In case you missed this week’s live announcement, American Idol has given Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler each their own super-sized, plastic Coca-Cola cups — and a seat at the judging panel, leaving lone “dawg” Randy Jackson the only remaining original judge.
Okay, I’ll give you that at least Lopez and Tyler know what it’s like to be behind the mic. They are both fantastic performers and have years, or in Tyler’s case decades, of experience and could potentially provide some decent insights and feedback on the performances of wannabe stars in the making. But the insights of Simon Cowell were always spot on, and delivered with such an acidulous flair which I don’t believe anyone on this new panel will be able to provide. I suppose I can see J.Lo. as a suitable heartfelt replacement for Paula Abdul, as she seems to genuinely want to support and foster the growth of the contestants and, as is so widely pointed out, she nurtured the talent-challenged Sanjaya Malakar a few seasons back to the point where he actually gave a decent performance … his only one. She’s certainly more fitting than either Ellen DeGeneres, who is better suited for America’s Next Top Model than she was Idol, or the grating Kara DioGuardi, who I will admit started offering better mentoring suggestions later in season nine, but her presence never gelled in the panel. She definitely didn’t have a positive impact.
I think Tyler is an interesting choice, given the number of possible artists that could have landed the gig. It remains to be seen what his contributions would be, but it’s a shame he’s coming in after notable screamers Adam Lambert and Siobhan Magnus, as he might have had a few tips to share. Although perhaps he will fill the spacey-eyed, rambling void glaringly absent since the end of Abdul’s tenure?
Even though I likely won’t tune in much this season, I have to say I agree with going back to the three judge format. Four literally dragged the show down. Three is the magic number. Although if you’re going to try and reinvigorate the show by imploding the judging panel, why on earth wouldn’t you replace the biggest bump on a stump Jackson? He adds NO VALUE. He couldn’t coach a dog to bark. They should have finished the job and found someone with a more effective way of expressing himself rather than simply repeating one of three phrases over and over each week. “Hey check it out, check it out, for me, for you, it was just aight.” “For me, it was a little pitchy.” “I don’t know dawg, it just didn’t do it for me.” The judges need to not just comment on whether or not they liked the performance, but give some legitimate, constructive criticism. Telling a performer he sounded like a warbling cat is not helpful. Give them some real input on how they can make their performance better.
Something else the producers should do — cut it out with the old-fashioned theme weeks, such as Beatles, Disco or Elvis week. It irritates me to no end when the contestants are told to pick from one of these “classic” genres and then are criticized when they don’t sound “current” enough. It’s just setting them up to fail! If you’re going to give them theme weeks, at least choose from the last couple of decades. Madonna week perhaps … you saw what that did for Glee? Or Prince week. Both have hefty catalogs from which to select some great songs more relevant than the Rat Pack.
Ultimately, though, unless the talent pool is better than it’s been in the last few seasons, save for Adam Lambert and David Cook – the lagging success of the latter is still a surprise to me — there isn’t that much to inspire me to tune in week after week. No doubt American Idol will still be a ratings gem, but for me, for them, this overblown talent competition has outlived its relevance — something of which the album and concert sales of recent seasons should be a large indicator.
What do you think? Are you pumped to see a new season with an all new panel, or would you rather see Idol go the way of it’s predecessor judges?
Clacked by Jeff Kirkpatrick 
on Sep 23, 2010 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
“why on Earth wouldn’t you replace the biggest bump on a stump Jackson?”
Because he had a contract. They brought back Nigel Lythgoe this season and he wanted a completely new panel with three judges. However Jackson has a contract so as soo as its over he is gone.
I still think this is the last or second to the last year for Idol, and that it will most likely get replaced by The X Factor after this season or next.
Nice post, Jeff. I also think the show needs Jackson. With Simon, etc. gone, he truly is the only original member and de facto guide to the others. Hopefully, he’ll step up to the plate. I hope JLo and ST don’t go overboard in providing needless critiques or effusive praise. But, honestly, if I definitely knew Simon planned on returning with X-Factor in two years, I’d just wait until he re-hired Paula and Randy. Somehow those 3 had a chemistry that AI can’t seem to replicate -
Simon will be on The X Factor USA starting fall of 2011. So if American Idol fails this season or next they could always replace it with Simon’s new show.
