Author Topic: American Idol Season 8  (Read 118892 times)

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Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #50 on: December 18, 2008, 07:49:22 PM »
An interesting article:

Simon Cowell On Paula, Kara, & The Fun of Season Eight

Simon Cowell spoke with the media about what we can expect from the fast-approaching season eight and, as expected, the acerbic judge didn't hold back when expressing his thoughts.  As for the return of the Wild Card, Simon is all for it.  Much like Ken Warwick, who talked to the media the other day as well, Simon thinks it will detract from the boredom that can set in from seeing the same faces throughout the whole season.  As he put it, "This way this is a bit more jeopardy and hopefully a bit more fun in the middle stages."

One thing that won't change, however, is the way he dishes out his criticism, despite some of the media scrutiny surrounding his sometimes harsh words.  Although he admitted to the fact that he has taken a closer look at his own style of judging, Simon has decided that most people who come on the show should understand the nature of it after seven seasons.  In fact, he prides himself on the fact that the show can actually help a less talented singer to realize that singing might not be his or her career of choice.  Simon addressed the rather cordial relationship he's had with some of the people who have returned, year after year:  "...you assume that everyone who enters American Idol kind of knows the score, that if you’re not great, you’re going to get some criticism.  A lot of people have had criticism in the past, but they come back year after year after year and always seem quite happy to meet us afterwards.  We’ve known some of these contestants for seven or eight years now."

As far as the addition of Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge goes, he admits to some hesitation at first adhering to the old "If it ain't broke" notion, but he was torn because of the success of four judges on the UK version.  When asked about Ken Warwick's revelation that there are times when Kara and Paula actually gang up on him, Simon said it definitely proved to be a tough situation for him.  He goes on to say that they both have strong personalities, but the consolation is that he has Randy on his side.  He wasn't ashamed to admit, however, that he is absolutely thrilled with the fact that he is the deciding factor in a tie situation.

Simon was also asked about Paula's recent comments in the media that Simon tries to distract her by whispering in her ear during the show, and Simon didn't even try to deny it!  He blatantly said, "I’ve done it from day one.  I mean, that’s part of the relationship I’ve had with Paula.  I’ve looked upon it, by the way, in a fun way.  I mean, it was never done with any maliciousness."  He went on to say that Paula has never asked him to stop, or he would.  He also said that he does the same thing to all the judges he's worked with on all of the shows.

As for the controversial statement that a guy will win this year, Simon was quick to say that his speculation wasn't about one male in particular.  Instead, he based it on the fact that he saw a lot of stellar guys perform during Hollywood Week.  But, as always, he points out that he could be wrong, as a Kelly Clarkson can always sneak up on you and "anything can happen."  On the whole, he calls them an "interesting bunch," and he likes the fact that they stand up to him more than anyone from other seasons.

The biggest query that American Idol fans have had for years is what the future holds for the show.  Simon said that he thinks it still has quite a bit of life left in it--even 10 to 20 years!  While he, himself, said that it could prove to be too challenging for him to stay on beyond season ten, he doesn't think this would hinder AI's success.  As he stated, "It could still continue without me.  I’ve always believed that.  This show is successful all over the world and I’m only on American Idol."  The key to its success so far, according to Simon?  He said that FOX has been smart by not being greedy.  Had the network put it on twice a year, he believes it "would have killed the process."

Link: http://www.americanidol.com/news/view/?pid=1504

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #51 on: December 18, 2008, 08:03:29 PM »
An interesting article:

American Idol debut set for January

Walt Disney World announced Dec. 18 it will debut its American Idol attraction next month at its Hollywood Studios theme park.

Disney announced plans to create the attraction in February, saying at the time that it would open late this year. The attraction is based on the Fox Television show of the same name.

Those attending the attraction will be put through a version of an American Idol audition. Winners of an end-of-the-day grand finale show receive an invitation to a future audition for the TV show.

Link: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2008/12/15/daily47.html?ana=from_rss


Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #52 on: December 18, 2008, 08:15:30 PM »
An interesting article:

Simon Cowell's got Beyonce, Britney on his mind

As Simon Cowell describes it, adding a second female judge to "American Idol" has brought a battle-of-the-sexes edge to the new season. Asked about a producer's comment that newcomer Kara DioGuardi and series veteran Paula Abdul are teaming up against him, Cowell replied: "What guy would like that? You've got two girls ganging up on you. One is hard enough; two is unbearable."

But with Randy Jackson at his side, Cowell told a teleconference Wednesday, "it's not that bad."

Cowell said he values the proven chemistry he has with Jackson and Abdul, but that singer-songwriter DioGuardi is a qualified judge and, what is more important, has strong opinions that she's willing to express.

He's taking a wait-and-see attitude about the revamped team. The show returns for its eighth season Jan. 13.

When it comes to celebrities he'd like to welcome on "Idol," Cowell said his wish list includes Paul McCartney, Beyonce and Britney Spears. McCartney has so far refused to appear on "American Idol," but Spears and Beyonce took part in Cowell's British talent show, "X Factor." Spears tops his list for "Idol," Cowell said.

He strongly defended the show's producers against complaints by Abdul that they exposed her to danger by letting an alleged stalker audition in a past season. The woman, Paula Goodspeed, was found dead of apparent suicide in a car near Abdul's Los Angeles home last month.

He took issue with descriptions of Goodspeed as a stalker rather than a fan, saying, "We're talking about a tragedy here." It was one Cowell found to be painful.

The show's producers have "the utmost integrity as human beings," Cowell said, and he believes they were unaware of how troubled Goodspeed was.

