Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. got to decide who made the semifinalists on American Idol. This season, they get to pick most of the finalists, too. (FOX Photo)
The semifinals begin tonight on American Idol.
Which means it’s time to vote for your favorites to help them advance to the finals.
Right?
Wrong.
In a major change from past seasons — and what amounts to a major slap in the face to faithful viewers — American Idol has decided to take this decision out of the hands of its fans.
In every season since Idol debuted, fans have selected the bulk of the finalists, usually with judges adding wild card selections.
This year, the roles are reversing.
Two weeks from now, the judges will announce their picks for eight of the 10 spots in the finals. Then six contestants will sing for two wild card spots. Only those will be determined by fan voting.
Why the change?
Well, it certainly isn’t because viewers weren’t doing their jobs. Consider the numbers.
In 14 years of American Idol, fans have selected 146 of the 168 finalists. That works out out 86 percent.
Fans have been responsible for advancing 27 of the 28 contestants who finished first or second. The lone exception: Jena Irene, who made the Season 13 finals as a wild card choice. Regardless, that works out to a 98 percent fan success rate.
In fact, only four other judges’ wild card choices — R.J. Helton, Trenyce, Matt Giraud and Quentin Alexander — have advanced as far as the Top 5. That means fans have been responsible for 55 of the 56 contestants who finished in the Top 4 over Idol’s first 14 seasons.
See also …
Former Idol “stars” front and center the next two weeks
Which members of the Top 24 are most popular on Twitter
And check back tonight for song-by-song grades
So why the change?
It’s clearly just a matter of control. Producers want as much say as possible into the makeup of the Top 10 in Idol’s final season.
What’s that mean …
Well, we can point the finger at producers and judges if the Top 10 winds up loaded with teens who aren’t quite ready for prime time.
This means it will seem even more hinky if Dalton Rapatonni, formerly a member of Idol creator Simon Fuller’s boy band, advances deep into the competition.
And it will be show’s fault if they reject another contestant who goes on to future fame, like Tori Kelly. Remember, she was tossed aside by the judges — not the fans — in Season 9.
Wow, American Idol producers sure have a funny way of showing appreciation to fans who supported it through 14 seasons, don’t they?
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