Those ubiquitous characters from American Idol make headlines again after it was announced that Simon Cowell had signed a lucrative deal to continue his stint as one of the few judges on the show that actually gives some kind of relevant input, aside from sometimes tired analogies. The news report also mentioned that Kara DioGuardi is back and so is Randy Jackson based on the deal he signed which still has him under contract. As for Paula Abdul…well practically the whole world knows about her since her decision not to continue was plastered all over the headlines quite prominently.
Despite the outcries saying that American Idol will no longer be worth watching due to her absence, I’ve always felt that Paula Abdul’s presence on the show was largely useless. Sure she had a successful pop music career during the late 80s to early 90s but at the end of the day, her talents still lie with her skills as an accomplished dancer and choreographer. Very rarely did she ever give any useful input aside from making contestants feel better just before receiving a tongue lashing from Simon Cowell. The truth is the music business is rough and despite Mr. Cowell’s blunt remarks, he’s usually right and tells it like some music exec probably would to a budding pop star seeking their shot at fame.
Assuming that whoever ends up replacing Paula Abdul is actually someone who can sing themselves or has their own proven musical credentials to back it up, American Idol will likely be taken at least a little more seriously as a singing and popularity competition. But now that they’re using people like Victoria Beckham and guest judge Katy Perry(!) as judges, it makes me wonder if the people behind the scenes of American Idol are just trying to stay relevant and get people to tune in next season since those oh so pivotal ratings dropped earlier this year and Ms. Abdul is no more. Perhaps it may be time to drop the singing competition charade and accept American Idol as the show where the hijinks and choice of hair and attire prove better water cooler fodder than who sang what and how well.
