It is common misconception that Karaoke is Japanese for tone deaf. I loathe Karaoke slightly more than I dislike American Idol. Watching regular people try and sing like some of our favorite artists is torture. And, the auditions are hardly entertainment and more like nails on a chalkboard.
Simon Cowell (now gone) was your stereotypical, crass, and uber critical judge. You only ever expected him to spit on contestants. He was half the reason I was turned off; but he's gone now and the show does not seem to have much of a future.
After crazy Paula left her spot was filled by the funny but not qualified Ellen. Yes, she dances very well to music but she does not make music herself. Ellen announced via Twitter yesterday that she is not returning. Apparently, she too realized she is unqualified for the judges table.
Word on the web today is Kara is out too. Do we care? However, we may care that Jennifer Lopez may come on board. Although, she may be more qualified to judge a fly girl contest rather than a pseudo singing contest.
As for Randy, you might as well put a tape recorder on the desk that loops the phrase Dawg over and over. He only ever adds a tinge of benign criticism.
Now the delicate balance of judges hangs in the hands of the TV Gods only know and a lot of names are being thrown around. Former producer Nigel Lithgow, now on So You Think You Can Dance, was asked to return, and he said if it were up to him he would fire all the judges.
Perhaps, that would give the show a much needed. However, I think the show has continued beyond its' shelf life. Yes, it has been incredibly successful, which is more to say than actual winners. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are the only real winners with wings. There comes a time when everyone must move on. It's not like they are going to leave poor little Ryan Seacrest with nothing to do.
There are so many other reality shows that have taken off since the birth of this original that its not like we will be starving for entertainment. I highly recommend SYTYCD.
Bottom line: American Idol is a snooze. Its a lame semi-talent contest which boast regular people with compelling, underdog, stories and reasonable singing voices. The winners barely win except for maybe scoring a broadway appearance or a one-time record deal. The show wastes hours of people's time per week (in some cases upwards of four) and is really less than entertaining. The suspense of elimination is enough to cause a mild panic attack and the voting system may just cause arthritis after repetitive dialing and texting.
It's time to call it quits.
