I sure hope, for my own peace of mind, that these rumors aren’t true.
24, starring Kiefer Sutherland, has been one of my favorite shows. Of all time. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t even watch TV.
Insiders at Fox are claiming that the show’s 10-year run is quickly coming to a close. According to Nielsen, the show’s ratings have consistently dropped over the past few years and the show’s executives allegedly state that it’s becoming far too expensive to produce with lagging ratings and lack of viewership.
However, whether this is true or not, 24 addicts are sure to be left with a warm and fuzzy feeling — Sutherland, who is also one of the show’s executive producers, has been in talks to implement the long-running television drama for a shot at the silver screen. Again.
24’s famed ticking-clock sound effect isn’t reserved only for this show; American Idol canned Paula this past season and now the show’s lifeblood, Simon Cowell, ticks down his last days on Idol, this year,too. Talks of Howard Stern joining the show haven’t panned out and it seems that the Fox-run American Idol is on the rocks these days more than anything else.
What’s next, cancelling House? Excuse me while I go slit my wrists, Fox.
There’s been talk that Howard Stern will be joining the panel of judges of American Idol after Simon leaves at the end of this season, but Ellen DeGeneres has spoken out saying that she wants nothing to do with the shock jock. Turns out the feeling is mutual, and Howard said as much to Entertainment Tonight at the Green Zone premiere in New York on Thursday. “Ellen has said she won’t work with me, but quite frankly, after watching her on the stupid show, I gotta tell ya, I won’t work with Ellen. She’s out if I come in,” he said.
Is Ellen leaving after only one season a possibility? As far as I see it, absolutely. It’s common for a celebrity as big as Ellen to step in to a job like that for one year and then peace out when they realize they’re not the star. Take Rosie on The View for example. I still think the combo of Howard and Ellen would be a clashing of the egos so legendary that it will truly be a tragedy if it doesn’t happen, but if the two of them did a switcheroo, I wouldn’t mind that either.
The only way these pictures of American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi could be more boring is if they were part of Sunday morning church service with your grandparents and served in a bowl of lukewarm cauliflower purée. I’m downright embarrassed for Maxim. But still not as embarrassed as I’d be if someone actually caught me reading Maxim. Ha ha, I still have my dignity, you know!
“There’s not a better job on the planet than judging that fucking karaoke contest. It might be possible, we’ll see. They’d have to pay me a ton of dough because I already make a ton of dough.”
I know Kelly expressed yesterday that she’s not a huge Stern fan, but me? I LOVE Howard and I think that him becoming a judge on American Idol would be one of the best things to happen to television ever. Remember how crazy things got over at The View when Rosie took over for Meredith Vierra? You stick Howard Stern and his ego next to Ellen and her ego and Randy Jackson and whatever entitlement issues he has from being the only original remaining judge, and you’ve got yourself an explosive combo. Oh yeah, and that other chick judge who is invisible to me. She’ll still be there too. I am totally hoping this happens.
I’m about to toss a turd into your Saturday punch bowl.
Idol producers are reportedly “eager to hire” Howard Stern to take over as resident asshole when Simon Cowell leaves American Idol after this season.
Stern’s $100 million a year contract with Sirius expires next January. As hard as it is to believe he gets paid that much to talk shit on satellite radio, it’s even harder to believe that taking the Idol post would be a step down in the salary brackets; Cowell only got paid $50 million a year.
All of this information is coming via an “inside source” who spoke to the New York Post– so take it with a grain of salt– but it doesn’t sound quite so far-fetched, does it?
OK, well it’s not a lot, but you at least can get a taste for what it will be like when Ellen DeGeneres takes over for Paula Abdul next Tuesday on American Idol. I only saw the Boston auditions from this new season so far and I really really missed Paula, but Ellen could possibly be a hilarious addition to the judges panel. I don’t think Ellen will ever be Simon levels of mean, but she won’t be Paula’s level of nice either. Are you going to be tuning in on Tuesday and what do you think the addition of Ellen will mean for the show?
There’s been a lot of talk this week about how craptacular Taylor Swift’s Grammys performance was and it got to the point where head of her label had to release a statement. Unfortunately, Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta couldn’t get his message across without taking a swipe at other artists.
“This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It’s not about that technically perfect performance.”
