Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/News
NewsTV

Will 'American Idol' Have To Get All New Judges?

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez leave American Idol, while Randy Jackson contemplates whether he should leave or not.

Now that Steven Tyler is saying goodby, Jennifer Lopez has one and a half feet out the door, and Randy Jackson is mulling over terminating himself, It appears American Idol may have to bring in a complete replacement kit of judges.

Tyler announced Thursday, July 12, 2012 that he will not be returning as a judge. Instead the rocker will become the full-time lead singer of Aerosmith once again.

“I’ve decided it’s time for me to let go of my mistress ‘American Idol’ before she boils my rabbit,” Tyler added, in a reference to Adrian Lyne’s thriller, “Fatal Attraction.” “I got two fists in the air, and I’m kicking the door open with my band.”

Then, right on the heels of Tyler’s announcement, co-judge Jennifer Lopez confirmed she will be emptying her American Idol judging seat also. The singer, dancer, and actress told Idol host, Ryan Seacrest that she wants to focus on the many other things that she does.

“I honestly feel that the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do that I put kind of on hold because I love ‘Idol’ so much,” said Lopez.

Rumors have surfaced that Randy Jackson, the only original American Idol judge remaining, has considered abandoning his chair on the judge’s panel for a mentoring role backstage. There is also speculation that Fox producers are close to striking a deal with Mariah Carey to replace Randy on the next season of American Idol.

Other celebrities being considered for judging seats include Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Adam Lambert, Katy Perry, Nicky Minaj and Fergie.

American Idol has ran for 11 seasons on Fox. The original judging panel consisted of record producer Randy Jackson, pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and music mogul Simon Cowell.

The show was the highest rated show ever in the history of television, holding the top spot until seeing a slip in the past two seasons. A shakeup may be just what American Idol needs to get back on top.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top