Is Randy Jackson Making The Right Call By Leaving American Idol?

Twelve years ago, Randy Jackson was hired to work as a judge on American Idol. Over the years, he’s watched the show charge to more than thirty million viewers an episode. He’s watched the show sink to the single digits. He’s watched stars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood meet America for the first time, and, of course, he’s watched a ton of his co-workers come and go. In fact, apart from Ryan Seacrest, he’s the only piece of on-air talent from the first season still involved, but apparently, his tenure is rapidly drawing to a close.

Earlier today, the Dog announced he will resign his judgeship at the end of the current season. Over the past week or so, there have been rumors that producers might axe Jackson at the end of the year anyway, but regardless of their intentions, we know it’s now official. That being said, it’s unclear whether or not this is a good thing.

On the one hand, the show definitely seems like it’s broken. The format that has worked for so long isn’t bringing in nearly as many viewers as it once was, and there’s really not a whole lot of chemistry between any of the judges on this panel. Something needs to be done. On the other hand, however, Jackson has been a part of numerous successful panels during his run. He’s proven he’s capable of bouncing off of many different personalities, and his music knowledge is the most impressive of anyone in the history of the show.

I see why Randy decided enough was enough, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily think he’s making the right decision. What do you think? Is this the right time for Randy to leave? Let us know your thoguths by voting in the poll below…

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Mack Rawden
Editor In Chief

Mack Rawden is the Editor-In-Chief of CinemaBlend. He first started working at the publication as a writer back in 2007 and has held various jobs at the site in the time since including Managing Editor, Pop Culture Editor and Staff Writer. He now splits his time between working on CinemaBlend’s user experience, helping to plan the site’s editorial direction and writing passionate articles about niche entertainment topics he’s into. He graduated from Indiana University with a degree in English (go Hoosiers!) and has been interviewed and quoted in a variety of publications including Digiday. Enthusiastic about Clue, case-of-the-week mysteries, a great wrestling promo and cookies at Disney World. Less enthusiastic about the pricing structure of cable, loud noises and Tuesdays.