Anyone who is a fan of the “American Idol” knows that there had been a major shake-up in the recent past. Judge Paula Abdul’s contract didn’t get renewed, Simon Cowell quit after nine seasons, Kara DioGuardi was fired. Paula's replacement, Ellen DeGeneres, bowed out after one season because she couldn’t handle the heat of snuffing out the young hopefuls’ fire.
When I heard that Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez were sitting on the judges panel, I had mixed emotons. I learned to love Simon despite his rather acerbic and brutal style. I did notice that he kind of mellowed in Season 9 and I thought that it's because he got engaged. After the announcement of his exit, that’s when it dawned on me that he probably wanted to leave with a less harsh impression. Or that telling someone, "You sounded like a singer in a cocktail lounge" (or words to that effect), had simply gotten too old.
It didn’t strike me that either J. Lo or the Aerosmith legend, Steven, would measure up to either Simon’s or Paula's legacy. Then AI’s Season 10 came and every Wednesday and Thursday evening, I can’t help but sit in wonderment as the two new judges do their thing. The typical Simon "You made an utter mess" comment has been missing in action, but it will most likely be stashed away in AI history as one of the unforgettable quotes. Instead I see snippets of the judges’ Yes-or-No predicaments: the smile radiating on J. Lo’s face (means a YES), Steven’s closed-eyed reaction to a song or his impromptu singing with the applicant (also means a YES), Randy’s typical open-mouthed wonder (means a definite NO). Young hopefuls get straight-from-the-heart reviews and prompt no-nonsense decisions. This season’s judges may have allowed their hearts to rule their mouths (or maybe they’re just plain polite?) because they don’t want to squash anyone’s lifelong dream. Just the same, time isn’t wasted on you-may-love-to sing-but-singing-doesn’t-love-you kind of applicants. In the beginning, J. Lo seemed to have a painfully tough time turning down the hopefuls, but she soon got the hang of it. What she can’t obviously tolerate is any sign of rudeness displayed by her fellow judges to the young ones. Steven’s constructive criticism might have let down some, but looking at his face was always a joy. He has one that no one will love to hate. Even Randy has toned down his “pitchy” criticisms. He looks the most likeable now (at least, to me) than any other AI season. The AI producers must have gotten the formula right because the judges panel is a wholesome bunch. What a lovely transformation!
All three judges combined have a total of 97 years of experience in show business. Obviously, they know their craft and I can't wait to see who they'll crown as the next American Idol.
It didn’t strike me that either J. Lo or the Aerosmith legend, Steven, would measure up to either Simon’s or Paula's legacy. Then AI’s Season 10 came and every Wednesday and Thursday evening, I can’t help but sit in wonderment as the two new judges do their thing. The typical Simon "You made an utter mess" comment has been missing in action, but it will most likely be stashed away in AI history as one of the unforgettable quotes. Instead I see snippets of the judges’ Yes-or-No predicaments: the smile radiating on J. Lo’s face (means a YES), Steven’s closed-eyed reaction to a song or his impromptu singing with the applicant (also means a YES), Randy’s typical open-mouthed wonder (means a definite NO). Young hopefuls get straight-from-the-heart reviews and prompt no-nonsense decisions. This season’s judges may have allowed their hearts to rule their mouths (or maybe they’re just plain polite?) because they don’t want to squash anyone’s lifelong dream. Just the same, time isn’t wasted on you-may-love-to sing-but-singing-doesn’t-love-you kind of applicants. In the beginning, J. Lo seemed to have a painfully tough time turning down the hopefuls, but she soon got the hang of it. What she can’t obviously tolerate is any sign of rudeness displayed by her fellow judges to the young ones. Steven’s constructive criticism might have let down some, but looking at his face was always a joy. He has one that no one will love to hate. Even Randy has toned down his “pitchy” criticisms. He looks the most likeable now (at least, to me) than any other AI season. The AI producers must have gotten the formula right because the judges panel is a wholesome bunch. What a lovely transformation!
All three judges combined have a total of 97 years of experience in show business. Obviously, they know their craft and I can't wait to see who they'll crown as the next American Idol.
