The bizarre "You only get two of us" judging policy employed on Tuesday’s American Idol performance show was a shot in the same dark, tangly abyss from which Randy seems to select his nonsensical word salads. Hearing from only Randy/Kara or Paula/Simon after each song was pretty offensive and made the judges seem more useless than usual. Looks like that experiment is now over and all four will address each singer next week, but Tuesday’s disaster really drove home a point that’s been evident all season: This "four judges" thing really isn’t working out.
We initially suspected that Kara DioGuardi would end up replacing Paula, but at this point it might be better to just let extra-mild-salsa Kara go. She’s clearly the Veronica Sawyer in a sea of Heathers — the way Simon blatantly mocked her facial quirks to Paula at the other end of the lunch table Tuesday night, he may as well have just asked Kara out loud, "Did you eat a brain tumor for breakfast?" Should Idol drop Kara before she (Heathers spolier alert!) pours Drano into their Coca-Cola cups? Or do you agree with Michael Slezak that the "fourth wheel on the busted shopping cart that is Idol’s judging panel" is Randy Jackson instead? Let us know in the comments; meanwhile…it’s time to resurrect the sacred Lunchtime Poll!
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Comments (1-15) of 257 Add your comment
Kara is the only coherent one there, except Simon. Paula is either high or drunk, and Randy is being Randy (Dog!).
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/04/17/ratings-report-southland-stays-steadyparks-and-harper-fall/
Randy is the one who gives the most useless critiques, but the whole Kara thing doesn’t work either. I liked her at first, but now she just seems like the girl who tries to shoehorn herself into every situation that’s none of her business. Her critiques are close to meaning less than nothing now that the “soulless corporate shill” side of her personality has taken over everything else.
As loopy as Paula can get, please American Idol producers, don’t let her slip through your fingers. Pay her what she wants.
Get rid of Randy. He’s useless.
I totally agree with Orville. I actually like Kara (though she does tend to go on and on and needs to learn to make more succinct comments, but at least her comments are valid). Randy goes on and on about who knows what. He’s like the new Paula, without the loopyness. Meanwhile, Paula’s actually made the most sense this year. Who knew!?
you know dog..for me, it’s just not working. she went out there, she did her thing, she worked it out, and i’m just not feeling it. for me though! For you…maybe something different. but for me, it’s not for me.
My suggestion is to get rid of Kara AND Randy and have a different guest judge join Paula and Simon each week. These judges should be real judges, not celebrity suck-ups who are pushing their latest CD or whatever. Get some music producers like Rick Rubin, etc. Make sure they are aware that they’ll be expected to critique, not just compliment.
i think people are having such a negative reaction to her because she’s actually the most articulate judge on that damn panel. you have simon’s snide, one-word remarks that aren’t REMOTELY constructive, paula’s ramblings, and don’t even get me started on randy.
i think she’s great.
I like Kara. She’s getting a raw deal in EW. Keep Kara, drop Randy.
She is much better then both Randy and Paula. They need her.
Randy has proven himself to be useless this season. It seems to me that he can’t give a critique of a performance if he doesn’t know the song already. He must compare you to the original. It’s kind of sad considering he is the “musician” on the panel.
Although I’m not that impressed with Kara, I think that given a few notes on how to improve, she could be good. She’s definitely the most articulate and thoughtful of the judges, despite the fact that she sometimes says annoying things and doesn’t offer as real a perspective as you might have imagined. But, really, it’s Randy who should go, if anyone. His critiques are completely irrelavant…you never understand what he’s saying, or trying to say, and the few times he manages to get some kind of critique out, it’s the same old thing. He seems like a nice guy, but he’s definitely the weak point, not Kara.
I like the idea of shaking up the judging panel, we don’t need the same three year in and year out. You just have to have one who is critical, crass but usually correct… one who will say all positive and glowing things… and one who uses catch phrases. How hard could that be? WHAT!?!
The four judges thing isn’t working – that is obvious, but if getting rid of BOTH Randy and Kara isn’t possible, I would rather keep Kara – at least she does offer constructive criticism from time to time – Randy Jackson says absolutely nothing of value. The only time he offers any type of critique is when he follows Simon, and then he just echoes Simon’s statements.
Get rid of Kara… talks too much and is very annoying
I maintain that a revolution would occur if the judges simply switched seats. Work with me: From left to right (our left, not theirs) would be Paula, Kara, Simon, and Randy.