About two months ago, host Veronica Belmont announced she was leaving the podcast Mahalo Daily for another project. As much of the show’s success was due in part to her contributions, Founder and CEO of Mahalo Jason Calacanis realized that another charismatic host needed to be found, and fast. In an unusual move, Calacanis and the Mahalo Daily producers decided to have an American Idol-style showdown to determine who would be the new co-host of Mahalo Daily and complement to the talented Lon Harris. Over the course of about a month, over 100 “contestants” battled it out to try and garner this position, but the process has had its ups and downs. On the eve of the announcement of who the winner will be, I review these ups and downs and try to determine whether, overall, the aptly yet awkwardly-named Mahalo Vlog Idol competition has been a success or a failure.
The Premise
First off, I question whether or not an American Idol-styled competition is best for determining the co-host of a webshow. I’m not really sure why Calacanis and company chose to take this route in the first place; perhaps podcast views were dropping and the team decided an attempt at revitalization was necessary, it’s hard to say. If this was the goal, though, I’m not sure this was the decision to make. Unlike the actual American Idol competition, Mahalo Vlog Idol participants were competing for exposure to a very small niche; that is, podcast viewers, rather than the entire worldwide community. As a result, I don’t see the Vlog Idol competition attracting new viewers, as the only individuals interested in the outcome would be current viewers anyway. Whereas American Idol gains viewers because competitors have something of interest to the community at large, I expect the Vlog Idol initially only appealed to current viewers at best.
That being said, the idea to involve the community in choosing a new co-host is very Web 2.0 and shows a positive openness to discussion.
The Process
In the first few episodes of the Mahalo Vlog Idol, contestants came before “judges” Calacanis, Alex Albrecht, and Loren Feldman. Personally, I almost found them almost awkward to watch, as it was clear most of the young women had arrived at the Mahalo offices just as they would for a routine interview. Although the bluntness often displayed by Simon, Paula, and Randy on American Idol is a draw to the show, here, it was much closer to being a turn-off. At several times during the episode, I actually minimized my video player just so I wouldn’t have to view these poor contestants being criticized by the three judges. Although I’m sure the ladies had willfully agreed to the process, it was still uncomfortable and seemed a bit pretentious of the three web personalities to so closely mirror the American Idol judges.
Unfortunately, as the show segued into “The Bachelon,” a parody of The Bachelor, the awkwardness continued as judges continued to be largely critical. In the portion of the show where contestants were eliminated, even usually jovial Lon seemed cold as he requested that eliminated participants “please leave immediately.”
Things began to heat up and get more interactive as the six semifinalists each produced their own Mahalo Daily episode to be voted on in the community. In an unusual partnership with Seesmic, the competition offered a Macbook Air to the best video comment regarding the six episodes. Unfortunately, only about 20 video comments were left, which meant each video comment cost the companies around $90 each; it’s unlikely that the reward generated enough interest to be worth that investment. Strangely, almost 400 non-video comments were posted, making me wonder if individuals misunderstood the promotion. Still that means each comment was worth around $4.50 to Mahalo and Seesmic, and I’m not sure if I’d consider that to be a success.
Lastly, as an added complication, some sort of tampering seemed to occur with the Zoho-integrated voting widget embedded on the voting page; it was clear many individuals voted more than once, and some contestants seemed to have the support of hackers and spammers as numbers fluctuated widely, with one contestant going from last to first place overnight.
After the voting debacle, there seemed to be more behind-the-scenes trouble as two contestants did not show up for the taping of the The Apprentice-themed shows. I don’t think there’s been any official word out as to why the two girls failed to show, but it’s possible that the protracted audition process was beginning to get to them. I’d love to hear from one of the Mahalo Daily staff members about what happened.
