Idol looking for a “Less Callous and Cynical” Judges Panel, Announcements about Judges and Nigel Lythgoe to Be Made Monday

Elton would’ve been cool
Oh shit, so this IS final
I don’t like the idea of a warmer panel at all, I LOVED Simon and his bitchy ways, thankyouverymuch…

They really need to change the voting system, I refused to vote in S9 because of the flawed voting system.

Well I’ll be damned. Maybe they did read the results of the consumer survey on the official website.

They left out “phoned-in” and “self-involved” but less callous and cynical is a GREAT start. Next up: How about less overrun by commercials, scattered, cheap, etc…?

“It’s a mess,” said one source. “There’s a million cooks in the kitchen, it’s truly complete chaos.”

That doesn’t sound promising.

“They think they can get Elton John … [but he] always seems to need money.”

I could say something cynical about that ;) Seriously, I wonder how much he wanted to do this gig?

“Less callous, less cynical” judges. Hmmm…. I wonder who they could be talking about. I can’t believe they begged Ellen to stay and were going to redesign the show around her. Maybe by putting that out, they don’t have to eat her entire $20 million contract. ;)

Now that Nigel is back maybe they can bring Paula back next year. ;)

“It’s a mess,” said one source. “There’s a million cooks in the kitchen, it’s truly complete chaos.”

Priceless.

This is all sounding very promising and very exciting to me! I can’t wait to find out the news on Monday!!

I don’t really care who is judging. I don’t watch Idol for the judges panel anyhow. I’ll believe they are inspired to make real changes when they eliminate ancient theme weeks, abolish the mind numbing group numbers, showcase the contestants are real artists and musicians through original music and not burying their past to serve a storyline and utilize their real true “stars” in successful and popular past contestants. Until then this is all a publicity stunt and serves no real service to evolving and improving the show. The show has always been about the judges and selling as much product as their advertisers will allow, the contestants and the product on the stage has always been secondary.

All that is needed is honestly. Stop blowing smoke and start telling the truth.

It’s a callous and cynical business; false praise does the singers no good. There is no need for judges to be cruel, but honest? Absolutely.

And remember, it’s the judges who put these people in the positions they are in (to peform on television). So if there are fingers of blame, they should be pointed at themselves first.

And remember, it’s the judges who put these people in the positions they are in (to peform on television). So if there are fingers of blame, they should be pointed at themselves first.

Sorry but I’m pretty sure it’s the show’s producers and not the judges themselves.

One goal behind assembling the new panel is to find a mix that would be less “callous and cynical” than during Cowell’s tenure — not less critical of contestants, necessarily, but a warmer and more positive atmosphere among the judges panel, both on and off camera, a vibe more reminiscent of the early years of the show.

Well played 19Alphabet. Haha. I’m seriously going to get some popcorn. I think this will be an epic battle.

Frame that context!

Last season sucked. Right? So, how will next season be different? Well, it was all Cowell’s fault. We’ll get better judges. I expect to see more digs like this. Oh, sure, we sent him off nicely, but really, he was the problem.

Meanwhile, if you’ve ever watched Cowell on X-Factor, he’s really quite pleasent. I’m sure he was planning on debuting new-and-improved Cowell on his US version of the show. He would have dumped some nonsense about how this show has better talent and better production and such twisting of the knife to provide reasons for the kinder-gentler Simon (he doesn’t need to be cruel and cynical because the show is just that much better).

But 19Alphabet stole that one from him. They are going to have the kinder-gentler judges. AI could have had kinder-gentler judges, but Cowell was a cynical old grump. So, Cowell now needs a new reason to be kinder-gentler. Plus, he looks like he is copying (see, that Cowell, he ruined Idol and now that Idol’s improved, he’s stealing their ideas).

Also, Nigel gets credit for saving the show. He was the brilliant mastermind all along. Cowell was just a crab in a cheap hair-do and a tacky Hanes v-neck.

Bonus: They don’t even have to find a Cowell clone who would never have measured up anyway.

S10 could be very good because I suspect the 19Alphabet crew are going to pull out ALL the stops.

Jeez, that’s a lot of Cowell bashing. Truly, Cowell was the guy everyone loved to hate and therefore, he brought lots of emotion to watching the show. And I’m sure that his “act” served to bring in a myriad of new viewers curious to see just how he bashed the contestants. So I wouldn’t be so judgmental of Simon. He’s a businessman and he’s an entertainer of sorts and he did his job quite well, I would say.

I’m excited about Jennifer Lopez being added to the panel. Steven is not a bad idea either… They both have likeable personalities and they wouldn’t of been offered these roles if they were not up to par with what Idol needs for the new season.

Jennifer definitely has my vote.

I just can’t understand how they’re running around firing people, yet Randy Jackson still has a job? We can go 4 full shows without that guy making a comment that has any true content.

I can live with Jlo. But, I really am having a hard time thinking about looking at Steven Tyler’s face on TV every week.

The entire panel is completely worthless at this point, IMO. I don’t see how there is any chemistry among the judges and the fact that they let Kara go, who was by far the most qualified and articulate of the judges, just shows what complete morons they are.

