Will American Idol Work Without Simon Cowell?
The rumors have been going around for a few weeks: Simon Cowell will leave American Idol at the end of 2010. And they come from a pretty reliable source, his big brother, Tony Cowell. But what I am most curious about is what will happen then. With no sweet Paula Abdul and no cruel-to-the-core Cowell, should the show go on? Can Ellen DeGeneres, Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson really carry the show? Rolling Stone is reporting that even after the current contract is up in 2011, Fox will extend the run by three or more seasons. So they must have some kind of data to support the power of the remaining trio of judges, which is a good thing. America could use another Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Kris Allen or David Cook.
But the vicious circle of questioning keeps going round in my head: If the judge's-table drama is no longer there, will viewers tune out? And if viewer's tune out, will America really be able to find its next American Idol? Since season one in 2002, American Idol was an instant sensation. According to Nielsen, it is the No. 1 TV show and has been for five years. The next season premieres on Jan. 12.
It should be noted, too, that host Ryan Seacrest is a major draw. While he's not there to judge anyone, his boy-next-doorness is a big part of the show's charm. So if he stays, and DeGeneres is as funny as I think she'll be, I will have every confidence in the show's future for years to come.
Photo credit: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
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Michelle R. says:
I don’t watch American Idol unless there is a contestant that I really like. I watched the season with Carrie Underwood, and I was so glad she won. As far as the judges go next season after Simon is gone, I guess you will have to wait and see. The best thing about Simon was that he was honest. He didnt want to let just anyone go through. He only said yes to people who he actually thought had a shot at going all the way. It almost seemed like sometimes the other judges would let someone through because they felt bad.
amy says:
idol is dead to me without paula. enough said.
No PAULA no IDOL says:
I LOST INTREST IN THIS STUPID SHOW AUGUST 5. THATS WHEN PAULA QUIT. I WOULD RATHER WATCH PAINT DRY THAN TUNE IN TO THIS SHOW EVER AGAIN
Robin says:
Paula they can live without. Simon is the show. The winners post Carrie Underwood have not been that successful anyway. While people like the show, I think the music market in general is oversaturated anyway. I think right now and for the next 5 years, it will be really hard to be a break out new artist that has any staying power.
Thanks God for country music and it’s actual relevance.
Kate says:
While some people including some contestants dislike Simon for his often brutal honesty his critique is the only one the audience and the contestants wait for with baited breath and listen to.. what Simon says carrys more weight than all the comments of all the other judges put together.
Kate says:
To date the only superstar success story has been Carrie Underwood, next is Kelly Clarkson and then Chris Daughtry..the others have achieved some level of success and employability in the entertainment business,,
Robin says:
Kate - I would say that Pickler (while not in the stratosphere in sales), has proved with really good sales that she will be around country music for many years.
Kate says:
Robin
Exactly. I count Pickler among those that have achieved some level of success and employability in the entertainment business.
Nicki says:
He’s leaving cos hes taking the X factor to the states!… I love Carrie and Kellie and Kelly too… but what about JHud!!, shes awesome!! =] xx
elaine says:
No, and I hope it means the end of this show, it has done more harm to music as whole than anything. I hate the show and only watch it about five times in the second season, haven’t watched NOT one episode since. I hate the show.
OldGoat34 says:
I think the show will die without Simon like all the other reality shows they must keep their main star and that is Simon.what is hard to take is the Choices the audiences make at times ?Lady GaGa?Katy Perry,Amy Winehouse,Britney Spears and yes our own Taylor.Stars that couldn’t get to go to Hollywood if it was up to the AI Judges panel In a real Singing Contest.I’ll never understand this anomaly.
countryiscool says:
When Simon is gone, I’m gone. He IS American Idol. Love Carrie & Kellie P, Bucky too. I don’t think Taylor would have made it on AI though, unless for her songwriting.
Filbert says:
Is that anything like anomaly majors and the six million dollar idol?
merlefan49 says:
Proud to say I’ve never watched it.
barb b says:
the best idol to come out of
AI is CARRIE UNDERWOOD enough
said
CracklinRosie says:
NO SIMON = NO IDOL. Fox is only kidding themselves if they think the show can go on without him. It would be like an airplane without an engine; it would crash and burn upon takeoff. The absence of Paula and the unwelcome addition of Ellen would only make the situation far worse. But no matter who else is at the judges’ table, American Idol is all about Simon, and if you take him out of it, you sap the show of its life blood.
JP says:
What Idol did for me was make me Carrie Fan, and then Carrie made me a Country Music Fan!!!
Simon said it all…about Carrie being the most successful Idol. He does know good vocals when he hears it!!
Who’s in that photo with Simon….Marilyn Monroe?
countryiscool says:
I’m looking forward to Ellen being on the show, better than sappy, loopy Paula.
barb b says:
ts would have made it through the
first round she better thank her
lucky stars she did not audition
bks says:
swift would have not got thru the first 5 seconds of am.
katy says:
i think the best artist than AI made is DAVID COOK!
Robin says:
JP - It’s Pickler in the picture with Simon.
Robin says:
elaine - What terribleness has Idol done for music as a whole? Make people more atune to the fact that most singers that are famous can’t sing? Idol has brought actual singers who can carry a tune into the game. Good for it.
Idol has put out several great artists. Carrie Underwood, David Cook, Chris Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Kellie Pickler, and Jennifer Hudson. Like the rest of the music business, the others fell away, but not everyone is going to make it in the long run.
