‘American Idol’ remains the ‘original’
American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez reacts as fellow judge Steven Tyler, left, of Aerosmith makes a joke about wearing Lopez's during the American Idol panel at the Fox Broadcasting Company Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena , Calif. on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
A year ago, “American Idol” was buffeted by skeptics galore as the aging reality program came off a lackluster year and a major overhaul in its judges’ panel.
But the show survived and in fact, thrived. Ratings went up, keeping the reality program at No. 1. for a sixth year in a row. As “Idol” opens its 11th season Wednesday with auditions in Savannah, the storyline has shifted.
With no major internal changes, “Idol” faces genuine competition. First, NBC unveiled a surprisingly vibrant “Idol” alternative last spring with “The Voice,” which returns Feb. 5 after the Super Bowl. Then former “Idol” judge Simon Cowell on Fox last fall launched “The X Factor,” a more aggressive singing competition with a slicker sheen.
While neither matched “Idol” in ratings, they both drew a healthy audience, potentially siphoning fans away from “Idol.”
MJ Santilli, who runs a popular “Idol” blog www.mjsbigblog.com, said she expects ratings to fall off slightly from last year but most fans will stick with the show. “Season 10 produced a very popular and likable winner in Scotty McCreery, who just went platinum,” Santilli wrote in an email. “Successful winners always reflect well on the show and help to spark interest in the following season.”
And while Santilli deemed “The Voice” a successful show, winner Javier Colon hasn’t been able to translate his victory into album sales. She also isn’t hearing much buzz about “The X Factor” finalists either. “Both shows,” she wrote, “put too much emphasis on gimmicks e.g. “The Voice’s” swivel chairs, “X Factor’s” big glossy production numbers.”
“Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe isn’t sweating. Watching the other shows confirmed to him the strengths of “Idol.” What we have is authentic. We are the original,” he said in an interview earlier this month while he was in Atlanta for “So You Think You Can Dance auditions. “It strengthens my thought it should be about the talent, not the judges.”
Without explicitly referencing Cowell’s absence, Lythgoe noted, “we have a lot more warmth and heart now.”
But Lyndsey Parker, Yahoo Music managing editor and “Reality Rocks” blogger, said the problem with the judges last year was they were too nice without the vinegar of Cowell in the mix. She felt some of the contestants suffered because they were given fulsome praise, not constructive criticism.
“It swung too much the other way,” she said.
And though judge Jennifer Lopez told People magazine last fall that “we’re a little tougher on everybody” season 11, don’t expect Cowell-style nastiness to seep into her vocabulary.
-On a different topic, I was going through some old photos today and dug up this shot of Jennifer Hudson I took at the Mall of Georgia in April, 2005 singing “Weekend in New England.” When I interviewed her last week, she said she remembered that day:
Jennifer Hudson at the Mall of Georgia promoting "Idol" in April, 2005. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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© 2012 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
156 comments Add your comment
Wink
January 17th, 2012
8:50 am
While the show itself is interesting to watch I have never felt compelled to buy any of the contestants music.
Deirdre
January 17th, 2012
9:06 am
Thanks, Rodney. I think you found the perfect word to describe X-Factor. “aggressive” And I agree with Nigel about Idol having more warmth.
However, Idol, imo, has one big stumbling block that needs to be addressed. The voting system no longer works. While Scotty is talented and has been successful, how many times will we watch the cute guy win over arguably more talented contestants before we start turning away from the show?
If Idol provides us with great singers this year and then “the cute guy” still wins, they’ve got a big problem.
JTesla
January 17th, 2012
9:31 am
Thanks Rodney.
I know that changing the voting system is big with many here, but I think changing the system would hurt more than it would help. Those that are upset with the current system keep on watching, but change the system and you run the risk of losing people who enjoy it.
Sam-A
January 17th, 2012
9:38 am
Saw a clip from Idol last night on one of the 7:00 entertainment news shows – apparently ST either said or did something crude to a young girl. They’ve got to either rein him in, or replace him – how much offensive stuff must we put up with?
