Well, the first auditions have come to a close and I think it’s safe to say the majority of the viewers were pleasantly surprised with the new judges and their new outlook on the show.
While American Idol used to be known as the search for talent mixed with the cheeky remarks from British judge Simon Cowell, new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are taking a more optimistic and encouraging approach to the search and it seems to be a hit with viewers.
I have to admit, I was probably the most skeptical about Steven Tyler (many are asking how old he is and he is actually 62 years old) going into the new season but I can say with 100 percent certainty that I really think he’s going to be the saving grace this season. He’s quirky, he’s loveable and he’s talented and he’s the exact type of person that needed to take Simon Cowell’s place (and trust me, I did not think I was going to like him at first).
related postThe 10th season of "American Idol" kicked off Wednesday night, but new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez didn't quite shake it up as promised.
As promised, no members of the three-strong panel - that includes returning judge Randy Jackson - pulled the Simon Cowell card.
Instead, Steven Tyler, who was pegged to take his place, could somehow soften even the most stinging insults, perhaps because he doesn't speak as dismissively as Cowell.
While he drummed and squealed along with the contestants, Jennifer Lopez sat firmly in her seat, appearing to take her new job seriously.
Unfortunately, while Steven Tyler mostly commented on their tunes (with a few comments about the women's hotness thrown in), Jennifer Lopez seemed to have an eye primarily for assembly-line pop princesses like her predecessors.
"You guys are crazy - she's beautiful, she's only 15 and she's giving us some energy," Jennifer Lopez said of Kenzie Palmer, a pretty teenager from Philadelphia with a generic voice that failed to ignite Tyler or Jackson.
She and Randy Jackson later subtly slammed the dress sense of perfectly attractive, clear front-runner Devyn Rush, a 20-year-old bluesy singing waitress from Pennsylvania who works in Times Square.
"Your voice is the star," Jennifer Lopez told her, "so start dressing that way...because this business is about image as well."
Lopez appeared to loosen up and stop sneaking looks at the camera so often as the contest progressed.
Stand-outs included a Jersey Shore native named Tiffany Rios who wore stars on her brassiere; Ashley Sullivan, a rabid Britney Spears fan; Victoria Huggins, a spunky 16-year-old from North Carolina and a Japanese Michael Jackson impersonator named Yoji "Pop" Asano who hated Miley Cyrus.
Ultimately, 51 people were chosen for Hollywood, including Kenzie Palmer, 15, one of the youngest contestants the show has ever seen.
