Can ‘Idol’ find a new direction in 2013?
“American Idol” is an aging brand buffeted by rapacious rivals and an audience that is tiring of the formatics.
Is all the change merely moving the deck chairs? The show still draws a relatively large audience and heck, I’m still writing about it (albeit minus the actual “Idol” blog). And I’m merely leaving this spot for the regulars to ponder whatever they want to ponder while I’m knee-deep in the second week of my break. I know, I am incredibly lazy, aren’t I? I promise to make it up to you next week when I get back.
Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.
By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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103 comments Add your comment
richard whiskey
July 18th, 2012
8:49 am
idol has ran it’s course,time for this show and ryan semencrust to fade away
Woodpappy
July 18th, 2012
9:34 am
Idol is doing just fine…we all need a little tweaking now and then.
Mercedes S.
July 18th, 2012
9:37 am
careful whiskey, we are grammar conscious here…
Mo Schreibman
July 18th, 2012
9:48 am
There is nothing wrong with the Idol television program ratings that three maybe more of those super model girls sitting in the celebrity panelists chairs can not fix judging by the Victoria’s Secret catalog that came yesterday to my wife in the mail. What they were thinking I do not know but I suppose they had their reasons.
Deirdre
July 18th, 2012
9:50 am
Morning!
I think that mostly Idol is making changes to get publicity during the off-season. Season 12 tells me that, whatever they do, Idol has been a huge success and any “tweaking” is just playful at this point.
G
July 18th, 2012
10:07 am
Idol has a big enough fan base that it really doesn’t matter if they make changes or not. All of this off-season chatter is simply trivial. It gives folks something to talk about until XF.
Deirdre
July 18th, 2012
10:08 am
And Rodney…taking a vacation doesn’t make you “lazy”!
Mo Schreibman
July 18th, 2012
10:17 am
Since 1957 my wifes brother has been on vacation.
Deirdre
July 18th, 2012
10:27 am
LOL!
XF had a huge publicity moment when Britney Spears came on board. I think Idol will have trouble toppng that. Not that I think Britney will be a good judge…I don’t really know yet but Britney is a paparazzi dream, trouble with a capital T and fodder for the train-wreck seekers.
JTesla
July 18th, 2012
10:33 am
X-Factor hasn’t had too much buzz lately even the “troubled little girls for judges” gimmick didn’t seem to create more than a passing interest. The show will be on before Idol hits in January, yet Idol seems to have trumped it in the buzz department.
Deirdre
July 18th, 2012
10:35 am
My guess is, that was the plan.
Alex
July 18th, 2012
10:38 am
Stay away from divas and “celebrity” judges and focus on the contestants. Two seasons ago Jimmy Iovine was not a “celebrity” and he has been invaluable (IMO) to the show.
Rodney Ho
July 18th, 2012
10:38 am
I am meeting with Randy Jackson at the AJC offices at 10:30 a.m. Monday to talk about diabetes and “Idol” so if you have any questions for me to ask him, please email me at rho@ajc.com or post them here.
JTesla
July 18th, 2012
10:39 am
I was going to say that I’m waiting for the Mercedes review of the new Batman movie, but considering that negative reviews are receiving harsh treatment maybe I should just wait until after its release and the furor dies down. I’m thinking of going to the upscale theater and making it a date night. I know, I’m a romantic guy. However, since the first date with my wife included watching Species 2, Batman should be acceptable.
JTesla
July 18th, 2012
10:41 am
Nice Rodney! Meeting with Randy, hmm I can think of questions but none of them worthy of you asking.
How about this one: “Yo dawg, you can like judge the phone book! You’d blow that out of the box right there. Are you feeling me?”
No?
Deirdre
July 18th, 2012
11:05 am
LOL!
Cat
July 18th, 2012
11:10 am
I am watching the view (I don’t know why) but they are talking that Charlie Sheen is being talked about for judging . Yikes
Deirdre
July 18th, 2012
11:19 am
Nigel made a joke about Charlie Sheen and now people are taking it as serious.
Deirdre
July 18th, 2012
11:21 am
An Idol “insider” is saying that Nigel is staying and that Idol is looking for a younger demographic.
Mercedes S.