Once the six semifinalists were narrowed down to two, Andrea Rene and Leah D’Emilio, they were asked to create a viral video for the final portion of the competition. Although this task seemed almost too difficult to me at first, I was pleasantly surprised by Ms. D’Emilio’s job on a parody of Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body,” which has garnered almost 100,000 hits. You can view this video below:
As you can see, it’s pretty well done. Overall, despite the awkwardness and touch too much criticism on the part of the judges, I’d say the format was a relative success– heck, if even Tila Tequila gets involved, it must be something!
The Feedback
Unfortunately for the Mahalo Daily team, however, feedback from viewers has not been positive. First off, many of the comments in the Mahalo Daily threads have been combatative, hostile, or insulting. One viewer wrote:
I cant believe all you cry babies out there. listen to you all moaning and whining around. “ohhh, this is fixed, oh this tramp is so much better…Whaaaah, whaaah.” quit your complaining! just vote and shut up!
Also, many commenters seemed to think the contest has gone on for much too long. Wrote one individual:
BTW: Wrap this up, it is showing a great deal of indecisiveness from MD and smacks of getting a free ride on the backs of your applicants.
Perhaps worst of all, some Mahalo Daily viewers have even sworn that they’ll stop watching the webshow altogether as a result of this competition:
I agree with “Scottish Lass” - to be honest I think I’ll be unsubscribing to Mahalo Daily.
Even when negative, however, feedback is feedback, and the Mahalo Vlog Idol competition has certainly been successful at generating that, no argument there.
The Verdict
Even though the Mahalo Vlog Idol competition has had its flaws, it’s my opinion that overall the competition has been a success. As far as I know, no popular podcast in the history of webcasting has tried to involve its audience to the degree that the Mahalo Daily team has. I think it speaks volumes that the gang tried to get the input of the entire viewing membership on an important decision, and has definitely been an enormous step in the right direction for podcasting in general. Props to the entire team.
If I had to make any recommendations for future similar endeavors, I’d suggest three things. First, try to be as transparent as possible so that the viewing audience can see exactly what you’re looking for in a contestant and work towards those aims. Second, work on being more positive, as a positive presence from within leads to a more positive presence in the community in general. Lastly, try to be short and sweet. The Mahalo Vlog Idol competition has gone on for much too long.
Your Turn
If you’ve kept up with Mahalo Vlog Idol competition and have any ideas to share, I’d love to hear them. If you can fill in any of the missing pictures in this writeup, your information would be appreciated too. Even if you haven’t watched all the episodes but have an opinion just after reading this post, chime in! In particular, any thoughts from Jason or the Mahalo Daily team would be wonderful.
Sometime tomorrow, the results of the Mahalo Vlog Idol competition will be released. My prediction? We’ll soon be seeing Ms. Leah D’Emilio on our computers, iPods and iPhones, or other media players within a couple of weeks.
However, if the following quote from Mr. Calacanis has any significance, we might even be seeing two Mahalo Idols!
I can not say who the winner–or winnerS–are. :). Results come out midnight tomorrow (pst).
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I still think Kristina would have been the best choice even though some people thought she had the Veronica thing goin’ on. Leah and Andrea have the experience, but having either of them hosting will give off the vibe of “This is where Veronica left off”. I just don’t see any change in the show if either of those two are picked.
Out of the two, I pick Leah. She had the best Viral video and best continuity in her Mahalo Daily episode. Her topic really surprised me, and that’s what I like the most out of anything I watch, see, or do. It got me interested in learning about something I didn’t know existed.
Great post. Really enjoyed reading your take on the whole process now that it’s finally over.
Let me just say…To my mind, the competition was a total success, because we have found an amazing host who is going to do some fantastic shows. And I think we came up with some pretty fun episodes along the way…
As for why Michelle and Nadine did not appear in the Mapprentice…it’s very fair to say that we asked a whole lot from our contestants. These ladies’ hectic schedules just didn’t permit them to make it to the taping of that show. I’ll leave the question of whether or not Jason should have dismissed them for failure to appear to others, but I can say that there were no hard feelings, and it’s certainly possible you’ll see one or both of them make future appearances on the show.
