Will Neil Patrick Harris Make A Good American Idol Guest Judge?

Paula Abdul’s departure as judge on American Idol has left a seat open at the judges table and plenty of room for updates on the audition episodes for the upcoming season. Earlier this month it was announced that Victoria Beckham would be guest-judging on American Idol and now it seems Neil Patrick Harris is also going to be among the guest-judges next season.

E! Online’s Kristin Dos Santos posted the news, stating that a Fox rep confirmed that the How I Met Your Mother star will be sitting at the judges table during the Dallas auditions. Dos Santos questions whether the actor is qualified to judge a singing competition. I have two words for her. Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino’s a film director yet he’s probably one of the most memorable Idol guest judges in the series’ history. Why? Because he’s a fan of the show. When he guest judged during one of the earlier seasons and served as a mentor a few seasons later, it was evident that he had been watching the series and was familiar with all of the contestants. He gave the contestants his insights based on what he saw from them in previous weeks and actually made a job of what might have otherwise been just another celebrity appearance.

Harris’ job is even easier than Tarantino’s was. After all, do you really need to be a music expert to be able to tell if someone’s a good enough singer to advance to the Hollywood round? Most of us do it from our couches every January. Granted, I’m speaking as a fan of Harris’. Even if we put aside his Broadway creds and his fantastic singing in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog, he’s proven to be clever, candid and charismatic as a celebrity. I can’t wait to see what he brings to the judges table when the next season of Idol starts.