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build celebrity through adulation. Fan veneration results in greater fame for the celebrity, through magazines sold, television shows watched, and other forms of consumption. Screaming female fans, while not unique to American Idol, certainly play a part in creating a vocal audience, confirming their favorites. Male contestants walking onto the stage often greet a chorus of shrieking female voices from the audience. Clay Aiken, Blake Lewis, and David Cook, among others, had loud female fans in the audience. David Archuleta, particularly, had teenage fans that emitted piercing squeals whenever he took the stage. Their shrill passion was unavoidable, so much that Ryan commented on it when announcing voting results, saying, “screaming girls are something you could get used to—and you have to, buddy, cause you’re going on the tour. You’re in the top ten” (March 19, 2008). Screaming fans were positioned as an inevitable result of talent, something that David would have to get used to as his star continued to rise on tour. In this case, however, fans are not only a result of fame, but a cause as well. Those keen fans kept their favorite in the contest, bought his songs on iTunes, and watched the show, combining to build David’s celebrity status. Fan adulation for David Archuleta, positioning him as a celebrity, was extremely apparent on his visit home in the May 14, 2008 episode. Everywhere David went, from the FOX news studio, to the mall, to his old high school, hordes of yelling girls followed and cheered for him. There were seemingly thousands of teenage girls grabbing at him and screeching. He started to cry: “I can’t believe so many people came out to this. It makes it all worth it, knowing people appreciate this, all the hard work I’ve been doing for this. Gosh, I didn’t mean to cry,” he said through tears, red-faced. It appeared David recognized the importance of his fans; they were the reason he attained celebrity and he 243 .

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