Cowell wasn’t always nicer on X-Factor: he’s lightened up in the last couple of years…

AI – the new and improved edition: it doesn’t sound at all promising or enticing and it doesn’t sound as though any of them have the slightest idea what they are doing.

Maybe next season should be the last: go out after a decade and hopefully it will be a good one.

I wish they would just pay Elton John whatever he is asking and get him on the judges panel. That would be pure epicness every week. He could throw in a few performances (included in the price, of course) and make everyone happy!

Callous and cynical is pretty much what got them ratings at first. LOL. This should be interesting… how to make the judges warm and fuzzy without making them boring.

I am excited to see Jlo as judge, Steven Tyler idk? And I will NOT miss Kara in the least!

what kind of personality does have Steven Tyler?

Well I never say Simon as callous. Cyncial, manipulative, and calculating, yes. Callous, nope. I also saw that as a role he was playing on a reality show.

Anywho, I love the idea of Jlo. I think it’s an awesome choice. Maybe because she’s from my neck of the woods, and I think that sensibility is totally missing from idol….maybe it’s because I see what she has achieved in her career, and it’s quite impressive, and it’s the kind of career that many idol graduates would be lucky to attain. Not everyone is gonna be Carrie, Kelly, or Daughtry, but they can still be working in the business with hard work and persistence.

So far I am excited for this coming season and I haven’t been in a couple of years.

IDK about Steven Tyler, I love Aerosmith, but I just don’t know about him as a judge. JLo is better than the other female names that were rumored. I’m kind of in shock with the whole thing. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it really wasn’t this.

I’m confused. Is Ken Warwick out and Nigel Lythgoe in? Or are they Co-Executive Producers?

Oh Kirsten I love your post LOL!

It’s funny but you always start hearing about the dysfunction when something starts to go south and it’s FASCINATING hearing just how big a problem the people on AI think there is. Plus now there’s X Factor competition. There’s going to be more cattiness coming, you know it.

I think Steven Tyler and JLo have as good a shot at being good judges as anyone. I think the most important thing is to have them get together with Randy for 3-4 long dinners with plenty of alcohol where they can all laugh and tell tales of the good all days together. They need to develop a warmth and ease with each other to be successful. After that, it’s just a matter of if they can give somewhat useful and concise critiques using a varied vocabulary…that’s something that isn’t easily taught so hopefully they did some screen tests for that.

I know I’m waaay in the minority here but I liked what Kara brought to the show. She actually had the closest perspective to that of the contestants, since she was a struggling songwriter/singer for years before making it big. Simon and Ellen were never in that position, and Randy made his name in the biz like 30 years ago.

I like Randy and he seems like a classy guy, but last season I grew really weary of his winding, regurgitated comments- half the time he’d talk in circles and wind up changing his mind.

“So check it out, baby, check it out. That song was originally done by one of the GREATEST ARTISTS OF ALL TIME. And man, that was rough- lot of pitchy parts but I could tell you really want this. And I actually liked it; I thought you worked it out! THAT WAS THE BOMB, BABY!”

You could never have told me he’d outlast Simon, Paula, and Kara.

man, anyone still with any blinders on about the arrogance, manipulation and vindictiveness of these producers and powers that be at idol after watching this mess unfold is living in a dream world. maya angelou said it best – ‘when people show you who they are, believe them’. idol ptb’s are showing themselves to be ruthless, petty, greedy and totally contemptuous of the fans, and their audience. the more this show continues to implode and disintegrate before our eyes, the more i can put stock in stories only whispered about, up till now, about dirty tricks and shenanigans played out in the tenures of many alums on the show, and afterwards.

idol/19e is probably no different than any big corporation out there, when there are lots of dollars at stake. i will never become emotionally invested in this show again, not like i used to be after getting whiffs of the dirty laundry, laundry that has been piling up for 9 seasons that is stinking up the whole house now. though i’m not a simon lover, he deserves more credit and respect from these people than the fleet of greyhounds they have lined up to apparently run him over, lol… all idol is good for now is lulz, and what i’m sure is going to be an uptick in popcorn sales :)

IDK might work. I know I will tune in to see the dynamic of this new judging panel. I remember first tuning in to AI in season one, because I heard about the must see mean judge on idol. I didn’t watch again till S7. Then I tuned in because of my interest in the contenstants.

That comment about “building the show around” Ellen is just so odd. She was really bland and generic on the show, and didn’t show a lot of music knowledge. I didn’t mind Kara and Randy generally speaking but the judges panel forced banter and seemingly pre-cooked jokes were truly lame. Even Ellen, she’s obviously funny but on AI it rarely struck me as spontaneous.

Truly can’t imagine that they were carrying on trying to keep her to stay if she wanted to move on. And any of the other names that have been circulating would probably be cheaper for the show than hanging on to Ellen. Though, well, with Simon leaving they probably could have paid for nearly anyone with the amount he was pulling in. (Side question but I wonder if Simon’s deal still pays him at all after he leaves, wouldn’t surprise me actually.)

I loved Simon’s “character” or I did until he tired of the show a few season ago.

Loved him as I may, he is no victim. Simon helped kill Idol in the U.K. and make no mistake he wants to be #1 here. This is business and Idol has a right to try and save theirs since Simon’s certainly going to be trying to finish it. If that means shifting blame onto Simon they’ll do it. Don’t worry. Simon is going to respond in kind. The behind the scenes drama between the two powers may be more interesting then either show.