July 18th, 2012
11:23 am
JT – I can let you know later tonight if it’s thumbs up or down.
JTesla
July 18th, 2012
11:29 am
Thank you Mercedes.
Deirdre, good regarding Nigel. Charlie Sheen = more buzz that we were talking about. They would never do it, because if they did even I would be saying that the show “jumped the shark”.
Cat
July 18th, 2012
11:30 am
Thanks Deirdre. Glad to know that. That would have been a train wreck!
Vast Wastrel
July 18th, 2012
11:36 am
Would he like to see Jimmy Iovine join him on the panel or is his current role more necessary for the results show mix?
What type of personalities should be on the judges panel with him? A diva, a bona fide musician, an industry insider, another dancer, another comedienne?
Did the “rapacious” competition pressure them into the praise fest critiques and dozens of judge standing ovations to inflate the worthiness of their own competitors?
Is it correct for a “judge” to act as cheerleader? Even to the point of turning around and getting an over hyped tv audience off of their seat?
Does he think the voting rules should be changed to disallow people to vote thousands of times?
Will he have to take a cut in pay due to the ratings decline?
Should the cost cutting measures include curtailing all of the detraction from the actual performances? In other words the choirs, dancing instrumentalists, garish sets and choreography.
And finally a personal request since he is in an advantageous seat. Could he mow down the swaybots with a fully automatic paintball gun at his earliest opportunity? I guarantee it would boost the ratings.
Wink
July 18th, 2012
11:36 am
Well there have been some “artists” created by American Idol the majority of them have brought nothing to the music industry. Maybe it’s time to end the show.
JTesla
July 18th, 2012
11:48 am
Wink: “the majority of them have brought nothing to the music industry. Maybe it’s time to end the show.”
The majority of “artists” that have gotten into the music industry in the past 10 years have brought nothing to it. There are a select few artists and groups that are still going strong 10 years later on, the rest, like the Idols, are fodder. Do we just shut down the entire music industry because of that?
DanJ
July 18th, 2012
12:06 pm
Rodney my question/questions for Randy Jackson would be: What are is thoughts on X-Factor and The Voice? Does he consider the show competition? Would he ever consider working with Simon again?
DanJ
July 18th, 2012
12:11 pm
Someone mentioned that maybe Will I Am was being considered as a judge. Isn’t he a judge for The Voice in the UK? Would that be considered a conflict of interest?
Deirdre
July 18th, 2012
12:13 pm
Re Jimmy Iovine…rumors are that he will handle all the music on Idol next season, maybe with Mary J Blige’s help. He is not interested in being on the judges’ panel
Mercedes S.
July 18th, 2012
12:38 pm
For Randy: Did J-Lo jump ship, or was she pushed?
Pitchy
July 18th, 2012
2:00 pm
Good afternoon. I hope Idol finds a new direction. It’s a great vessel for undiscovered talent. With that being said, so many new outlets are airing for undiscovered talent, e.g. Opening Act.
As much as I love Idol, it may not be missed. So many shakeups, the formula is a bit murky.
G
July 18th, 2012
2:19 pm
For Randy:
How does he view the trend of WGWG winners of the past 5-6 seasons? What does he attribute that to?
What was one of the most memorable seasons for him?
Life after Idol? Does he see himself judging again after Idol?
I’m a fan of ABDC. Great show! Would he consider creating another “singing” completion show after he leaves Idol?
Would he like to see Idol incorporate some of the ABDC show format (i.e. voting)?
What’s next for ABDC now that Mario Lopez is moving on?
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
July 18th, 2012
3:28 pm
Hi y’all!
As far as suggestions for Idol judges, I’m still on team Harry Connick, Jr. I’d also think if they’re going for a younger demo, they should look at people like Pharell Williams, Dr. Luke or Max Martin. I’m guessing TImbaland or Dr. Dre aren’t interested? Another industry name I’d throw out there, Desmond Child.
Miley was a good mentor, but adding her as judge would be seen too much like XF with Demi Lovato.
Sam-A
July 18th, 2012
4:25 pm
Hey, K&CF: Glad to see you – it’s been a darn boring day! They need to go ahead and announce who we’re gonna be stuck with next season! Then we can B–itch all we want.
