Way back in July rumors circulated that Adam Lambert was in the running to become an American Idol judge. At that time Lambert claimed that it was “a beautiful rumor”. Shortly after that statement Lambert was approached by American Idol and Lambert claimed to be in contention for a judges seat. Lambert is no longer in the mix since the formal announcement from FOX was made today. Now Adam Lambert’s fans know that for two months American Idol was toying with their emotions.
Rumor was that if Enrique Iglesias was out Adam Lambert was in, as if Adam Lambert was second choice. Now Randy Jackson is taking that seat. The panel is now Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj, Randy Jackson and Mariah Carey. This is a very poor combination of judges. I do not think Season 12 of American Idol will be successful without Adam Lambert’s intelligence, wit, charm and his loyal fans.
My take on American Idol is that they are teetering on the edge of obscurity. Long have they held the position of being the #1 show on television but they fear that their days are numbered. After all, as a farmer, I have goats; I see them positioning themselves to be king of the hill every day. Just like American Idol, the smartest, strongest and most determined will win. It was a crucial decision for American Idol. Nigel Lythgoe has been signed as a producer for Season 12, but is he the decision maker? Lythgoe is the one who is curt with Lambert’s fans. The two seasons while Lythgoe was away the show lost direction. The two most unpopular winners won. We do not need to replay the mistakes the producers made those seasons or revisit the Arkansas voting fiasco. This year it is Lythgoe who has made a big mistake.
Lythgoe is a very intelligent man but he does not understand the viewers. Adam Lambert’s fans on Twitter bombarded Lythgoe in July with support for Lambert as a judge. Lythgoe’s response was dismissive of the desires of a large segment of viewers.
Nigel Lythgoe @dizzyfeet
“I am not impressed by Adam’s fans cluttering my ‘personal’ twitter site with their request for Adam to be a judge on #IDOL. It doesn’t help.”
Really! Is anyone’s twitter account “personal”? Adam Lambert and American Idol share a large portion of the American Idol demographic as fans. Lambert was one of the most popular contestants ever and would have won with limited voting. Lythgoe can get other judges to bring in new fans, but he needed Adam Lambert to retain the old ones. It is impossible to completely change the demographic of a 12 year-old show.
Everyone wants the teen viewers, but American Idol is not going to get them in the numbers they desire. Minaj will not accomplish that because she represents hip-hop culture and her vibe does not fit the show. American Idol will lose ratings because Minaj will alienate the long-term viewers. Even Justin Bieber or Katy Perry cannot bring in teens, no matter how many millions American Idol offered to pay them. It is not going to happen.
Ratings will never match the past heights because all broadcast television ratings are down. Lythgoe may think that other artist will bring in their fans or that other artist are more successful at this point in time and therefore more relevant, but the mistake is that the most loyal fans, the ones that watch year after year, love Adam Lambert. American Idol will lose them in droves and in my opinion the show is doomed. The waiting went from exciting to annoying and Adam Lambert’s fans are not pleased. There will be Glambert backlash!
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