Latest Stories
American Idol
Sugar Editorial Picks
Ryan Seacrest's New Salary: Guess How Much?
He's probably not the first person you think of when American Idol comes up, but the show wouldn't be the same without Ryan Seacrest. The producers find him so valuable that Ryan's new three-year contract will make him the richest host on reality TV. Can you guess how much the he'll earn for each season of AI over the next three years?
Guess Which American Idol Runner-Up Said It?
People think you're rich if you're well known, but (you're) not really . . .
Guess How Much: Top-Earning American Idol Alumni
What's in store for newest American Idol winner Kris Allen? If he takes notes from some past A.I. winners and alumni, he may be on his way to a lucrative career and next year's Forbes list of the top-earning Idols.
Other Search Results
I'm Asking: Have You Ever Quit During Salary Negotiations?
Last night Paula Abdul announced on her Twitter that she won't be returning to American Idol next season. Paula hasn't given a reason, but it's rumored that she was making $5 to $8 million per season and wanted more . .
Economy Is Treating Simon Cowell Better Than Sir Elton John
Simon Cowell is sitting pretty while most everyone else has watched their worth sink during the recession, including the most wealthy British musicians. Compared to his contemporaries, Simon's net worth may not be the biggest of them all, but it's the only lot that increased last year. His worth went up 7 percent while others saw theirs drop.
Will This Sanjaya Ad Make People Want to Save?
Sanjaya Malakar of American Idol fame was recruited by Nationwide Financial to make this commercial as part of its "Life comes at you fast" campaign. The New York Times acknowledges the singer was recruited to create ads geared toward Americans of South Asian heritage, and Sanjaya's age (19) implies they're trying to attract some younger clients. Do you think this commercial will make people want to open a retirement account with the company?Product Placement Making Its Way Onto TV News Sets
We might be used to the ever-present Coke cups in front of Simon and Paula during American Idol, but this type of product placement has, until now, been absent on TV news sets. A few weeks ago, the morning anchors at Las Vegas KVVU started delivering news and lifestyle information with cups of McDonald's iced coffee in front of them.
The station's news director indicated that the cups would be removed if a negative report of McDonald's surfaced.
Should Product Placement Be Disclosed to Viewers?
I tend to just roll my eyes when I see blatant product placement on TV, like The New York Times' example of Simon, Paula, and Randy sipping on Cokes during episodes of American Idol. But the Federal Communications Commission (F.C.C.) is a bit more sensitive about the issue and is wondering if networks should be required to explicitly disclose product placement.
F.C.C.
McDonald's Will Serve Up a Song With Your Fries
McDonald's released a casting call to its 1.6 million restaurant workers worldwide for its second biannual Voice of McDonald's contest. The first contest was in 2006 but this year there's a twist — people can vote online for their favorite contestants. They received 3,600 video auditions from singing workers across the globe and have narrowed the pool to 14 finalists that will compete at a McDonald's convention in April.
More on SavvySugar
Fall Award Season
Top Brands
Alexander McQueen
Jimmy Choo
Matches Fashion