Does 'American Idol' need meaner judges?
Viewers just got their first glimpse of new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez in action. Can the rookies measure up to the brutally discerning Simon Cowell?
![Toothless new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler seem to hail from the land of "Stepford," says Newsweek.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/by3NGsNp7bQyJriJScbh2K-415-80.jpg)
"American Idol's" superstar new judges, lascivious rocker Steven Tyler and pop diva Jennifer Lopez, made their debuts on Wednesday night, as Fox's talent show launched its 10th season. The episode was also the first without notoriously harsh judge Simon Cowell, whose blunt critiques have been credited with making "Idol" such a hit. Tyler and Lopez, along with veteran judge Randy Jackson, received generally positive reviews, but will they be too soft to satisfy viewers accustomed to Cowell's cruelty? (Watch a clip from the premiere episode)
"Idol" needs meaner judges: Minus Simon Cowell, the "Idol" judges "lacked teeth," says Monica Herrera in Billboard. If anyone "even remotely offended [the contestants], it was left on the cutting room floor." Steven Tyler's "comedic soundbites" were entertaining, and Jennifer Lopez's mere presence left contestants "more star-struck than ever," but "Idol" is diminished without a healthy dose of nastiness.
"'American Idol' premiere plays nice with Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Tyler and Lopez did well, but they should toughen up: It's not a question of being mean, says Len Melisurgo in the Newark Star-Ledger. Jennifer Lopez's "overly sympathetic, motherly" Paula Abdul routine is just "boring." At least Steven Tyler will tell you "if your singing stinks" — the trouble is he says it in a "kindler, gentler way," with lines such as, "Oh baby, you're just not ready. I'm sorry." Both of the newbies need to "toughen up a bit." When Cowell called the occasional performance an "utter disaster," he added the spice that made "Idol" delicious.
"'American Idol' Season 10 recap: Just not the same without Simon Cowell"
Forget it. This season is a write-off: Cowell was harsh but authentic, says Ramin Setoodeh in Newsweek. Now "the entire franchise has gone to the land of Stepford, where everybody is so nice and sweet and happy and zippy, you feel a cavity coming on." Tyler is "about as critical as a fourth-grade music teacher," while Lopez, trying to fill the sympathetic Paula Abdul role, supposedly has trouble saying no, but "even this feels manufactured" and disingenous. "She's playing a character in a Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy."
"The end of 'American Idol' (for real this time)"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Ukraine's Olympians: going for gold in the line of fire
Under the Radar Hundreds of the country's athletes have died in battle, while those who remain deal with the psychological toll of war and prospect of Russian competitors
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Democrats now have a chance to present a vigorous, compelling case'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?
In Depth It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published