Who got voted off American Idol 2011 Season 10

Will American Idol Survive Without Simon Cowell?

The future of American Idol hangs in the balance.  Simon Cowell, the patriarch…nay, the linchpin in the Idol machine, is leaving after this season.  Despite the scads of criticism he’s earned over the 9 seasons of American Idol, can the show survive without him?

In order to answer this question, we’re just going to have to wait.  However, there are several things that make us wonder about the future of the show.

If you remember, it used to be that you could pretty much count on Simon’s feedback being taken to heart by the American voters.  If Simon said he thought someone’s journey was over, odds are it was.  This season, in particular, has been different than that.  Simon has given plenty of negative feedback that hasn’t quite gotten through to the voters.  A good example?  Tim Urban.  Simon doesn’t think he belongs on the show any longer, yet there he is, grinning his head off week after week.

But then, there was Simon’s helpful criticism of Siobhan (”It was almost like you were giving birth up there at the end”) and sure enough, she got voted off.  Maybe America is listening after all?

Whether you love or hate Simon’s scathing comments and acerbic wit, it is an undeniable fact that when it comes to the music industry, he really does know what he’s talking about.  Because of his father’s connections in the music industry, Simon started a job with EMI when he was about 16 years old.  Of course, that job was in the mail room, but Simon’s next job was that of an assistant to an executive in the Artists and Repertoire division of EMI.  That’s the department tha scouts out new talent – sort of (and by sort of we mean EXACTLY) what American Idol is all about.  So, Simon is way qualified for this job.

Experience, Gentle Readers, does not always a successful TV show make.  Is it Simon’s career in the musical industry that has made American Idol so successful?  Or is it the brains behind the Idol franchise that deserves the credit?  Surely Simon Fuller, creator of Britain’s Pop Idol and the subsequent hit show American Idol, Fuller certainly came up with a winning television formula.  OUR Simon, Simon Cowell, was simply the qualified judge on Pop Idol, and it was Cowell’s good looks, lack of tact, and overall star quality that led him to a judges seat on American Idol in 2002.  So, Fuller came up with the formula, Cowell had the smarmy British thing going on, Randy had tons of experience in the industry and a cool vibe, and Paula Abdul was wacky, lovable, and a former pop sensation.  Talk about the stars being aligned.  The show has been a hit since inception.

Now, however, in Season 9, we’ve seen the ratings drop.  We all witnessed auditions where it was clear that not enough talent was trying out, considering who made it through Hollywood Week (Lacey, hello?), and at this point in the season, as we’re down to our last 4 contestants, we’re left with that sort of “Meh” feeling.  I mean, we all have our favorites, and we want to see our favorites win, but it all lacks the luster of previous years.  I feel bad for the contestants this season, because the experience simply can’t be as thrilling or exciting as contestants in previous years has experienced.

Fuller is certainly not infallible – the formula doesn’t always work.  He created “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2005, and while the show continues to have an audience (new season premieres May 27, but in a slightly different format), it was never as successful as Cowell’s “America’s Got Talent.”  So, head to head executive producer-style, it’s Fuller: 1 (for American Idol) and Cowell:  1 (for America’s Got Talent).  Judge and personality-wise, Cowell is ahead since Fuller’s never been a judge.  Fuller still gets credit for the format, which every contest reality show borrows heavily from, but Cowell is still ahead in likability (strangely enough) and good old-fashioned star power.

So, the question remains – after Simon Cowell departs his final season on American Idol, will the show survive?  Maybe Ellen DeGeneres has enough charisma and star power to carry the show, and Randy’s expertise and experience will become more prominent.  It’s been pretty obvious to us viewers this season that Kara DioGuardi has been trying to offer more constructive music and music industry-based feedback, but it’s been hard to pay attention what with the fact that it seems that her wardrobe person borrowed all of Kara’s clothes this season from the set of Xanadu.  Enough with the metallic togs and chunky collars, already!  But seriously, she’s been a lot more tolerable this season than last season.  The original formula had only three judges, so maybe they will stick with our three remaining judges and Simon will toddle on over to the US version of The X Factor and everything will be all hunky-dory.

Or, maybe…just maybe, Fuller will realize that he needs a stiff upper lip in the mix, and will decide to host the show himself.  Or maybe he’ll decide it is all in the accent and get a British person – stiff upper lip or no – to be the fourth judge. Or maybe he’ll realize that having a fourth judge takes lots of time from the contestants and that’s why Idol has been enraging so many people who count on their DVR for Glee! and get really, really, really mad when Idol’s gone over and Glee gets cut off right before the end…in the middle of Kristen Chenoweth’s solo.

Will American Idol survive after Simon Cowell’s departure?  Really, when it comes down to it, it’s up to you.  You the fans, you the fabulous blog-readers, you who still care.  You, who still vote.  I’m talking to you, Jacob.  And all of the rest of you who continue to feel the magic of opportunity this show provides.  You are capable of keeping it alive.  And if THAT doesn’t work, you can always watch The X Factor…

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