Jurors’ idiosyncratic inputs boost ‘AI’

GLOVER. Tops popular singing tilt.

“American Idol” is still popular enough with viewers for its producers to end up in the black as they continue producing the talent tilt even after a decade of telecasting. But, a significant number of viewers have gone on to watch other shows, including the new hit singing search, “The Voice,” making “AI’s” recently concluded edition, won by Candice Glover, a relatively underwhelming event.

Fully cognizant of the natural wear and tear that the long-running franchise has undergone, its producers have instituted novel ways to entice more viewers to watch the show’s new season next year, starting wtih a rumored across-the-board replacement of its board of judges made up of music industry icons.

In their place, “AI” may tap a younger panel of jurors made up of former finalists discovered by the singing tilt, from its buena mano winner, Kelly Clarkson, through Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, and/or Clay Aiken.

The brainstorm sounds good, because those standouts have not only become popular, but also best vivify the unique spirit of the show, since they have definitely and definitively benefited from it. That factor alone would be a major plus, since succeeding batches of young musical hopefuls would want to duplicate their success!

Whichever way the wind finally blows, we would like to credit the last batch of jurors for helping to make the recently concluded season perhaps not a top hit, but uniquely interesting in its own way all the same, due to their entertainingly idiosyncratic inputs.

The most divertingly idiosyncratic of them all was Nikki Minaj, whose fantasticating and colorful hairstyles and costumes, not to mention chameleon-like changes in complexion, made “AI” quite a show! At first, she mostly appeared to provide mere eye candy—but, as the days turned into weeks, we began looking forward to her critiques, which made her own kind of sense—but sense, nevertheless.

No more surprises

Having been with the tilt from the very start, Randy Jackson had no more surprises up his sleeve, but at least he no longer talked incessantly about the contestants being “pitchy,” or being such good singers that they could “sing the telephone book—and get away with it.”

For his part, Keith Urban was quietly insightful and didn’t hesitate to call out a sour note when he heard it.

All told, the biggest disappointment was the most popular musical icon of them all, Mariah Carey. Her comments were often too nice, guarded and safe, as though she didn’t want to hurt any young hopeful’s feelings.

That was awfully kind of her, but it made her a less than effective evaluator. Toward the end, somebody might have chided her about it, because she started to toughen up—but, the phlegmatic harm had already been done.

Jurors may come and go, but viewers continue to hope that the next batch will include celebrities who are great mentors and divertingly quotable—like a cross between a young Simon Cowell and Barbra Streisand, perhaps? —Well, we can dream, can’t we?