Thanks for watching.
@Ross: Getting a chance to talk with Kristina a little bit over Twitter has definitely shown what an unusual and unique person she is. I’ll have to hear that rant from you sometime soon!
I agree with the video comment, too; she’s done great work. I found myself humming “Touch My Body” numerous times today… and I haven’t even seen the original video yet!
@Lon: Your comment really means a ton to me; I appreciate it. I agree with you about the successful episodes: I think the 6 the ladies produced have been some of the best yet. It’s also great to hear that about the Mapprentice episodes, too; it felt a little weird just not having them there, and your explanation really clears things up. It’s been an extremely rigorous process!
Thanks for your comments, and Lon, thanks for your hard work making this all happen!
A show’s success is contingent on it’s host so when Veronica announced she was leaving I’m sure some of the MD team got a bit nervous. Would fans stick around? Would they be accepting of a new person? It was gonna be a hard transition so why not distract the audience a bit. Now, instead of viewers complaining that the new host is “no Veronica”, they are so excited for her to start already. The new host already has a supportive fan base.
I think each challenge was well thought out and appropriate to the job responsibilities. And it allowed the producers and editors to work with several ladies to really get a feel of who they wanted to work with regularly.
I will be interested to see what happens to the show’s traffic once it gets back to typical programming but overall I believe the Vlog Idol was a success.
Thanks for this blog post. I enjoyed reading a viewer’s response. And as a contestant, thanks for watching and caring.
Thanks for the inside scoop, Sarah! That explanation makes a lot of sense, and it’s good to hear you agree with the whole process, as many might say it was roughest for you.
And hey, it’s gotten me to write a big long post about it, so it must be a success! I definitely feel more attached to the show than I did last month.
Thank you so much for being a contestant; it introduced me to you, and I love keeping track of fascinating people such as yourself!
Thanks for writing this overview of the entire experience, Andy. I agree with you on most points. Though the competition did last a while, it also gave the viewers the opportunity to get to know the competitors more.
Sarah made an excellent point up there. In many ways this was a test drive and a much appreciated transitionary period for the entire show. Veronica leaving the show was potentially a deal-breaker if the transition wasn’t handled well. I’m sure you all remember what happened with Rocketboom. (Side thought: What would have happened if Andrew Baron had done a Rocketboom Idol?)
Overall the risks the Mahalo Daily crew took in doing this idol competition paid off and made some history in the process. If the schedules are permitting, I suggest that hostship be shared between the two for a few weeks. After that, Mahalo will have better metrics on which host is preferred, and won’t that make the decision easier? Why rush?
Thanks again, Mahalo and Andy!
I still think Kristina would have been the best choice even though some people thought she had the Veronica thing goin’ on. Leah and Andrea have the experience, but having either of them hosting will give off the vibe of “This is where Veronica left off”. I just don’t see any change in the show if either of those two are picked.
Out of the two, I pick Leah. She had the best Viral video and best continuity in her Mahalo Daily episode. Her topic really surprised me, and that’s what I like the most out of anything I watch, see, or do. It got me interested in learning about something I didn’t know existed.
Great post. Really enjoyed reading your take on the whole process now that it’s finally over.
Let me just say…To my mind, the competition was a total success, because we have found an amazing host who is going to do some fantastic shows. And I think we came up with some pretty fun episodes along the way…
As for why Michelle and Nadine did not appear in the Mapprentice…it’s very fair to say that we asked a whole lot from our contestants. These ladies’ hectic schedules just didn’t permit them to make it to the taping of that show. I’ll leave the question of whether or not Jason should have dismissed them for failure to appear to others, but I can say that there were no hard feelings, and it’s certainly possible you’ll see one or both of them make future appearances on the show.
Thanks for watching.
@Ross: Getting a chance to talk with Kristina a little bit over Twitter has definitely shown what an unusual and unique person she is. I’ll have to hear that rant from you sometime soon!
