As we await the start of Delusions Fest ‘08 (a.k.a. American Idol Season Seven auditions) this January, we cant help but snicker at the recent allegations that the folks at Camp Idol have broken child labor laws by hiring “underage touring acts.” The aforementioned include most recent Idol winner Jordin Sparks, 17, and Sanjaya Malakar, who was 17 during the New York dates of this summer’s tour. The New York Daily News reports that while the two are allowed to perform as they please, the touring company 19 Touring, LLC neglected to “get the proper permits to hire and feature” the young’uns. (In accordance with the law, employers must register their underage acts with the state to ensure appropriate child labor, education and workers comp. for folks under eighteen) A mere $5,000 in fines settled the issue between the company and the Labor Department … which sadly, at 60 percent concert occupancy, is kind of a considerable chunk of the tour’s profits.


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