"American Idol" conducts an open audition process and doesn't research the many people who try out, said Cowell, adding that he does try to remind prospective contestants that they face criticism as part of the process. The show is not "inherently mean" but is about making dreams come true.

On Monday, series executive producer Ken Warwick said, "I would definitely not put a dangerous person or person I thought was remotely dangerous in front of the judges."

Link:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081217/ap_on_en_tv/tv_american_idol_cowell_3

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #53 on: December 18, 2008, 08:35:59 PM »
An interesting article:

Simon Cowell looks ahead to Season 8

As the drumbeat toward Season 8 continues (27 days to go), the world’s peek inside the season-to-be continued this morning as hizzonner Judge Simon Cowell addressed the media in a national conference call.  In topics including the format changes, the fourth judge and his own plans for the future, Cowell expressed a typically candid sense of uncertainty about how the changes would work out but cautious optimism that the season was shaping up well.

Asked about the addition of Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge to the lineup, Cowell said, “I have no idea whether this is going to work or not, because I haven’t seen the shows back yet.  The thing I do support is at least trying new things. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

On the wild-card round being added this season: “I think it’s a good idea.  I wasn’t crazy about the process we went through the last couple years where we were given a group of contestants that you were bored with by show 5.”  He expressed confidence that judicial intervention would help insure some more interesting personalities stuck around to keep things lively.

On whether the guys are stronger this year than the girls: “My memory of that overall is the guys overall, maybe five or six of them were stronger.  But I’ve said this in the past and I’ve been wrong.”

On the overall crop: “My feeling having done the Hollywood round is that we’ve got an interesting bunch.  Last year it became the battle of the blonds and you couldn’t tell one from the other.  This year they stand out and are different and they are standing up for themselves a bit more.  I’m actually optimistic.”

On rumors that the Emmys are adding a category for best reality judge: “It’s a good thing providing I win and it’s a bad thing if I lose…But I wouldn’t hold my breath on winning.”

On the new judge herself: "She’s got experience, she’s written hit songs, she’s got an opinion which is very very important and she talks a lot…She knows what the end product is.

"She’s not snobby about this kind of music which some people can be.”

On diversity in the contestant field: “Trying to be as broad and open minded as possible so that we don’t end up with 12 people from the 'Stepford Wives.'  I think personality is as important as talent. What you hope you end up with is somebody like Fantasia who is not only a great singer but is an incredible person who has a great vibe.”

Inevitably, on Paula Goodspeed's apparent suicide: “We’re talking about a tragedy here so I really don’t like talking about this person as a stalker.  My regret in all of this is we didn’t know how troubled this person is but we really didn’t know…The process is its open auditions, we don’t research people…I assume that everyone who audtions knows what it’s like to audition, i.e., if you’re not very good you’re going to get criticized.”  He continued, saying that often before the taping of the auditions, the judges will go out and remind people that they may get criticized and if they can’t handle that they should leave. 

On the producers and their involvement in the tragedy: “These guys have the upmost integrity as human beings.  We're taking them at their word that they didn’t know she was as troubled as she was.  I spoke to them after the incident they were absolutely horrified.  These aren’t bad guys, these are the people who decided to do 'Idol Gives Back' and raised $125
million for charity."

On the two female judges ganging up on him: “What guy would like that? One is difficult. Two is unbearable.”

On the decision not to do "Idol Gives Back" this year: “From my perspective, the reason we haven’t done this is this, with what’s happening in the world I don’t think it feels right to tell people who are having trouble with mortgage that they need to be giving money… We will be doing this again it just didn’t feel appropriate this year.”

On whether the tragedy will lead to him restraining his barbs in the auditions:  “I’ve thought long and hard about it and I think the answer to the question is I think we will continue the way we’ve always done.  In the main I think we try to do it with humor I’ve always thought that it was important to show people at home that when bad singers come in and they’re not very good then its time to give up that kind of dream and get a normal job…When something like this happens it does make you take a step back but you assume that everyone who auditions for 'American Idol' kind of knows the score. That if you’re not very good you’re going to get criticism.”

On singers with previous recording experience: “I don’t think there are as many as last year…Really I prefer if they are kind of new people and haven’t had that kind of experience. It doesn’t seem quite fair. Having said that the Irish girl in particular was a great singer.”

On whether Britney Spears should come to the Idoldome: “I would love to have her mentor the contestants or to perform. She would be very very welcome.”

On his own "Idol" journey: “When I first did 'American Idol' the one thing I made sure I had was a return ticket because I genuinely thought we’d be off the air in 3 or 4 weeks but it worked out a lot better.  They’ve been smart that they haven’t been greedy about it and they haven’t put it on twice a year because it would kill the process. It’s been the best 8 years of my life. Absolutely fantastic.”

On whether he will re-up when his contract ends after next season: “I’ll make the decision next year with what I do as an onscreen judge. I’ve got two other shows and it is a big schedule now and it’s hard.”

Link to the article:  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2008/12/simon-cowell-lo.html

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #54 on: December 20, 2008, 05:43:07 PM »
An interesting article:

Fox execs speak — on 'American Idol,' 'Dollhouse' and more

Fox has a lot at stake next month. Thanks in large part to "American Idol," America's most-watched show, the network has for four straight seasons been No. 1 in the ad-friendly demographic of adults ages 18 to 49 — a reign that's beginning to summon memories of NBC's extraordinary run atop prime time in the 1980s and '90s.

But the TV business is changing and so is "Idol" as producers attempt to renew the show creatively and halt a modest ratings dip last season. Fox is also unveiling two new dramas: "Lie to Me," with Tim Roth as a "human lie detector," and Joss Whedon's latest sci-fi outing, the much-anticipated "Dollhouse."

