Many like myself, avid fans of the show from the beginning, worried that the tenth season of Fox's "American Idol" would be not only the worst but the last. With Simon Cowell, Ellen Degeneres, and Cara Diaguardi all departing from the judging platform and the announced replacements of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez (both idols in their own right but not quite the right fit for this role), there was little hope. Then, once the first shows start to air, it was clear things were really, really amiss. The new judges couldn't seem to find their groove. Randy Jackson was left to be the good guy, bad guy, and voice of reason all too often. The strategy seemed to be, "Tell the people these singers are the best ever, and it will turn out true." After weeks of torment watching the group dwindle down to seven, the show has failed to meet any of the lofty expectations. Without Simon Cowell, there is no basis in reality for most of the judge's commentary. Randy Jackson seems like he would like to say something but clams up after Steven spews positive participles and Jennifer Lopez squeal with adoration about how much she loves a contestant. Of the seven that remain and on the tails of massive allegations of sexism rampant in the voting, are there any that remain with the true start potential to be an idol? Of course, "American Idol" has produced some odd winners that have had mostly has been careers: Taylor Hicks and Fantasia Barino come to mind. Jordin Sparks fits to a degree, though her career has been somewhat revived by teeny-bopper channels.
The time has come to end this long ride or restore it to its original splendor. Restoration can only come with hard-nosed judges way back in the beginning culling real and qualified talent. It's time to either stop trying to rig the make up so it starts even with the number of people of each gender, or separate it by gender sending home the lowest of each gender each week from a pool that was twice as big in the beginning. It might also be time to consider borrowing a bit from "Dancing with the Stars" and having the judges each rate each performance and using those ratings combined with the national votes to determine who leaves.
Please leave your comments on what you think should and could be done to turn around this losing yet beloved television franchise.