New Idol Judge Kara DioGuardi: “Make me feel like you mean it.”

By On 12/31/2008 · 12 Comments · In Uncategorized

Entertainment Weekly just posted an article on new American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, the article will also be featured in this week’s print edition. A few choice quotes:

In case we weren’t convinced, she drops this rant when the subject of Idol auditions comes up: ”A lot of times people will sing a big song that they don’t have the voice for instead of bringing out the uniqueness in their tone,” she says. ”Another thing is, don’t cheese me out. It’s not a wedding band. And emote. Make me feel like you mean it. Don’t just sing the way the song was written. That was Mariah’s interpretation. Now what are you gonna do?” Okay, we’re worried again à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  but this time for the contestants.

I’m looking forward to a little shake-up on the judges panel–it was long overdue. That the new judge is an accomplished songwriter, and a talented singer (Paula Abdul’s autotuned warblings don’t count) brings a fresh perspective. And I like that she’s feisty and opinionated. She’s going to force the others to stop phoning it in–which, after 7 season, they all had begun to do.

About her place at the table, and replacing Paula:

For the record, she’ll sit between Randy and Paula. ”They tried [putting] me between her and Simon,” explains DioGuardi, ”but they kept trying to communicate and I didn’t want to be in the middle of that.” And, yes, both she and Abdul will be keeping their seats; producers insist DioGuardi isn’t being groomed as her former mentor’s replacement. ”That’s just cheeky journalistic hype,” Warwick says. Adds DioGuardi, ”Paula and I have a good vibe. I have respect for Paula. I’m not of the thinking that women should drag each other down.” Abdul says she isn’t worrying about her job security (”I was never told that she was coming in to take my place”) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and, in fact, only feels more confident with DioGuardi around: ”When I heard she was going to be the fourth judge, I thought, ha ha, hee hee, Simon has no idea I have an ally now.”

I never believed for a minute she was there to replace Paula. Paula, warts and all, is gold, baby. I predict Paula will sign that new contract for more money, and all the negative press from the past few weeks will evaporate into the ether…

 
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  • http://www.myspace.com/gwendolyndiane GwendolynD

    à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ A lot of times people will sing a big song that they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the voice for instead of bringing out the uniqueness in their tone,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  she says. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Another thing is, donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t cheese me out. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not a wedding band. And emote. Make me feel like you mean it. Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t just sing the way the song was written. That was Mariahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s interpretation. Now what are you gonna do?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

    Okay, here’s someone who speaks my language.

    Kara DioGuardi could very well be my new best friend.

  • oceana

    I’m looking forward to Kara. She sounds like the fresh attitude that the show needs.

  • jimmyboyd2

    Saying someone doesn’t have a big enough voice for a song is just another way of saying they aren’t good enough to win. When all you do is bring out the uniqueness of your tone, you finish in 4th or 5th place like Jason or Brooke.

    This is not good advice at all for actually winning. It may be good advice to get you farther in the contest, but if you are actually trying to win, you have to take some chances in there somewhere.

  • http://www.myspace.com/gwendolyndiane GwendolynD

    Saying someone doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have a big enough voice for a song is just another way of saying they arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t good enough to win.

    Knowing who you are as a singer has win written all over it. You just have to know how to work that week after week without losing the core voters’ attention.

  • soundscene

    Saying someone doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have a big enough voice for a song is just another way of saying they arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t good enough to win. When all you do is bring out the uniqueness of your tone, you finish in 4th or 5th place like Jason or Brooke.

    This is not good advice at all for actually winning. It may be good advice to get you farther in the contest, but if you are actually trying to win, you have to take some chances in there somewhere.

    I don’t think that’s necessarily true. She’s not saying that a contestant shouldn’t take chances; she’s saying that a contestant should be self-aware and realize the limitations of their vocals. She’s saying that contestants should pick songs that show off what is good about their voice and not songs that just show off.

    And winning is rarely about who can actually sing the best anyway. Jason and Brooke didn’t get eliminated because they didn’t have the best range. Brooke got eliminated because she was cast as the nervous nelly who couldn’t handle the competition anymore and Jason got eliminated because he was cast as the guy who just didn’t care. They were eliminated because of the characters that AI made up for them.