Channel Island asked Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori and Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly about the challenges of the months ahead. An edited version:

Channel Island: You're changing "Idol" at a crucial time for the show. Last year the ratings were off, and the show's headed into Season 8.

Liguori: Last year we were down 9%. But toward the end of the season, our ratings were every bit as strong as they were the year before.

Reilly: Down 9% on a 7-year-old show: That becomes a headline about decline. But very few shows that age can remain that strong.

Liguori: Kara (DioGuardi, the new fourth judge) is someone who is adding a new dynamic. She can certainly go toe-to-toe with Simon Cowell on a musical basis, given her experience. We have a bit of a dynamic of girls versus guys (among the judges). Having seen her in action, she really brings her game and causes everyone else to raise theirs.

In terms of making tweaks to, let's call it the Top 36 [contesants], it's a little bit of going back to the future. We've done that in the past, and it really has worked. It somewhat heightens the drama around those Hollywood episodes.

CI: Many people were surprised that you didn't put Whedon's "Dollhouse" in one of those post-"Idol" spots, instead opting for the relatively sleepy zone of Fridays. Why put such a buzzed-about show on that night?

Liguori: It's a night where there's not a hell of a lot of competition. So we're able to get the show on there. We're able to allow the show to grow. The expectations may be slightly lower for its performance.

Reilly: By nature, this show has a particular kind of audience. That's just what Joss does. You could say, why "Lie to Me" [on Wednesdays] after "Idol"? I think that's a broader show. You don't want to put in something with more of a sci-fi bent.

Liguori: We think Tim is a breakout television character. We also feel that there's some aspiration to this show, especially in these times. This is a character and a team that is basically out to call people on their lies.

CI: On Tuesdays after "Idol," you'll have "Fringe," a show that premiered with surprisingly low numbers back in early September.

Reilly: We were never worried!

Liguori: Because of baseball, we tend to premiere early. And it is swimming upstream. The general audience isn't necessarily at the ready to sit down and start their fall TV viewing.

Reilly: This year there were two other factors involved. We had the presidential debates, which also propelled us to come on early. [And] the Olympics scored with the audience this year. It's very hard for anything else to really get any awareness. Everything we had heard and the feedback we had got was that people really liked the show.

CI: On Mondays, you've had "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," which has struggled for traction in its second season and is about to move to Fridays to join "Dollhouse." Why's "Sarah Connor" so ratings-challenged?

Reilly: Overall, the numbers are not where we hoped they'd be. And yet it has a very, very loyal core audience. Ultimately, moving it to Fridays, pairing it with "Dollhouse," felt like a cohesive strategy, two very compatible shows. Hopefully the Joss loyalists will show up.

CI: Fox's Sunday animated lineup has been relatively stable for years, but a lot of fans were disappointed to see "King of the Hill" finally retired. What was the thinking there?

Reilly: Just because "The Simpsons" has set a 20-year bar doesn't mean anything. What did we end up doing on "King," Peter?

Liguori: Thirteen seasons.

Reilly: How many shows go 13 seasons?

One of our real priorities in the last year is to really double our commitment to animation. We'll be starting "Sit Down Shut Up" this spring, that Mitch Hurwitz [of "Arrested Development"] created.

Liguori: That Sunday animated block is a signature Fox block. We're always looking to refresh it.

CI: "House" has suffered a bit in the ratings this year because you put it on at 8 p.m. as a lead-in for "Fringe." Why do that to your highest-rated scripted show?

Reilly: If you look at the cycles of the networks over the years, these are the years — when a network is consistently at the top of the game — where if you don't make strategic moves, you actually get hemmed in by your own success and then you're just watching those shows ride down. Most networks begin to move shows that are already in decline, further accelerating their decline, and they haven't actually platformed anything new coming out of it.

Believe me, it would have been a lot easier, and frankly we'd have a higher overall rating, if we'd left "House" alone. But with a finite amount of opportunities, particularly in the fall, this was the year we all decided, Let's use our assets, "House" and "Idol," to feed some new assets for the future.

Link to the article: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/12/fox-has-a-lot-a.html


Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #55 on: December 20, 2008, 05:46:40 PM »
An interesting article:

Simon Soaks Up the Sun and Rakes It In

Simon Cowell went shirtless on Thursday as he tanned outside his vacation home in Barbados with a fruity cocktail in hand. He appears to have been living the life of a bachelor since splitting with Terri Seymour a few months ago, but he's no longer rolling solo — he's currently traveling with his married ex-girlfriend, the British singer Sinitta, and her two kids. On top of his newfound companionship, Simon also should be enjoying an unusually relaxing vacation considering that he's said to be making around $375,000 a day in royalties from all the holiday hits his record label released in the UK. Maybe all that extra cash is what's making him rethink his future with AI.

Link to the article: http://www.foxnews.com/blogentertainment/?bbPostId=BAn0q6F6xL50Cz1xGweiCiNYxCzDBYHL7JlVqJAinB1FJepWY&bbParentWidgetId=B98VxfFxNxsUCre3huaR58T

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #56 on: January 02, 2009, 06:53:59 PM »
An interesting article:

Kara DioGuardi: Here Comes the New 'Idol' judge

What does it take to join Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell as a judge on ''American Idol''? For the songwriter taking her place on the panel this season, the keys to success are telling it like it is -- and knowing ''when to shut up''

Kara DioGuardi is ensconced in the black velvet cocoon of a small home-recording studio, laying down a demo track while warmed by the glow of spice-scented candles. She's crooning a song she co-wrote — an encapsulation of falling in love that involves shooting stars and dancing shadows — in a powerhouse pop voice that lies somewhere between Natasha Bedingfield and Sara Bareilles. Somewhere good, that is. ''She kills it every time she sings,'' raves her writing partner, Jason Reeves. ''He's one of the greatest melody writers I've ever worked with,'' DioGuardi returns.

