One of the many reasons American Idol as popular as it is, are the colorful personalities behind the judges’ table. The show wouldn’t be half as successful (or interesting) if the judges were dull, humorless people who contributed nothing to the entertainment already provided by the aspiring contestants. But it’s their unique selves, as well as their respective backgrounds in the music and entertainment industries, that gets them the position.
Simon Cowell: Striking Gold Twice
American Idol judges are chosen for how much entertainment value they can bring to the role. For the acerbic Simon Cowell, it was a no-brainer: he was a judge on Pop Idol, the original reality/talent show that he developed, and had already made a reputation for not biting his tongue when it came to giving out criticism. Cowell knew that he had the expertise and insight to make a star, and when his business partner Simon Fuller, developed American Idol, Fox executives specifically asked that Cowell reprise his “nastily charismatic” role.
Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson: Balance and More Balance
But his stinging barbs needed to be balanced – as much fun as it would be for viewers to watch Cowell tear into a hopeless contestant, there had to be limits. For that, Fox brought in Paula Abdul, with the express idea that her “nicey-nicey vibe” would serve as a foil to Cowell’s insistence that he be given free rein to condemn as he saw fit. Lastly, Randy Jackson was brought in as a buffer for the legitimate (and entertainingly ratings-friendly) tension between Cowell and Abdul: as a talent manager and music producer for Columbia Records, Jackson possessed Cowell’s experience in the workings of the music industry, and mirrored Abdul’s “sugary sweet” charm and quirkiness.
Ellen DeGeneres: When Lightning Doesn’t Strike Twice
The formula proved so successful for American Idol that the three judges presided over thousands of auditions for the next eight years. Even when Abdul left over a pay dispute with Fox, the network attempted to replace her role with similar personalities. Ellen DeGeneres became the new judge (after the hiring of Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge to inject some change into the show), and was met with criticism for not being part of the music industry, and for being the unecessary comic relief of the judging panel. DeGeneres’ tenure lasted just one season.
Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler: The Odd Couple
When DeGeneres, DioGuardi and Cowell all left at the end of Season 9, Fox hired Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler to provide more of the humor that Paula Abdul had brought to the role. In particular, Lopez was brought on to and fan support that Idol lost when Abdul left the show, and the collective failure to strike gold with Ellen DeGeneres. The mantle of the “nice” judge fell to Tyler, as Randy Jackson shouldered the responsibility of being the “bad” judge in the wake of Simon Cowell’s exit.
Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj: A Sign Of The Times
Despite the presentation of music auditions, American Idol has always been about entertainment. When ratings dropped beyond expectations, producers took the deliberate step of casting judges they felt would connect with younger viewers. Enter Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj to boost the show’s ratings, with Keith Urban hired to balance the two female judges. However, despite the estimated $18 million Fox payed for Carey, her bickering and catfighting with Minaj has done more to harm ratings than recharge the show in the face of younger, fresher competition from other networks.
