American Idol Parent Company CEO Resigns

They should hire you mj! As long as you have complete say!

This is scaring me a little. They are going to get a million and one opinions that probably have nothing to do with anything other than people looking for reasons they aren’t happy. To me, the bottom line is this: cast better contestants. Once you get a good mix of entertaining people to root for (or against) the rest takes care of itself.

I’m all for some changes to the show–but I hope it doesn’t change TOO much. I still love my Idol. They just need to choose their contestants a little more wisely next year.

To me, the bottom line is this: cast better contestants. Once you get a good mix of entertaining people to root for (or against) the rest takes care of itself.

Totally agree with you. Season 8′s format was crappy with too much manipulation and too much focus on the judges as well. But thanks to a number of AMAZING contestants, it turned to be one of the best seasons.

Mj, Slezak and Cantiello as judges!!!

The show is stale. To keep it going, they need to change things up a lot. New set, judges, everything. This show can get better, I know it can. But they need judges with charisma and chemistry and an audience that does not feel like it is being constantly manipulated, worked over. They need to spring for songs even if it cuts into profits and to stop using the cd-drop-of-the-week cross promotion for mentors and performers. The show should be the focus of the show, it shouldn’t be an adjunct to related cd sales, except incidentally. Jamie Foxx. I mean, who really is interested in seeing his auto-tuned self this week??? Make the show relevant!!!! Do not make it a vehicle for perpetual product placement!!!!!!

Yeesh, it’s so easy to fix Ai — all they have to do is unfix Ai…as in:

******Stop trying to manipulate who’s in the finale*******

Replace the judge’s with people who don’t have blatant biases — and who will judge all performance fairly (yes, there really are people like this.)

Have them sing two songs at top 6 (yeah, what does that say about their faith in this year’s crop?) Two songs let the contestants show multiple sides of themselves.

And one final suggestion: Have two sets of judges– a set who get them to the top 24, and then have another set of judges for after that

I think the biggest changes should be in judges and choosing a better selection of contestants. They did a piss poor job with Season 9, unlike what a great job they did with Season 8, who had various singing styles and interesting personalities. I think Adam said it best, when he stated that in the end it all comes down to the contestants.

fix the voting system, limit votes.

fix the voting system, limit votes.

Yah, that. And dump AT&T’s special status.

T2, I agree with everything, particularly
Stop manipulating and judge fairly and intelligently

I think that the judges bias is part of the manipulation, and that they are given guidelines on how to behave and who to pimp or not.
So they would never have people like Slezak or Cantiello who speak their mind.

Wait… we know they picked people in a hurry this year, like in a day or something? That’s been discussed. But my doofus self just realized that they probably didn’t have time to really review the tapes like in the past! Usually by the time they go to pick the top 24/36 they have hundreds of hours of footage of each of the top 50 or so… auditions, interviews, home packages, Hollywood week footage… and the producers/editors have seen it all and know who pops on screen. But that step got skipped or severely truncated, so they picked mostly on who did good on stage in front of them, not who translates well to television. That right there might be the whole problem with this season! That and they didn’t have time to build in story archs for all of the strongest contenders.

So producers.. don’t do that again next year. Problem solved. LOL

For me the problem is the manipulation. I’m not an idiot and know who the judges want in the finale. I can take Simon being mean and cruel but as long as he is fair. As long as they are fair and give a critique that can also help the contestants grow then that works.

I actually thought the talent was really good this year. To be honest last year was really weak from 5 and below. One of the weakest from all seasons. At least season 7 had Michael Johns and Carly in the bottom 6 but season 8 was crap with sarver, megan, scott, lil, anoop and matt (even though he improved 1000x on tour but on the show shaky shaky). They were fodder big time. The problem is the top 4 of last year is way way stronger than the top 4 this year. Every year you need a sarver and a scott that is not good but you also need an adam and an allison to balance the good with the bad. You need mediocre people so that the better talent really shines. I do think we had better talent this year but a lot of it was lost during the semifinals. Sad….

So they would never have people like Slezak or Cantiello who speak their mind.

I think you are right, but the public has become so wise to pimping and behavioral guidelines that they need to cut the s***. It just ticks everyone off.

this enterprise is sinking. been in corporate america long enough to know how to read the tea leaves. i’d bet a dime to a dollar that there is some mucho mayjah turmoil and deck chair rearranging in this company, and behind the scenes at idol, trust me. don’t care how their pr departments are trying to spin this, how much in denial people reading this may be with its implications for idol, but when the big kahunas like this guy, and fuller begin bailing, the whole house of cards is weakening and about to crumble. my grandma used to say the best way to kill a snake was to chop off the head, then everything else will wither and die… idol is dying from the top down, just a matter of time.