Deirdre
January 17th, 2012
9:41 am
Happy to see that you got over the mountain, JT. I hear you’ve got a major storm to deal with.
Deirdre
January 17th, 2012
9:42 am
I see your point, JT.
JTesla
January 17th, 2012
10:03 am
It was fun I love the snow, but turning a 1.5 hour drive into 4 hours… not so good.
I’m starting to look forward to Idol starting up, no big stadium to cheer or boo, just a singer, three judges, and crew. I can like the talent a little more and laugh more freely at the lack of talent.
KPH
January 17th, 2012
10:08 am
Hello everyone! Tomorrow night! I will be hanging out around here again this season. Looking forward to it!
Harriett
January 17th, 2012
10:15 am
Hoping all our “missing” regulars will be coming back to the blog. I am really excited about Idol’s return, and I believe the schlock factor increased my anticipation!
And, JT, glad you made it back! I saw on tv this morning where Seattle and Portland are going to be hit with a massive snowstorm. Stay warm and keep us company, and giving us a description of the conditions would be interesting.
JTesla
January 17th, 2012
10:21 am
Well I was lucky enough to be at the beach for a very rare snowstorm down there. Snow on the sand is odd to see for us.
Nice to have you back KPH!
Mercedes S.
January 17th, 2012
10:25 am
Tonorrow “Idol” – and tonight “Southland”!
‘American Idol’ remains the ‘original’ | ATLANTAboy.com | Gay Atlanta Celebrity, Film, Movie & TV News
January 17th, 2012
10:37 am
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Pitchy
January 17th, 2012
10:40 am
Good day!
“Snow on the sand is odd to see for us.” Those words should never by typed in the same sentence (lol).
So looking foward to Southland. AI is going to be great, but I agree, STyler will have to rein in his borderline lecherous comments. He tries to clean up his comments, but the innuendos aren’t really innuendos! He comes across as a horny, lustful old man most days!
Sam-A
January 17th, 2012
10:41 am
I don’t watch “Southland”, but I did love Ben MacKenzie on “The OC”. I’ve heard good stuff about it, but it’s just never convenient for me.
Pitchy
January 17th, 2012
10:46 am
@Sam-A ~ he’s better in Southland..so intense. (but he has his demons).
Harriett
January 17th, 2012
10:53 am
I am reading Steven Tyler’s book and find it interesting, but a gross-out in some places. He is what he is, and after reading half of it, I am really surprised he has reined himself in as he has. He says himself, that this is a public personna of his own creation. My opinion is that the lines became blurred long ago between his “self” and the one he created for the stage. I think he has a struggle turning it off. One thing that surprised me in the book is what a huge fan he is of many other peoples’ music.
Harriett
January 17th, 2012
10:54 am
as much as he has.
JTesla
January 17th, 2012
10:57 am
I won’t be shocked by Steven Tyler, because last season we saw a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde development with him. Only we got treated to Mr. Hyde first. Once the show goes live everything will be beautiful.
Pitchy
January 17th, 2012
11:00 am
The two things I’m surprised with STyler is (1) he’s alive, and (2) he’s quite nice!
DanJ
January 17th, 2012
11:05 am
I’ll record the show and skip the filler and bad auditions. I do think Idol will have to address their voting system especially if you once again have talented singers leaving early. I also think if the final two are country singers again it could be a huge problem down the road. Geez…I still can’t believe Howdy Doody won!
Woodpappy
January 17th, 2012
11:08 am
Hey Pitchy, I too am suprised that he is still alive and that he does indeed seem to be a nice person underneath all his odd clothes and makeup.
Pitchy
January 17th, 2012
11:17 am
Hey there, Woodpappey! Although his clothes are odd, I understand he had to come up with some style of dress to set him apart from all the other jokers dressing like that in the 60’s/70’s. Unfortunately, as time went by many changed their style, he didn’t!
Woodpappy
January 17th, 2012
11:24 am
And….I for one am thrilled that AI is back, even with its quirks it is tons better than X-Factor and The Voice IMHO.
