One of the most telling bits of information in the miniature Web site biography of "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar is the revelation that "I don't get embarrassed." Perhaps he should.

Malakar has risen to fame and stubbornly remained there because of his Michael Jackson-ish, Bee Gees-like dedication to styling his hair. It has been pin-curled into a thick mop of ringlets, slicked straight as if it had been fried by a Japanese perm and, most recently, scooped into a single row of upswept ponytails to create a faux mohawk. During his performance last week, Malakar was so proud of his hairdo that he wagged his head back and forth, making the energetic movement of his locks the most dynamic part of his performance.

Malakar doesn't just have good hair, he is his hair.

He follows in the longstanding tradition of female pop stars with only the barest whisper of a voice, or a passable croak, who have used style to make themselves into successful entertainers. See: Britney Spears, pre-rehab, meltdown, marriage. Madonna would almost certainly not be a one-name pop icon without the help of rubber bracelets, bullet bras and bleach.

The door to fame has cracked open for Malakar. And he is working the zeitgeist with his hirsute shenanigans. Nothing about his tactics is unusual. The only surprise is that in this case, the performer so willing to be reduced to a big smile and even bigger hair is a man.