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Is It Time For A New American Idol Judge?
By Kelly West: 2008-04-30 18:01:54
Welcome to Paulagate 2008! It seems all anyone (well, anyone who watches Idol, anyway) can talk about is Paula’s mess-up during last night’s live broadcast of American Idol. In case you missed it, here’s the recap (if you saw the episode, you can jump to the part below the video): Now that the show is down the final five, each contestant was able to perform two songs last night. The judges weren’t supposed to give their opinions until each contestant sung both of their songs. During a spur-of-the-moment segment midway through the episode after each Idol had sung one of their songs, the judges were asked to give brief opinions on the first set. This looked like a bit of time-filler to keep the episode on schedule. Randy ran down the line of contestants and gave his opinions. When it was Paula’s turn, she started with Jason (who sang first) and told him what she thought of his first song. Then she commented on the second song he sang. Only Jason hadn’t sung the second song yet. None of the contestants did. Paula went on for a bit about how the second song didn’t have his “usual charm.” You could hear people laughing in the audience and at one point, Ryan looks to his right. Eventually Randy told Paula to just comment on the first song. She then realized the second songs hadn’t been performed and after saying that she thought everyone sang twice, quickly tried to explain that she must’ve been reading her comments for the singer that came after Jason, which was David Cook. Strangely enough though, when she commented on Cook’s performance, she said he did well. Here’s the video: Today, the internet’s been abuzz with fans discussing the mistake. The theories and speculation vary. In addition to the usual comments questioning Paula’s sobriety, people have suggested that Paula’s notes were written before the episode and could be based on what she saw during the dress rehearsal. Conspiracy theories about the judges (and producers) pre-determining which contestants they’re going to support and which ones they’re going to plan in an effort to push certain Idols further (and get certain Idols eliminated) are also pretty plentiful. Now I’m not sure it goes that far but if the notes were based on the dress rehearsal, that’s an issue. Seeing as the viewers are voting based on the performance shown during the episode, it seems only fair that the judges base their opinions on that performance alone. And if it’s an issue of them not being able to hear the contestants properly over the shrieking fangirls, then perhaps the producers need to give the judges a better set-up (earphones?). That aside, Abdul’s blunder had me laughing and cringing at the same time. And yes, it really does call to question her ability to judge fairly. Putting aside the conspiracy theories and speculation – let’s say for arguments sake that she was telling the truth and that she was really reading her notes for David Cook’s performance, at the very least, Paula should’ve been paying enough attention to realize that the contestants had only sung one song at that point in the show. Poor Jason had to perform moments after Paula critiqued him poorly on the song he hadn’t even sung yet. Yes, I know its live TV and it’s probably hectic sitting at that table amidst a loud audience but still. One other thing I’ve seen pop up in the various internet conversations on this subject today is people suggesting that perhaps it’s time for someone to step in and take over as the token “nice judge” in the trio. Personally, I don’t think this one screw-up on Paula’s part warrants the producers firing her but at the same time, Abdul’s displayed this kind of scatter-brained behavior in the past. Oftentimes I’m not even sure what she’s talking about when she’s explaining her opinions to the contestants and I know I’m not alone there. Plus, there has been news that Fox might be looking to change things around with the show to keep it fresh. Maybe it’s time for them to consider a new judge. So, what say you readers? Is the mistake a big enough deal to question the integrity of the show? Or was it just a mistake and people need to get over it? Do you think it might be time for someone else to take over for Paula? Or is she irreplaceable as a judge? She has been around since the series first aired and many believe her kindness is necessary to balance out Simon’s blunt honesty. Then again, there are plenty of other kind people out there with strong history in the music industry that could do the job just as well. Vote in the poll below! And if you do think Paula needs to go, leave a comment below posting your suggestions for who you think would make a good replacement.
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