American Idol has run it’s course. They were stupid to think that not signing Paula would be OK and no one would miss her. With Simon leaving, I really do not think anybody can replace him. The magic is gone. They should cancel it while it’s still on top. Don’t cancel it when the ratings are embarrassingly low. That would be too humiliating and sad.

idol is dying from the top down, just a matter of time.

I can’t picture a network dumping the show. There is just too much buzz and infrastructure, which they can use for a foundation for a revamped model.

Actually part of the reason the Top 4 was better in the past two seaasons was mostly due to the fact that you had 4 completely different kind of singers there. When you have that kind of diversity you have a choice depending on what your musical preferences are/were. This year the top 4 is 4 guitar playing singer/songwriters with Mike being the only one who has stepped slightly out of that box, this is how the show gets stale, because unless thats your thing, there is no excitement.

While I like the idea of having different judges at each point of the competiton, I just don’t buy that the people who vote are just sheep who only follow what the judges say. I think people know what they like and vote accordingly, whether we always agree or not.

It is quite possible that the show has just run its course, it is 9 years old, quite a long time for talent show. After this season we will have 96 finalists out there plus some contestants that didn’t quite make it. We can already see radio fatigue with the idols and a sales depression as well. In the UK they made the decision to end the show and it maybe that the US will need to consider it also. The problem with that of course is that FOX has built their network around this show and may not be willing to let go that easily, although if the X-factor is on the same network we may see them alternate them.

when AI started, we had just come off a decade in which the top selling singers were really.good.singers, like whitney, mariah, celine, christina, so AI’s mission was in line with america’s taste.

nowadays with top 40 music consisting solely of gaga-rihanna-britney-beyonce in heavy rotation, america’s taste has nothing in common with AI’s mission. so naturally fewer ppl are watching & voting, and fewer ppl care about who wins.

furthermore, with youtube & myspace being where new talent is discovered nowadays, AI has turned into a reality tv show whose sole purpose is to entertain us in the moment, no longer a place where we actually expect a star to be discovered. i think there is a direct correlation between the rise of youtube viewership and the fall of AI viewership.

finally, if you are looking for an interesting artist and not a versatile vocalist, you’ve gotta get rid of theme weeks. notice how almost all the “moments” this season were in the semifinals…

So producers.. don’t do that again next year. Problem solved. LOL

The Hollywood Round definitely needs to be moved back to November/December. I heard the one with the schedule conflict was Simon Cowell, so hopefully, it won’t be a problem next year.

Some changes I would like to see:

1. Like So You Think You can Dance, in the semifinals and before the top 10; the judges vote out who will go of the bottom 3. That would make for a better final 10 group, I think. I like how that is done on SYTYCD.

2. The judges needs to select a more diverse group of singers for the top 24. They need more than just singer/ musicians.

3. Change the voting system or at least Tweek it somewhat.
Make a minor change even in how the voting is done. If they can find another sponsor, drop ATT for that new sponsor and limit votes like other shows are doing. Many other reality shows like Dancing with the Stars has a limit of number of votes per phone.

4. Change the age to 18-32. As I still think 16 is a bit young for the show and Idol would save some money as they would not have to hire tutors or provide accomodations for the minors’ parents.

Adam said recently that he thinks what is happening is that most of the focus is now on the singer/musician/songwriter type where almost all of the contestants are playing instruments. There is nothing wrong with musician singers but this year, for instance, almost all are playing guitars with similar styles.

It would be better if the group were more diverse. I wish more Broadway performers would audition and a more diverse selection of singers would audition and the judges would be open to more styles.

Here’s one thing I would do for sure… Idol watchers want to see their idols. Have the majority of the guest appearances be former idol contestants.

I’m one of those people that think that the instruments hurt the show. They can play their intruments all they want on their recordings (ha, that sounds funny!) but on the show I feel like it takes the focus off of the singing and it is in the end supposed to be about the singing, right?

Plus, I HATE what’s happened with the judges. They look like they’re at a funeral half of the time. The show is just no fun anymore.

furthermore, with youtube & myspace being where new talent is discovered nowadays, AI has turned into a reality tv show whose sole purpose is to entertain us in the moment, no longer a place where we actually expect a star to be discovered. i think there is a direct correlation between the rise of youtube viewership and the fall of AI viewership.

