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Written by Tony Hamlyn for FUSE Magazine
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Monday, 21 December 2009 06:06 |
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Ellen takes on idol! - The entertainment industry in the US is reeling over the news that none other than Ellen DeGeneres will be taking over the judging spot on American Idol left vacant after crazy old Paula Abdul quit the show earlier this year. There is little doubt over DeGeneres’ popularity — she is always asked to host award shows because producers know she’s a drawcard, she appears in a number of ads in the US from American Express to Cover Girl makeup, and her talk show is currently achieving the impossible by actually out-rating Oprah — but since the announcement made on her show in late August, views have been polarised.
The major issue here is of course Ellen’s lack of industry experience. Idol’s major redeeming quality is that the judging comes from first-hand experience in one form or another: Simon Cowell was a successful record exec at RCA, Randy Jackson is a renowned session muso and producer, and of course Paula was a pop star herself back in the late 80s (kids, ask your parents!). All of their critiques, no matter how misguided they are at times, seemingly come from a knowledgeable place. Ellen certainly knows about the entertainment industry in general, but does she have the expertise to critically assess a vocal performer or performance? Probably not.
But realistically, Paula Abdul’s place on the judging panel was rarely about critical assessment either. She had a very specific role which was to be contrary to Simon’s usually harsh comments, and to make the contestants feel loved and supported. Paula made a very good living out of complimenting people’s hair, clothing and “energy” and it’s a safe bet that someone like Ellen could take on that role very easily. Those of us who witnessed Ellen’s guest judging spot on the last US season of So You Think You Can Dance were left feeling a little uneasy, given that her critiques were glib and pretty throw-away and the whole point of her being there seemed lost on everyone involved. But Dance and Idol, although similar in premise, are very different ball games — Idol has a bit of an “every man” quality, whilst Dance is much more exclusive — and this is probably what will make Idol and Ellen a winning combo for the Fox Network.
But aside from all of this, what really has to be acknowledged is: The most visible lesbian in the known world has just been promoted to the United States’ most watched TV program. American Idol is HUGE! To give you some idea just how big we’re talking, currently the Nielsen Ratings show that the new episodes of NCIS are the highest rating, pulling in around 20 million viewers a week. This year’s American Idol (which ran fourteen weeks at the beginning of the year) clocked a weekly average of just over 30 million people, making it the country’s most watched show overall for the sixth year running. Its phenomenal success has other networks reputedly referring to it as “The Death Star”, which is hilarious, you have to admit! So for a woman who wears her homosexuality very publicly and very proudly to be not only considered for a show of this magnitude, but to be considered a drawcard for its future success, is just unparalleled in our popular culture.
Regardless of her qualifications, or whether Idol will benefit from her involvement or finally jump the shark, the fact that she’s actually there speaks volumes about her abilities and her successes, both personally and professionally. Raise a limped wrist and give snaps, everybody — big snaps for Ellen and her Idol debut in the US at the end of the year.
Tony Hamlyn for FUSE Magazine |
