Fan Fare

Steven Tyler — “American Idol’s” new Paula Abdul?

Okay. So he’s no Simon Cowell. But based on his first outing on the “American Idol” judging panel,  Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler had the wackiness and unpredictability of  the much-loved, and much-missed Paula Abdul.

With Jennifer Lopez breaking her heart over saying no to some of the wannabe pop stars, it was left to Tyler, 62,  to inject much of the fun into the new line-up.

Whooping, clapping, hollering, and flirting with the contestants, the heavily made-up rocker also had the best of the jokes and one-liners — sometimes against himself.

“We are all here, because we’re not all there!” quipped Tyler — who has been in and out of rehab for addictions to everything from cocaine, to alcohol, to painkiller and sleep medication in his colorful 40-year stint with Aerosmith.

And even given producers’ obvious switch of emphasis to show more “good” contenders than laughable train wrecks,  it was Tyler who was quickest with the put-downs. “You scared everbody in the room,” he told the unfortunate Boy Scout who sang “My Way”.

“Did you eat a lot of paint chips as a child?” he asked another contestant.

Tyler’s sometimes foul language earned just a couple of bleeps on Wednesday, but looks likely to bring a sense of danger to the show when episodes go live in a few weeks time.

“American Idol” asks fans for a fix

As “American Idol”  plods its way to the 2010 finale  after a lackluster season and slipping ratings,  the TV show’s dwindling band of  fans are getting an unusual opportunity to weigh in on what’s wrong with the show, and how to fix it.

Official website www.americanidol.com has posted a detailed survey which asks fans why they are watching less often — and less enthusiastically — this year, and invites them to rate all the judges individually, as well as the entertainment value of “Idol” mentors and the show’s  celebrity guest judges.

And perhaps most surprisingly, there is even a chance for fans to say how much (if at all) they miss Paula Abdul.

The survey is being conducted by an independent agency. But it suggests that “Idol” producers, or Fox, or both are thinking seriously about what hasn’t worked this year  –  and how they can tweak it next year.

The biggest question on the minds of many fans — the replacement of Simon Cowell — is not addressed in the online survey and Fox has already said there will be no announcement on that before the two-part season finale on May 24 and 25.

“Idol” has seen an 8 percent drop in viewers this season, and audiences have slipped below 20 million recently at a time when anticipation and fan fervor has generally risen going into the finale.

You don’t have to look far in the blogosphere to hear the biggest gripes from fans.

Missing Paula, awaiting Ellen on “American Idol”

It’s been a long three weeks of  screechers,  also-rans and attention-seekers  as “American  Idol”  plows through auditions looking for a potential star.  And that’s just the celebrity judges.

With the audition rounds finally coming to a conclusion,  all eyes are now turning to the debut of Ellen DeGeneres in the first Hollywood rounds on Feb 9,  and whether she can fill the shoes of the missing Paula Abdul.

So far, most of the celebrity singers and actors called in at short notice last summer to replace the wacky and volatile  Abdul have demonstrated only how difficult it is to find the right blend of chemistry, entertainment and insight on the judging panel that has arguably been one of the show’s biggest attractions over the past eight years.

And the “performances” of  Avril Lavigne,  Posh Spice and Joe Jonas  don’t  bode well for the departure next season of Simon Cowell and his spot-on but oh so insulting quips ( Think “human orange” and “nails on a chalkboard”) .

DeGeneres has pledged that she won’t be a mean judge, but will give the average viewer’s  point-of-view, which on the face of  it seems a bit redundant since viewers have plenty of outlets for expressing what they think — most importantly by casting a vote.

She has also said that since she started working on the show she has found Cowell “even meaner” than she first thought, which could make for some interesting — and given Ellen’s comedic talents — fun dynamics when the show goes live for the first time in late February.

Ellen will doubtless bring a lot more curious viewers to “Idol” next week. The question is, can she keep them watching?

Ryan Seacrest looks for “sexual tension” from new “American Idol” judge Ellen DeGeneres

 The stars of Fox’s “American Idol” expect great things from new judge Ellen DeGeneres , but they are all saying something different about her addition to the judging panel of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, and her replacement of songstress Paula Abdul.

