Idol Chatter & Voice Views

All I can say is hallelujah.

It’s official. Kara DioGuardi is no longer a judge on American Idol.

Now she’s but a reminder of the last two lackluster seasons. Seasons in which she might not have been responsible for the show’s dip in ratings, but in which she contributed absolutely nothing to reverse the trend.

I can only hope my scathing critique of her judging on a survey Idol posted on its website at the end of season nine was matched by hundreds of other viewers and had something to do with her ouster.

Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead.

Okay. Okay. That might be going a little too far.

But let’s review reasons some of the reasons Kara deserved this fate.

* Time: The season eight semifinals. Scenario: Taylor Vaifanua, 16, had just turned in a near pitch-perfect performance of “I Ain’t Got You,” which was pretty impressive considering the number of teens who had cracked under pressure in the same situation.

Kara’s contribution: She complains that the performance didn’t tell her what it would be like to go shopping with Taylor. As if she was juding “The Price is Right” rather than American Idol. It started a string of often nonsensical critiques from Idol’s newest judge.

* Time: The season eight performance finals. Scenario: Adam Lambert and Kris Allen are preparing to sing in competition for the last time. The song: “No Boundaries.”

Kara’s contribution: She co-wrote the song, which both singers struggled with. Sorry, but if you write a song Adam Lambert has trouble singing, you’ve probably written a crappy songs. And the lyrics: “You’ll make it through the pain / Weather the hurricanes / To get to that one thing.” Oh, no.

* Time: The season eight finale. Scenario: Ryan Seacrest has just presented Katrina “Bikini Girl” Darrell a best attitude award. She launches into song.

Kara’s contribution: She joins Katrina on stage, starts singing along, then does an ill-advised bikini flash. Katrina has several pics on her MySpace page, capturing the moment. Some have rather funny captions. Like: “Me and Grandma Casper.”

* Time: The season nine auditions. Scenario: Casey James has just finished auditioning; the judging panel is split on whether he should go to Hollywood.

Kara’s contribution: She asks Casey to strip off his shirt. She asks Casey to let his hair down. She votes to give him a golden ticket, then declares that he’s “ear candy as well as eye candy” after one semifinal performance. I can only imagine the reaction if one of the male judges referred to a pretty young female contestant as “eye candy.”

That’s four reasons that jump to mind in a heatbeat.

The list could go on and on.

Bottom line: Great move, Idol.

Now get on with announcing the identity of the new judges.

And stick with three, please.

If you’re interested in reading the official release from FOX, here it is …

Kara DioGuardi is stepping down from her role as a judge on AMERICAN IDOL. DioGuardi joined AMERICAN IDOL as a judge in the series’ eighth season.

“I felt like I won the lottery when I joined AMERICAN IDOL two years ago, but I feel like now is the best time to leave IDOL,” said DioGuardi. “I am very proud to have been associated with AMERICAN IDOL – it has truly been an amazing experience. I am grateful to FOX, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, as well as the cast, crew and contestants, for all they have given to me. I look forward to my next challenge, and want to thank everyone who has supported me. All the best to everyone on Season 10!”

“Kara was a great addition to our IDOL family,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “I’ve been fortunate to get to know her well, and have always been amazed by her eye for talent and her commitment to developing and mentoring artists. She will be missed, and we wish her continued success.”

“Kara is one of the world’s best songwriters,” stated IDOL creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “She has been passionate and committed to IDOL over the last two seasons. I will miss having her on the show, but I look forward to working with her in music for many years to come.”

“As one of the most proclaimed songwriters in the U.S., Kara brought a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to AMERICAN IDOL,” said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, IDOL executive producer. “We are very grateful for the time she spent on the show, and we wish her nothing but the best in all her future endeavors.”

“Anyone who knows Kara knows that she brings an unbelievable amount of passion, creativity and humility to everything she does,” added IDOL executive producer Ken Warwick. “It has been a joy working with her on IDOL for the past two seasons, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next.”

But, hooray, it won’ be on American Idol.