Thx, O. I know Simon already announced X-Factor’s coming schedule (he also re-mentioned it on his final AI ep). However, I always view such announcements as tenuous until the show is actually on air (for longer than one week :) -
No…After having someone as outstanding as Adam Lambert, anything else will just be an afterthought…Even if you didn’t like him, you couldn’t wait to see what he would do. Also his showman ship was extraordinary….He is a very smart man and is kind and thoughtful. H was the STAR everyone was looking for, but he didn’t win. Chris Allen has a nice voice, but Adam was the star that the “winners” show was geared for….That was obvious. Is it the “teenies” that screw the voting up? Or the religeous types? And lo and behold the wrong one won this year too. BUT this year suffered from Adam withdrawal…..
I will not watch this year. What I WANTED, was someone who knows more about music and the industry than even I do to be a judge.
I won’t watch either, but I think at the very least Steven Tyler has at least the music/industry knowledge. Aerosmith has been around forever. What’s undetermined is if he can take that knowledge and articulate useful critiques and advice for the contestants.
. . . . .
Good Gordness: I love American Idol. And here’s why:
There’s such a divergence of folks who view the show, with all their opinions and postulations, that it’s what makes the show a pleasure to watch.
Am I going to watch next year’s broadcast? With bated breath, baby. It could be the most controversial yet. If only because of the unknown (Steven Tyler) and because Fat Ass (JLo) sitting on the panel.
Do Lopez and Tyler know their schtick? You best believe it. Millions of album sales and adoring fans say so. Not my choices for the judges’ seats, mind you, but worthy replacements (if you can call filling in for the vacuousness that was DeGeneres and Dio Guardi ‘replacements’.) They’ll do fine. They’ll mix it up. They’ll cause some feathers to ruffle. It’s all part of the plan … and I’ll be there to witness it. Gladly.
“… the insights of Simon Cowell were always spot on …” … ??? No. Not in the case of many. Oh … the overall majority of contestants who steeled themselves for his rapier tongue deserved what they got … but in at least one glaring case, Cowell was dead wrong:
Taylor Hicks.
Simon was the lone decenter when it came to voting Hicks through in the audition rounds of Season 5. Go witness the brilliance – yes, brilliance – of Hick’s initial performance during his audition. That, and his on-the-spot accommodation to my dear Pauler’s request. There weren’t too many times over the course of the show where Simon genuinely changed his mind about a contestant and wore it on his sleeve … but Hicks was one of those.
Jackson can do more than ‘coach a dog to bark’. Why he doesn’t is beyond me. It’s like he’s got a ‘dumb-down’ reputation that has stuck with him and works for him and he believes he needs to play down to it. I don’t know. Mayhap January will shed a different light on what Randy does … but I’m not holding my breath.
Three judge format? Absolutely. They never should have changed that. Nuff said.
“Ultimately, though, unless the talent pool is better than it’s been in the last few seasons, save for Adam Lambert and David Cook …” No, no and no. The Screaming Mimi is good at what he does and that’s it. There’s a reason he lost. Take a look at some of the past things I’ve written as testament to that fact. He’s a showman … no more. What he did to “Ring Of Fire” was criminal. I was amazed at his “Mad World” and applauded him for it … but that was the last time I did so. Talent? No. Showmanship? He’s got it by the hair-gel-container-full.
Pumped? You betcha, Mombassa. Good Gordness: I love American Idol. Let’s let the debating get underway …..
*POST AUTHOR*
Simon was “dead wrong” about Hicks, huh? You must be right. Just look at the stellar career he’s had.
Personally I prefer Kris Allen to Adam Lambert, but he didn’t win because he had more talent than Lambert. He won because America wasn’t ready to embrace a gay idol. Lambert’s got vocal talent in spades. The screaming is just his “shtick.”
Jackson’s a blithering idiot.
Decenter = dissenter.