I could have sworn I read Simon Fuller saying something about accepting YouTube auditions next year. That could be a way to get at what you are talking about.

Imagine if they played that up. Let people submit YouTube auditions, have the staff select 50 for people to vote on online, and the top 10 win a trip in front of the judges. Maybe the producers can select some too. Then when the audition episodes air, they can announce which ones were the YouTube winners and we all watch their fates from there. There could be a couple in every city. They should also let us know the who the Orlando Disneyworld AI winner is.

1. Like So You Think You can Dance, in the semifinals and before the top 10; the judges vote out who will go of the bottom 3. That would make for a better final 10 group, I think. I like how that is done on SYTYCD.

No, this would be bad. Last season we wouldn’t have gotten Kris if this was the case and we might have even lost Adam after Ring of Fire. Danny would have been the winner because of the tongue baths and all the joy of the season would have been gone. I also think in Season 7 we might have lost Cook earlie because Simon thought he was too cocky.

The Hollywood Round definitely needs to be moved back to November/December. I heard the one with the schedule conflict was Simon Cowell, so hopefully, it won’t be a problem next year.

I think they also moved the Hollywood week to try to avoid the leak of who was in the Top 24, but they definitely do need to spend more time on Holloywood week rather then the rush job we got this season.

Here’s one thing I would do for sure… Idol watchers want to see their idols. Have the majority of the guest appearances be former idol contestants.

They actually did a good job with this last year going all the way back to the semis: Carly Smithson, Michael Johns, Brooke White, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard, David Cook, Taylor Hicks, David Archuletta, Jordin Sparks, Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, Kellie Pickler. And there are so many more to choose from aside from this list right now.

They actually did a good job with this last year going all the way back to the semis: Carly Smithson, Michael Johns, Brooke White, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard, David Cook, Taylor Hicks, David Archuletta, Jordin Sparks, Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, Kellie Pickler

I think they should bring some back to mentor too like they did with Adam this year.

wow this is interesting, first the survey, now this guy getting fired. Good they are shaking things up.. I hope they do listen to us on the surveys, though they should have put a question about getting rid of the swaybots. I think thats why Harry Connick was singing like he was pissed off, the Swaybots were up in his face irritating him and disturbing him.

this year they went for the “year of the amateur”,, but they need to not do that anymore.. it became too boring and too awful for us that were spoiled by Season 8 and those who loved Season 7 with David Cook.

I can’t picture a network dumping the show. There is just too much buzz and infrastructure, which they can use for a foundation for a revamped model.

Idol still makes money, a lot of money, for FOX. It’s not going anywhere.

springboard:
05/07/2010 at 12:22 pm

T2, I agree with everything, particularly
Stop manipulating and judge fairly and intelligently

I think that the judges bias is part of the manipulation, and that they are given guidelines on how to behave and who to pimp or not.
So they would never have people like Slezak or Cantiello who speak their mind.

C’mon, I like Slezak and Jim as much as the next person, but they have biases just like anyone. Danny Gokey could have sung the most brilliant song ever last season and they’d both give him a bit of praise, but grudgingly like Slezak did for “Come Rain or Come Shine”. Maybe they’d be different as judges than bloggers, but I can’t be sure of that yet.

this year they went for the “year of the amateur”,, but they need to not do that anymore.. it became too boring and too awful for us that were spoiled by Season 8 and those who loved Season 7 with David Cook.

Gotta disagree here. Those seasons did not spoil me at all. I certainly didn’t think they were the best evah. My fave season is still 5 and there were definitely some amatuers on it… talented ones… and not boring at all. There was more water cooler chatter at my work for that season than any other and lots of people had different favorites. So picking amateurs is not the problem IMO. Maybe it’s just who they picked. Maybe it’s just who’s doing the picking and their lack of chemistry. Maybe they need to hire Nigel back.

No, this would be bad. Last season we wouldn’t have gotten Kris if this was the case and we might have even lost Adam after Ring of Fire. Danny would have been the winner because of the tongue baths and all the joy of the season would have been gone. I also think in Season 7 we might have lost Cook earlie because Simon thought he was too cocky.

Adam was never in the bottom 3 until the Rat Pack week. He wouldn’t have been eliminated after Ring of Fire. I do agree with you though, I don’t like that much power being in the judge’s hands.

