As of this writing, the top two online vote-getters are Phyllis Wick-Turner, a Florida college professor, and Zach Anner, a 25-year-old from Austin.
And that’s where the controversy begins.
Anner uses a wheelchair because he has cerebral palsy — which he describes in his audition tape as “the sexiest of the palsies.” His online submission was a pitch for “a travel show for people who never thought they could travel,” inspired by his own experiences.
Tucker-Wicks said she always “wanted be a Hollywood actress.” Her audition proposes a “teacher reality show” showing “the days and the lives of a teacher” and “the drama in the classroom.”
Anner’s humorous, self-deprecating clip received a groundswell of support on the internet thanks to mentions on several blogs, including the personal site of singer John Mayer and popular online messageboard 4chan.
As a result, his vote totals took off — but when Tucker-Wicks had a vote surge of her own, the Annerfans cried foul.
Message-board postings began carrying accusations that OWN was rigging the online voting in favor of Tucker-Wicks.
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article courtesy of MSNBC.com