Mmm mmm mmm. Kelly Clarkson wasn’t going to have any of that. The original American Idol winner took to her blog to put the big wig in his place:
Wow …..Dear Scott Borchetta,
I understand defending your artist obviously because I have done the same in the past for artists I like, including Taylor, so you might see why its upsetting to read you attacking American Idol for producing simply vocalists that hit ‘the high notes’. Thank you for that ‘Captain Obvious’ sense of humor because you know what, we not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the ‘right’ notes as well.
Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable, but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better. I have been criticized left and right for having shaky performances before (and they were shaky) and what my manager or label executives say to me and the public is “I’ll kick butt next time” or “every performance isn’t going to be perfect” ……I bring this up because you should take a lesson from these people and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.
Sincerely,
One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes
Very well put and also: TRUE! How many artists throughout the years have gotten crap for a bad performance? Pretty much everyone in any artistic field is criticized for their work at some point. I love that Kelly’s calling this guy out because yes, it’s mad unprofessional to blame your artists’ problems on America’s tastes. If the girl didn’t sing right, she didn’t sing right. Also: I am really over seeing everyone throw themselves on the ground over Taylor Swift. Forget that I don’t really care for her music, when was the last time someone’s had their ass so universally kissed? The girl’s 19. Someone’s got to be mean to her at some point. She’s not a kitten, she’s a human and one in the entertainment industry at that. She will be exposed to a million more Kanyes and bad performances before her time is up, so let’s just let it run its course and stop acting like everything that happens to this girl is some horrible attempt to bully her in to a silent death.
American Idol premiered last night and for the first time in the six years (only six years? I feel like this shit has been on my whole life), the ratings failed to crack the 30 million mark. They did OK and came in with about 29.8 million, but for a premiere and with Victoria Beckham holding down the judges table with, they probably could have done better. Of course, one major drawback to the show this season is that Paula Abdul is now gone. I don’t think I appreciated what a delicious nutty flavor she added to the panel until now. I mean, sure! I knew she was “on something”, I knew that slurring words during a talent competition was totally ridiculous and only acceptable because she’s insane, but I don’t think I ever thought to myself “This is what gives this show its X-Factor.”
I’m thinking it’s a really bad thing that Paula’s gone now. American Idol, for how seriously it takes itself, always seemed to be in on a bigger joke when Paula was on the panel. It was like, “We’re only watching this televised talent competition because that chick form the 80s who acts like a junkie is hilarious.” The panel last night though? Snore. Simon’s still mean, Randy’s still meaner because he acts nice but just sits there and laughs at Simon, and those skinny dark-haired broads were BOR-ING.
Also, did this first episode seem to work all the sad angles more than ever or what? It’s as if it doesn’t even matter if you’re a good singer, you have to be an OK singer who survived cancer or has an old person in their life or has low self-esteem. I was really OK with the fact that Kelly Clarkson just had a good voice. I don’t need her to have a hysterectomy in order for me to want to hear “Walk Away” in the shower every day. Once we’re voting for these people based on all the different variables– do we “like” them?, are they attractive?, does their story make us sad?, are they OK at singing?– the competition completely falls apart.
What did you think about the show last night? Any hopes for anyone who has made it so far to make it to the next round?
Oh, P.S. If you’re anything like my friend Chuck, you might want to get pumped up for the next round of auditions by doing something like this:
I love this show. Like, I love this show in the same way that the fabled fat kid loves cake. Maybe even more.
Reps announce that Simon is jumping ship on the kind-of-sinking American Idol and will judge and also be an executive producer for a related show, The X Factor. Which, like Idol, will also air on Fox.
I don’t know, man. First that crazy Paula gets dropped and we think that the show can’t withstand the rigors of judging talent without a nutty, drugged-out former dancer to keep us entertained and now this? What are you doing, Fox? Are you singlehandedly trying to ruin my life?
The Tiger Woods scandal has gotten pretty out of hand (I know! I know! I am a part of the problem! This is the last mention of Tiger today unless something completely amazing breaks), and lots of people out there are questioning their spouses faith in light of the news that even the most seemingly boring dude in the world was caught having fourteen mistresses. Last night former American Idol contestant Kris Allen told TMZ that his wife Katy has been “all over him” ever since she read up on Tiger.
I barely even trust my own dog, so I can imagine that this story is being brought up a lot between couples out there. TMZ is calling it “Tiger Woods Syndrome” and I think for once, they are pretty accurate. It’s not as if we didn’t know before that people cheated on each other, but now we’re all reminded that even “the nice guy” could be banging chicks from reality shows condomless behind their wife’s back. Kind of scary, right?
