You’ve got to hand it to American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar—what he lacks in talent, he certainly makes up for in media exposure. He’s the talk of entertainment news shows and web sites, and of course, great fodder for blog discussions. Research firm Nielsen BuzzMetrics has seen significant references to the hairstyle chameleon, reporting that from February 18th to April 8th, there has been a 338% increase in blog references. With each passing week, even more chatter about Sanjaya is online—with many speculating how long he can survive in the contest and if Howard Stern is having any impact on voting. No one could have predicted that he would have made it this far, and every week he seems a step closer to getting the boot. But he’s been safe every week, despite others delivering stronger performances. Simon Cowell has even threatened to quit Idol if Sanjaya wins. Who knows, maybe that threat is what’s motivating people to vote for Sanjaya?