Rickster
January 17th, 2012
11:34 am
Morning, everybody. Busy 1st day back at work after a four-day weekend.
Deirdre
January 17th, 2012
11:48 am
Dan, Howdy Doody won because he’s good and he’s popular. And so far, he’s been pretty successful. There may be others who were better in both your opinion and mine but we don’t always know what the voters want. When we think the wrong person won, that’s an opinion, not a fact.
I would like to see the voting changed but I agree with JT that it might lose more viewers than it gains. Add to that, if Idol changes the voting, they have to come up with a pretty darned good excuse…they CAN’T say it’s because they don’t approve of the last 3 winners.
DanJ
January 17th, 2012
12:57 pm
Hi Deirdre, IMO Scotty won because he sang country music, same for Lauren. Country fans are ALMOST cultish when it comes to that particular genre of music. Scotty is a younger version of Randy Travis. Nothing special IMO!
As for voting Idol won’t change it. They love to hear Ryan say: “After a record 48 zillion vote last night….” While it’s possible that Idol MIGHT lose veiwers it’s also possible that viewership might increase. It’s impossible to know unless they try. We can debate the question without knowing the answer. Surely they(Idol producers) cringe when a Sanjaya overstays his welcome. I mention Sanjaya because I felt sorry for him.The only way Idol changes is when someone who’s a joke wins the competition or when the media starts to bash their voting system. My two cents anyway!
Deirdre
January 17th, 2012
1:15 pm
I don’t think Idol producers cringe when a Sanjaya type stays on the show. I think they love the publicity that it creates. It is really about the show and not about the outcome. While they might be embarrassed by Sanjaya winning, they are not at all unhappy with his continued presence. When the winner makes money after the fact, that’s just icing on the cake for an already lucrative show. When a winner doesn’t do well, they just shrug their shoulders and move on.
Mercedes S.
January 17th, 2012
1:39 pm
Sam-A, seldom is a TV show “convenient” for me to watch. “Idol” may be the one program I watch in real time, if I happen to be home. Just think of the many minutes you will add to your life if you record your commercial shows – by zipping through the ads, you save 20 minutes out of every “hour”.
RxDawg
January 17th, 2012
1:52 pm
Actually… I think the “original” would be Star Search. If there’s anything before that I’m to young to know about it.
KPH
January 17th, 2012
1:53 pm
So true Mercedes. I rarely watch TV live. People ask me from time to time have you seen this or that commercial and 90% of the time I have to say no.
RxDawg
January 17th, 2012
1:59 pm
Why wouldn’t STyler be nice? If I lived his life, I’d be just rosey
KPH
January 17th, 2012
2:14 pm
I hear ya RxDawg.
Sam-A
January 17th, 2012
2:48 pm
Problem is only 1 DVR and 2 people with totally different stuff to record/watch. Can record 2 at once, but must actually watch one of those that’s recording. Already paying $100/month for digital pkg with HD and 1 dvr, no premium channels, and will not even consider paying more for television! So, have to pick and choose what I want to record carefully. And working, as many of you understand, there’s limited time to watch what’s been recorded.
Pitchy
January 17th, 2012
2:49 pm
@RxDawg – simply because many with fame and forturne turn into arrogrant, self-centered, ego driven idiots.
Pitchy
January 17th, 2012
2:51 pm
@Sam-A – we seem to have the same issues with the DVR….the one I share with is a teenage girl so I have to contend with taking up space with Pretty Little Liars, Secret Circle, Vampires….UUUGGGHHH!!!
Deirdre
January 17th, 2012
3:22 pm
I paid the extra money and got a dvr cable box for my bedroom tv. That gives me 2 dvr’s and 4 shows to tape. I usually use it once a week, especially on Thursday when I want to see Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, The Office and American Idol.
Sam-A
January 17th, 2012
3:27 pm
Funny thing, Pitchy: I actually watch “Pretty Little Liars” and “Secret Circle”, but instead of “vampires”, I’m hookd on “The Walking Dead”. There actually are / have been some good teener shows. “The OC” was one of my top faves (so cool, the younger and the older storylines – something for everyone).
