However you sort the blame for Idol‘s falling ratings, there’s no question the final five singers who appear tonight (Fox, 8 ET/PT) are drawing the show’s smallest crowds since the second season. And surely the quality of the show they’re putting on has to be part of the reason.
Judging by these looks, it can be tough for contestants to decipher the comments from Ellen DeGeneres, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Simon Cowell. Getty Images for Fox
There’s not much that can be done to salvage this season, but Idol is still crucial to Fox’s ratings future and an important part of viewers’ entertainment mix. So here are a few suggestions to set it right:
• Prod the producers. Do these people have no learning curve at all? Nine seasons in, and they still haven’t learned how to finish a live broadcast on time — or, even worse, how to pace it so the last contestant isn’t subjected to judging that amounts to little more than a grunt or a grin. And they wonder why the show has never won the Emmy.
How hard can this be? A fifth-grader can tell you that if you allow the host and the judges to babble on incessantly at the start, you’re going to run out of time at the end and cheat the fourth and fifth contestants. For heaven’s sake, use some of those massive American Idol profits to buy a stopwatch and teach someone how to use it.
Adam Lambert, that showman from a season past, knew how to be a true entertainer and connect with audiences. This season's contestants don't seem to have that audience connection. - Courtesy of FOX
• Find better contestants. There is talent among tonight’s five finalists, though none of them is as yet an “artist,” despite the show’s seeming determination to degrade that term into meaninglessness. But none of them is an entertainer in the way that, love or hate him, Adam Lambert clearly was. They seem to have no idea that winning — and even more, having a career — requires not just pleasing the judges but connecting through the camera to the audience.
Perhaps the show can’t find entertainers in the audition process. But it certainly could do a better job of grooming them.
• Give Ellen a job. You’d think providing the contestants with an entertainer’s perspective would be the perfect role for Ellen DeGeneres, who could be using her comments to help these novices become polished performers. Yet it’s less clear now than it was at the start what purpose she thinks she’s serving, other than to smile and tell them they’re great. Even if that job weren’t better left to their loved ones, singers in the top 5 should no longer need DeGeneres to boost their self-esteem. Let’s hope that frees her up to say something of use and interest for a change.
Adam was (and is) exceptional in Idol’s history, both here and in the UK, where I remember the very first Pop Idol being aired. His years of stage experience, in tandem with a natural talent, good looks, sense of style and super voice are a package hard to replicate.
I think we’ll have to set our sights lower from now on and see Idol more as a training ground, and opportunity to polish and refine new talent rather than as a shop window for those who already have polish and experience but require some promotion.
Real, natural entertainers and showmen, like Adam, come along infrequently – only a few in each generation.
You’re right about the timing of the show – seems very amateurish to run over, it’s not like a sports event where nothing can be pre-planned.
More time allocated to listening to the contestants sing, rather than investigating their backgrounds would be an improvement too.
I agree that Adam was a complete entertainer, but also thought David Cook and Taylor Hicks connected with the audience in the same way.
I agree about most of the points made here, as well as at USAToday.com. And I think the major problems all intertwine with each other, which makes it even more complicated to fix.
1. The Judges & Host have such big egos… they think they are the ones people tune in to see. Therefore they ramble on with their critiques, stage fake fights (Ryan & Simon!), make long-winded “jokes”, etc. I would love to see each judge be responsible for a certain aspect of the overall performance. (Ellen = stage presence, Kara = voice, Randy = recordability and Simon = marketablity) And if the producers were able to reign them and the cocky Ryan in, maybe they’d be able to finish on time.
2. Finding Talent is more focused on Finding Entertainment (good & bad). I’ve heard stories about great singers not being seen by the judges in audition rounds just because they don’t have a background story the show can promote, but we get plenty of no-talent wannabes that get seen by the judges just to make the laughable clips. And when it gets down to the Top 24, it’s more about filling set roles that the producer/judges want to have each season, instead of picking the absolute best talent. And even if you don’t believe that, the judges give these contestants such conflicting criticism each week that it breaks some of the best down, whether they admit it or not. (See Siobhan)
3. I think they should adopted the DWTS scoring system, in which judges AND America’s votes are pooled, it will lessen some very frustrating runs of less-than great contestants.
Here’s how they can get ratings:
1) INCREASE THE AGE LIMIT TO 30 YEARS OLD.
2) Fire Kara
3) Make the result show only 30 minutes
4) SHOW THE VOTING NUMBERS. There’s no way Siobhan got the lowest. Also, let JUDGES CHOOSE WHO IN THE BOTTOM 2 will go home, regardless of the voting outcome.
Another suggestion — let the contestants sing full-length version of songs! The studio tracks from this season have been, in many cases, far superior to the live performances, and I think it’s partially because the songs aren’t chopped up. It allows the song to build naturally rather than having harsh and abrupt transitions. I find Idol an incredible bore with all the “amusing” banter and guest artist filler. Just let the contestants sing, and when it comes to results’ night, get it over with quickly.
My other suggestion is perhaps the most important one: one phone, one vote. Or at minimum, one phone, one vote per contestant (that would allow someone to support two or three favorites). The emphasis on power voting and texting is ridiculous, and totally skews the results. The person who only has time to place one vote should have as much say in the results as the person who has time to place 1000 votes. I think lots of viewers don’t bother voting anymore, because they feel their vote will have no impact.
Adam Lambert will always rule Idol…there will never be another…period.
Ellen is also very lucky to have a sweet and beautiful girlfriend like Portia De Rossi .’