Lori says:
Simon said “no” to David Cook and Chris Daughtry. Simon obviously doesn’t know what America really wants and likes. I say Buh-bye Simon. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Kate says:
Robin
Couldn’t agree more with your sentiments.
TS Posters:
As for TS, she would have been one of the contestants AI spotlights at the beginning for their incredible inability to sing.
Peacock Queen says:
Kate,
I agree with you completely!
Carol says:
Idol will suffer greatly without Simon, but it will continue. I think the early weeks with all the bad auditions will be unbearable to watch and the ratings won’t be good. Without Simon Cowell at the judges table, it just won’t be interesting to watch talentless people make fools of themselves anymore. But maybe then the producers will stop putting them through.
Clarkson, Underwood, Daughtry, Cook, Pickler, Hudson et al. are all good singers but they are totally at the mercy of their management, who routinely force their artists to use subpar songwriters to guarantee them “hits”. They’ve really not done anything to advance music. They’ve actually unwittingly taken it backwards toward a time like the 50s and early 60s, before the Beatles, when singers had to take songs from songwriters and couldn’t rely on their own songwriting skills. This is no fault of theirs. Songwriters royalties and publishing make up the majority of recordings earnings, and 19 wants the biggest slice of the pie they can get. 19 Entertainment will never let any of these people be the creative artists they really are and RCA/Sony controls the industry so crappy radio pop songs are here to stay.
Carrie rarely writes songs and she’s got better writers for country than the others do for pop. The one time they let Kelly have her way and release her own album her way, they did very little to promote her album. David Cook and David Archuleta got 2 singles promoted only. So, none of them can win.
I have loved watching Idol but I’m getting tired of the manipulative Idol marketing machine. Most of the music recorded by the better singers is not representative of who or what they really are musically. It’s just one big corporate manipulation. And it’s mostly boring.
You can really fall in love with the artists when they are singing the best songs ever written on Idol. Then when it’s over, they are singing pure, unadulterated crap.
Kara DioGuardi sucks.
Julia says:
TS wouldn’t have made it to Hollywood!
Julia says:
Lori: Simon said yes to David Cook after his second audition during Hollywood week. It’s true he’s not always right immediately. Proving Simon wrong is half the fun of the show.
Robin says:
Carol - you say -
“Clarkson, Underwood, Daughtry, Cook, Pickler, Hudson et al. are all good singers but they are totally at the mercy of their management, who routinely force their artists to use subpar songwriters to guarantee them “hits”. They’ve really not done anything to advance music……”
I totally disagree with this entire paragraph. Clarkson’s third album may have been a problem for her, but she still writes her stuff and album #2 (which she wrote most of) did incredibly well. Daughtry and Cook are incredible writers and are not “pop” so they aren’t as active on the “pop” charts.
You say: “Carrie rarely writes songs and she’s got better writers for country than the others do for pop.”
Actually Carrie wrote most of her new album and the songs are stronger than ever. She was not a writer prior to Idol and has learned the art as she as grown artistically. She co-wrote one of the songs on her first album and probably added very little two it other than general lines of thought. Her second album was a much better effort in songs and most of her singles were her own co-writes. The best songs on the current album were all co-written by her.
But, to each their own.
becca says:
Carol, the difference b/t carrie and a lot of the other idols tho is that she is working her butt off to develop her songwriting skills
Kate says:
Peacock Queen
Hi! Hope you had a great Christmas and I hope your New Year is everything you want it to be.
Happy New Year Everyone..enjoy and be safe!
Veeta says:
Again the BITTER Carrie Underwood fans bring up Taylor Swift in a topic that has nothing to do with her. How insecure can you get? Haha.
barb b says:
you know veeta ts does not belong
in this article she was not an
american idol she would have never
made it past SIMON that is why she
did not audition her marketing team
knew better!!!!!!she would have looked
like a fool!!!
Veeta says:
I KNOW Taylor doesn’t belong in this article, she didn’t get into the industry through some stupid talent show.
My point is…if Taylor doesn’t belong in this article, why did you guys bring her up first? See what I mean about insecurity…you are showing it right now.
Peacock Queen says:
I believe the producers of Idol should have kept Paula. They need to keep Simon if they want to have a show. I have nothing personal against Kara D., but I don’t know why they added a fourth judge last season. Paula is quirky but loveable and she added a “nice guy” persona to the show, which was in harsh contrast to Simon’s pull-no-punches and be brutally honest approach. I believe that combination is one of the main reasons Idol has been the number one show on television for several years. It’s a mistake to change that, in my opinion. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, so to speak. But we will have to wait and see. I will continue to watch and give the new judges a chance to entertain me, but they had better put through some really great contestants, because after all, Idol is a show about finding someone the majority of the people want as an artist.
barb b says:
veeta you are starting to sound a lot
like flower american idol is not a
stupid show they are trying to give
some one a chance they sure did; some
good singers came out of AI i can name
one THE QUEEN OF COUNTRY MISS CARRIE
UNDERWOOD she is the best singer in
country music
wanda says:
talent shows have been around for along time believe so have i but today the contestants have more opportunities than in the past ronnie dunn actually won a talent contest so what does that make him veeta
barb b says:
I cant wait for AI the best show on tv
for your information SIMON is not going
any where he will be back
barb b says:
MY favorite show is coming soon
cant wait for AI
barb b says:
to all carrie fans our CARRIE just
won people choice awards awesome