Hope it’s a bit perkier around here tomorrow. Yawn.
Mercedes S.
July 18th, 2012
5:31 pm
I’ve never heard of Pharell Williams, Dr. Luke or Max Martin. If too many “young” judges get on AI’s panel, most of the show’s ancient viewers – yes, that includes me – would lose interest.
Mercedes S.
July 18th, 2012
5:31 pm
…and those folks may not even be “young”!
MyPatootie
July 18th, 2012
6:00 pm
RoHo, my question for Randy Jackson: Wouldn’t he think it is a good idea for him to go ahead and leave now with the other two, so the show could get off to a much-needed “fresh start”? Ask him wouldn’t he agree the show needs a complete turnover. I don’t know about to others, but he has become quite “tiring” to me. I don’t think he has anything left to say that we haven’t already heard.
JTesla
July 18th, 2012
6:06 pm
For me he became “quite tiring” and in need of a “fresh start” sometime around 2006.
Seth T
July 18th, 2012
7:01 pm
Perhaps Idol will hold onto big news until The Voice (Sept. 10) and X-Factor (Sept. 12th) have been rolling a while — then step-up with some news for fresh headlines. In the meantime, as others have said, the speculation and rumor mills will keep Idol on the public’s mind.
Simon has prevoiusly made some challenging comments toward The Voice, so now the lines are drawn and we’ll see who can put the best show together. Have any of the top 3 from those shows been been boppin’ around the Billboard Top 40??
JTesla
July 18th, 2012
7:20 pm
Early September is the time that Idol needs to have the judges in order to do the audition rounds, perfect timing.
Simon needs to be careful about challenging other shows.
Harriett
July 18th, 2012
9:26 pm
G, I love your questions. Rodney, add my name to these.
Still enjoying my beach week. For excitement, one of those banner planes went down in the ocean while we were sitting out today. Pilot ok, but they can’t get the plane up until low tide in the morning. Beats sitting at my desk!
Hope all of you are doing well.
Mercedes S.
July 18th, 2012
10:13 pm
J
Mercedes S.
July 18th, 2012
10:14 pm
Try that again – JT, if you have ears of steel and the mind of a 12-year old boy, by all means…
JTesla
July 18th, 2012
10:29 pm
So, I’ll like it but maybe not the best use of our gift card and date night to the deluxe cinema place with the fancy couches etc. Maybe while the females go see that Ice Age thing I’ll go at the same time and watch a movie that caters to my sensibilities.
Thanks Mercedes.
bknsty14
July 19th, 2012
2:23 am
Having a heck of a storm up here in Illinois. Thunder, lightning and a ton of rain. It’s been so long since we’ve had it I just laid on the floor with the cat and watched it for about 15 minutes. Love a good storm. And we (like the rest of the country) needed it. I hear it’s been really bad down by you all.
Highlander
July 19th, 2012
8:05 am
Morning, everyone!
Yeah, bknsty14, we’ve been getting some of the weather (pretty much daily for the past week) that the Midwest is hoping for!
Highlander
July 19th, 2012
8:11 am
I’d like to add Pink to the list of possible Idol judges. I think we could count on her to be candid about a contestants performance.
And maybe Bret Michaels (who’s had some TV experience lately) or Steve Perry (he’s certainly not doing anything right now).
Someone else mentioned Gene Simmons. While I like Gene and his business sense, he’d probably try to put more focus on himself (much the same way JLo did). Plus, he’s a little past prime now, too.
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
9:17 am
High: I love Pink – and from what I’ve seen of her on several visits to “Ellen”, she’s got a nice, witty personality. I mentioned Bret M a couple months back. I’d only known anything about him from that sleazy show (never saw it, but saw the commercials on tv for it) he was on with all the trampy gals. But my sister watched that “Apprentice” season he was on and talked me into watching it – he was actually very smart, kind and charming. I was floored, and my “judgement” took quite a beating. I ended up liking him ( but if he ever did that slime ball show again, I’d likely change back to original opinion).
G
July 19th, 2012
9:19 am
When you have judges that are / have been stars (to varying degrees), they are going to naturally draw attention to themselves. All of this talk about about the judges getting more attention than contestants is moot. There are supposed to get more attention because they are known. I mean really……..How is it NOT going to be about Mariah?