Sam-A
January 17th, 2012
3:31 pm
Some of the shows are on the “on demand” channels – that’s how I watch “Hawaii 5-0″ and a few others. Monday is the hardest: during a given season, there can be “Closer”, “Pretty Little Liars”, “Hawaii 5-0″, “Castle”, “Housewives of Bev Hills”, and until this seaon “Chuck” – it’s hard to juggle Mondays.
Negativo
January 17th, 2012
4:15 pm
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time the words used to describe Idol were “old”, “tired”, and “declining”. Now, it’s “authentic,” “anticipated” and “original”. What happened? Well, first and foremost having the winner go platinum was of HUGE importance for AI regaining its status and relevance as a star-maker.
Next, an incredibly deep and talented crop of finalists gave the show a record tying 7 artists signed to major label recording contracts. In the wake of the Jive/Sony fiascoes, where artists like Crystal and Lee were effective hung out to dry with no promotion or investment, this year the Idol machine re-invested in its talented with full support from Interscope and 19. The importance of this cannot be overstated.
The third factor is the X-Factor. With garish overproduction, excessive emphasis on judge dramas, over-commercialism, heartless exploitation of children, and an absolutely horrible host, the show effectively swallowed up its weak and thin talent pool right from the get-go. X-Factor was simply an exaggeration of everything viewers ever hated about Idol, and thus boosted enthusiasm and appreciation for the authenticity of the “original”
Finally, the return of Nigel and removal of Simon from the cast was a biggie. Nigel brought back the positive energy and pride in the show’s brand, and that never could have been done with lazy, indifferent and often times bored Simon just going through the motions while collecting his monster paycheck. The show needed to be refreshed, and though the judges still remain the principle weakness of the show, at least they seemed genuinely happy to be on AI, got along happily together, and promoted the show with genuine enthusiasm.
Anyway, that’s my two cents.
Deirdre
January 17th, 2012
4:43 pm
Neg…I’m impressed and agree!
Rickster
January 17th, 2012
5:07 pm
The only thing I’d add to Neg’s comments is the presence of Ryan Seacrest – especially in light of the performances of Carson Daly and Steve Jones.
Less than 27 hours till Idol!!!!
Have a great evening everyone!
Jenny (the one from last week)
January 17th, 2012
5:30 pm
I think that last year’s Idol refresh, and great crop of talent, was just what the show needed. (Neg – very well said!!
) But I also think that one more big change is going to have to happen at some point. Idol’s voting system simply does not work any more. Deirdre said earlier: “If Idol provides us with great singers this year and then ‘the cute guy’ still wins, they’ve got a big problem.” I could not agree more. And actually, I think they’ve HAD a big problem for several seasons now.
I get so tired of feeling frustrated with the outcome every single year. As much as I love the show, I wasn’t very interested in the finale last year… mostly because it was becoming apparent that no one had a prayer of catching Scotty (who was good, but not THAT good.) And my husband, who used to really love the show too, often gets so annoyed that he completely stops watching by the final two or three. And I’ve heard other friends say the same. I think people may be slowly starting to turn away…. I just wish the show runners would realize it. (Even with all the X-Factor’s other issues, it was so nice to watch the finale and not be frustrated with the winner!)
I truly think many adults don’t vote for Idol any more, because they feel like their votes don’t matter. And sadly, they probably don’t. JT, I do see your point about running the risk of losing people… but are there really that many people (other than tweens) who enjoy the current system? And what about the equal risk of losing those of us who don’t enjoy it? And really, which viewers would they rather keep… the adults who spend money with their advertisers, or the kids who don’t have money?
I know, I know, it’s probably a losing battle to worry about this… after all, they’re in business to make money, which they’re doing in spades, no matter what. But dang it, I want to see my favorite show get back to the way it used to be when Carrie won!!
(wow, being new here, do I need to paint the soapbox now? Seeing as how I just wore it out?)
