In Reality-TV Balloting, 1 Person = A Few Thousand Votes

“Reality television shows are depending more than ever on viewer participation to guide the outcome of their competitions, asking audience members to vote on who stays in the jungle on ‘I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!,’ who should stick to a diet on ‘The Biggest Loser’ and who keeps waltzing on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ Those votes sometimes have more in common with Politburo polling, however, than with democratic elections.”