I took the survey and hammered the Judges. They spend more time on the Judges then the contestants. If they cut out all that crap along with the Promo’s the contestants probably can sing a FULL song instead of just a minutes worth. By the time the contestant starts the song it is virtually over.

I agree the voting should be limited but I have no idea how they can do that and I bet you that there will be ways to cheat that, which will start all kinds of trouble. I don’t like that AT&T has the market on text either. Why should a contestant be punished because some Cell phone provider isn’t in my area. (no service)

Don’t like Kara, Ellen, only Judge I gave middle marks on was Randy because he keeps it short.

Ellen is useless as a judge, maybe funny a little but really wasted air time.

Kara has a limited mind set in that everyone should be a POP singer and sing songs like “PINK” Hold that note, go up, come down, blah blah blah. Shut Up KARA.

Just put the focus on the contestants without the manipulations! I think it is time for Ryan to go because he manipulates a lot. He has his favorites each year and he clearly shows his bias.

They without a doubt have to get better songs cleared some how too. Maybe since they are putting them up on itunes to download is making it harder to get songs cleared. I don’t know the ends and outs of that but clearly this year we all have been re-gifted.

On the survey I didn’t like the themes. If it is about the contestant and how the judges always states “That songs doesn’t tell me what kind of record you would do” Then for crying out loud, let them sing songs that they vision they would record. Spend the money on clearing songs, and do away with the high priced JUDGES.

i don’t have a vested interest in whether idol lasts another year, or 10 years, other than the entertainment value it brings, so im not placing all my cards in the ‘it’s too profitable to go away’ boat just yet. if what we’re seeing in s9 is a foreshadowing of what the remaining years or shelf life of this show may be, count me out. i hope it’s not like a saturday night live, which has held on to pop culture by its fingernails about 20 years too long… and i still have love for snl, but nowhere approaching what it used to be, and i haven’t watched or cared to watch an episode in years. hoping for the best, but fully expecting anything from this show.

this year they went for the “year of the amateur”,, but they need to not do that anymore.. it became too boring and too awful for us that were spoiled by Season 8 and those who loved Season 7 with David Cook.

That statement made me think about something I read on What Not To Sing last year. It took some scrounging but I found it here, in the section near the bottom titled Post Mortem:

One possibility is for Simon Fuller to call his staff into the office and shout, “Underdogs! David Cook! Kris Allen! That’s what America wants, and by golly, that’s just what we’ll give ‘em! Ken, you go out this summer and find me a bunch of telegenic dark horses with no interesting backstories! Ceci, you have your writers come up with promo clips that spotlight how forgettable they are! My God, it’s worth billions – why didn’t we think of it before!”

BBWWAAAHHH!!!! It sure looks like that is exactly what happened, isn’t it! :D

i don’t have a vested interest in whether idol lasts another year, or 10 years, other than the entertainment value it brings, so im not placing all my cards in the ‘it’s too profitable to go away’ boat just yet.

Sshhheeeyyyyooootttt, who needs a vested interest. Did you see those ad rates? LOL. They ain’t going nowhere. Survivor is still on the air, people. This thing could lose half its viewers and still be a top 10 show. We’re stuck with it.

Sshhheeeyyyyooootttt, who needs a vested interest. Did you see those add rates? LOL. They ain’t going nowhere. Survivor is still on the air, people. This thing could lose half its viewers and still be a top 10 show. We’re stuck with it.

ya know i gotta do that devil’s advocating thing heh, lol…. is that a good or bad thing, being stuck w/idol, lol… if they don’t get a grip and plug the holes in this leaky vessel, idk. i know nothing lasts forever, yada yada and all that, but i couldn’t hang with idol if it really began to go as stale to watch as survivor, or snl… 2 shows i was crazy about, but just shrug and change the channel on them now… frank said it – ‘that’s life’ i reckon :D and thanks for giving me a new way to spell the s word – i like that :D

I like Slezak and Jim as much as the next person, but they have biases just like anyone.

Anyone who thinks writers should become talking heads has not watched enough Sunday morning television.

Like Ive said,I don’t think Idol I getting cacnced anytime soon,but rating are going waaaay down and fast.It’ll probably lose it’s #1 spot soon.Compares to other shows though,the rating will still be awesome.Anyway I’ve said all this already;I don’t want to repeat myself

BUT in quality:
R.I.P American Idol

I also took the survey on americanidol.com, but I was missing an comment section. i would have loved to give them (TPTB) a piece of my opinion. Alas it wasn’t there…. :(
Besides Crystal (for me), the best thing out of Idol this season, was the “pants on the ground” song. :mrgreen:

I’m taking the surevey…

Plus, I HATE what’s happened with the judges. They look like they’re at a funeral half of the time. The show is just no fun anymore.