I agree with the video comment, too; she’s done great work. I found myself humming “Touch My Body” numerous times today… and I haven’t even seen the original video yet!
@Lon: Your comment really means a ton to me; I appreciate it. I agree with you about the successful episodes: I think the 6 the ladies produced have been some of the best yet. It’s also great to hear that about the Mapprentice episodes, too; it felt a little weird just not having them there, and your explanation really clears things up. It’s been an extremely rigorous process!
Thanks for your comments, and Lon, thanks for your hard work making this all happen!
A show’s success is contingent on it’s host so when Veronica announced she was leaving I’m sure some of the MD team got a bit nervous. Would fans stick around? Would they be accepting of a new person? It was gonna be a hard transition so why not distract the audience a bit. Now, instead of viewers complaining that the new host is “no Veronica”, they are so excited for her to start already. The new host already has a supportive fan base.
I think each challenge was well thought out and appropriate to the job responsibilities. And it allowed the producers and editors to work with several ladies to really get a feel of who they wanted to work with regularly.
I will be interested to see what happens to the show’s traffic once it gets back to typical programming but overall I believe the Vlog Idol was a success.
Thanks for this blog post. I enjoyed reading a viewer’s response. And as a contestant, thanks for watching and caring.
Thanks for the inside scoop, Sarah! That explanation makes a lot of sense, and it’s good to hear you agree with the whole process, as many might say it was roughest for you.
And hey, it’s gotten me to write a big long post about it, so it must be a success! I definitely feel more attached to the show than I did last month.
Thank you so much for being a contestant; it introduced me to you, and I love keeping track of fascinating people such as yourself!
Thanks for writing this overview of the entire experience, Andy. I agree with you on most points. Though the competition did last a while, it also gave the viewers the opportunity to get to know the competitors more.
Sarah made an excellent point up there. In many ways this was a test drive and a much appreciated transitionary period for the entire show. Veronica leaving the show was potentially a deal-breaker if the transition wasn’t handled well. I’m sure you all remember what happened with Rocketboom. (Side thought: What would have happened if Andrew Baron had done a Rocketboom Idol?)
Overall the risks the Mahalo Daily crew took in doing this idol competition paid off and made some history in the process. If the schedules are permitting, I suggest that hostship be shared between the two for a few weeks. After that, Mahalo will have better metrics on which host is preferred, and won’t that make the decision easier? Why rush?
Thanks again, Mahalo and Andy!
While I agree that the early rounds and parts of Bachelon were often cringe worthy, so too are the really poor auditions from American Idol (and similar shows). That cringe factor is the main reason many tune in to the audition shows.
I felt the competition really started to find its legs during the Man on the Street portion where it immediately became clear that Leah D’emelio was the front runner. Sarah’s point about the process building in a fan group for Leah is on point, but I have to wonder how many fans of the other final 6 will now tune out Mahalo Daily and follow those hosts to their own Vlogs. Fans of Clay Aiken don’t go out and buy Ruben Studdard CDs.
If we did learn one thing from Mahalo Idol, it’s that Lon Harris is an amazing talent. I hope we continue to see more from Lon as the Mahalo Daily continues.
hurt). The process did get some exposure for the other gals, too; I’m happily following along at least three of the semifinalists’ Twitter accounts and am excited to follow them wherever they may go.
And yes, Lon Harris definitely kicks butt. Especially with how brave he was in that viral video!
While I agree that the early rounds and parts of Bachelon were often cringe worthy, so too are the really poor auditions from American Idol (and similar shows). That cringe factor is the main reason many tune in to the audition shows.
I felt the competition really started to find its legs during the Man on the Street portion where it immediately became clear that Leah D’emelio was the front runner. Sarah’s point about the process building in a fan group for Leah is on point, but I have to wonder how many fans of the other final 6 will now tune out Mahalo Daily and follow those hosts to their own Vlogs. Fans of Clay Aiken don’t go out and buy Ruben Studdard CDs.