If you’re against the idea of “it’s too much about the judges”, then it would probably be better that judges come from industry that are lesser known. Many producers and A&R people fall in that category.
Regardless of who’s chosen, there’s going to be criticism. Can’t satisfy everyone.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
July 19th, 2012
9:29 am
Mercedes, you may not have heard of Pharell Williams, Dr. Luke or Max Martin but if you’ve heard top 40 music in the past decade or so, you’ve heard their work. They’re actually not that young themselves.
Pharell is 39 and has worked mostly in R&B, hip hop (hi, G!). He’s also worked with Justin Timberlake.
Dr. Luke is 38 and he’s worked with Kelly (together with Max Martin they did Since U Been Gone). He’s also worked with Adam Lambert, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Britney, Avril Lavigne, Pink, Daughtry (Feels Like Tonight), Leona Lewis and a bunch of others. Among his biggest hits are the number one Billboard Hot 100 songs “Girlfriend”, “I Kissed a Girl”, “My Life Would Suck Without You”, “Right Round”, “Tik Tok”, “California Gurls”, “We R Who We R”, “Teenage Dream”, “E.T.”, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”, “Part of Me”, and “Hold It Against Me”.
Max Martin is 41. He was mostly a “poppy” producer back in the days of NSync, Britney, Backstreet Boys. Since 2008, he has written and co-written more than 10 number-one hits, including “So What” by Pink, “Hot n Cold”, “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry, and “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson. Since 2010, he has co-written ten top-10 singles, including “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz, “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” by Usher, “Whataya Want From Me” by Adam Lambert, “F**kin’ Perfect” by Pink, and “Hold It Against Me” by Britney Spears. He tends to work a lot with Dr. Luke.
I know my suggestions are not the “megastar” performers, but I don’t know. I get the appeal of having people like Mariah, Katy Perry, etc. I just think that we get to a point where a lot of times they don’t know how to be brutally honest. Maybe it’s because they can relate to the rejection or they don’t want to hurt their image. Either way, adding one of these producers would be an interesting change.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
July 19th, 2012
9:32 am
PS. Hi y’all.
G, I agree with you. That’s part of the reason why I’ve suggested the folks I have.
As far as Pink goes, I love her…but she’s just released a single to radio and is doing promo. I believe an album is due out in the next couple of months. I’m not sure she’d sign up for Idol now.
Woodpappy
July 19th, 2012
9:52 am
There have been some very good questions proposed for RoHo to pass along to Randy. Will be an interesting interview I’m sure. Go get him RoHO….
Mercedes S.
July 19th, 2012
9:55 am
KCF, thanks for explanation. See your point now. These would be worthy judges, but I fear the producers want flash and “names”.
And goodmorning! My ears are still ringing from last night’s LOUD movie…
Pitchy
July 19th, 2012
10:02 am
I thought of Pink, but they don’t get her hair…
Jokey joke from one of her songs!
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
10:05 am
K&CF: I know Pharrell, but I hadn’t heard of the others either, and now for obvious reasons, thanks to your info. I dont know a lot about “behind the scenes” people nowadays.
One of the entertainment shows last night showed a tour of Kelly’s TX ranch home, which she has put up for sale. It’s a beautiful home, and really well furnished . Not sure why she’s selling – they alluded that she’s getting serious with her new guy. But I could live there without changing a thing and be happy, and I’m very picky about furnishings, lucky enough to inherit my Grandmother’s large cache of antiques (nice 18th century stuff – not that gaudy ornate Vic stuff, fortunately!) Hope you saw it. Especially loved her several patio/outdoor room areas and Movie room.
Deirdre
July 19th, 2012
10:37 am
Morning!
I’ll be leaving beautiful San Jose late tonight and will be spending most of tomorrow recovering from the redeye back to the east coast. D-i-l is recovering, my son and I caught him up on The Walking Dead while I was here…got as far as Dale’s death. And Lucas is perfect, of course.
I remember when we were trying to figure out who would replace Simon. The outcome came as a complete surprise.
Deirdre
July 19th, 2012
11:02 am
Not much Idol news out there today. The season 11 tour is doing well. There is still speculation in the media. Did JLo and ST quit? Were they fired? Will Randy stick with the show?