JTesla
January 17th, 2012
5:50 pm
Good points Jenny. However, as long as they keep that 18-49 demographic they’ll keep plugging away. Last year saw an upswing, this year will be a test to see how well they maintain their hold on #1. If numbers go down, expect more changes in 2013, if it maintains then no changes. They’ll make the change to voting when they think it can either capture viewers or cut costs.
Oh and by “changes in 2013″ I mean proposed changes, since the world will end this December.
Jenny (the one from last week)
January 17th, 2012
5:59 pm
Hahaha, JT!
Yes, December 21, isn’t it? Very true about the numbers. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. I think if they get off to a strong start, with some good/interesting/talented people, the numbers may stay high, at least for now. But I’m very curious about what will happen if the ‘cute boy’ does win again this year. At what point do viewers start dropping like flies?
Oh, and I had one more thought about Simon – Neg’s comment reminded me of this – I think one big reason for his boredom and indifference was because he had given up on the right person ever winning again. I first noticed it way back in Taylor’s season… Simon kept trying to tell everyone Taylor wasn’t the best singer, but the popularity contest wave looked unstoppable, and he finally gave up.
And if I had to guess, I’d say the last straw for Simon was when Kris Allen won over Adam. Do y’all remember Simon’s reaction? He looked absolutely, completely disgusted. I seem to remember he was scowling and barely even clapped for Kris. Didn’t he announce his departure within a couple of days after that?
Deirdre
January 17th, 2012
6:17 pm
Jenny, Rickster covered the soap box with a really tough acrylic so it should be ok for awhile.
I still think the most important thing that Idol can do every year is give us good contestants. Last year, they were pretty good. Along with the changes that were made, Idol got down to basics again and only veered away when they did those fire explosions for one of James’ songs.
We will never all agree on who should win because we all come to the table with different experiences and different tastes. Because of that, I’m not sure the ultimate winner should even matter much to this particular group of people. Sure, we all have our favorites but mostly we just enjoy the show, whether our favorite wins or not.
We hardly ever pout for more than a couple of days.
Mercedes S.
January 17th, 2012
6:35 pm
Remember Simon’s disgust over Adam’s loss – as I recall he just up and left; didn’t even shake the winner’s hand. Still can’t remember his name.
Jenny (the one from last week)
January 17th, 2012
6:46 pm
That’s what I like about this blog!
It seems like everyone agrees to disagree, and has fun in spite of it. Reading the blog has always made the show even more fun to watch for me… glad I finally jumped in to talk!
I am definitely guilty of pouting sometimes, but I do usually manage to find another favorite and move on. My “soapbox issue” is definitely the voting, as you will see.
But in the end, I just love music, and love seeing what songs are picked each week, what they do with them, etc… remembering old songs I’d half forgotten about, and seeing a brand new spin on them… for all these reasons, I will probably always keep watching. 
Jenny (the one from last week)
January 17th, 2012
6:59 pm
Mercedes, you are right, he DID just up and leave! I remember thinking at the time, that was probably it for him and he would leave the show.
squirrelly mc cheesy grill pon pon pon
January 17th, 2012
7:09 pm
you lunatic regulars here, please seek Professional help, especially you Jtelsatonio. A number 1 you are actually still watching Idol? seek help. A number 2 you feel compelled to blog about it here? seek help ! A number 3 you guys are proud to do this every year, please seek help, the rest of us on Earth have to live here with total lunatics like you running around !!!!
JTesla
January 17th, 2012
7:09 pm
Speaking of Sanjaya: He has made an impromptu appearance at do-it-yourself wine shop.
“On Friday nights, local musicians play there. Sanjaya Malakar of American Idol fame even stopped by one evening when one of his boyhood friends was there to perform. McLaren said she didn’t even know he was coming.
“These two boys grew up together and so he walked in one night when the dad and son were playing and he sang,” she said. Sanjaya might just pop in again sometime – McLaren said she thinks he’ll be back in the area next month.
Full story: http://clackamas.katu.com/photo-gallery/business/454451-make-your-own-spirits-do-it-yourself-winery