Sweet, right? So sweet, in fact, that we're starting to worry for DioGuardi, a heretofore behind-the-scenes songwriter-producer who's about to take on the most-watched, most-dissected job in pop music: When American Idol returns to Fox on Jan. 13, she'll become a fourth judge to Randy, Paula, and Simon. It's a job that requires a distinct dearth of sweetness, and a certain amount of, for lack of a better term, Simon Cowell-ness. ''Oh, I'm not gonna be this nice on the show,'' DioGuardi assures us.

In case we weren't convinced, she drops this rant when the subject of Idol auditions comes up: ''A lot of times people will sing a big song that they don't have the voice for instead of bringing out the uniqueness in their tone,'' she says. ''Another thing is, don't cheese me out. It's not a wedding band. And emote. Make me feel like you mean it. Don't just sing the way the song was written. That was Mariah's interpretation. Now what are you gonna do?'' Okay, we're worried again — but this time for the contestants.

That's exactly what Idol's producers are counting on. Heading into season 8, they're hoping viewers will be as rapt with how DioGuardi shakes up Idol's ''dawg''/''beautiful''/''dreadful'' judging dynamic as they are with which singer takes the big prize. And though the show has constantly worked to stay fresh — allowing contestants to play instruments last year, for instance — DioGuardi's new energy comes at a critical time, after last season's ratings took an 8 percent dip from 29.8 million viewers to 27.3 million. Idol actually tried adding a fourth judge once before in season 2, with New York radio personality Angie Martinez, but she quit just a few days in, saying it was ''uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream.'' Producers expect no such trouble with DioGuardi, who regularly evaluates new talent as a VP of A&R at Warner Bros. and co-owner of music production and publishing house ArtHouse Entertainment. She's the kind of 38-year-old who can rock a black leather jacket with leggings and write hits for everyone from Pink to Ashlee Simpson to the Jonas Brothers. ''She's very strong-willed, and we needed that with Simon around,'' explains exec producer Ken Warwick. ''I don't want anybody too benign on that panel. Kara tells it as it is.''

The feisty spirit that landed DioGuardi on America's most-judged panel of judges goes back to her Italian upbringing in Scarsdale, N.Y. ''My grandfather was a guy who came through Ellis Island and started a grocery store,'' she says. ''So my father had incredible balls. He had this I'm-gonna-do-whatever-I-want-to-do-and-you-can't-stop-me thing that I got.'' That drive spurred her to college at Duke, where she started out in the opera program but didn't quite fit in with the classical crowd — so instead she went pre-law. ''I always wanted to be a trial attorney,'' she says. ''I love to argue.''

After graduation in 1993, DioGuardi was living at home and fronting a garage band called Gramma Trips — ''covering songs, not writing my own'' — when a friend snagged her an interview for a job as the assistant to the editor in chief and publisher at Billboard magazine, where she ended up spending five years. While mastering the business side of the music industry during her workday, DioGuardi spent her downtime learning to craft songs, which she now describes as ''the worst things I've ever heard in my life. My first song was called 'Show Me Love,' about a girl who wants the guy to open up his heart. It was like, Honey, he's just not that into you.'' Eventually, though, she pulled together a respectable demo that she gave to none other than a pre-Idol Paula Abdul in 1998 by simply walking up to the pop star in New York and dropping the name of a Billboard connection.

''I asked her if she was any good,'' Abdul recalls. ''She said, 'Yeah, I'm really good.' And I believed her.'' Luckily, the demo delivered on DioGuardi's chutzpah: Abdul liked DioGuardi's work so much that she flew her out to stay at her Los Angeles home for six weeks of intensive collaboration. The results: a song called ''Spinning Around'' that became Kylie Minogue's 2000 comeback single — and a genial relationship with Abdul that both women hope will help squelch those intra-panel rivalry rumors. ''We were the best roommates,'' says Abdul. Adds DioGuardi, ''We didn't have one argument. We lived very well together — it was the strangest thing.''

The following year DioGuardi scored with Enrique Iglesias' multiplatinum album Escape, on which she co-wrote seven songs. The title track in particular revealed her knack for irresistible pop hooks, which led to a stunning roll on those charts published by her former employer. With 168 of her songs appearing on multiplatinum albums, you can thank (or curse) her for Simpson's ''Pieces of Me,'' Celine Dion's ''Taking Chances,'' Gwen Stefani's ''Rich Girl,'' Hilary Duff's ''Come Clean,'' Christina Aguilera's ''Ain't No Other Man,'' and Pink's ''Sober.'' She's also penned cuts for several products of the Idol machine, including Kelly Clarkson, David Archuleta, David Cook, and Katherine McPhee

Industry insiders attribute DioGuardi's prolific portfolio to her no-nonsense work ethic. ''If you're in a jam and need something done, she's a great closer,'' says Jimmy Iovine, whose Interscope Records includes DioGuardi collaborators the Pussycat Dolls and will.i.am. ''I'd use her for anything.'' Music mogul Tommy Mottola — who paired her with Dion, Marc Anthony, and Jessica Simpson, among others — agrees: ''She's one of the best I've ever encountered. In pop music, where things can be sort of crap and mundane, she finds new twists lyrically, and her melodies are extraordinary.'' Another plus, as far as her Idol credentials go: She's got vocal chops. ''The truth is she can sing like there's no tomorrow,'' Warwick says. ''So whereas in the past when the kid would say, 'Aw, you couldn't sing any better' and none of the judges even tried, she does, and she can.''