Host Ryan Seacrest told Fox News at the Primetime Emmy awards on Sunday that DeGeneres, a comedian with her own daytime chat show, is a “superstar.”

“She will change the sexual tension,” Seacrest said of DeGeneres, who is lesbian and last year married longtime girlfriend and actress Portia de Rossi in California, before voters in the state banned same-sex weddings during the November 2008 election.

“Simon and Paula had a specific kind of tension, but this will be quite different…” Seacrest told Fox.

DioGuardi, who only joined the show this past season, told People magazine at an Emmy after-party that “Idol” producers’ recruitment of DeGeneres was a “genius decision,” and that she wishes she had thought of it herself.

One of the most pointed comments about DeGeneres’ addition came from director Bruce Gowers, who won an Emmy for his role with “American Idol.”

“I think there will be a lot more fun on the show than there was before,” Gowers told reporters backstage.

Can Ellen fill Paula’s shoes on “American Idol”?

“American Idol” producers moved swiftly to replace Paula Abdul with comedian and TV chat show host Ellen DeGeneres  as the new judge on the show which starts again in January.

But is Ellen the right fit for the show?

Fans are split and even media watchers were stunned by the move, which serves the dual function of closing the door permanently on Paula, and making the show talked about all over again after a summer of shock announcements.

For a TV show that’s primarily about finding America’s next instant pop star — and one which is ultimately chosen by the public — there’s been a lot of hoo-hah this year about the judging panel, whether its Kara DioGuardi’s return, Simon Cowell’s future, Ryan Seacrest’s lucrative new contract or Abdul’s ultimately failed contract manoevres.

So what do you think is ultimately the most important and/or entertaining part of “Idol” — the contestants, or the chemistry on the judging panel?

And how will Ellen fit in, and will her presence on the “Idol” panel make you more or less likely to watch next year when the show has finished tossing out all the thousands of hopeless singers and gets down to the Top 20?

Paula Abdul, hard to replace on “Idol”?

The Fox TV network and the producers of “American Idol” are scrambling to find a replacement for Paula Abdul . The network has talked about British celebrity Victoria Beckham and pop star Katy Perry as guest judges. But can anyone fill in for the “Straight Up” singer and former Laker Girl on a permanent basis?

As Time magazine critic James Poniewozik told Reuters, “The reason that people sometimes make fun of Paula is the reason that people watch Paula.”

Abdul has racked up a litany of “weirdest moments,” and Fan Fare mentioned a few in a blog post here.

“She’ll be remembered mostly for her crazy talk on the judges’ panel,” Poniewozik said. “Just weird, kind of hazy and tactically un-diagrammable sentences. Sometimes she refuses to criticize singers when they clearly need it.”

And yet, Abdul has been widely viewed as an important part of the top-rated “Idol” formula for success. Simon Cowell, the alpha judge on the reality singing contest, said last month that he had “made it clear” that he wanted Abdul back on the show. Abdul and Cowell sat side-by-side on the panel, and their interactions often devolved into silly, love-hate taunts and tussles that got the audience laughing or howling.

Abdul may have been the most erratic judge on “Idol,” but critics often say she was more interesting to watch than co-panelists Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson. It remains to be seen if the “Idol” producers will even look for a permanent replacement, or if they will return to having three judges, as they always did until this season when they added DioGuardi.

The four-judge format was unpopular with many critics. As a commentator for news outlet MSNBC wrote earlier this year, “For a show already chock-full of filler, increasing the blather seems like a no-win situation.”

Abdul’s “Idol” departure leaves no one to hand out the crayons

Only “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul could break out a box of crayons, hand them to fellow panelist Simon Cowell and say, “Here you are 6-year-old. Oh, that’s an insult to 6-year-olds.” Cowell reacted by drawing on her.

Chalk up that episode from this past season to the long list of oddball moments that Abdul brought to “Idol.” With her announced departure from the program, Abdul will leave the show without its resident eccentric, a personality who has often gotten fans talking with her funny behavior.

