Count me as one who is disgusted at the exorbitant wages that ‘celebrities’ get. When this whole subject first came up a few months ago, I was reading about how many cities are going bankrupt. In Scranton, PA they had to cut salaries to police and fire fighters to minimum wage. Kids working at the local McDonald’s were being paid more.

To say that these huge salaries are warranted due to the high advertising dollars and that ‘fuels’ the economy. Not really. It is the consumer who pays the price of advertising in higher costs and most of those products are being produced overseas. 

It sickens me.

WOW! That would be boring. I actually like Ryan and I think he is needed more than ever to pace the show in a year when at least half the judges will be new (that’s assuming that Randy stays.) I think they could do much better than Dunkleman.

I still say the judge who’s coming back is Randy.

Honestly don’t believe that there is any special connection. There isn’t a PR company in Los Angeles that doesn’t use TMZ when it suits their purposes but most of what they get comes from leakers at all entertainment corporations(who are either paid or self-important) and standing outside certain restaurants/in the arrivals area at LA airport.

The city is like a sieve when it comes to information. TMZ makes a lot of educated guesses, too. It’s not as if there is anyone they are accountable to if they are wrong. Is anyone penalizing them for the Kanye Idol judge story? Clearly wrong but who cares. 

Someone at AI is clearly feeding TMZ information, and with the consent of the producers.  Some of the information is true, some false, and a lot of it is exaggerated.  On the same day, pretty much just hours apart, TMZ reported that the Nicki Minaj deal was in trouble, because she had to cancel some shows (which is just mind boggling stupid), and then, as part of another story on Kanye West, they reported that Nicki’s contract to join the show was a done deal.  Not once in the second story did they reference the first article about signing Nicki being a “struggle”.

This is true. No one knew anyone was leaving when those rumours came out.

That’s not true. The speculation about whether or not Jennifer would resign had already started up. And given last year’s ratings, people were looking at the judges’ table as a place where changes needed to be made. The conversation about that had already started.

It’s like a damn eco-system – IMO; I don’t see what the call for lowering the fees to judges is meant to accomplish

I’m still here – and the conversation went elsewhere – relating various City Services going bankrupt to the cost of product advertising on Network TV – specifically, on American Idol – which, really? OK – apples and oranges – where’s the connection there?

And/or a blanket statement that most of the products advertised on American Idol cost consumers more because of the advertising, and are being produced overseas, which – got links for that? Not to mention – simplistic reasoning that leaves out the entire chain from manufacturer to consumer. Take two of the best known Idol advertisers – because they have a completely physical product – although one could go with iTunes and AT&T. But Ford, Coca Cola, ’or’ the over 200 product placements on Idol – where they are manufactured doesn’t stop each product from generating salaries in the US economy. 

The physical plants that generate jobs and property taxes…all useless if there is not enough product sold. Hence, advertising. Shipping, distribution centers, warehouses staff, workers, dispatchers, trucks and drivers, a basic level of staff employed to move a product. Bricks and mortar stores they are sold in – with their staff – or online purchasing systems, with jobs for programmers and mail order specialists.

 Sales people in Ford auto showrooms, service reps for Coca Cola accounts – support personnel, and a fleet of accountants, business oriented lawyers, art and ad departments that design and conceive the campaigns, create the signage and even the printing plants where that is manufactured…and tiers of execs who keep track of it all – I’ve only touched the tip of the intertwined eco-system. And if Idol is eliminated from the equation – the advertising will transfer elsewhere…because that fuels the businesses.

The interesting thing about Idol is that their main content is free to the consumer, but free is really just part of the business model. Not the delivery system that brings it into homes, or the electricity required, or the physical screen it is watched on -  but its free content — the TV show — is not Pay Per View in the US. That’s a model that would eliminate the need for advertisers on a show. Also caps the profit and creates the need to advertise for viewers instead. Heh.

Right now, Networks/TV stations pay for it, they recoup the costs from advertisers who pay to market their own goods to the viewers. But the main content is given away for free, and used to successfully generate further advertising revenues and create interest in secondary, paid products –  the popular American Idol concert tours, EP’s  and other offerings. 

If someone wants to see less advertising dollars spent in the economy – well – recessions tend to accomplish that – companies cut their budgets,jobs are lost and profit margins shrink. But the advertising dollars are a domino in the chain…so…what is accomplished by cutting judges’ fees?

IMO. Of Course.

In television, success is measured by ratings, and the ratings for AGT are not good this season.  I’m sure that it would be hard to put all of the blame for the huge drop in viewers on Howard Stern being on board, but it’s a foregone conclusion that people will be quick to list him as the cause, since his celebrity was supposed to boost ratings.

Thank God, those who can’t sing really shouldn’t judge others’ ability to.

“Katy is fast approaching Mariah’s #1s. Rihanna too. I can see why Katy would be offered that much. She knows what is current right now.”

As one of Mariah’s biggest fans, I weep.