What will help more than anything with these new judges is having REALLY GOOD contestants this year with REALLY good vocal chops and hopefully decent performance skills. I can put up with a lot of judges nonsense if the singing entertains me and if I get attached to some of the contestants and when their isn’t an obvious winner. I like to see it as a true contest, sort of like a sporting event, lol. Love to armchair quarterback it all, and that’s what keeps me watching most. Wouldn’t mind having some contestant divas back. Am interested again in some power vocals as in days gone by. Rambling…will stop now :)

I for one will miss Kara. She was the only one this year that was relevant and not phoning it in. I miss Paula, but honestly I don’t think I’ll miss Simon much as he was just plain rude at times and his musical tastes were limited. JLo isn’t a favorite of mine as her career always seemed based more on hype than talent but she’ll be okay. Steven, if it’s true that he’ll be a judge is a whole other matter. I’m with SpencerJ in that I don’t think I can stand to look at his face on my Tv. the man is double ugly IMO. I really hope any changes work as I really want to enjoy watching Idol again. Less callous would be good for the judges and more diversity in the contestants would also help.

v

Yeah this whole thing just isn’t working. “Less callous and cynical,” well to be honest, one of the big draws the first couple years was Simon and his harshness, and how the singers would react to that. If Simon gave your performance his approval, you were golden – he was basically a king maker in that way. J-Lo might be ok as a judge, I’m not really sure. I can’t see Steven Tyler really at all. Although to be honest the two picks kinda line up with their demographics – J-Lo to appeal more to the teens-20 somethings and Tyler to appeal to the middle-aged. But as I said the other day, the show shouldn’t be about the judges, it should be about the performers, if it’s going to work. Only Paula was a recognized name to many people when the show first started. (And few people would have known Kara before she came on the show either – like her or not (and I wasn’t a huge fan really), she did/does know the music business and without TPTB’s manipulations probably would give very constructive feedback, as much as anyone would.) J-Lo and Tyler are both pretty big name stars. Attention for the first part of next season is bound to focus more on them than unknown wannabe performers. If the judging panel isn’t an instant hit, that becomes wasted attention, and then the performers will be expected to pick up the slack. Confusing critiques (or none at all) thrown in and S10 won’t be any better than S9 (although I still say the talent of S9 wasn’t any worse than past seasons, just different, and with an out of tune winner).

Less callous and cynical also plays well if they’ve already got some 15-16 year old ringers. Wouldn’t want to be TOO harsh on the young’uns, you know? Nope, sounds to me like Idol is pretty much finished if all of these things are any indication.

Last season sucked. Right?

Actually no, but carry on :)

[So tired of this mantra. The one season where we actually had a top 3 made up of musicians, and that's the one season people keep saying sucked. Just goes to show you why music is so screwed up.]

Having just seen a photo of Steven Tyler, I think this is part of a conspiracy by the TV industry for everyone to throw out their hi def plasma sets and once again buy regular TV’s…

They have to have a deal by Monday. The auditions are starting and judges have to be on board. I read the LAT piece and it states she’s trying to sweeten the deal….and she should! Everybody saw what happened to Paula, do you think Jenny’s peeps are stupid? No way, they’re going to get the most out of what they can. But the deadline is near, so a deal will be struck.

I wish they would just pay Elton John whatever he is asking

He currently gets a million dollars per night for performing for creeps like Rush Limbaugh, and he used to perform in South Africa during the apartheid boycotts. He has no morals and no scruples, and therefore Idol can’t afford him.

I’m sorry to see Kara go. She caused me to roll my eyes more than once but she was also the judge who I feel gave the contestants useable critiques rather than cliches or disinterested blather/snark.

If JLo’s deal isn’t final yet but the news has leaked, she’s got the producers over a barrel now. They’ve pretty much got to give her whatever she wants now.

@Sallysimmons: LOLOLOLOL
So right. Elton is about the money honey. They would have to pay him double what Simon was getting to get him on board…but he doesn’t need Idol.

I just read that Stephen Tyler was 70 yrs old???? NO!!! Big Mistake.

And why oh why does there have to be ONE woman judge and two men? Why not two women and one man? What’s with the Realty shows, can’t they be original?

Steven Tyler is actually 62, he just looks 70.
He’s got some issues, one being the camera does not love him and I’m sure like Simon with his tshirts, we can look forward to one of Tyler’s signature scarves every week. IDK, I’m just on the fence about him big time.

Looks like they are going to milk the judges anouncement as much as they can.
It’s still pretty big news since it’s the biggest judge’s overhaul since the show began and they need a lot of buzz to make people tune in next season.
I just hope the panel we end up with is good.

Having just seen a photo of Steven Tyler, I think this is part of a conspiracy by the TV industry for everyone to throw out their hi def plasma sets and once again buy regular TV’s…

That was too funny. They just want to make the idol contestants especially the guys look good in comparison, or
maybe the opposite is true also that even if you don’t have the “look” , that you can still make it in the entertainment industry.

brigyx Your post made me laugh out loud. Couldn’t agree more.