There was the time last year that she critiqued contestant Jason Castro for two songs, when he had only sung one. She also once said, “Constructive criticism is about finding something good and positive to soften the blow to the real critique of what really went on.”

Uh, what?

She also handed out to contestants her custom-designed jewelry, and no one wore the baubles prouder than this year’s contestant Tatiana del Toro. The following are a couple more of Abdul’s “best of” moments on “Idol.”

Paula Abdul — no longer an “American Idol”?

Are “American Idol” producers really going to dump Paula Abdul after all these years?

Or is the emotional judge (or her representatives) just playing mind-games at this late stage in a bid to get a better offer for the next few years after Ryan Seacrest upped the stakes by securing a new three-year deal reputed to be worth around $15 million a year?

And with a little over two weeks to go before auditions start in front of the panel for that golden ticket to Hollywood, the official silence around the future of newcomer Kara DioGuardi has been stunning.

Paula might be the most unpredictable, some might say wacky, member of the judging panel but would the show be the same without what one fan this week called her “rainbows and colors”?

Despite his reputation as “Mr. Nasty”, fans have made clear that they would think twice about watching if Simon Cowell were to quit the show. But would they feel the same about Paula going?

Maybe “Idol” producers should allow Americans to vote and decide whether to put Paula, or Kara, in the bottom three. Who do you think would end up being sent home?

“Idol” singers have “chill” attitudes ahead of finale

They went head-to-head in the final showdown of “American Idol” on Tuesday night, but if any animosity exists between finalists Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, it was not apparent when they spoke to reporters backstage after the show.

The only moment of friction, and it was all a joke, came when Lambert, the taller contestant between the two, lowered the microphone for the shorter Allen after the two stepped onto a speakers’ podium. Allen laughed at the gesture.

Allen summed up his and Lambert’s attitudes when he was asked how he was handling the hype surrounding the finale.

“I think both of us are kind of chill guys, so we can totally deal with it,” Allen said.

The two finalists had been roommates until recently, and as a joke question a reporter asked which contestant looks better naked.

“We don’t get naked together, sorry,” Lambert said, to laughter from reporters.

Is Kris Allen really a dark horse going into “Idol” finale?

“American Idol” on Tuesday entered the last week of competition before the finale, and we at “Fan Fare” had the good fortune to land second-row seats in the talent show’s live studio audience. (For the record, this twist of fate had nothing to do with our coverage of the show — it was good old-fashioned standing in line combined with almost two years of being on a waiting list.)

Watching “Idol” in its natural habitat revealed dozens of quirks imperceptible to the 25 million or so viewers who tune in at home. First off, the studio was smaller than expected — even more intimate than watching a live show in a theater. One audience member in our row even remarked that it was smaller than her college lecture hall.

Also, the judges seemed to spend more time out of their seats than in them. Accompanied by massive bodyguards, they walked backstage at every commercial break, rushing back to their seats sometimes with two seconds to spare. Judge Paula Abdul at least spent some time greeting celebrity audience members such as Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and their mom, Kris Jenner, as well as “The Hills” star Audrina Partridge.

Many in the mostly young, female audience also appeared to be partial to one contestant — supposed dark horse Kris Allen. There were more Kris-themed homemade signs (“Krazy 4 Kris”, for instance) being waved than those for either of the other contestants. And, one young fan was overheard after the show gloating that she had waved to Allen — and that he had smiled back!

So is “Idol”‘s resident pretty boy Kris really a dark horse after all? His acoustic performance of Kanye West’s “Heartless” received universal praise from the judges, with Randy Jackson deeming it “better than the original.” His first song, “Apologize,” however, was less well-received.

But Allen rival Danny Gokey’s performances were by no means stellar, getting similar mixed reviews from the judges. They loved his version of “You Are So Beautiful” but were less enthused by his take on Terence Trent D’Arby’s “Dance Little Sister,” for which he was criticized for his dancing.

Golden child Adam Lambert, predictably, got rave reviews for both of his performances. Judge Simon Cowell, however, warned “Idol” viewers not to assume that Lambert would sail through to next week’s finale and reminded them that they needed to vote.