But the question remains: Can she hold her own as a TV star? Sure, she appeared on ABC's 2006 Idol rip-off The One, but it was canceled after only four episodes. And crashing Randy, Paula, and Simon's party is something else altogether. ''They're like brothers and sisters at this point,'' she says, having already wrapped the brutal preliminary auditions as well as the Hollywood round. ''And I'm like the long-lost cousin who they're not sure they wanted to see, but now they're like, Okay, you can stay for dinner.'' She has what sounds like Randy Jackson's unequivocal — and ever-so-Randyesque — endorsement: ''I think people will look at me first and say, If the dawg is feeling her, then I should feel her too.''

For the record, she'll sit between Randy and Paula. ''They tried [putting] me between her and Simon,'' explains DioGuardi, ''but they kept trying to communicate and I didn't want to be in the middle of that.'' And, yes, both she and Abdul will be keeping their seats; producers insist DioGuardi isn't being groomed as her former mentor's replacement. ''That's just cheeky journalistic hype,'' Warwick says. Adds DioGuardi, ''Paula and I have a good vibe. I have respect for Paula. I'm not of the thinking that women should drag each other down.'' Abdul says she isn't worrying about her job security (''I was never told that she was coming in to take my place'') — and, in fact, only feels more confident with DioGuardi around: ''When I heard she was going to be the fourth judge, I thought, ha ha, hee hee, Simon has no idea I have an ally now.''

That's a relief to DioGuardi, who says her biggest challenge will be ''being aware of when to shut up.'' But could her penchant for telling it like it is end up rankling a nation of rabid Idol fans? In between singing the praises of a new love on her demo and waxing rhapsodic about writing partner Reeves, DioGuardi muses repeatedly, and without prompting, about whether America will think she's just too darn mean. ''I know who I am, but what are people going to perceive me as?'' she wonders. ''They may think my intensity and my boldness are bitchy. I hope not. I don't think I'm bitchy. Do you think I'm bitchy?'' No, but fortunately for Idol, we think she has a lot of potential.

Link to the article: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20007164_20171835_20249176,00.html

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #57 on: January 02, 2009, 07:06:59 PM »

American Idol Season 8 Commercial 2009 Premiere Promo


Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #58 on: January 05, 2009, 01:49:06 PM »

AI Judge Kara DioGuardi update:

UPCOMING GUESTS ON THE "LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN" ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Monday, Jan. 12, 2009  musician Kara DioGuardi

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #59 on: January 05, 2009, 01:54:00 PM »
An interesting article:

Disney opening American Idol Experience Feb. 14
     
An attraction inspired by the "American Idol" TV show offically opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios Feb. 14.

Walt Disney World guests can register to audition in front of a Disney casting director for a chance to take part in the theme park show. Contestants who make the cut must then audition for a Disney producer. Those selected by producers will perform in front of an onstage panel of judges and an audience of park guests who vote on each show's winners.

Performing guests with the highest votes compete in an end-of-day grand finale show at the attraction. The winner of that competition gets a guaranteed reservation, with no waiting in long lines, for a future regional audition for the real "American Idol" TV show.

 :ascared details here: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/special/americanIdol/index?id=AmericanIdolExperiencePage

Link to the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20090105/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_disney_idol_1


Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #60 on: January 05, 2009, 02:01:43 PM »
An interesting article:

‘American Idol’ turns viewers into loons Music show inspires fan wars, stupid signs, and endless hours of texting

Sure, many TV shows have fans, but "American Idol" has addicts. The reality competition inspires fan wars, stupid signs, and endless hours of texting.

For those of us who watch "American Idol," this is it: the last moment before we all lose our minds.

That's because "Idol" makes us crazy. For five months, our sanity takes off for parts unknown. It doesn't happen all at once, of course. That would kill us. No, it just sort of quietly dribbles away until people who were once rational, clear-thinking individuals (I don't know you personally, but I'm assuming) have been transformed into raving loons.

"Idol" isn't the only show that has this effect. "Dancing With The Stars," for one, casts a spell powerful enough to make its audience openly plead for dance partners to become romantic partners and to accuse the show of rigging its results for ratings.

But "Idol" is bigger than "Dancing," of course, thus dragging more people over the line into Crazyville. And audience investment in "Idol" contestants is a different animal entirely. Viewers don't become fans of "Dancing" teams in the expectation that they'll continue following them once the season is finished.

That's not only how "Idol" works, though, that's exactly how "Idol" is designed to work. The show looks beyond the finale to the radio and sales charts. That requires a degree of fan devotion deep enough to last not only through the end of the season, but well into the months spent anticipating the contestants' albums. And viewers are all too happy to oblige.

In terms of hysterical loyalty to things that ultimately don't matter in the least, it might be second only to the fandom reserved for sports teams. The difference is, nobody's born a Brooke White fan and will die a Brooke White fan, having been raised to be a Brooke White fan no matter how poor of a season she might have. (Unless you happen to be related to Brooke White, of course, in which case this obviously doesn't apply.) That's how you know that she's not, say, the Red Sox.

But fans of "Idol" contestants act as if this were the same sort of lifelong passion, rather than something picked up over the course of a few weeks. Consider the hours spent texting and calling in as many votes as possible before the lines close. The proliferation of increasingly embarrassing signage in the audience at tapings. (Cougars For Cook, you should be ashamed of yourselves.) The YouTube video of David Archuleta fans in full meltdown when their fave lost last year's contest.

Same ratings as ‘Scarecrow and Mrs. King’ And there are the fan wars. It's apparently not enough to simply love your contestant beyond all reason. Somebody somewhere loves a different contestant beyond all reason, and that's the sort of thing that can pit fan against fan, sometimes for years. Just wander into any online Clay Aiken fan community and mention Kelly Clarkson, and you'll see what I mean. And those two weren't even on the same season. You can imagine what happens with contestants who are actually in direct competition with one another.

