Celebrities as Judges on 'Idol': Good or Bad Idea?

By Rob Shuter Posted Sep 16th 2010 03:00PM

Jennifer Lopez might have 12 million good rea$ons to celebrate signing on to replace Simon Cowell (or is she replacing Kara? Or Ellen?) on 'American Idol,' I'm hearing from friends and insiders that think it's a baaaad idea.

"Why would you want to pay someone who hasn't been able to sell that many records to replace Simon," a friend of the tough Brit tells me. "You would think after the Ellen mistake 'Idol''s producers would have learned their lesson and instead look for someone unknown in the industry rather than a celebrity."

It does seem odd that 'Idol' is putting its future success in the hands of a celebrity that America has semi-rejected over the past few years. However, after relatively unknown industry judge, Kara, proved to be a disaster it seems there is no proven strategy that is guaranteed to return the show to the powerhouse it once was.

"The producers looked for the quick easy fix," one TV executive tells me. "Throwing money at a celebrity is the easy answer. It's also the lazy way to solve a problem."

The problem with the hire-a-celebrity strategy is that you're creating a situation where the people behind the judge's table are more interesting to watch than the actual contestants. That happened in reverse with Simon, who was pretty unknown before the show but almost instantly became the best part of it.

"How is some sweet unknown waitress from Ohio with a great voice waiting to become the next American Idol going to compete with the publicity machine of J.Lo?" my TV exec asks. "She's not. The only way the show will work again is when they stop focusing on the judges and focus again on the contestants."

I hope you're listening 'American Idol.'

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Tags: American Idol, jennifer lopez

Comments

(21)

Thursday 16 September

By JRWOLFE

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Correction : Kara was NOT a disaster on American Idol,Ellen WAS.
As for Jennifer Lopez,I'll wait and see.

By bristar3004

Actually, Ellen's personality was way better than Kara's which made her more likable. Kara's only contribution is that she was a semi-decent songwriter.

By Candy

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By Apostate

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I've a better query,PopEater staff: Why insult our collective intelligence by posing this question at all?

By LadyGayeah

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By icdou007

12 million to do that job, Idol should be punished. With people out of work and the economy so bad and she gets 12 million. For What!!!!!!!!!!! I won't watch just for that. Unreal!

By vegas10s

Trade-off: Simon = Arrogance, ego-centric, pompus
Steven Tyler = Just plain ugly! (I'll probably turn my

By Wendy

Idol must want to be canceled. It's a shame they didn't hire Shania Twain instead of Lopez.

By Modjo

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

heheh Jlo is a goddess in everything ... she will fire the AI .. god bless u JLO i wasnt a fan of idol but now and due to the queen surely i will watch it :)

By Lee

i doesn`t matter who the judges are, i gave up watching
the show when Chris Daughtry should have one hands down.

By rlnyny

Won't be watching idol......X Factor rules now.

By Onald Sprouse

J LO is not worth 12 m. It really doesn't matter who the judges
are because the show is on the way out. Simon was the show. Most any time the main person leaves a show it sinks. Save your
12 m and give it to our starving people who really needs help to
survive.

By Cecelia LaRock

Message to AI. Why not hire a talent agent, who knows the business, can give good criticism on how to improve their talent, don't care how the audience perceives them, and give the potential new judge a decent offer (not an obscenely amount)to join the show? Who cares if they are a known name? I just want to see the show's attention go back to the contestant, where it rightfully belongs.I want to see the improvements and the confidence builds of the singers as the show progresses.

By lknprksldr2001

I say American Idol should just throw the towel in & be done....it worked in the beginning & for the next couple years but they need to know when it's done, it's done....I used to watch it & enjoyed it...then i just watched it for the awful singers in the auditions & now i dont watch it at all cuz its ALL been done...Need something new, 10 seasons of the same stuff over & over gets boring!

Friday 17 September

By SiastaEg

Give me 1 million and I'll do it. Give the 11 million to people who NEED it. J Lo is a joke, greedy conceited untalented loser. Wonder how many Gucci bags she will buy with that.

By Dj Neg

What a waste of money while people are starving and nowhere to live.

By Jo Ellen

The "Ellen disaster"? Ellen was not a disaster last season. I actually tuned in because of Ellen last year.

By MAGOOS

Why not save a bundle, AI, and use some of your successes from the past, the ones who have not made it to the very top? Ego trippers like Lopez have very little to offer but a huge bill for their self inflated worth. Former contestants who made the grade know the deal, have an eye and an ear to current events. Keep Randy Jackson because along with Simon, he had the pulse. Each season could have a newly selected panel and cost a lot less. Their opinions would mean more and they would be familiar with viewers. People are fed up with prima donnas!

Saturday 18 September

By dataneh

Nice Posting..
It would be great if you could check it out, I really need some feedback on it. Thanks!!

Wednesday 22 September

By Harry1

Getting celebrities isn't the problem, but Ellen had absolutely NO qualifications in the MUSIC industry which was part of the problem. Get legends instead; John Fogerty, Dolly Parton, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Snoop, Barry Gibb, Britney, or JOSH GROBAN who even PLAYED a judge on the first Season finale of Glee...people who have sold EPIC amounts of albums and have been in the industry long enough to know the ins and outs of how it works and what makes a great artist. Not some washed up hasbeen like J.Lo. or a celeb who has never done ANYTHING in the industry except help discover Justin Beiber like Ellen. Or, hearkening back to Glee, they could have a different Glee cast member be a guest judge each week

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