Booted 'Idol' singers blame teenage girl bloc vote

[May 10, 2011]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Two eliminated "American Idol" singers say girl power worked against them because the show's young female viewers favor male contestants.

During a teleconference Friday, 26-year-old Naima Adedapo (nay-EE'-mah ad-eh-DAH'-poh) of Milwaukee said teenage girls are a sizable part of the "Idol" audience and, as she put it, "Once they get a crush, we're done."

Thia Megia (THEE'-uh meh-GEE'-uh) of Mountain House, Calif., a teenager herself, said the male singers are "incredible" but also can count on the girl vote. Megia added that she wished she'd done upbeat songs besides the ballads that the show's judges deemed overly safe.

"American Idol" usually cuts one low-ranking singer a week. Two were dropped Thursday because the judges overturned viewers' votes last week to save Casey Abrams of Idyllwild, Calif. Nine contestants are left.

[Associated Press; By LYNN ELBER]

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