But here's the thing. It's like loving the Jonas Brothers and finding your friend morally reprehensible for preferring Kevin to the obviously superior Nick. Guess what? They're all Jonas Brothers. You're on the same team, so save your strength. Believe me, you're going to need it once you encounter the Fall Out Boy crowd.

"Idol" works the same way. People who don't care about the show (and they do, in fact, exist) don't see the difference between David Cook and David Archuleta. All they see are two "American Idol" singers, and they are laughing at you for sniping amongst yourselves.

All of this is made possible by the way we pretend for nearly half a year that "Idol" is the most important thing in our lives. It's on the covers of magazines, gabbed about on morning shows, written about on the Internet. (What are you looking at?) There is almost total media saturation for months and months. It's so hard to escape that even people who don't watch the show end up with a pretty good idea of what's going on.

This is, in a word, insane. Yes, "Idol" is the number-one television show in the country, and Lord knows that the folks who put it together love to constantly trumpet their own greatness, whether it's number of viewers, votes tallied, awards won or some other measurement that just means more money for production companies 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia.

It is, however, just a television show, and possibly not nearly as big of one as we like to pretend. Not too long ago, NPR.org's Linda Holmes (an MSNBC.com contributor) pointed out that its ratings are, curiously for something that knocks down everything in its path, pretty much the same as those for the modestly successful and mostly forgotten 1980s series "Scarecrow And Mrs. King."

But not only did "Scarecrow" air at a time of fewer channels and thus less competition, it wasn't interactive. "Idol" is, both in the format of the show itself and the way we talk about it. We're not just watching it, we're using our phones to call the shots. And the Internet encourages the type of instant and prolonged discussion that would never be possible, or permitted, at the watercooler of any self-respecting office, to say nothing of its well-documented ability to upend reasonable conversation if you're not careful.

We can't handle the responsibility. It turns all of us into lunatics. The trick is to plead temporary insanity and remember to come back out into the light when it's all over.

Link to the article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28425662/

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #61 on: January 05, 2009, 02:12:59 PM »

That's because "Idol" makes us crazy. For five months, our sanity takes off for parts unknown. It doesn't happen all at once, of course. That would kill us. No, it just sort of quietly dribbles away until people who were once rational, clear-thinking individuals (I don't know you personally, but I'm assuming) have been transformed into raving loons.


 :funny: hehehe very funny

Offline tory

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #62 on: January 06, 2009, 06:30:43 PM »
love that quote lol when chris richardson was on he made top 6 the season jordan won, any way i would stay up and vote for 4 hrs omg i was out of my mind..looking bk. but he does live in my city and well i have seen him aroud town a lot and i did watch ai with his friends and family every week. sooo i guess i have an excuse. oh and last yr i did not vote untill like the lastfew weeks..
i had unlimeted texting att it wasn't pretty lol.. :ascared
tv junky needs help!!!!!

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #63 on: January 06, 2009, 11:55:43 PM »
An interesting article:

Interview: New `Idol' judge says male contestants hold early edge; frets about image problem

Kara DioGuardi was fretting about being the new face of "American Idol," and she put the blame on hungry mosquitoes.

"Here I am in Hawaii and I wake up yesterday and I'm covered in mosquito bites, 15 to 20, and it looks like I have the chicken pox," the songwriter-producer said on Tuesday.

"Nobody cares about a songwriter with mosquito bites. But a judge on `Idol' who's about to go in front of the press, that's a whole other story," said DioGuardi, who has joined the "American Idol" judging panel and has a whirlwind promotional schedule next week in New York that includes David Letterman's show.

DioGuardi is a hit machine whose songs have been recorded by Gwen Stefani, Faith Hill, Marc Anthony and others, including past "Idol" winners. She represents a big change for the hit Fox series, which is adding a new voice to those of veteran judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul in an eighth-season effort to freshen its familiar formula.

"American Idol" was the No. 1 program last season despite a small ratings dip, and DioGuardi said she's honored to be part of it. The season debut, and hers, is Jan. 13 (8-10 p.m. EST).

"I hope people find I bring something to the show that's different, and I can help these contestants learn something, whether they win or not," she said.

For some would-be pop stars DioGuardi encountered during auditions for the show, the lesson is a hard one.

"A bunch of them would come on and really believe that they were great. That was one of the biggest shocks for me. I was thinking, `Wow, are you kidding? ... I think this is going to be a hobby, and that's a great hobby to have.'"

DioGuardi said she spotted some uniquely talented performers during tryouts, especially among the men. But the pressure is on them to keep improving or they'll leave the door open for an underdog.

"They may have been great at the beginning but as the season goes on they have to keep upping it," she said.

Speaking of gender, don't expect to see any dramatic clashes between DioGuardi and Abdul, who is losing her throne as the sole female judge.

"Paula and I co-wrote my first international hit (Kylie Minogue's 'Spinning Around')," DioGuardi said. "I feel indebted to her for that, and I've never been of the thinking that women should drag each other down."

What about Cowell's claims that the two "girls" have ganged up on him when it comes to ratings contestants?

"There's definitely times Paula and I voice our opinion and it's of the same ilk. And if that's not what Simon thinks, then there's a little bit of tension there. But it's all fun. Nobody's going back to their room crying," DioGuardi said.

Except, she concedes, maybe some contestants.

