”American Idol” fans have resigned themselves to not having Simon Cowell as a judge anymore. The real fear now is that everybody is abandoning ship. Ellen DeGeneres told her adoring public that she is abandoning “AI”. Now the Los Angeles Times reports that Kara DioGuardi has been given the boot. Randy Jackson may soon be joined by Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, however.
’American Idol’ has come on hard times
Fox and the producers of the show think there’s still some magic left. Deadline.com claims that Jennifer Lopez will be coming on as Kara DioGuardi’s replacement when Season 10 begins in January, but nothing has been confirmed. Interestingly, Lopez was a dancer like Paula Abdul. A return to Fox would reunite Lopez with the network that launched her dancing career on the early-1990s Wayans brothers’ sketch comedy show “In Living Color”.
Viewers were jumping ship
While “American Idol” remains America’s most-watched television program, the loss of viewers in recent seasons gave the producers pause. The Times writes that the “AI” team was close to giving Ellen DeGeneres the ax. Unlike the Kara DioGuardi situation – her contract simply went un-renewed – Ellen was given the chance to bow out gracefully. To her credit, Ellen didn’t dwell on sour grapes in her media statement- “A couple months ago, I let Fox and also the ‘American Idol’ producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me”. This mirrors what large segments of the viewing audience were thinking, as Ellen vacillated between “deer in the headlights” and saying something nice to cover up the fact that she knows very little about music.
Fox Networks Group chair Peter Rice said in a statement that “We love Ellen and understand and support her decision to bow out of ‘Idol’”.
The chemistry needed an adjustment
”Idol” Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe made no bones about how Kara DioGuardi, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson didn’t mesh well onscreen. Adding Ellen DeGeneres to the mix didn’t help matters. Lythgoe’s personal choices after the failed experiment would are Usher, Elton John and good old Paula, but that isn’t really close to happening. J. Lo and Steven Tyler have the most buzz.
Steven Tyler’s ample lips are sealed
X17 Online managed to catch up to Steven Tyler outside the Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood, so they pumped him for a scoop. Allegedly, Tyler would be made head judge, the role once played by Simon Cowell. Tyler revealed nothing. But he did not say no, either.
Los Angeles Times
latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/07/kara-dioguardi-out-of-tune-with-american-idol.html
The Washington Post
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/29/AR2010072905730.html
X17 Online
x17online.com/celebrities/steven_tyler/x17_xclusive_steven_tyler_tight_lipped_on_new_gig_as_idol_judge-07302010.php