I’m way more interested in what other changes may be afoot.
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
12:32 pm
So, Mercedes, I’m guessing the “big one” for this weekend is very noisy, and not very good – is that a correct summation? I’m not a big fan of “noisy”, but had planned to see it – hope (or hopeless) that something else good might be starting.
G
July 19th, 2012
12:46 pm
Those are some good ones, KCF. Pharrell is AWSOME!!!! Add Calvin Harris to that list too.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
July 19th, 2012
2:53 pm
Mercedes, glad I could share. I’m just thinking that if Idol wants a resurgence, they probably should find more “current” people. And I get the idea of HUGE names, but it just becomes a competition with The Voice and XF. Idol should go back to focusing more on the contestants than the judges. I know they’ve already done the early rounds, but for next years auditions, I’d bet my suggestions would attract a lot of younger talent to try out.
Sam-A, unfortunately, I missed it. I’m not sure why she’d sell her Texas ranch. Even if she is getting serious with her BF, it’s not like she can’t afford to keep it. But that’s just imo.
G, thanks! Glad you like. Maybe for next season my suggestions would bring a few less WGWGs.
Seth T
July 19th, 2012
3:28 pm
kelly&carriefan ♥ July 19th, 2012/9:29 am
Good take on using the people who put the videos, production and recording structure together for today’s hit songs – as Judges for Idol.
One * to that is that Nashville Star did that with a Nashville Studio owner, (Jeffrey Steele?) but he didn’t add a lot to the show as a personality. That entire panel, which sunk the show that year, also included Jewell and John Rich..
X-Factor’s L.A. Ried is more of a negative than a positive to that show as a TV personality, but is successful and well connected in the industry. By putting groups against individuals on that show, sometimes makeshift, it’s got a different context than Idol and was not as good as the over-all Idol production in my opinion.
Idol is limited by the boy – girl ratio at the top 12/13 needing to be balanced, or within one peg. It would be great to see them bring a diversified top 48 out of Hollywood, then use 4 shows with America’s vote to chose the top 3 from the 12 on each show, and let it roll. A lot of the writers and bloggers were getting tired of the long audition phases last season, and that may be one of the lessened phases next year.
How’s this to put together a new 4 Judge panel for Idol (The Voice -X-Factor use 4)
Charlie (The Rant) Sheen
Lindsey Lohan
Nikki Minaj
Paris Hilton
Well, it would get a lot of news coverage – —- :/.
Mercedes S.
July 19th, 2012
3:28 pm
Sam-A, if you haven’t seen
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
3:31 pm
Seth: Bite your tongue – worst sugggestions EVER for new judges – I’d have to give up Idol with that motley bunch in the judging seats! I think King Kong, Wiley Coyote, Barney and Alvin (Chipmunk) would be better than that bunch!
Mercedes S.
July 19th, 2012
3:38 pm
Grrr, computer got stuck again… Sam-A, if you haven’t seen “Beasts of the Southern Wild” yet, I heartily recommend that. Opened last week and won’t make much noise against Batman this weekend but it’s way more satisfying to watch. It’s shorter, it has a storyline you can follow (people in Louisiana are endangered when floodwaters rise), it has characters you root for, and newcomer Quvenshane Wallis (six years old when the movie was made) is the cutest leading actress you’ll see anywhere this year.
Deirdre
July 19th, 2012
3:40 pm
Ryan Seacrest received an Emmy nom but Idol did not. Only The Voice was nominated.
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
3:41 pm
K&CF: Go to Google and put in Kelly Clarkson home in TX – lots of articles re the sale with lots of pix – a really gorgeous home! And I wonder what will happen to all the homeless animals she’s sheltered there. Tried to copy some of the links – but not too successful there!
Mercedes S.
July 19th, 2012
3:42 pm
Seth, your judges would be the death knell for Idol. Who would want to watch any of those people?
Meanwhile, what on earth could have possessed Fred Willard to commit a lewd act (for which he was arrested) at a Hollywood adult theatre?
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
3:47 pm
Mercedes: It’s on the list, just hoping it will open wide – I do not like the Tara or the Midtown theaters, where most of these movies turn up.
