Yes

by DC Aries

Created on: May 06, 2011

The hit reality show competition known as American Idol  is currently In its tenth season. There aren’t many shows that can say they’ve survived that long and part of the reason it’s lasted so long is due to the all-star cast of judges. This year, however, the dynamic changed a bit. For seven seasons, American Idol consisted of the original three, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and the unforgettable Simon Cowell, who helped create the original concept in the UK. Season 8 added Kara Dioguardi and then in season 9 Paula left the show. Ellen Degenerous became part of the panel only to get done a year later, along with Dioguardi. Now, with many changes over the past few years, it looks like the show has acquired a pretty stable panel of judges for the tenth season.

Randy Jackson is the only original judge left on the show. This year he has been joined by singer Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fame. It’s certainly been an interesting season thus far. These are three very different personalities and there has been controversy as to whether they have improved the show or caused it to crash and burn.

Jennifer Lopez is a very emotional judge. She is able to connect with the contestants and rarely goes a week without crying. In the beginning, it was unknown if she would even be able to continue with the show because it seemed so overwhelming. She did continue and brings some great things to the show. She is like former judge Paula Abdul in some ways, but a bit less over-the-top. She is encouraging and there for the contestants when the completion gets rough.

Steven Tyler was a great addition to the cast. He is funny, outrageous and familiar. He has allowed the show to gain more fans because of his own fanbase. He is the lead singer of Aerosmith and knows what it takes to make a great performer. He is also a rock singer, something the show has never had before. He is more sentimental than some might expect, but he treats the contestants with respect while maintaining his rock edge.

Nobody can forget Randy “the dawg” Jackson. Jackson has remained on the show for ten years. This season, he has taken on the leadership role. He knows the ropes and the new judges have the opportunity to learn from him. In addition, he knows the record business and knows who has the potential to become a star. He has also taken on the role of Simon Cowell in many ways. He is more honest than the other judges and gives the contestants constructive criticism when they need it.

Even with the very interesting dynamic, there are those who are not happy with the current judges. The do show favoritism and have even gone so far as to become angry at the viewers for voting certain contestants out. At times it also seems as if some contestants can do no wrong and others never get it right. There are many viewers who disagree with the critiques. Another common complaint is that they don’t give enough criticism. Sometimes when it comes to Steven it seems everything is “just beautiful.” In the past few weeks, however, they have become more critical. It’s getting to the point in the competition where they really have to.

Despite the complaints from viewers, there are many things these judges do right. The chose a very talented top 24. It made it very hard for viewers to judge. The format was a bit difficult this season with half the contestants all leaving at once, but that wasn’t the judges choice. They chose a nearly perfect top 24 and all the contestants were amazing vocalists and performers. The contestants lucky enough to make it to the top 12 were heavily praised by the judges and many of them deserved the praise. These are also three personalities that really seem to click. They all bring something very different to the show and serve as resources for the aspiring singers.

At the end of the day, Jennifer, Randy and Steven work very well together to make the show a continuing hit. Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul were originals and are greatly missed by veteran fans. But these three have worked to improve ratings, pick talented contestants and gain a wider audience. Most importantly, they are entertaining to watch. American Idol is a TV show. Even though it is a reality show, it is still meant to entertain viewers. What makes American Idol so great is the fact that it does more than that. It makes dreams come true as well and all three of these judges have become a part of that priceless dream.

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