  • poporange

    I am starting to like the new judge..

    Soundscene –Where have you been ? You hit the nail onthe coffin on what AI does to some extent with such clear logic. Please blog here more often.

  • jimmyboyd2

    Soundscene,

    Where is your evidence that the singers follow a script all the way down to starting a song over from the beginning? I’ll be waiting the next 50 years for this one, but give it your best shot if you really want to support the notion of such a vast conspiracy.

  • jimmyboyd2

    Name one time where a single judge told any of the 14 finalists that a song was too big for them. Now name how many times you have heard that phrase from one of the judges (many times; no need to count). When that comes out of a judge’s mouth, it’s just a nice way of saying that the singer is too limited to win the likes of AI.

    Of course, it’s POSSIBLE to trick the entire public by strategically picking just the right songs every single week that hide any and all of your weaknesses as a performer, but that has yet to work a single time in 7 seasons. When you do this, you inevitably come off as either bland or simply too lacking in diversity.

    Again, it is NOT good advice for winning. Period. You have to be telling people to take chances (Carrie’s Alone, David’s Billie Jean, Taylor’s no-holds-barred performing style) if you are actually trying to give them winning advice.

  • jimmyboyd2

    “Knowing who you are as a singer has win written all over it. You just have to know how to work that week after week without losing the core votersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ attention.”

    True. But the strategy you are talking about goes far beyond simply bringing out the uniqueness of your tone, which was my point to begin with.

  • Grammie Kari

    They were eliminated because of the characters that AI made up for them.

    soundscene, there are still Idol fans that are unaware of this. I actually didn’t know until Season 4 the manipulation that takes place and the scripted moments! (I would also like to add Jason as some mighty fine eye candy who ended up being the most improved contestant of the season.)

    Where is your evidence that the singers follow a script all the way down to starting a song over from the beginning? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be waiting the next 50 years for this one, but give it your best shot if you really want to support the notion of such a vast conspiracy.

    Honestly, this has been mentioned numerous times by the contestants themeselves. However, I don’t believe this to be true of Brooke’s starting over. It really is beyond the conspiracy stage, IMO.

    Carmen has been the most revealing of all! She talked about the scripting on the ‘Joe Scarborough Show’ and ‘Larry King’. Amy Adams was told to call Ryan a ‘monkey’ the week she was eliminated. Scott was given certain things to say as a ‘cast character’; and I believe Kellie Pickler’s ‘cuteness’ and crazy things she said were not all ad lib. She mentioned she had eaten calimar prior to the show.

    jimmyboyd, I am waiting for the book, too!

  • oceana

    AI has always been contrived and manipulated. That’s why I cringe even as I watch it. It’s why a lot of people disdain the show. Kelly Clarkson said after season 1, “It’s a tv show, folks. It’s all scripted.”

    I don’t think it’s totally scripted though, i.e. I think the contestants do have their personas when they come in, and the producers probably pick them for their characters (good tv) as well as their singing ability. Some contestants are also more malleable than others. I don’t think that an experienced singer who knows himself before the show, like Taylor, Daughtry, or Cook, were susceptable to being molded. They already knew who they were as artists.

    I don’t think the idols are told what to say for the most part, but probably encouraged to play up certain aspects of themselves. Like Kellie P’s “dumb blonde” act, I think they encouraged her to play it up, as it makes for funny television.

    the judges’ comments I find meaningless most of the time, and last season I fast forwarded through them or muted them, and I enjoyed the show 100 times more. I only want to hear the contestants, I don’t need the judges to tell me what I just saw.

    This new judge Kara though sounds like she might be worth listening to.

  • Grammie Kari

    Kelly Clarkson said after season 1, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a tv show, folks. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s all scripted.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

    I heard Carmen say the same thing.

    oceana, if Kara is capable of motivating Randy into intelligent commenting, she’s already cool in my book. Talk about phoning it in; he sounds even worse when you view the show a second time.

    Another thing, I hope they won’t do special editting of the mentor’s comments. Brian May (Queen) was furious when comments about Ace were edited to sound negative.

    It sounds like we will have an opportunity to know each contestant before voting begins. That would be terrific.