If we did learn one thing from Mahalo Idol, it’s that Lon Harris is an amazing talent. I hope we continue to see more from Lon as the Mahalo Daily continues.
@Kaykoa: Glad you agreed with most of the post. You’re right, perhaps the transitional period was more critical than I thought– it would have been off-putting, indeed, to have Veronica one day and a brand new host another. I bet the audience would have clamored that they didn’t get enough input, actually!
So often, the personalities are what make the show, and not the other way around, it’s tough to make changes happen in a mutually agreeable way. The more I think about it, the more I like what Mahalo Daily did.
@John: I think you’re right; things did start picking up on Man on the Street (although that was awkward, too; watching poor Martine Beerman struggle just hurt). The process did get some exposure for the other gals, too; I’m happily following along at least three of the semifinalists’ Twitter accounts and am excited to follow them wherever they may go.
And yes, Lon Harris definitely kicks butt. Especially with how brave he was in that viral video!
When it first started, I felt the Vlog host search thing to be a bit cheezy. But over time I did enjoy most of the episodes and did not feel it got dragged on for too long. I am very happy to see Leah won. She is definitely the best with most depth and composure. I have been cheering for her since the second round. The viral gave me the extra surprise on her ability in acting, and also ability to be light-hearted and goofy. She can be both a serious host, and yet not afraid to look stupid/ugly to be funny. Being beautiful did not hurt either. =)
I thought Leah has better quality/skill than Veronica over all, though she is not well known like Veronica. Sometimes I felt Veronica is too techie to be a host for Mahalo - a not so tech centric show. From what I have seen so far, Leah has the best balance, even compare to Veronica.
(Don’t get me wrong, I am a techie and I like watching Veronica hosting. I just think she is a better fit for a more tech centric show. So I guess things worked out perfectly for everyone in the end.)
Any way, I hope Leah will be successful at Mahalo. She can count me in as one of her fan base, and I would love to follow her some more and see what she really has to offer.
P.S. Is Andrea accepting the offer to be a Mahalo corespondent? She does not seem too enthus about it in the final video.
By the way, one thing I really did not like are the judges. I don’t mind them being cruel-honest. But listening through their comments, I have ZERO clue exactly what they are looking for. Some of the worst performances by the contestants got HIGHLY praised by the judges. Jason is the only judge whose comments consistently make sense to me throughout the competition.
When it first started, I felt the Vlog host search thing to be a bit cheezy. But over time I did enjoy most of the episodes and did not feel it got dragged on for too long. I am very happy to see Leah won. She is definitely the best with most depth and composure. I have been cheering for her since the second round. The viral gave me the extra surprise on her ability in acting, and also ability to be light-hearted and goofy. She can be both a serious host, and yet not afraid to look stupid/ugly to be funny. Being beautiful did not hurt either. =)
I thought Leah has better quality/skill than Veronica over all, though she is not well known like Veronica. Sometimes I felt Veronica is too techie to be a host for Mahalo - a not so tech centric show. From what I have seen so far, Leah has the best balance, even compare to Veronica.
(Don’t get me wrong, I am a techie and I like watching Veronica hosting. I just think she is a better fit for a more tech centric show. So I guess things worked out perfectly for everyone in the end.)
Any way, I hope Leah will be successful at Mahalo. She can count me in as one of her fan base, and I would love to follow her some more and see what she really has to offer.
P.S. Is Andrea accepting the offer to be a Mahalo corespondent? She does not seem too enthus about it in the final video.
By the way, one thing I really did not like are the judges. I don’t mind them being cruel-honest. But listening through their comments, I have ZERO clue exactly what they are looking for. Some of the worst performances by the contestants got HIGHLY praised by the judges. Jason is the only judge whose comments consistently make sense to me throughout the competition.
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