I’ve been thinking the same thing. It’s like they are having bigger stars as judges to bring the ratings up, or at least bigger stars at the time. It really should be more about the contestants being stars. I hope that this doesn’t overshadow them. The original panel really didn’t because most people hadn’t heard of Simon or Randy in the beginning. The most well known judge was Paula, and she hadn’t really been in the public eye that much at the time Idol started.

I kind of have mixed feelings about Steven Tyler. I love him in Aerosmith, and I’m glad they have someone that really understands rock, but I’m not sure how he will be as a judge. I think JLO will bring some of what Paula brought to the show and might be a good judge.

I do think they are going to have to get some contestants with more star quality. I think that most people watch to see the contestants and not the judges, especially if they have a favorite.

A little off topic, but funny to me. I have been to quite a few concerts this year, mainly from people that were from Idol. I never really went to concerts before this. Anyway, I recently bought a ticket to a concert. I had been thinking that this was the first concert that I went to in a while that had absolutely nothing to do with Idol. And all of a sudden it does. It is an Aerosmith concert :)

I never thought that they would in any way have anything to do with Idol, except to have a couple of their songs on the show. Maybe mentoring, but I never would have expected this.

What’s been cracking me up the past few days are a lot of the comments about Jlo being a big Diva. And then, the next comment I’ll read is about how lots of people want Elton. I’m a big fan of Elton’s music, but he’s the biggest bitchy Diva of them all LOL.

Elton is definitely qualified to judge a singing show, but based on his previous temper tantrums, I think he’d be committing career suicide exposing his personality to a national TV audience every week.

WHen are the auditions with the judges starting, anyway. Because Aerosmith is supposed to be on tour next month through early September.

What’s been cracking me up the past few days are a lot of the comments about Jlo being a big Diva. And then, the next comment I’ll read is about how lots of people want Elton. I’m a big fan of Elton’s music, but he’s the biggest bitchy Diva of them all LOL.

Elton is definitely qualified to judge a singing show, but based on his previous temper tantrums, I think he’d be committing career suicide exposing his personality to a national TV audience every week.

Amen, sister. I love Elton John’s music and it was a big part of my formative years. I don’t love the “Elton the Diva” personality and could do without him on this show if he’s going to be Simon redux.

Part of the problem is that they paid Simon Cowell such an outrageous amount to be a judge on this show everyone else thinks they are entitled to outrageous compensation to do what is basically a part time job. It’s beyond ridiculous.

And now JLo wants perks? Bring back Paula for cryin’ out loud.

As for Steven Tyler being OMG!62!… my husband is 61 and looks 45 and age is just a number. He actually saw Aerosmith waaaay back in the day when he was an undergrad student at Boston U and the band was local Boston band. I told my husband Steven Tyler might replace Simon in American Idol and he said “I might tune in to see that”.

Last season sucked. Right?

Actually no, but carry on

LOL. I actually wasn’t arguing that. It’s what I think the PTB might try to argue. I think the gloves are off and they aren’t too worried about the collateral damage.

Loved him as I may, he is no victim. Simon helped kill Idol in the U.K. and make no mistake he wants to be #1 here. This is business and Idol has a right to try and save theirs since Simon’s certainly going to be trying to finish it. If that means shifting blame onto Simon they’ll do it. Don’t worry. Simon is going to respond in kind. The behind the scenes drama between the two powers may be more interesting then either show.

Yep. Cowell is more than up to the challenge and he will throw some interesting punches. We got a taste of his venom this year when he slammed DWTS a few times. Or when an Idol contestant has won that he didn’t think should have won.

That’s why I suggest popcorn. It’s going to be like two titans fighting and leveling everything around them (so don’t get too close).

I cannot believe they think they can sell this panel. Hope they have a seatbelt for ST’s chair.

Has it actually been confirmed that Kara is out? And I’m unsure how I feel about this panel, if it ends up being the panel.

I just can’t understand how they’re running around firing people, yet Randy Jackson still has a job? We can go 4 full shows without that guy making a comment that has any true content.

I do think Randy’s comments are pointless sometimes but I think he has a good eye for talent. He said AI needed someone like Adam on the show when Simon said he was too theatrical in his audition. And he said yes to David Cook in Hollywood week when Simon said no. So I think in the area of picking talent he has some merit. Too bad he couldn’t just be a judge during the audition rounds.

Oh, I don’t like this panel. If I could choose, I’d pick Harry Connick or Neil Patrick Harris, some really good and old-school female like Carol King (Don’t know if she’d do it, of course, but I bet she’d fill Simon Cowell’s honest-without-gloves shoes) and Janet Jackson, if she’d do it. She’d fill those PAula shoes real nicely, I think. If not Janet, then someone else experienced, but still young-ish, preferably in his or her early 30′s.

This trio sounds horrible. I can’t even imagine this working. I like Lulu2′s ideas much better.

How is Harry Connick Jr. Idol’s backup to Steven Tyler?! It should be the other way around! A Randy-Jennifer-Harry panel sounds much more captivating.

Well I never say Simon as callous. Cyncial, manipulative, and calculating, yes. Callous, nope

What Simon did to Siobhan, Allison, Carly, etc. was mean-spirited and rude. He had no joy in being a judge these last few years. I simply will not miss him.

