals and appearance (after a similar decision from our friends on the UK Version of The Voice last year involving James Byron) and down to Nick Fradiani’s audition as his girlfriend known as Yanni G were pretty much close enough to an Alex & Sierra pick on American Idol in my judgement.
Holly posted on her blog “At the end of the day, I have to judge and decide based on this one audition that I’ve seen and not what’s been in the past, or what my expectations are… But I am making the picks, and I know in my heart, my picks are Alexis Gomez, Joey Cook, Katherine Winston, Jackie “JAX” Cole, Loren Lott, Maddie Walker, Riley Bria, Nick Fradiani (& Ariana Gavrilis), Sarina-Joi Crowe with Lovey (James) and Adanna (Duru) as my Best of Worst”
Since the last VFTG Victory of Alex & Sierra on December 19, 2013 we have seen way too many female contestants lost to male counterparts not approved by yours truly, but it is even more heart breaking when the last female contestant getting eliminated. That is primarily the reason I decided to change the rules on Vote for the Girls this year that resulted in all our moderators declining two Vote for the Girls losses on So You Think You Can Dance 11 and The Voice 7 and the reason Valerie Rockey and DaNica Shirey are currently in the Vote for the Girls Hall of Fame.
We have received numerous comments about the Vote for the Girls USA Pink Team Moderators’ picks. As a web site promoting votes for female contestants, we do our best to get these ladies to the finale and/or even have an all-female final (aka GUARANTEED VFTG Victory). Our obligation to you is to provide as much of a head start in the female contestant’s (or Vote for the Girls picks’ campaign.) That obligation unfortunately, at times, includes uncomfortable subjects or comments that are difficult to hear as fans of female vocalists, or even make you angry. And while we are moderators, everyone on our moderator panel and the Male Moderator Crew are human as well and we have similar reactions. So these are situations we take very seriously.
By showing the other side, you were able to get the answer to “why is that Vote for the Girls never votes for male contestants, yet supported Alex & Sierra on The X Factor 3 and supporting Riley and Nick on American Idol 14?” We wanted to give insight into the mind of the people/family who were involved so there was some context and exposure for you into this world. For some, maybe it’s a world you are already familiar with; for others it may be something you cannot even comprehend. It was difficult for many of us to watch and understand — mostly for the four moderators that chose Riley as her VFTG pick and/or the moderators that chose Nick as her Vote for the Girls pick.
This decision to allow Riley and Nick as Vote for the Girls picks along with the 12 other girls competing in American Idol 14 is just a small part of our complete coverage, with the vast majority supporting six of the girls on American Idol 14 of which all nine of the moderators have unanimously chosen–Sarina-Joi Crowe, Alexis Gomez, Lovey James, Loren Lott, Maddie Walker, and Katherine Winston. We will continue to support every female vocalist. Again, it is the reason why there such sites like Vote for the Girls and we hope you understand the tough choices we have to make in making our picks. Like our viewers, we want a Vote for the Girls victory.
Ava Zinn
Founder and Webmaster, Vote for the Girls USA