Copious Notes

Your reaction to the choice of Ellen DeGeneres as the new judge on American Idol may depend on how seriously you take American Idol judging.

It’s been hard to take the judging seriously for a long time, at least when they get to the live broadcasts.

Ellen DeGeneres. AP Photo/Matt Sayles.

Simon Cowell is there to be nasty, Paula Abdul was supposed to be sweet, and Randy, while maybe being the most substantive of the original trio, still seemed to be caught up in spinning phrases like, “those vocals were jumpin’ off, Dawg.” Huh?

New judge Kara DioGuardi took a few shots at constructive criticism this past season, but usually found herself shut down by Simon and a crowd that had little patience for it.

So, while I can see the argument that Ellen-for-Paula was trading a real recording artist for a comedian and talk show host, I cannot say I think the talent evaluation will take a substantive dive without Paula at the desk. This was not like Robert De Niro judging an acting competition or Tom Wolfe evaluating writers. Project Runway judging looks downright egg-headed next to the AI panel, which is essentially judging as entertainment.

The verdict was delivered a long time ago: Ellen is entertaining.

And she’s a music fan. When AI gets to the live rounds, it has turned the decision over to the fans anyway. So, if a fan is on the panel, and she’s entertaining, the audience wins.

If you don’t like Ellen, there’s probably no way you’ll like the decision. But debating her credentials to be a judge is taking American Idol judging too seriously.

Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell on stage at the "Idol Gives Back" fundraising special of "American Idol" in April 2008. AP Photo by Mark J. Terrill.

We caught up with Harlan County native and former American Idol competitor Phil Stacey this morning to talk about his new album, Into the Light, which is set to drop Aug. 25. Before we got into that, we had to ask him about the AI earthshaking news that dropped Tuesday about Paula Abdul leaving American Idol. That will presumably leave the show with Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson as the show’s new trio of jusges. Here’s what Phil said:

Phil Stacey. Reunion Records.

I don’t know that the audience will miss her as much after a couple of seasons, and it’s just Kara, Randy and Simon. I’m sure the audience will get adjusted to it. The ones that I feel bad for are the future contestants on American Idol.

Paula was the only one on the judge panel that knows what it’s like to put your soul into what you’re doing and have it criticized before millions of people. She judges with a tender touch. She’s always willing to say something encouraging. I appreciate that, because you can receive a hundred positive comments and feedback, and the one negative is the one that’s going to stick out. So when somebody that’s so important to the show takes the time to encourage you, it means a lot.

Not to mention the fact that as busy as her schedule was, she always took time out for the contestants. She came to visit us every week bringing gifts with little messages to encourage us and keep us going, like t-shirts that said “Shoot for the stars, and you just might become one” — far too cheesy to wear in public, but it was very nice of her. If kids were ever visiting the Idol set, she always wanted to be there to take pictures and provide gifts.

I think she’s a really special person, and I’m very sad to see her go.

Asked what viewers will miss on the panel, Stacey, who was LexGo’s Idol blogger last season said:

They’re missing a huge aspect, because now you don’t really have a performer. Kara can sing, but she hasn’t performed in front of as many people as watch American Idol for a career. She’s sang on the show, but she’s not been heard by that many people. And she’s obviously never gone through the scrutiny of trying to pursue a performing artists’ career and having doors repeatedly shut in your face, and that’s what the American Idol contestants are going through.

I think you’ll lack that aspect of it. Simon is judging what he can sell on the show. He’s the A&R guy, he’s looking for the whole, ‘What’s the bottom-line dollar figure?” Randy’s judging the raw musicality, because he’s a great musician. Paula was the artist, and the artist is gone. You have a songwriter on the panel, but the artist is gone.

We’ll have more on Stacey’s new album next week.

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen with American Idol host Ryan Seacrest on the May 19 final competition show. Frank Micelotta | FOX.

I’m going to take a quick lunch break here to join my fellow entertainment scribes out on a limb and make an American Idol prediction. It is a bit of a limb, because apparently this race is just too close to call. The website Dial Idol even says that, saying only 1.1 percent separates Kris Allen from Adam Lambert in their survey of busy signals for both contestants — a first in the site’s history.

And these are two very different cats, Lambert the flashy SoCal guy with a voice made for Broadway or glam rock and laid-back Midwesterner Kris.

One thing I hate seeing is this being boiled down to a Red State-Blue State thing, the presumption being the more conservative “red staters” will like humble Christian Kris and “blue staters” will like flamboyant Adam. It’s superficial and not fair to either contestant or Americans in general. Need we remind you of Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic Convention speech. The Red State-Blue State thing is getting old, and it’s a lazy way to think.