I think Jennifer Lopez will be a wonderful Judge! She has many of the qualities Paula had and would be fair and honest. The main thing is the honesty part. I got so sick of the manipulative and controlling script. I don’t want to know who the winner will be when the TOP 12 haven’t been chosen yet.

There were many talented contestants in Season 9. The judging was the main problem for me. The goal for Season 10 should be to find 24 talented, awesome contestants. Allow them more time to sing and get rid of the Judges Save.

I was sorry to hear that Kara was fired. What’s up with that, anyway? I thought she made good on-target comments for the most part, and she def has music cred. I had no problem w/her. As far as JLo and Tyler, that doesn’t thrill me at all for the judges panel. They may be good/OK in their own right, but not for this. I think I’d rather have Mick Jagger be a judge than Steven Tyler, if we’re going that route. Sorry Steven. Just be a rocker. I think Elton would be a great judge & he would add some color to the show. He could really spice it up & he def knows music. I did hear that he wanted too much money, but also that he had some commitments he couldn’t get out of. I wonder if he wanted money to cover them so he could cancel. You would think there would be enough money, now that Simon is gone and they’re going to three judges. And what happened to Brett Michaels? He was one of my top choices – I think he’d be fantastic on the show! My other choices would be Justin Timberlake and maybe Harry Connick, Jr. I hope they get this worked out so the show can be good. I’d be into Paula coming back. Regarding Randy, I think he knows his stuff, and I kinda like all the “dawgs”, etc. that he says, dawg.

OH GOODY GUMDROPS!! Nigel begged Ellen to stay because he likes clueless judges who blankly spew out praise for everything they hear!!

YES!!

SUPER DUPER!!

That’s just what the show needs! Can’t wait until next season! I HATE honest and intelligent criticism! If that’s why they felt the need to fire Kara, great! I always thought she was too dramatic, insecure, annoying and talked too long, but now I know it was really the HONEST AND INTELLIGENT CRITICISM she tried to offer they didn’t want!

SEASON TEN WILL BE THE SEASON OF LOVE!! PUT A PINK BOW ON TOP OF IT, SMILE AND SAY CHEEEEESE!!!!

I’d have loved them to consider some legitimate talent like Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Steve Perry, Santana, Rod Stewart, Prince for the panel….People who made real music back in the day and know a lot about the industry and being a true artist. Heck, even Gene Simmons would have been great and you know he’d have done it if offered the job. To top it off, they decide to keep Randy – the one judge who added zero value to the panel and never had anything relevant to contribute. In the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter. With Simon leaving – the only judge to do the contentants any favors – AI is doomed.

Of the ones that were in the running, Harry and Bret would have been great. The only saving grace is that Kara is finally banished. Long overdue.

Geez, now I’m sad. I would have really liked Harry Connick

I wish they would just pay Elton John whatever he is asking and get him on the judges panel. That would be pure epicness every week. He could throw in a few performances (included in the price, of course) and make everyone happy!

I think that Elton on the show would be fun. I think that maybe him Randy, Jennifer, and someone like Harry Connick Jr. (if they wanted to add a fourth judge) could work together.

cumulus:

I was sorry to hear that Kara was fired. What’s up with that, anyway? I thought she made good on-target comments for the most part, and she def has music cred. I had no problem w/her.

What’s up with that is that while, yes, she could be pertinent, she also couldn’t shut up and kept throwing off the schedule. She also inevitably had to make every chance to comment a chance to show off herself and how great she was, taking the focus completely off of the contestants. Kara acted like a complete narcissist, possibly even a sociopath….please note, I’m not calling her either one of these things in real life, just that this is the character she displayed on Idol. And it got very, very old.

During S8 I kept trying to give her another shot. Just as I was about to write her off, she’d come up with some really spot on critique. But her repulsive on screen personality finally surpassed any good critique she could give.

I’m sure AI (the reality show) is laughing all the way to the bank with all of the free marketing that a shake-up in the judges’ panel is creating. Hell, it is being talked about on morning news programs, day-time talk shows, afternoon legit news programs, gossip sites, on-line newspapers. These guys “behind the scenes” are pretty smart dudes and seem to know how the game is going to be played.

At this very moment AI is already gearing up for next winter and the new season…and it is months away. They are and will still create a buzz and get people (who have been turned off) to give AI another try. And stirring up controversy is always good for TV and with this “interesting” list of new and old judges they are making sure that the media will stay interested, too. Every week peeps will watch to see if Steven T. shows up sober (shades of Paula) they will watch to see how outlandish JLo can dress, and they will be glued to their TVs to see if anything remotely intelligent comes out of Randy’s mouth.

Why would AI be predictable and choose “stable” judges…that ain’t no fun. Even with the nice “prize” at the end…this is still a reality show that depends on twists and turns and ups and downs. Since they can’t have sex and violence TPTB are smart to hone in on controversy…score one for the “AI big wigs”.

Sadly ironic that this judging shake-up is generating more interest than poor ol’ S9.

I say boo to Steven Tyler – he’s so icky. Reminds me of that ventriloquist’s dummy Madame – they’re both from the 70′s right?

