Beginning of the end of ‘American Idol’?

By Leslie Gray Streeter Now starting its ninth season of music, dreams and entertainment at the expense of deluded wannabe superstars, American Idol has proved to have more lives than a kennel of bionic cats, despite (hopeful?) predictions of its demise. But being bionic doesn’t mean you can’t pop a sprocket now and then, and the new season of Fox’s pop culture juggernaut, kicking off Tuesday, just might betray a couple of loose springs. First off, few shows don’t start getting old after nine seasons. Then there’s the loss of original judge Paula “I Love Your Special Specialness” Abdul and her replacement with non-musical comedian Ellen DeGeneres, which is either a brilliant idea or the show’s official running leap over the proverbial shark. Add those rumors that co-producer and arguable voice of sanity Simon Cowell is abandoning the judge’s table after this year, and we’re left to wonder whether this truly is the beginning of the end. Then again, what makes American Idol both delicious and painful to watch is that each season rests on the strength and weakness of the talent, and how the judges and audience react to that talent. Of course, the wisdom of the outcomes is subjective (Yes, Adam Lambert fans. We know you still think his loss was a conspiracy involving Kris Allen, the phone company and the state of Arkansas). But because of the rotating cast of singers, mentors and new Randy Jackson-created assaults to the English language, we never quite know what’s gonna happen, even when we’re sure we do (Again, sorry, Adam Lambert fans). Here are just a few of the scheduled highlights for Season 9 so far, and how I think they might shape up: AUDITIONS, JAN. 12- FEB. 2: These episodes, set in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, Dallas, Los Angeles and Denver, are among the most popular every season. That’s mostly because of those who have no interest in following the show but who are quite interested in mocking costumed fame whores, irate singers trying to out-curse the bleep, and a few sad people with possible mental or emotional problems which the show features to humiliate them. I am not one of those people: I refer to those episodes collectively as “American Idol: Escape To Clown Town,” because while I’m interested in seeing the singers that the show thinks are going to be front-runners, I hate the foolishness. I plan to, whenever possible, fast forward the clowns and just focus on … THE GUEST JUDGES: You might remember that the auditions for this season started between Paula Abdul’s departure and the announcement about Ellen, and since American Idol and stupid people dressed like chickens wait for no judge, the show offered up a series of celebrities to hold down the fourth spot. I’m excited about Mary J. Blige, Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris, three singers with talent and personality who might actually say something besides “Well, wasn’t that nice?” Shania Twain and Joe Jonas are toss-ups (Nick’s the one with the writing chops), Victoria Beckham is a great interview and a horrible singer, and Katy Perry makes my teeth itch. HOLLYWOOD WEEK: Here’s where we’ll see Ellen

DeGeneres’ debut as a judge and figure out how that experiment’s going to play … out. These episodes are drama, even without the new judge: The singers who got the go-ahead during the initial rounds are asked to form a group with other competitors which usually contain at least one control freaky diva, one frustrated peacemaker and somebody who just stands in the back and waits for the crazy people to cancel each other out. But it’s also the point where talent starts to rise. Remember how the producers were all excited about those blowhard Brittenum twins, while it was eventual almost-winner (and my favorite contestant ever) Elliott Yamin, who’d gotten no air time up till then, who stood out? If the producers and editors can stop themselves from ignoring obvious talent in favor of cringey freak shows like last season’s Bikini Girl and Tatiana Del Toro, we might get closer to the true contenders. Especially because … THERE’S NO WILD CARD ROUND THIS YEAR: And I’m thrilled about it. Ostensibly, it’s a tool for bringing back singers that one or two judges championed and really think deserved another chance. But all too often, it becomes a chance for the show to shove ratings-grabbing time sucks in our faces (like Tatiana Del Toro). Way to look desperate, Show. We know you want us to notice you. We’re here. You don’t have to try so hard. THE SLOOOOOW PARADE OF THE SEMIFINALISTS, FEB. 23-MARCH 11: Boy, they love stretching this out, don’t they? The Top 24 singers, split into groups of 12 by gender, show us what they’ve got, or what they wish they had, or what the producers thought they had back in Boston or Los Angeles and are trying to shove down our throats before we notice it tastes of sadness and desperation. I hate the auditions, but I love the semifinals, because even with all of the manipulation and show-biz fakery, we’re getting to see these singers, with the full production, sing for a chance at stardom, and you get these “Wow! Where’s he been for the last month?” moments. Four singers are eliminated each week, until we get our Top 10 finalists on March 11. That is, unless somebody does something illegal and has to be replaced. Because y’all know that’s happened. It’s all a lead-up to … THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF TOP 10 PERFORMANCES: And this is where the fun begins. You already know who the judge’s special pets are (like last year’s Danny Gokey pushing), but you still might not have discovered somebody who was solid but just laying back, biding his or her time, like Kris Allen. We might also see Ellen hitting her stride as a judge, and figure out whether Kara DioGuardi, who started strong but was such a disappointment last year, was worth it. Even if this turns out to be the beginning of the end, it should at least be fun to watch. I hope. ‘American Idol’: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Fox Here is the original post:  Beginning of the end of ‘American Idol’?

Here is the original post: 
Beginning of the end of ‘American Idol’?