Your New American Idol Judge...

...Ellen DeGeneres.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/ellen-degeneres-to-become-fourth-american-idol-judge/

 

Slappy started it on s&n, but I'm not sure AI deserves to be there.

I'll repeat: I love Ellen. I think this could be great. She's got the kindness of Paula without the addiction.

 

Didn't see it over there, isn't AI an AG thing?

Anyway, pretty sure she'll be a terrible judge, and the best thing to ever happen to that show.

 

I can buy this. She's entertaining, honest, popular ... I don't know how much she knows about music, but this is a great move pop-culturally.

 

I like Ellen a lot, but I don't see this working out well. Just doesn't seem like the right fit to me.

 

I don't know how she's gonna do this and her show, but I think she'll be great.

 

That's it. She's entertaining but ISN'T THIS a panel of critics of music who have musical backgrounds? Simon, Randy and Cara are all that. Ellen's a damn comedian by trade. What the hell has that got to do with evaluating musical talent? Entertaining doesn't give the process credibility. If this was one of those "let's hire a gay person" then certainly there were more qualified musicial people who are gay. If it's about ratings, I'm still not convinced. Did AI need ratings? Like it's struggling to survive? Please.

It would make far more sense for Vince McMahon to hire Ellen as a guest host on Monday night RAW than this. I think Nigel Lythgoe is still trying to apologize for his remarks to the two male dancers on "So You Think You Can Dance" by saying they would repulse much of his audience.

 

She's in the entertainment business. So I'm guessing she knows more than a little about what would work and what wouldn't in Hollywood.

American Idol, as has been proven again and again, isn't all about musical ability and nothing else. Even the judges themselves somtimes criticize people for not having a good stage presence or good personality or something else not directly related to their singing ability.

 

Come on, who really thinks AI is about musical integrity? It's about what's popular, what people will buy. Always has been.

 

So do a hell of a lot of people with musical backgrounds.

Her qualifications? She watches the show, is a fan of the show and has their contestants on her show.

Rosie O'Donnell had that for Survivor and she did nothing but piss producers off for doing her own thing during the reunion..including buying cars for all the contestants and setting a precedence for future guests...and they immediately stopped that practice with one GUEST host. Not that Ellen has Rosie's propensity for pissing people off.... but still, a move they didn't have to make with as many musicians and vocalists who want to be associated with this show.

 

You really take this show personally, huh?

 

Worked well for Chris Doughtry, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, didn't it?