American Idol': Judges panel in limbo, show in need of overhaul
As the “American Idol” auditions tour meanders its way across America, the show’s judges’ table was dealt a pair of blows late last week.
Steven Tyler surrendered his seat on the panel on Thursday and Jennifer Lopez stepped down on Friday.
Unless you are a talented singer that wants to audition for the upcoming season, “American Idol” is typically far from the minds of most Americans in July.
Shakeup
With the show experiencing its sharpest viewership decline during Season 11, a good shakeup on the judging panel is a sure way to kick start the show, right?
Don’t hold your breath.
New judges are a great way to catch peoples’ attention for a little while, but if they’re going to be cream puffy with their critiques of the aspiring contestants, that interest is sure to fall off.
Lopez’ inability to provide constructive criticism—which almost always comes in the form of blunt and harsh critiques—is part of the reason I began losing interest in the show for most of Season 11.
Steven Tyler was an attention grabber when he joined the show for Season 10, but even his uniqueness became boring during Season 11. Couple that with his seeming disinterest and spaced-out evaluations for most of this past season, and you’ve got a good indicator of what’s causing the show’s deflated ratings.
Concept
The judges’ table is only part of the problem. Basically, what we have in the case of “American Idol” is a concept that is simply running its course with the American public.
It’s easy to sit in a critic’s chair—which I do quite adeptly—and point out what’s wrong with the program, but the fact is the show’s ratings are still among the best on TV.
In other words, the “American Idol” isn’t going anywhere for at least the next year.
Since we’re stuck with another season, let’s at least make the best of it by placing celebrities with some current level of relevance to the music industry on the judging panel.
Replacements
As is the case with any “American Idol” judge departure, rumors begin swirling about possible replacements within minutes of the outgoing judges’ farewells.
The legendary Aretha Franklin has benevolently offered her services for the upcoming season—and I doubt those services would be free—but seriously, when’s the last time she’s been relevant to the pop music scene?
Charlie Sheen, Adam Lambert and Mariah Carey have been part of the rumor mill of possible replacements and—as far as pop culture relevance goes—would be better additions than Franklin.
In an article published last Thursday, I suggested four replacements that I think would be solid additions to the judges table.
You’ll need to view that article’s slide show to see them all, but there’s one I’d like to make a huge pitch for here.
Jimmy
Jimmy Iovine is a respected and accomplished music producer who’s been on “American Idol” as a mentor for the past few seasons.
Since Simon Cowell’s departure following Season 9, Iovine’s role has been expanded to include blunt and honest evaluations of each contestant’s performance during the results show.
Iovine doesn’t tiptoe around when he critiques the contestants’ performances, which makes him ideal for the judging panel.
Hey, producers! Let Jimmy tell it like it is!
Format
Another revamp that would be good for the show is to let the judges take over during the live shows.
Everyone knows that once the live shows get underway, ability can easily take a back seat to popularity, making the show’s outcome more a matter of public relations than talent.
I realize popularity is part of what makes a pop music idol, but how about we wholeheartedly go after talent for a change?
Who better than the judges—who will presumably be experienced in the music industry—to whittle the talent pool down to the single most talented contestant?
You could keep viewers involved in the show by allowing them to continue to vote, but only as an accessory to the judges’ verdict. Like a news poll does for a high-profile court case.
No matter who fills the seats vacated by Tyler and Lopez, there is a lot that needs to be done to save the sinking ship we know as “American Idol.”
Steven Tyler surrendered his seat on the panel on Thursday and Jennifer Lopez stepped down on Friday.
Unless you are a talented singer that wants to audition for the upcoming season, “American Idol” is typically far from the minds of most Americans in July.
Shakeup
With the show experiencing its sharpest viewership decline during Season 11, a good shakeup on the judging panel is a sure way to kick start the show, right?
Don’t hold your breath.
New judges are a great way to catch peoples’ attention for a little while, but if they’re going to be cream puffy with their critiques of the aspiring contestants, that interest is sure to fall off.
Lopez’ inability to provide constructive criticism—which almost always comes in the form of blunt and harsh critiques—is part of the reason I began losing interest in the show for most of Season 11.
Steven Tyler was an attention grabber when he joined the show for Season 10, but even his uniqueness became boring during Season 11. Couple that with his seeming disinterest and spaced-out evaluations for most of this past season, and you’ve got a good indicator of what’s causing the show’s deflated ratings.
Concept
The judges’ table is only part of the problem. Basically, what we have in the case of “American Idol” is a concept that is simply running its course with the American public.
It’s easy to sit in a critic’s chair—which I do quite adeptly—and point out what’s wrong with the program, but the fact is the show’s ratings are still among the best on TV.
In other words, the “American Idol” isn’t going anywhere for at least the next year.
Since we’re stuck with another season, let’s at least make the best of it by placing celebrities with some current level of relevance to the music industry on the judging panel.
Replacements
As is the case with any “American Idol” judge departure, rumors begin swirling about possible replacements within minutes of the outgoing judges’ farewells.
The legendary Aretha Franklin has benevolently offered her services for the upcoming season—and I doubt those services would be free—but seriously, when’s the last time she’s been relevant to the pop music scene?
Charlie Sheen, Adam Lambert and Mariah Carey have been part of the rumor mill of possible replacements and—as far as pop culture relevance goes—would be better additions than Franklin.
In an article published last Thursday, I suggested four replacements that I think would be solid additions to the judges table.
You’ll need to view that article’s slide show to see them all, but there’s one I’d like to make a huge pitch for here.
Jimmy
Jimmy Iovine is a respected and accomplished music producer who’s been on “American Idol” as a mentor for the past few seasons.
Since Simon Cowell’s departure following Season 9, Iovine’s role has been expanded to include blunt and honest evaluations of each contestant’s performance during the results show.
Iovine doesn’t tiptoe around when he critiques the contestants’ performances, which makes him ideal for the judging panel.
Hey, producers! Let Jimmy tell it like it is!
Format
Another revamp that would be good for the show is to let the judges take over during the live shows.
Everyone knows that once the live shows get underway, ability can easily take a back seat to popularity, making the show’s outcome more a matter of public relations than talent.
I realize popularity is part of what makes a pop music idol, but how about we wholeheartedly go after talent for a change?
Who better than the judges—who will presumably be experienced in the music industry—to whittle the talent pool down to the single most talented contestant?
You could keep viewers involved in the show by allowing them to continue to vote, but only as an accessory to the judges’ verdict. Like a news poll does for a high-profile court case.
No matter who fills the seats vacated by Tyler and Lopez, there is a lot that needs to be done to save the sinking ship we know as “American Idol.”
