American Idol Season 9 starts in January, But Is Ellen Degeneres Fit to Judge It
Posted: Tuesday, December 01, 2009
by Steven Rogers
It's almost that time again. American Idol starts again in January! I have to admit that even though it is still a month away, I am already getting excited. I always get ridiculed and teased for this but I adore this show. I have since the beginning. Call me a nerd or geek but with the exception of the super bowl the season premier is the biggest night on TV for me. I have watched every season. I always get attached to one or two of the contestants, and I try every year to pick the winner during the audition process. Some people only watch the beginning because inevitably there are those outrageous people who have absolutely no talent but always think they are the next big thing. Personally, I watch for the talented ones. As a musician, nothing makes me happier than hearing a great singer. The amount of dedication and practice that it takes to achieve that level of expertise is something I think only someone who has those same hopes and dreams can truly appreciate.
The judges are what I want to talk about. When the show started there was Simon Cowell a long time music producer and radio executive, Paula Abdul a pop star with numerous hits, and Randy Jackson an accomplished bass guitar player who has Recorded, toured and performed with stars such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, *NSYNC, Madonna, Elton John. Then last year they brought in a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi. Kara's songwriting career has been an impressive one. Her music has been recorded by singers including Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Faith Hill, and Carrie Underwood. Her hit songs include Ashlee Simpson's "Pieces of Me," Enrique Iglesias's "Escape," and Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man." No one can question her abilities in the music business.
This coming season it has been announced that Ellen Degeneres will replace Paula as the fourth judge. Does she have the ability to Judge a music competition. She is a wonderful comedian. She certainly knows the pressure of being in front of a live camera but what does she know of music? As far as I can tellnothing. Most of her experience is in dance. FOX says she will bring a "human touch" to the panel but I see this as a marketing ploy to deal with falling ratings. I hope she will benefit the show but I don't see how she will add anything to it. Ellen is, I think, is a poor choice for the show. These kids want the advice of experts in the art of music, not someone to make a joke when their career is on the line.
Steven is a self proclaimed right wing Christian extremist. He is a former Marine and currently work in the laboratory of a cancer research and treatment facility. He is the father of three and is referred to as genius by his wife (mostly as a sarcastic term of endearment!)
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Wow! This is the first I've heard the Ellen was going to replace Paula! Don't know how that is going to work, since Paula and Simon had a certain chemistry. So is Kara going to still be a judge? She was at least helpful!
So far as I know Kara is staying so it's not gonna be a total loss. Thanks for reading
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