Link to the article: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TV_AMERICAN_IDOL_DIOGUARDI?SITE=KTVB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #64 on: January 06, 2009, 11:58:59 PM »
love that quote lol when chris richardson was on he made top 6 the season jordan won, any way i would stay up and vote for 4 hrs omg i was out of my mind..looking bk. but he does live in my city and well i have seen him aroud town a lot and i did watch ai with his friends and family every week. sooo i guess i have an excuse. oh and last yr i did not vote untill like the lastfew weeks..
i had unlimeted texting att it wasn't pretty lol.. :ascared

 :funny: tory your hilarious we got pretty crazy here last year too

Offline tory

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #65 on: January 07, 2009, 03:07:11 PM »
yea my texting finger was still in recovery from the yr befor lol..
i did vote for d cook tward the end though.. i am a junkie... :duno:
tv junky needs help!!!!!

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #66 on: January 07, 2009, 06:38:28 PM »
yea my texting finger was still in recovery from the yr befor lol..
i did vote for d cook tward the end though.. i am a junkie... :duno:

 :lol: lol I am looking forward to next weeks premiere I think we will have some fun  :sucks

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #67 on: January 08, 2009, 06:34:46 PM »
An interesting article:

Conference Call with New 'American Idol' Judge Kara DioGuardi

The great abominable machine of American Idol is mere days away from once more setting the network brush ablaze with its up and coming talents, its curmudgeonly Brit, its spritely asexual host, and the tasty bowl of crazy that is Paula Abdul.  One new ingredient to the ratings monster this season is Kara DioGuardi.  The songwriter and sometimes song-singer has been brought on as Idol's fourth judge this season, a perch never before held by anyone in a permanent fashion.  Kara held a conference call for the press today, in which she discussed the new season of Idol and what we can all expect to see from her in the coming months.

American Idol premieres on FOX next Tuesday, January 13 at 8pm. 

Kara was late for the call, but apologized profusely.  Kara says that the guys do indeed seem to have the edge this year, and that there's a certain unique-ness to a number of the guys this season.  She's confident that at least five men in the competition are great.  Kara says that this year there was a lot of soul influence, especially with the guys. 

The two vs. two thing put a lot of pressure on Kara, in that a lot of times she knew which way Simon would swing, and so she had to make the tie-breaking decisions.  Kara said that often, a person was on the fence for her and she would give them the benefit of the doubt. 

Kara loves it when the contestants play instruments, and she really encouraged it.  She also said that a lot of times people will fall apart when they take their instruments away. 

Kara and Paula have teamed up for some Girl Power at times.  In the beginning, Kara wasn't sure about everything.  Now, she thinks Paula has a lot of heart, Simon is a straight-talker, harsh but usually correct and Randy is the diplomat.  Kara is a combination of all of them. 

Kara's biggest mistakes were mostly her not knowing when to talk.  The other judges did not give her any initiation.  Kara does not have any signature lines.  There's no one judge that she agrees with most or agrees with the least. 

Kara was extremely honored to get the call to be the judge, and is really excited to be a part of the American Idol enterprise.  Also - she's getting married. 

Kara makes it clear that there is a huge amount of importance to be placed on second chances.  If there is talent there, they should get a second chance to find it.  At the beginning, not everyone has figured out how to use and cultivate that talent. 

Link to the article: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol/conference-call-with-new-ameri-25547.aspx

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #68 on: January 08, 2009, 06:55:10 PM »
An interesting article:

New 'American Idol' Judge Kara DioGuardi Insists She Fits In

'It took a minute to be yourself,' she says of adding to the three-person panel.

Being the new kid is never easy, and "American Idol" rookie Kara DioGuardi will have millions of people watching her every move when she debuts on the show Tuesday. So how is the new judge fitting in with the time-tested trio of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson?

"It took a minute to be yourself and also find a place in the show where you weren't at all detracting from the people around you or inhibiting them in any way," DioGuardi said in a conference call with reporters Thursday January  8. "It's something I'm still working on. I think I'm there"

Her transition hasn't been completely bump-free. "I would talk over people a lot, because I didn't really know when to talk. 'When do I speak? Who's speaking now?' " DioGuardi recalled thinking during her first few days.

Abdul was able to bring her fellow female judge back to life. "Paula was like, 'You need to be yourself.' Because in the beginning, the first city, I didn't want to step on anyone's toes, which is really not my personality," DioGuardi said. "I usually just say what I feel and do what I want. ... But at the beginning, I was like, 'There are all these cameras and all these people!' And Paula turned to me and said, 'Um, are you gonna be you?' [Laughs.] And I got the message."

DioGuardi acknowledged — just as executive producer Ken Warwick had previously told us — that she and Paula have been natural allies. "There's a little girl power going on," she laughed.

She also said she relates to Simon — at least occasionally. "I definitely can sometimes see where Simon's coming from, [though] I may not have said it quite the way he said it," DioGuardi said. "But I also do believe in second chances early on. I know that if I hadn't had a second chance, I wouldn't be where I am today.

"But third chances? Uh, that's another story," she laughed.

DioGuardi knows that the three-person dynamic has worked over the past seven seasons, but she's pretty sure there's a place for her in the mix. "I think I'm a combination of all of them," she said. "I do like to say it like I see it. I don't really mince words. I do feel I have a heart. And when you're dealing with creative people who 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. I may say things that are negative, but I always try to do it with heart and some understanding of what it's like to be on the other side of the table."

So have Simon, Paula and Randy put Kara through any sort of initiation into the "Idol" club? "No," she laughed. "They may, though, still. Who knows?"

