I'd like to think that today's rhetors are often television shows that we as a culture watch everyday. American Idol could be considered a rhetor. As Jenkins mentions, American Idol has changed consumer behavior. The show's sponsors include Ford and Coca Cola. Both of these companies have had improved sales since the beginning of the first season. Families watch TV together more, and women in their thirties have something that isn't stressful to talk about over the phone. Although I only watched the first season of the show, it was the one season that I watched TV at all.
Critics could observe how each viewer of the show begins to change behaviorally. For instance, even after knowing who wins the show, devoted viewers will buy the CDs of the winners. If you had not seen the show, would you buy the CD of the winner unless you had heard more than two songs? I honestly do not remember any song that Clay Aiken ever sang. I did not watch that season. However, as the show gets more and more popular, the winners have a more widely known name. Carrie Underwood is more popular than many of the other winners of the show. A rhetorical critic may see her popularity as a reaction to American Idolatry. The bigger the show, the bigger amount of response from viewers, and the bigger the change in how people consume.
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I agree that the more publicity the show receives the greater affect it has on the audience. Considering that the viewing audience holds some form of control over who appears on the show and ultimately wins the show, it seems oddly enough that the audience is in a sense changing its own behavior.
I think that the singers' staying power also has a lot to do with how marketable they are. Clay simply didn't fit what America expects of male music artists - he is not part of a group or band, he does not play an instrument, his looks are not particularly striking, and he does not write his own music or lyrics (as far as I know). I can name any number of female vocalists who fit this description, but very few men. Carrie Underwood, on the other hand, is a prime example of what America seems to want - a very conventionally attractive woman with a pretty voice and a good attitude.
Disclaimer: There are some men who rely only on their looks and voices (i.e. Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias - why are the only two I can think of Latino?), and many women whose talents have made them successful.
I also think that popular television are examples of modern rhetors. What we watch and how intensely we feel about the show/actors/participants has an immense affect on our consumer behavior. Like Jenkins said, after American Idol, over 30% of text message use came form people who had never used the feature before the show. It seems that audience behavior is dependent on obtaining additional exposure to their rhetor of choice.
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