DeGeneres: License to Judge
Ellen DeGeneres joins American Idol for her first season as a judge.
March 9, 2010
Ramey Parks
Paula Abdul is done complimenting the good American singers and Simon Cowell will be done criticizing the worst of American singers, for 2010 will be his final year. How is the well-known show going to fill in the spaces on the panel that is watched by over 30 million viewers? Bring in the unique and hilarious Ellen DeGeneres, of course.
DeGeneres announced in September that she would be joining the panel of judges for American Idol. She joined Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi on the panel after the audition phases in seven different major cities in the country. After some brilliant auditions as well as some brutal ones, DeGeneres came bearing jokes. On February 9, DeGeneres took her spot in between Simon and Kara, where many feel like she belongs. The first thing she said to Cowell on the show was, “So, this is how it is going to be. As soon as I come on, you leave.” She lightened up the room and atmosphere for the whole first day of Hollywood week.
Many wondered what the outgoing comedian could bring to the show besides laughs, but the executive producer of the show, Simon Fuller, sees her as a major benefit. “Her love of music and understanding of the American public will bring a unique human touch to our judging panel,” Fuller says in an interview with Fox. That’s what the producer thinks, but what does Presentation think?
Ellen truly does know the taste of the American public. Her daily show, Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show, entertains in over three million viewers per episode. “She is so funny and watching her show makes my day. The best part about her is her stage presence, and that is what she teaches the contestants,” junior Jessica Hewitt says. Just two weeks ago, Ellen DeGeneres related the shy but passionate contestant Alex Lambert to an “unripe banana”. As the crowd cheered and agreed, the comedy carried onto next week, when Lambert came out looking fantastic and on key. After he hit the last note, Ellen quickly commented, “It’s like someone took the unripe banana and put it in a paper bag…so that it ripens faster. I don’t know how you did that so quickly!” She even had Randy laughing. She finished that commentary saying, “Keep rocking the mullet.”
Known for her bright smile and ability to make anyone laugh, we consider DeGeneres the perfect judge to fill the space of Abdul, a major sweetheart. “The best part is that she is able to critique and get a joke off at the same time. I really like her funny attitude,” junior Aryanna Harandi said. This is true for when a contestant is off key, DeGeneres spots it and calls it out. Being a viewer of the show from her living room couch as well as viewing the show live, the new judge told a well-liked contestant two weeks ago during the top 24 round that he was “majorly pitchy.” After that show, DeGeneres told her audience from her show Ellen the following: “It’s interesting to hear the contestants sing live versus watching them at home. I didn’t realize until I went home and watched it on TV that they sound totally different. The mix is different in the studio than what the viewers hear.”
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