I’ll miss Kara. I think she was a great judge at first, and only went downhill after Simon started to mock and belittle her. She started off giving unique and original feedback, only to have Simon rolling his eyes at her, leaning over her to talk to Paula, interrupting her, and otherwise being rude. No wonder she eventually started to sound like all the other judges… it seemed to be what Simon wanted. I was hoping we might get “old Kara” back with Simon gone, but now there’s obviously no chance for that.

With the contestant age limit being lowered and new judges that seem to have been chosen at random, I think I may start to give AI a pass… ít’s giving me “America’s Got Talent” vibes.

Idol looking for a “Less Callous and Cynical” Judges Panel

That’s swell, now that the audience is all cynical and callous…. Too late, guys, and who do you think you are kidding, anyway?

I don’t understand why they’d even want Steven Tyler. He’s not relevent. I could see HCJ because he’s more current and did a bang up job on the show but Steven? yuck

JLo does nothing for me but at least could understand them wanting her. I’d have loved Shania instead though.

Not happy at all with the proposed changes. Still hoping they’re either wrong or they can’t cut deals with them.

I didn’t like Kara at all for various reasons. I am having a problem with it being stated that she was ‘fired’. She had a year to year contract that just wasn’t renewed, if I’m understanding correctly.

I think Ellen made the right decision in bowing out of judging. I think she’d be great to replace Ryan. I’ve lost any like or respect for him that I possibly had. Ellen, unfortunately, could not fill that role without her own show suffering.

I want to see constructive criticism from the judges, not sound bites, nastiness (Simon was the king of nasty), and shtik. I do not like a show that is all about the judges and not about the talent.

I actually like J Lo, though I have no clue how she’d be as a judge. Randy is long past his expiration date but has long been cited as a favorite judge in online polls. He brings the history and continuity and only has a year left on his contract.

Steven Tyler is just a WTF for me. I give that a huge NO. I hope it falls through and they go with Harry Connick, Jr. I was hoping for that one judge from the Duet show that had a short run recently. He was fantastic and seemed to be lobbying for the job.

I can see Season 10 as being the swan song for this show and it’s ripe for a Spin-off.

The biggest change they need to make to bring credulity to it is the Voting System. They need to limit it to 10 texts per phone line. There will still be the same result, but it will be more palpable to viewers and critics of the results. They always threw out power votes, but they were not transparent about it.

With Nigel back on board, I wouldn’t be surprised if the judges have more power (read that as the producers having more power) in the outcome.

I need to add … if you don’t want your audience and voters to be the soap opera fans, stop making the show a soap opera.

I am having a problem with it being stated that she was ‘fired’.

Yes. I have a problem with that also. If the new judges were actually hired, I’d think she would have put out a statement by now. And since Idol has so disrespected her, it has to be tempting to return the favor (though I’m sure she won’t, she is a better businesswoman than that). I’m not a fan, but don’t like how she has been treated. She might have been a different judge this year, had her confidence been buoyed by an actual multi-year contract. Idol has been schizoid about wanting her and she became schizoid about her role: sex kitten vs. savvy businessowman.

DON’T SIGN THE DOTTED LINE, STEVEN!!! I want Harry on that judging panel. He’s witty, he’s honest, he’s funny, and most importantly, he knows what the heck he’s talking about. Bring on Harry!!!

Wish there would have been AI blog sites before season 1. I can just imagine the “concern” when the judges panel was announced. You had one unknown Brit whose claim to fame was being a judge on a British reality show, a “has been” ex cheerleader with “issues” and a show biz career that had pretty much tanked, and a very chubby and pretty inarticulate guy who had been a guitar player once upon a time. And we aren’t even going to talk about the total unknown and terribly geeky announcers. And the show itself…a summer fill in with absolutely no expectations.

And now the “talk” is about how great AI “WAS” and how it is doomed to fail because it is moving beyond a horrendous Season 9 and trying some new stuff. Why is it that the “past” becomes glorified and the future mocked and villified?

Okay, I’m fine with JLo and think she’ll do a fine job. My hope is that ST will realize that he can’t push it too much and that HCJ will be on the panel. To me he is would be perfect.

My thoughts are that Kara’s contract was not renewed because of Ellen. Kara had a hard time fitting in S8, so she wasn’t going to make it easy for Ellen. She had power sitting on her left and power sitting on her right and she wrongly chose to kiss up to the power on her left. Maybe she’s okay with that. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the fact that Kara knew what she was talking about and hoped things would get better personality wise.

chearts77:
07/31/2010 at 11:23 am

DON’T SIGN THE DOTTED LINE, STEVEN!!! I want Harry on that judging panel. He’s witty, he’s honest, he’s funny, and most importantly, he knows what the heck he’s talking about. Bring on Harry!!!

I so agree with you

Before Season 1, I had no idea who Simon Cowell or Randy Jackson was and also had no idea Paula had issues so I wouldn’t have cared. These are well known people we are talking about (JLo, Tyler and Connick,Jr). I would just plain prefer Harry Connick for many reasons to Steven Tyler.

BTW, I’m oddly surprised that I’m more disappointed that Ellen is leaving than that Kara is leaving. I think it’s because similar to the fact that I like the contestants that, imo, have the most passion for music I believe Ellen had the passion of love of the show. The fact that she didn’t mesh w/ the judges, imo, was not her fault but the other judges.