Deirdre, Mercedes, et al: Downton received 16 nominations, and I’m thrilled to say my fave character, Mr. Bates, got a supporting actor nom! Love him! Funny, I just read an article that said this actor, Brendon Coyle, appears much younger and less “beefy” than in the show. I find him appealing and sexy no matter what. A wonderfully written character (aren’t they all in “Downton Abbey”!).
“Walking Dead” and “Falling Skies” received only a couple of tech nominations. Can’t believe “Walking..” wasn’t nominated for makeup!
Deirdre
July 19th, 2012
4:02 pm
Love Mr Bates. And Carson! Michelle Dockery was also nominated for Lady Mary and the girl who plays Anna, Mr Bates’ true love. Of course Maggie Smith and Lord Crawley were also nominated. Great series!
And one of my all time favorites, Peter Dinklage was nominated for playing Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
4:09 pm
The lord played a nerdy loser in “Notting Hill” (just watched it for the umpteenth time last week) – so much of a change! Never put the two together! And “Carson” was in “Shakespere in Love” – hilarious playing the Nurse in the production of “Romeo & Juliet” at the Curtain theater, after the Rose was closed.
Mr. Reality
July 19th, 2012
4:14 pm
I would add Al Sharpt in order to add little of excitement….
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
4:21 pm
Maybe Charles Manson is available for the gig! That’s the way the suggestions seem to be headed!
Don Hat
July 19th, 2012
4:22 pm
If Jimmy Iovine becomes the judge, will he ever take off his hat? What is up with these lesser ego guys wearing hats all the time??
Deirdre
July 19th, 2012
4:24 pm
I don’t know…I never would have thought Howard Stern would work out so well as a judge.
Deirdre
July 19th, 2012
4:25 pm
Don…it’s called male pattern balding
Mercedes S.
July 19th, 2012
4:25 pm
Looked over the Emmy noms…YES to Peter Dinklage, the heart and soul of “Thrones”, also Zoey in “Nurse Jackie” and Coach Beiste in “Glee”… and everybody honored for “American Horror Story” and “Game Change”.
In Idol news, saw Pia Toscano, looking gorgeous, give thumbs up as Idol judges to Mariah Carey, Katy Perry and Adam Lambert
Rodney Tweet
July 19th, 2012
4:26 pm
Let this thing diiiiiiiiie!! It’s now luke-warm, like “Who wants to be a Millionaire”!!
DanJ
July 19th, 2012
4:29 pm
I read a few weeks ago that Gene Simmons daughter (Chloe) tried out for X-Factor. At the time if I remember correctly no one said if she made it or not. Has anyone heard whether she made it or not? Leaks? Rumors? I watch Family Jewels from time to time and I’ve heard her sing. She’s not bad but I don’t think she’s good enough to make it to the house rounds. Just Curious!
Seth T
July 19th, 2012
4:39 pm
My Judge suggestions were just a spoof – I would like to see Kellie Pickler in the mix though, and she could probably serve for a reaonable amount, That would leave plenty of room for them to hire one of the big names or as K&CF suggested, bring-in some pro’s currently behind the scenes.
Going to 4 Judges and cutting-down the after-performance Judge chatter could be a good move – however, the Voice Judges sometimes rattle-on way too long as well, and there are 4 of them.
Sam-A
July 19th, 2012
4:50 pm
Good night all
Captain Midnight
July 19th, 2012
4:53 pm
Wonder if Randy would consider bringing his old buddy the great Steve Perry on as a judge?
Major industry cred , but wouldn’t be all “look at me” like Tyler or J-Lo
JTesla
July 19th, 2012
5:06 pm
Mercedes: “Meanwhile, what on earth could have possessed Fred Willard to commit a lewd act”
He was pulling a Pee-Wee.
Herman that is, he was pulling a Pee-Wee Herman. Wouldn’t want folks to get the wrong idea. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with tugging one off in an adult theater.
59bulldawg
July 19th, 2012
5:26 pm
For me personally, I think Randy Jackson is the glue that holds the show together. If he stays, I think Idol has a few more years in it!
Mercedes S.
July 19th, 2012
5:34 pm
Why is the Fred Willard incident news?? Wasn’t he doing what was expected of men in adult theatres?? Guess he forgot his raincoat.