This so much.

Although I don’t love any of the contestants this year enough to buy any of their music — well I did buy a couple of Casey’s grittier tunes — I do think there is one thing they could do to make a whole season more interesting: MAKE WINNING IMPORTANT. I think that’s why people were so invested in the early years. Winning meant something. I know the “season of the Davids” was really interesting to a lot of people, but honestly, once Michael Johns left (and the fun with it), it looked like the contestants were just going through the motions because…gee, everyone wins just by being on the show. If everyone wins just by being on the show, then you can just stop the show at the selection of the top 10-13.

Off the top of my head, I’d reduce the number of judges back to 3. Bring Paula back immediately if possible. If not bring a loose cannon/drama queen on to replace Ellen. I’m not sure who but somebody who is completely un P.C.

The biggest problem is the judges don’t work together anymore. It used to be a dysfunctional family now it’s nothing.Replacing Simon will be very tough. They’ll need a big, big personality and someone who’s fun.

Oh and bring back Nigel. And the S7/S8 nostalgia is also a little funny. The show peaked S5 and has gone down hill (slowly) since then. All of the true Idol success stories were in the first five years. Since S6 the winners/runners up have just done okay dawg. No one in the league of Kelly, Carrie (you know what I’m talking about.)

I totally agree about making winning important. I think ONLY the winner should get signed by 19 . No one else including the runner up should be signed at least for 6 months or a year. You know like how back in the day, the winner was actually treated like the winner. :)

I totally agree about making winning important. I think ONLY the winner should get signed by 19 . No one else including the runner up should be signed at least for 6 months or a year. You know like how back in the day, the winner was actually treated like the winner. :)

It seems a bit unfair and harsh, but I agree. 6 months is enough time that if you were super popular like Daughtry or Adam you would still get a deal. I feel like it kind of deflates the feeling of victory when people like Allison are quickly tossed recording contracts.

I totally agree about making winning important. I think ONLY the winner should get signed by 19 . No one else including the runner up should be signed at least for 6 months or a year.

I don’t mind them signing who they want but there did used to be a rule that the winner had to be released first. Or maybe the winner and runner up could be the only ones allowed to drop in the fall? But they’ll never do that for one reason: Daughtry.

I do agree that winning doesn’t seem as special as it used too. Now, really, anyone who gets to the finals pretty much won. The real contest is not winning AI, but winning over 19.

I took the survey a couple of days ago so I don’t remember all the questions. I remember I said I didn’t miss Paula – because I don’t, not at all. I do like Ellen and thought her banter with Harry to be great. (Usally don’t listen to the judges comments but did because of this) It’s that sort of interplay that would liven up the show. Hate that the judges as a whole have taken centerstage over the singing but hope that will change once Simon leaves as he seems to be the cause of that and thinks nothing is wrong with it.(I get that from his interview with Oprah last year in which he seems apalled that the judges were actually asked to limit their remarks.)
I know I must think contrary to most folks here, but I like the fact that there is a theme each week – just wish there were more diverse subjects. I think allowing the contestants to choose totally on their own each week would get old and monotonous fast. (its bad enough this year when they’ve managed to take all themes and make them sound alike!) Artists need to be challenged and the highs and lows in watching a contestant hit or miss that challenge is part of the entertainment of the show. I would agree with some mixing up of free choice and required themes maybe.
In short (too late ;))More focus on the contestants, less of the judges and none on the backstories. Showcase the talent!

How is signing and promoting a runner-up contestant any different than say , a TV show in which focus on the original stars shifts when the public becomes interested in the secondary characters more than the leads? (Happy Days, Family Matters, Family Ties . . etc, etc, etc. )This is a reality TV show after all.
TPTB are in the business side of show business. They aren’t going to pass up anyone they think will make them a buck or two. Life isn’t fair and show business certainly isn’t fair. The artists in the business with any real sense of what’s going on certainly understand this.
That’s one of the many things about Kris I have always admired. He seems to not take any of this game personally. Whereas Taylor seems to stil be wondering just why Daughtry was more successful!

I could see allowng the winner’s CD to drop first out of respect – but everything just changes anyway if the runner-up’s CD is more successful.