Anyway, a matter of musical taste does drive my prediction: Kris Allen will win.

I pick him subscribing to the logic that Danny Gokey voters will naturally gravitate toward Kris. Yes, Gokey was a bit more of a vocal acrobat in an Adam tradition. But his overall vibe tracked much closer to Allen.

And Allen has been building momentum while Lambert has had a fan base for a while. Allen just feels like something of a Mine That Bird of American Idol, coming from the outside to overtake the front-runner at the end. Using that anology, will this be a Kentucky Derby or a Preakness for Allen? Remember, my limb is in the Bluegrass State.

I’d like to see Lambert win, as I have said before. He’s an amazing artist both as a stage presence and a creative force. And in the current pop landscape, Lambert is a true individual. Allen’s growth and artistry — particularly last week’s re-imagining of Kanye West’s Heartless — have been wonderful to watch. Neither of them would be an embarassing winner, but Lambert’s overall talent is still several shades beyond the rest of this year’s competition.

In the grand scheme of things Allen may be better served with the Idol victory, where Adam may do best if he’s a bit more free to chart his own course. And really, considering the Idol will be stuck with that horrendous No Boundaries song Kara DioGuardi co-wrote, the loser may be the real winner.

• For a second opinion, check Phil Stacey’s blog.

New 'American Idol' judge Kara DioGuardi will join Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson for the show's eighth season. Photo courtesy of Fox.

Don’t miss: Former American Idol contestant Phil Stacey is blogging for LexGo.com. Also, take a look back at our video and story from the Louisville auditions, and watch Sunday for our Idol preview in the Herald-Leader and at LexGo.com.

We’ll have to wait until May to find out who the new American Idol is, and hopefully just as long to find out if the winner is a Kentuckian from the Louisville auditions. Hey, we’re already the home state of several American Idols, including Rosemary Clooney, Loretta Lynn and the Judds — they just didn’t get the formal title.

But the question that will start being answered this week is how new judge Kara DioGuardi, 38, works into the Randy-Paula-Simon mix. The Duke University alum (pre-law) already has a distinguished resume as a songwriter for many chart toppers, including Idol winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood (she says she really wants to work with Daughtry). Thursday, fresh from a recording session with Colby Caillat, she got on the phone with the press for a conference call. We didn’t get to ask her about Louisville, but she did talk a bit about how she’s working into the show and her judging approach.

On what she brings to the show that wasn’t there before:

What’s really unique about me is that I’ve worked with a lot of the singers that are out there, that are great, from Christina (Aguilera) to Pink to Celine Dion. I’ve been in the studio with them when they’ve actually recorded songs that we’ve co-written and I’ve worked very closely with them in both listening to how they interpret the songs that we’ve written and given them guidance and support. I think that distinguishes me.

There are times that definitely Paula and I, you know — I guess everyone’s seen that bikini promo, where we kind of side against the guys. They’re maybe looking at the girls or whatever, and they want to put someone through and we’re just like, forget it. So there’s a little girl power going on. And also, it’s a change. With any kind of change, it brings out a different dynamic on the panel. In the beginning, it was a little unnerving because I didn’t know where I was going to sit, I didn’t know when I was going to speak . . .

I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes in the beginning, which is really not my personality. I usually just from the get go say what I feel and do what I want, not in an abusive way, but that’s just sort of the way I am. I’m opinionated. In the beginning I was just a little bit like, “Oh my God, there are all these cameras, all these people, what’s going on here?” And Paula turned to me and said, “Um, are you going to be you?” Kind of like that and I got the message. It was back to my old ways.

The American Idol judges at Louisville's Churchill Downs in September: Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell. Photo by Michael Becker | Fox.

Her description of the other judges:

Paula has a lot of heart. Simon pretty much tells it like it is. Sometimes he can be pretty harsh, but he’s usually right, and Randy’s just, he’s the diplomat.

. . . and herself:

I think I have a combination of all of them. I do like to say it like I see it. I don’t really mince words, but I do feel I have a heart, and when you’re dealing with creative people that have some talent, you want to make sure that you encourage them. But also, if they don’t have any talent, you want to discourage them, because you don’t want them to waste their time.

So, I may say things that are negative, but I always try to do it with some heart, and some understanding of what it’s like to be on the other side of the table.

. . . I was told I wasn’t a good songwriter; I wasn’t a good singer, for years. And it was my dream and I kept going and going and going. So, if you’ve got some talent nobody can tell you that you can’t develop that into something if you work hard enough. And I don’t want some kids to have at least something going on to feel crushed and not follow their dream if they have some ability.

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