Mercedes S.
July 19th, 2012
5:36 pm
While we’re on “dirty” subjects, Sam-A, and other fans of “Downton Abbey” – did you ever see the wonderful “Cold Comfort Farm?”
JTesla
July 19th, 2012
5:42 pm
Exactly Mercedes.
In other news, the Portland guy who took it all off for TSA was found not guilty of indecent exposure. I wish I had the… beard… that he has to pull off that form of protest. I wouldn’t stip down for the TSA, but I can think of a lot of other matters that deserve this form of protest.
Deirdre
July 19th, 2012
5:45 pm
He was pulling a Peewee
LOL!!!! spit water all over my ipad!!!
Eric
July 19th, 2012
6:53 pm
I believe I posted a comment on the other Idol story, prior to this. With the nominations announced today for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards… American Idol didn’t get nominated for Reality-Competition Series. Idol host Ryan Seacrest managed to pick up a Reality Series Host nomination, along with SYTYCD host Cat Deely. SYTYCD (So You Think You Can Dance) got nominated, along with The Amazing Race, The Voice, Project Runway, Top Chef, and Dancing With The Stars.
If Idol can’t get it together in season 12… Fox may be better off ending Idol, and continuing its focus on X-Factor and SYTYCD.
Nutmeg
July 19th, 2012
6:55 pm
Bret Michaels *would* be an interesting pick for a judge, but maybe I just like him because I’m diabetic.
I didn’t enjoy L.A. Reid on X-Factor, personally, but I prefer the idea of bringing in producers/songwriters/etc/ to bringing in the packaged stars, especially the Britney Spears of the world. Of course, I’m one of the few who wishes they’d bring back Kara DioGuardi.
Personally, I think judges are a bit like lighting and sound techs. When they’re good, they go mostly unnoticed. When they’re bad, it messes *everything* up. The absolute *worst* direction for Idol at this point would be to embrace hip/hop or rap, and I have this fear that they will. Nothing will kill the show faster. They need to hang on to their older audience while they try to rebuild the younger audience, and a hip/hop or rap focus will lose that audience.
I say Idol should embrace the cheese: recognize that you’re the oldest show, the least “hip” show, the show that sings a lot of old standards and keeps to old-style pop (and, I guess, country) with a smattering of R&B, jazz, rock, and folk. Be what you are.
Yo Dawg
July 19th, 2012
6:58 pm
Jumped the shark years ago. Time to put that racehorse out to pasture to stud.
Vast Wastrel
July 19th, 2012
7:09 pm
Yo, Dawg… you do realize that Happy Days continued for 6 additional seasons after Fonzie jumped the shark? That episode also had a viewership of more than 30 million as well though granted that was a different era for broadcast tv.
Sierra
July 19th, 2012
8:19 pm
The Walking Dead did get a nomination for makeup…
Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
The Walking Dead • What Lies Ahead • AMC • AMC Studios
Greg Nicotero, Special Makeup Effects Department Head (Read Interview)
Jake Garber, Special Makeup Effects Artist
Andy Schoneberg, Special Makeup Effects Artist
Kevin Wasner, Special Makeup Effects Artist
Gino Crognale, Special Makeup Effects Artist
Carey Jonse, Special Makeup Effects Artist
It’s one of my favorite shows.
Mercedes S.
July 19th, 2012
11:45 pm
Well put, Nut and Vast!
Goodnight!
Seth T
July 20th, 2012
1:22 am
I agree that Brett Michaels would be an interesting Judge, but he would be another high-priced pick and has concert and appearance schedules way into the future, from what I hear.
I also agree that while Idol needs to freshen-up and get past some of the older ways of creating a music -song-choice show —- pushing contestants into too much hip-hop and rap music would chase-away a great number of the more faithful long-time viewers.
While they always have guests like Pitbull, Black-Eyed Peas, etc., that alone should be more than enough to attract fans of those Genre’s, and that didn’t seem to improve ratings either. Usually, It’s better to hear the Idols group numbers, than many of the guest acts.
While a good song is a good song, from any decade, it is not right for all artists and some of the oldies are beaten to death on Classic Rock Radio and tiresome to hear. Michael Johns was sailing along until he got tangled-up in a song that has killed many a contestant on talent shows, Dream On.