As an Adam fan, I totally disagree about the signing, surprise surprise. Signing others didn’t hurt Jordin, David Cook or any of the others except Maybe Kris and Taylor. I say maybe because both Kris and his fans say he’s a slow grower, that’s his nature and the nature of his music. If they’re going to have a rule that 19 can’t sign them, then the non-winners should be free to sign with the label/mgmt of their choice immediately. Otherwise, you are putting a completely unfair restriction on their earnings ability. The winner of AI is supposed to be the most popular and have the most fans, shouldn’t need to restrict the careers of others for them to shine, should they? I don’t know about other seasons, but Kris did release his CD before Alli and Adam.

I totally agree about making winning important. I think ONLY the winner should get signed by 19 . No one else including the runner up should be signed at least for 6 months or a year. You know like how back in the day, the winner was actually treated like the winner.

Yep, Kelly was certainly treated like the winner, she got to make the world’s worst movie with her runner up. And Ruben? Claymates may think different, but that was a definite co-winner situation for sure. I think the only thing that kept Fantasia from having Degarmo run shotgun for her was the huuuuge disparity in talent at that point in the game. This making winning count is a bit hazy, as it seems that there has never been any big deal about signing the runners up before. I don’t think that really is the deal here.

Some of the problem is just that as a show ages it loses it’s edge. Idol has done this. Also the decline in the recording industry can almost be documented with the decline in idol sales and rise of importance in digital music. I don’t think this has anything to do with the show being less enjoyable to watch. I think from the shady judging/pimping, to the fourth judge, and the loss of Nigel and Paula so many things led us here. Casting this year is not so much the problem as I think that some of the cast was quite interesting, but for some reason, maybe some have been spoken about here, they did not resonate with the public.

I have no doubt that idol will and should continue, however, I don’t ever think it will be what it once was. It would take a miracle to resurrect this show, and I don’t think that any one formula will work. Although some may think that casting idol bloggers will be more enjoyable, I just think it would only suffice for a very small segment of the population that actually follows these bloggers. Those that don’t won’t appreciate them quite so much as for them they are just anonymous talking heads. Oh, and everyone has biases, and bring them to their judging. I don’t think that is so much a problem, to me it’s that they seem to have no conviction…..for example the over the top pimping of DeWyze and the putting Crystal in her place, or preparing for her phoenix like rise from the ashes. I am so suspicious that they are not playing to the performances but to the script, and that must stop.

Lu , Jpfan and Abbysee already stated it and I agree with their points.

What I meant about the judges choosing whom in the bottom 3 should go…I guess that would work better only in the Semifinal round. I do not think Kris or Adam would have been picked by the judges to go that early. Besides,neither was in the bottom group , I do not believe, way back in the top 12 and they were praised in the seminfinals.

I agree that after the top 12 or top 10 is chosen, the audience should have all of the power to vote for who stays.
I was just thinking that perhaps Alex Lambert or Lily Scott could have been on tour if the judges decided who would go in the bottom 3 during the semifinals. Or they could make it the bottom 2 and still have it be like So You think You can Dance..as they do that before the top 10. I am probably alone in liking how they judge on that show and how that voting system workds vs Idol.

I’ve been with Idol since episode one and this is the first season that I’ve stopped watching before the finale.
My prescription for fixing Idol:

Three judges only. Dump Kara and bring in someone like Harry Connick Jr or Ben Folds to replace Simon.

Get a new director. Part of the problem with Ryan is that he’s carrying too much of the burden for staging the show. A less manic Ryan is a good Ryan

Fewer auditions period. Six to eight audition episodes + 3 hollywood eps is too many. How about 4 audition shows and 2 hollywood .

Want more drama? Eliminate 3 during the semis and then bring back all of the dumped for a VOTE DRIVEN wildcard round.

Half-hour results shows.

Bring back the Idols of yore. It only helps your brand to show how many are doing well.

Stop trying to control the outcome. This season, they wanted a ‘Taylor Swift’ so they stacked the top 12 girls with so many bland blonde girls with guitars that they were indistinguishable. Diversity is good. Put through the best contestants regardless of their style.

Dump the Save. It’s not working.

Let the contestant pick the coronation song. Similar to what was done in the David v David finale, let them pick the song they want to sing from a list of options. Ya know, since song choice is key.

Dump the Save. It’s not working.

The save makes no sense if you use it for someone who isn’t connecting with the audience. I don’t care how the contestants feel, or the judges, if you are voted off, and there was not voting irregularity, take your ass home. The fake sense of drama it causes isn’t ratings worthy, so what good is it?