Link to the article: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1602350/20090108/index.jhtml?rsspartner=rssYahooNewscrawler

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #69 on: January 08, 2009, 09:10:20 PM »
.... more on Kara from tvguide:

New Idol Judge: Season 8 Offers at Least Five "Great" Males

New Idol judge Kara DioGuardi isn't naming names, but she is admitting that she's impressed with a handful of the male hopefuls she's seen audition so far — plus a few of the ladies.

Speaking to press on Thursday, the music producer and latest addition to the reality juggernaut stayed mum on who to watch for when the series kicks off Jan. 13. "Looking at all of the contestants on the whole, I felt that the males were the strongest," she told TVGuide.com. "That being said, there are one or two females that I'm excited about as well. And I'm really just waiting for the show to roll and the next phase to see who's going to roll out on top."

DioGuardi did, however, hint at what differentiated some of the male performances she's seen so far, as compared to last year's roster. "There is a uniqueness to some of the male contestants that's different in terms of their voices, the songs they were picking and the general direction of what their record would be." She continued, "What I feel very confident about is that the men in the competition, there's...at least five that are great."

The Idol newbie also shared her views of how each of her fellow judges approaches the competition, and where she fits in. To DioGuardi, Paula has "heart," Simon "tells it like it is," Randy's the "diplomat," and she is a combination of the three, often finding herself in the uncomfortable position of making the call on a contestant.

"I may say things that are negative," DioGuardi explained, "but I always try to do it with heart, and some understanding of what it's like to be on the other side of the table." For her, the show so far has been a natural extension of her work as a songwriter and producer, often nurturing new talent, like (most recently) Colbie Caillat, as well as past Idols like Carrie Underwood.

"I've been involved in so many of these kids' careers," she said. "That's my life. I live for that."

Link to the article: http://www.tvguide.com/American-Idol/Idol-Judge-Interview-1001350.aspx


Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #70 on: January 09, 2009, 01:01:52 PM »
An interesting article an interview with Kara:

Idol’s New Judge Says She & Paula Bring ‘Girl Power’

American Idol’s new judge Kara DioGuardi, who’s written and produced music for stars including Christian Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Celine Dion, spoke with reporters Thursday and gave some hints about what to expect when Idol’s eighth season kicks off with a two-night premiere on Jan. 13 and 14. How does Kara, 38, get along with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and the other woman on the panel, Paula Abdul? Which former contestant is she dying to work with? And how does Peg Bundy fit in? Read on for more from Idol’s opinionated new judge.

How have you changed the judging dynamic?
There are times definitely that Paula and I have kind of … [let's say] there’s a little girl power going on. With any kind of change, it brings out a different dynamic on the panel. In the beginning, it was a little unnerving — I didn’t know where I was going to sit, when I was going to speak.

Simon has said that you and Paula were ganging up on him during auditions. Were you?
When he deserves it, we give it to him. And believe me, he deserves it sometimes.

Did you make any mistakes when you started taping the show?
I would talk over people a lot, because I didn’t really know when to talk. And some of my looks in the beginning, I didn’t get them all right. I do have a stylist. But the makeup and the hair, it took me a minute. That first city, it was pretty big hair. I look like Peg Bundy. Those days are done.

What do you bring to the judges’ table that American Idol did not have before?
What’s really unique about me is that I’ve worked with a lot of great singers, from Christina to Pink to Celine Dion. I’ve been in the studio with them when they’ve actually recorded songs that we’ve co-written. I’ve worked really closely with them and given them guidance and I think that distinguishes me.

How would you describe the other judges’ styles, and your own?
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, he’s the diplomat. 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. When your dealing with creative people who have some talent, you want to make sure 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. 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.

With four judges, Simon will be the tiebreaker this season. Did that happen often?
The two of them [Randy and Paula] would say yes at times, and then it would come down to me, because I knew [Simon] would say no. So I had to make that decision, whether I was going to give them another shot or not. And that was tough, because you’re dealing with people that you’ve met for a few seconds. Any of us can put through that contestant if we know where [Simon's] going to go.

Who do you tend to agree with the most?
There are have been times that I’ve agreed and disagreed with all of them. I definitely can sometimes see where Simon’s coming from. I wouldn’t have said it quite the way he said it, but I also do believe in second chances early on. I know that if I hadn’t had a second chance a lot of times, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Sometimes you see potential in people and you have to think past some of the mistakes they made because they were nervous. But third chances, that’s another story.

Are there any stand-outs this season?
The males were the strongest. There are at least five that are great. That being said, there are one or two females that I’m excited about as well. There is a uniqueness to some of the male contestants. There was a lot of soul influence, like the way that Maroon 5 is soulful.

You’ve already written or produced music with former Idols Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, as well as David Archuleta. Any other former contestants you’d like to work with?
I really like Daughtry. I would love to co-write with him. If he’s out there and he wants to do a co-write, please call me!

Link to the article: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/01/09/idols-new-judge-says-she-paula-bring-girl-power/

Offline TexasLady

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #71 on: January 12, 2009, 06:53:02 PM »
Whoohoo!! One more night and then a two hour audition show! I. can't. wait! I think this will be a good year, especially bringing back the wild card.  :tup:
The choices we make dictate the life we lead.

Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #72 on: January 13, 2009, 12:23:15 AM »
Whoohoo!! One more night and then a two hour audition show! I. can't. wait! I think this will be a good year, especially bringing back the wild card.  :tup:

 :groan: I don't know if I'm ready for this ... bad singing = headache  :funny:
 

Offline TexasLady

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #73 on: January 13, 2009, 09:17:46 AM »
LOL, but maybe a diamond among the heaps of coal???  :lol:
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Offline marigold

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Re: American Idol Season 8
« Reply #74 on: January 13, 2009, 10:36:40 AM »
LOL, but maybe a diamond among the heaps of coal???  :lol:

 :funny: hehehe