A decade of music, be it 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, etc — gives a young artist much more room than nailing them into a highly specialized songbook from former specific rock bands or artists. “We want to see what kind of artist you would be!”, (oh, and this week we want to see if you can be a 2nd rate version of …….. – - change it up, but if you do, we won’t like it.) This is one of the main 6 reasons why Idol has to clean-house and revise some things to hopefully prevent another ratings slide next season.
Mercedes S.
July 20th, 2012
7:59 am
Hmmm, interesting, Christy Lemire, who received death threats for her negative review of “The Dark Knight Rises”, reviews the movie for ajc online (”Batman seriesends as epic letdown”, 2 stars), while the paper paper gives “TDKR” a full broadsheet page, including super positive review from Roger Moore!
Highlander
July 20th, 2012
8:02 am
Good morning! A few comments regarding the posts:
1. I like K&CF’s (and G’s) idea of having at least one music producer as a judge. (I think I mentioned it before also.) And I don’t think it should have to be someone everybody knows. After all, most of us had never heard of Simon Cowell before Idol!
2. I wouldn’t mind Jimmy Iovine on the panel if he could still be as honest as he was on the post-performance shows last season.
3. I thought Kara was at her best during her last season on Idol. It was as if she was finally coming into her own identity on the show, then got dumped. I think her problem was that by that time she had already turned a lot of people off.
4. I understand Idol may want to pull in a younger demographic but at the same time they need to keep sight on who their biggest core audience really is. And it’s not the tweens!
5. I thought the contestants on season 11 used more current music than any previous season. We didn’t have as many of the “old” songbook themes as before. That’s the feeling I had, anyway.
Sam-A
July 20th, 2012
8:16 am
Helluva note when you can’t go to a theater and watch a movie and expect to make it home afterwards! Sick! And apparently a foreigner – said “the 24 year old is in the country legally” – sure hope it’s not a “terrorist” attack. Very sad for all involved.
Mercedes S.
July 20th, 2012
8:18 am
OMG – just checked the news. That movie massaker in Colorado is insane. Crazy fanboy ticket off by negatve reviews for “TDKR”?
Sam-A
July 20th, 2012
8:26 am
Mercedes, have seen, and quite enjoyed, “Cold Comfort Farm”.
JT & Mercedes: I have always (well, since the PeeWee H incident) felt that the cops surely have more important things to do than go around to adult theaters to see who’s fooling around with themselves. Isn’t that the purpose for those types of places? Rather they be there doing themselves than out molesting kids and women!
Nutmeg, I’m one of the “Kara” people too – she’s looking better and better. But, probably would never come back after being dumped.
Mercedes S.
July 20th, 2012
8:30 am
Maybe we can start a “Bring Kara back’”campaign
Sam-A
July 20th, 2012
8:50 am
Well, some of us did send our emails requesting no more ST and JL – must have been lots of us from around the country, and that turned out pretty good.
Sam-A
July 20th, 2012
9:16 am
Now saying “Federal law enforcement officials identified the suspect as James Holmes, a 24-year-old American”. Also there was one report that a 3-month old was shot. Why a child that age, or any under 14, was at a Midnight show of a totally violent movie is beyond me. Get a babysitter folks!
Poor Colorado has had more than their share of woes. All those fires so recently, the Columbine horror awhile back, now this.
Mercedes S.
July 20th, 2012
10:02 am
That was my reaction too, Sam-A – why subject a 3 month old to almost three hours of NOISE? “TDKR” takes the prize when it comes to screaming, shooting, explosions, fisticuffs, and LOUD snapping of necks.
We seem to have moved onto another Idol page – where I’ll risk my life by letting you know my views on the movie.
Dell
July 20th, 2012
10:57 am
Why not just have professional music teachers be the judges instead of celebrities from the music field unless they are also celebrities and give them more power to make it more of a talent show than a popularity contest. Of course the thinking is that celebrities draw TV viewers to the show, but maybe the fans will appreciate this kind of new more honest talent judging format and get to like the professional judges in time anyway. Or just at least have one professional judge who would have more power than the celebrity judges.