Oh, I took the survey, and if they listen to me exclusively the show will be so much better, lol. I must say I am glad that Ellen and Kara didn’t quit their day jobs, because if it were left to me, they would be the first personnel changes I would make, and Paula Abdul would have her job back.

I just took the survey… I thought the question about what kind of theme weeks was interesting, because I realized that on paper none of them sound remotely interesting. The only question that you could actually type an answer to was to what mentors you would like to see on future shows. I wish there would have been more fill-in-the-blank stuff about the themes or the judges.

Another thing I found interesting was that half of that survey was about the judges, guest judges, and mentors. UM HELLO I THOUGHT THIS WAS A SHOW ABOUT FINDING THE MOST TALENTED SINGERS. Please, please, please focus on the contestants. My favorite thing about the show is falling in love with their artistry and personalities. What I miss from earlier seasons is the tiny intro package when they explained why they were picking the song. It helped show off a contestant’s personality and rationale for picking a song. Three sentences. That’s like cutting Kara’s time in half. Not that hard, guys. Pick more modern, interesting, varied contestants and give them modern, interesting, and challenging themes. Don’t stack the deck with six or seven blonde WGWG’s, just pick one or two of the best ones. If a contestant is good, they will stand out (See Alli and Kris, David Cook, *insert name of favorite unpimped finalist here*)

I wonder how (and if) our opinions are going to be affected in the years down the road. I’m in the camp that Fox isn’t going to abandon AI just yet, it still brings in a ton of money in ad revenue. Of course, this could change if X-Factor overtakes them or something.

I totally agree about making winning important. I think ONLY the winner should get signed by 19 . No one else including the runner up should be signed at least for 6 months or a year.

I can agree with 19 not giving anybody except the winner a deal for six months. But it would be grossly unfair for 19 to keep a hold on Idols except the winner for that long before deciding whether they would offer them anything or not. Either sign them within the period now specified or turn them loose.

In reality, though, 19 is in the business of making money. Should their options be limited by fickle, uninvested voters who may or may not pick a winner that 19 sees as their best chance for commercial success?

I don’t think it would be fair o the other Idols to wait 6 months or more. The public has short memories and is known to be fickle.

I would be in favor of not putting out albums quite so close together. It couldn’t have helped Kris to have Adam’s album be released just one week after his, and I’m sure it really didn’t help Allison to have her album released just one week after that. I would think that 2-3 months between releases would be plenty.

I also think they shouldn’t force people to rush through making the debut album. I understand 19 and the labels want these out for Black Friday, but the quality often suffers too much. Especially when they have to record and tour at the same time. Maybe shorten the tour to say, 6 wks, and use the freed up time to concentrate solely on the albums

Okay, here are my suggestions how to improve American Idol:

1. To be quite honest, I don’t care about audition rounds or Hollywood week that much. Three full weeks of auditions? You must be kidding me! Simon is leaving, so there is no need to bother us with three weeks of bad auditions anymore. Simon won’t be there to roll his eyes.
Cut the audition rounds to maximum 2 weeks and 1 week of Hollywood.
My suggestion: Show some good and bad auditions in the first week (two 2-hours long shows). But don’t show any semifinalists. Introduce TOP 24 (or TOP 20) in the second week. Show their auditions and Hollywood week performances. Don’t over do it with back stories.
Week 3: First round of the live shows. TOP 12 girls and TOP 12 guys perform separately (Tuesday/Wednesday) for 7 weeks, each week the audience eliminates 1 female and 1 male contestant. No instruments are allowed until TOP 10. When we are down to TOP 16, the show moves to the big stage. In the first 7 weeks the contestants get used to the live performing on stage, develop some stage presence and everyone (the contestants, the judges and the viewers) can focus on singing. Theme nights start at TOP 16. In the first 7 weeks, each week 4 past Idol contestants return to help the current crop.

After 7 weeks we have our TOP 10 and from then on 1 contestant is eliminated each week . I would also rather see 3 contestants in the final instead of 2.
Theme weeks: Need major improvement. We need more current music. Until TOP 4 night, the contestants perform only 1 song every week, but once there are only 6 or 7 performs per night (TOP 14, TOP 12), they can allow them to sing longer parts of the song. TOP 4 sing 2 songs each, TOP 3 also.

Results shows stay 1 hour long, every week at least one former Idol contestant returns to perform + 1 or 2 other music guests for the ratings. No more group numbers, instead they show us a video from rehearsals or other notable events of the past week. Oh, and Ford commercial from TOP 16 on.

