David Archuleta is playing the Pullo Center at Penn State York Friday night.
So what better place to find out what American Idol fans think of the announcement earlier this week that Jennifer Lopez and Stephen Tyler would be the new Idol judges now that Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres have all left the show.
But first, let’s hear what David thinks about the new judging trio of J-Lo, Aerosmith’s lead singer and Idol original Randy Jackson. I asked him about it during a pre-show interview earlier this week. For the rest of the interview, go here.
Here’s what David had to say: “I think it’ll be exciting, actually. They’re pretty big names. People know who they are, and they’ve got a great reputation in what they do. It’ll be interesting to see their personalities — how they interact with the other judges and with the contestants. I’m looking forward to it.”
David, of course, is in York as the headliner for WLAN’s Birthday Barnyard Dance. Check back later for coverage and photos from the show.
Meanwhile, here’s what Idol fans have to say about the judging changes for season 10 of American Idol …
Stephanie Mitschele, 16, York: “It’ll be very difficult (for the show to go on) without Simon. He was the main person on the show. But I think having actual artists is a good idea. The other judges were in the music business, but they weren’t singers.”
Kim Gailey, 17, Winterstown: “Jennifer Lopez has had a long career. And Stephen Tyler is a legend, so that’s a given. But I honestly believe Simon held the popularity of the whole show together with his opinion. I think the show will still be good, but it might suffer in popularity.”
Carrie King, 14, Manheim: “I think it will be weird without Simon. He was my favorite judge. He made the show interesting. I think they (the new judges) will be good. Just not as good as Simon.”
Megan Fessler, 15, Manheim: “Simon and Paula kind of made American Idol. With all new judges, it just won’t be the same. Jennifer Lopez should do pretty well, though, because she knows what’s in now.”
Erica Robertson, 14, Spring Grove: “I do not like the new judges. I don’t think (the show) will be that great anymore.”
Erica Emerry, 15, Hanover: “I’ll miss Simon. Some of his remarks made my night. I will tune in to see the new judges. I think they might be pretty good.”
Lydia Ball, 17, Parkton, Md.: “I think this will probably be the last season. My mom is a big fan, and she’s not as into it anymore. It won’t have the rudeness or the humor Simon brought to the show.”
Becky Harman, 17, Halifax: “I really liked Ellen. I thought she gave a funny twist to the show. I think the show will survive if they find a strong critic to replace Simon. They’re going to need that.”
Sarah Scheib, 17, Halifax: “I wish the other judges were still there. I liked Simon a lot. I think a lot of people looked forward to hearing his opinion. Without him, I’m not sure the show will have as many fans.”
Tiffany Rickert, 17, Halifax: “I hope they’re good. I really liked Ellen. She made it interesting. And I liked Kara because she knew what she was talking about. I was sad to see they left.”
Sara Jacobs, 23, Baltimore, Md.: “I’m going to watch to see if they’re good changes. I’ll be curious to see if people still follow Idol or if they follow Simon to his new show and whether they (Idol and The X Factor) can co-exist.”
Tammy Mummaw, 40, Lititz: “I feel better about them (the judges). I wasn’t a big fan of a couple of them. I think these judges will be more critical and honest with people. They have experience.”
Debon Berger, 21, York: “I don’t like that they got rid of Paula. Simon was a really good judge. He was really harsh. Steven Tyler, I kind of disagree with. Jennifer Lopez? She’s been in show business for a long time, so she should do pretty well.”
Nikki Grim, 13, Dallastown: “My favorite judge is Randy. And I like Jennifer Lopez. I really don’t know who Stephen Tyler is. I think these judges will probably be about the same.”Ashely Cepull, 17, of Dallastown: “It’ll be an interesting season now that the other judges are gone. I’d say it’s a change for the worse. Simon critiqued the contestants and made them better. I think they’ll suffer without him.”
4 Comments
Bottom line is. They are judges. they are put into this position as well as judges in courts in this country. If you are true to yourself that is all that matters. Dont be what others want you to be. Be who you are. That is where we earn more respect. If I pretend to be something Im not, but what others think I should be. They will never know the other side. Be the change. Be yourself.
Stay positive, Idol fans. A show revolves around the talent — not the judges. If the talent is second-to-none, people will tune in. The reason Simon (and others) had so many negative things to say the last couple of years is that most of the talent was not that great—-It’s hard to imagine out of 200K-300K people trying out that they came up with the 24 finalists the last couple of years, especially in 2009….what a train wreck!
The Archuleta/Cook year had loads of talent, and it was so much fun to see what they would all do each week. The last two years, however, Idol has become more about the judges would say because half of the show was listening to ALL 4 JUDGES critique each song —BORING!
I don’t know the new judges well, but being well known in the industry and both being very successful, it should be interesting, and I’m keeping an open mind.