The biggest change they need to make to bring credulity to it is the Voting System. They need to limit it to 10 texts per phone line. There will still be the same result, but it will be more palpable to viewers and critics of the results. They always threw out power votes, but they were not transparent about it.

I don’t know if this will ever happen because of AT&T’s sponsorship with AI. If they limit the number of votes to 10 per line, (whether text or voice) those who don’t have AT&T can vote just as much as those who do have AT&T. It may take you a lot longer to dial your vote in on your cell phone as opposed to texting it in, but you still are capable of casting the same number of votes. Right now, AT&T has the market cornered on AI unlimted text voting. If they limit the number of votes per line, I wonder what AT&T would do. They do have the AI trivia games, etc that they offer on AT&T so they could market that more.

As far as AI throwing out power voting, what constitutes illegal power voting? I suspect someone sending 100 texts or so at a time from their AT&T cell phone is not against the rules because it still is a human being having to push the button. I could be wrong, but I think what is against the rules is anything that is done by a computer.

Good riddance for condescending Kara. I would have thought Harry Connick, Jr. would be a good 1st choice to replace Ellen. Glad for the 3 judges panel as I hated the 4 setup. Curious as to what JLo can bring to the show.

I seriously would not watch it if Harry Connick Jr was a judge he is such an ego. (no offense to you guys who like him)

There are many advantages to hiring Harry. 1) He won’t require a an extra large dressing room to house all of his scarves, 2) He’ll remember why he is on the panel, and 3) He doesn’t need a seatbelt to be added to his chair.

Praying for Harry.

If I have to look at the ST mug each week, I may loose it. I’d love to listen to him, but look at him… NO.

My ideas in a bunch: Shania Twain would have been perfect: she’s natural, funny, likable, beautiful and has had a great career. Maybe she just didn’t want to do it. I don’t blame her; the job is probably a bit of a hassle, and I think she has a house in gorgeous Switzerland. But she would have been a real breath of fresh air. I don’t get Steven Tyler. About J-Lo, I will wait to see how she does before criticizing. I am glad Ellen left but all the negative talk about her performance last year neglects one thing: she came in as the new person just before the jarring news came out that Cowell was leaving, which kind of put a pall on that entire season, and then they had by far the worst group of any season, and it’s hard to make a good show when you’ve got that going on. Kara should have quit before she was fired so she could have gone out gracefully. The main problem the judges had last year was not doing their job during Hollywood Week and bringing in the wrong group of finalists. Paula must have been instrumental in making good choices here and whoever comes next had been get that right, because without a good live group, you don’t have a show, no matter who the judges are.

I’m reserving judgment on Steve Tyler and JLo as judges because I think there are good reasons to choose both.

Having said that, I would love to have HCJr, ego or not, replace Simon. He was a fantastic mentor.

I can’t help feeling that his name is being mentioned now as leverage to get Steven Tyler to close the deal. Didn’t HCJr say recently that no one had asked him to be a judge? Have they just suddenly approached him, or is this BS to make ST think he’s not the only game in town?

No, to Harry Connick, Jr. The week he mentored (or, actually did all/everything for the contestants) and guested was the most booooring ever; his endless narrative & dry humor sucked the air out of that room. For the entire time, I was convinced I was watching The Little Rascals, the movie. I am now traumatized to a point that I’m seeing black & white with just a mere mention of his name.

I am very happy with the choice of Jennifer Lopez. I am concerned about Steven Tyler’s health problems. Would he be able to commit to the full year without incidence? Is Steven actually replacing Paula rather than Simon?

I am beginning to think that Simon should have waited for his announcement. He seemed to have an attitude the entire season. This was a good group of contestants, but he seemed to not find joy in anything this season. I think Kara should have resigned even though she wasn’t signed. Ellen made a good decision to leave.

I’m not sorry to see Kara go. I don’t think she added that much to the judging, and I didn’t like the way she treated Casey last year. It was bad enough in the auditions, but it shouldn’t of carried on as far as it did to the semi finals. I wonder if this is one of the reason she was not renewed.

I’m not sure about Steven Tyler as a judge, but I do think he does keep up on what’s relevant, at least he did in the past. I remember interviews coming out when they did Walk this Way with Run DMC and he was very open to combining different types of music, and bringing some rap into the mainstream which it wasn’t back then. I do feel that sometimes it takes someone with a lot of experience to really be able to provide guidance, and he has a lot of performance experience, as does Jlo. Maybe that’s what they’re going for this year, because that was was missing and wasn’t brought out so much last year. I like that they would be having someone that really understands rock music also, to some extent Paula and Randy did. I’m just not sure how Steven Tyler would come across as a judge.

I’m not sure I would like Harry Connick Jr as a judge. Whe he mentored the contestants last year, the arrangements and advice he provided made them all sound too old fashioned.

About Simon, I wonder if his decision to leave was because he saw what direction the show was going in last year,and didn’t agree with it, that’s why he didn’t seem to interested. He said early on that there was little star potential in the contestants this year.

Esqt:
07/31/2010 at 4:35 pm

No, to Harry Connick, Jr. The week he mentored (or, actually did all/everything for the contestants) and guested was the most booooring ever; his endless narrative & dry humor sucked the air out of that room. For the entire time, I was convinced I was watching The Little Rascals, the movie. I am now traumatized to a point that I’m seeing black & white with just a mere mention of his name.