2. Contestants: We need better and more versatile vocalists than season 9 contestants. We don’t need 20 singers-songwriters. Get some contestants with theater background also. I want the contestants to represent different styles and genres.

3. The Judges: 4 Judges
Replace Simon, fire Randy (9 years is enough) and Ellen (She doesn’t know enough about singing and music.) and KEEP KARA!
Kara is the only relevant judge on AI right now. I know she can be very annoying sometimes, but her critiques can be very good. She should take over Randy’s role (sort of). I also don’t have to love all the judges, but they need to be useful.
2nd Judge: Simon’s replacement. Label executive or someone like that.
3rd Judge: Someone like Harry Cronnick Jr. A musician and a singer.
4th Judge: a popstar – singer/performer type. So, basically someone like Paula Abdul. But don’t bring her back, we need someone new.

Notes to the judges: At least in the first 7 weeks of the live shows focus on the vocals, don’t demand some huge rearrangements every week. Don’t be too harsh on the contestants at the beginning, give them some time to get used to the process. Sometimes some encouragement can do more good than harsh critique. Give some good advice. I also don’t mind if you have favorites, but be a little more subtle at least until TOP 10. Try to keep your critiques short.

4. Stage: I understand that the color of Idol is blue, but we need more light blue on the set, because it’s so dark and cold. Try to make it a little more warm, like in seasons 4-6.

5. Other notes: A little less commercials, more substance. Keep Ryan Seacrest. Replace the producers and the director.

Shorter Idol tour so those that get signed can make their albums before November.

3 person finale vote. That would be interesting. Kind of changes the vote for/vote against mentality a bit. And the vote transfer. It would be more fanbases voting harder than other fanbases. hmm….

I must say I am glad that Ellen and Kara didn’t quit their day jobs, because if it were left to me, they would be the first personnel changes I would make, and Paula Abdul would have her job back.

Word.

I think the idols should start out w/ EPs instead of albums.

I totally agree about making winning important. I think ONLY the winner should get signed by 19 . No one else including the runner up should be signed at least for 6 months or a year. You know like how back in the day, the winner was actually treated like the winner.

When? Season 1?
By season 2 , the winner and runner-up were both signed. This show isn’t about the winner- it never has been. It’s about advertising dollars.
It’s up to the individual record companies to pick who they want to sign and how much they want to back the individual. It’s their money, so it’s their decision. I’m sure RCA is happy that they chose to invest in Daughtry instead of Taylor. Same with this past year- RCA picked the contestant they wanted and it was a wise choice.
Releasing cds as the same time as other contestants from the same season didn’t hurt Carrie, Jordin or Cook. It’s too bad if it hurt the sales of Taylor and Kris, but that’s the way the real world works.

I totally agree about making winning important. I think ONLY the winner should get signed by 19 . No one else including the runner up should be signed at least for 6 months or a year. You know like how back in the day, the winner was actually treated like the winner.

I totally disagree. Winning the competition should be the most important if this would be Survivor, or Amazing Race, where you win money mostly and a possible career is just an extra. But AI is about a singing career, and no-one can FORCE the audience to support the winner’s career if they aren’t inclined to do so. The winner gets the package and a recording deal, and label’s support, and that is plenty. Trying to force the winner down the buying audience’s throats just because he/she won would be rediculous. AI is an entertainment show, voting for someone doesn’t mean that you should support the artist after the tv run.

And the idea that the winner should be supported by keeping the other competants from releasing an album is, for my opinion, just ridiculous. After the show is over, the show is over. The singers aren’t supposed to run their careers with the AI fumes only, but as actual, viable artists. They aren’t running against each other anymore. One’s album sales shouldn’t be eating away the others.

Or am I missing something? Are there really people who buy albums just because the artist was in American Idol? Do these people brainlessly buy the first AI album released and then forget the whole thing? And the winner should be marketed to them, or something?

I totally agree about making winning important. I think ONLY the winner should get signed by 19 .

I’m okay with 19 signing as many as they want to sign however, the winner should be a delux marketing package that the others do not get. Being the winner should be a big deal whether 19 got their way or not.

Winning is unimportant but nice for TV ratings. The idols live tour puts 10 contestants onstage for 3 months. The top 3 – 5 are collectively more important than the winner. The idols bond as a group. Live on a bus for 10 weeks. No “winner” is stronger than the support the group offers to all.