I totally disagree. Harry Connick Jr. would bring a lot to the (judge’s) table. More than any/all that are mentioned in the past and possibly in the future. He is knows the industry, speaks intelligently, gives constructive criticism and has a sense of humor.

I hope Tyler doesn’t accept the offer and it’s a go for Harry.

I seriously would not watch it if Harry Connick Jr was a judge he is such an ego. (no offense to you guys who like him)

That is why it would be fun to watch him,lol. Well at least one reason. He is also really witty and I like his sense of humor. He also seems really understanding and would nurture the contestants a lot more. Crosses my finger for Harry. As for Jlo, I am still not sold on her. She seems ok but I think Shania would of been 100 times better. Harry/Shania/Randy would work for me. :)

Couple things. First off – why does every other comment have to include something about S9 being “the worst season ever?” None of this has anything to do with that…unless perhaps it’s because the judging panel this year was so dysfunctional.

Second – HCJ is arrogant? Who among the people that have been discussed for the judging panel isn’t? Boring? Sings a different style of music is more like it – one that not everyone happens to like but like it or not, he’s very good at what he does. He made the contestants sound old fashioned this year when he was a mentor because that was the style of music! Not everything needs to be given a dance beat and a hook, and the music of Sinatra and big band sure doesn’t have to. Plenty of people like that sort of music just how it is. (Plus, I’m no fan of Lee DeWyze, but the performance that HCJ mentored for was probably about the best of his IMO.)

People saying that the judges make the decisions about what singers to send on…how many people really still believe it’s just the judges doing that? Yes, they have input along the way but come on…who doesn’t realize that the producers have a good bit to do with it?

I agree with those saying it’d be better off if Steven Tyler decided to back out. Randy, J-Lo, and HCJ could be an interesting panel. Might almost be worth watching.

Harry Connick, Jr., Shania Twain and Randy. NO NO NO to Jennifer Lopez. You might as well keep Kara if you go with her. Same self-involved attitude either way.

Whoever the new judges are, I hope that none of them will blatantly declare on the first week (top 12) who is/are suppossed to be on the idol finale.

They should be able to critique without blatant favoritism.

He made the contestants sound old fashioned this year when he was a mentor because that was the style of music! Not everything needs to be given a dance beat and a hook, and the music of Sinatra and big band sure doesn’t have to. Plenty of people like that sort of music just how it is.

But I’ve heard other seasons where they did do the big band theme and some contestants did make the songs sound more current, or at least make it their own. I think thats a big part of the show, that if a contestant can make the song more current, it shows their potential as a current artist. Since the arrangements that HCJ did on the show were IMO old fashioned, I am not sure how he sees what direction the contestants could go into. I think it’s more the fact that he didn’t encourage the contestants to put more of themselves in the music that concerns me about him as a judge. He may be good at the type of music he does, but it isn’t exactly mainstream or current. And I don’t think that something has to have a dance beat to be current, in fact, I don’t like most of that kind of music. I think it’s the right mix of artist and song, irregardless of genre of music that could become a hit.

Ratna12:
08/01/2010 at 1:24 am
Whoever the new judges are, I hope that none of them will blatantly declare on the first week (top 12) who is/are suppossed to be on the idol finale.

They should be able to critique without blatant favoritism.

I think this has been a problem the past 2 seasons. The judges shouldn’t make projections that early in the competition, or even earlier. I think it kind of hurts the contestants in the long run to be projected to be in the finale that early.

I remember even before the show started last season the judges, especially Randy, said a woman was going to win this year, how good they were. But when they had issues the first week or two, I think it kind of set the tone for the rest of the season.

Add me to the group of HCJ fans! I would love to see him as a judge.

Steven Tyler, no! His life is a disaster and he is not a good role model at all. He was in rehab AGAIN just last year! Not a good idea.

Jennifer Lopez talks so fast, but I will reserve judgement.

I am happy Ellen left, but I loved her on the show. She is too nice to give the criticism, I like her more as a cheerleader.

Randy, I guess they need some continuity, but I am so tired of the DAWG!

I would like to see Shania Twain also, but she is doing a reality show of her getting back into her Country singing career on the new Oprah network OWN that starts 1/11/11. It might already be taped, I dunno.

If Randy really wants to keep his job (and we don’t know what he wants), with only 1 year left on his contract, he better step up his game as they won’t need him for continuity next year and hopefully they can slip HCJ in there. ( I actually think Tyler won’t work out and HCJ will take Tyler’s place next year).

Also, they need a band and someone to work with the arrangements of the songs like Ricky Minor did and I am wondering if HCJ and his band might be considered for this. Afterall when he was mentoring, he used his own band.

I am happy Nigel is coming back. I like him for the most part.

I will not miss Simon at all and I am hoping that AI thrives more than Simon’s new show. I don’t want Simons head to get any bigger.

I like Ryan alot but maybe he needs to be brought down a notch or 2 in the ego dept. I think with Simon leaving he will straighten up, plus he will know that NOBODY is safe anymore and he has only 2 more years of his contract left. I think Ryan carries the show beautifully and I never want to see him leave.

I have alot of opinions! Nigel give me a call if you need some consulting. :-)