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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Jennifer Lopez is 'on the fence' about an 'Idol' return. Three reasons she should stay -- and three reasons she should go.

Seems Jennifer Lopez might not stay on American Idol‘s block for an additional season: During an interview with Scott Mills of BBC Radio 1 (embedded below), the singer/actress/dancer/reality show judge/most beautiful woman in the world said her future with the reality juggernaut is not clear-cut:  “I don’t know,” she told Mills. “I haven’t been forced to make a decision and I’m glad about that because honestly I’m very kind of on the fence about it.” According to Lopez, the star has “a lot of other things happening” — including a new reality project, Q’Viva — and “it’s going to come down to making a choice.”
Well, I’ll admit: I’m on the fence too, Jennifer. Though I enjoyed the singer’s antics throughout the course of the season, the last year has proven that Idol can revolve its panel of judges successfully. So let’s help Lopez out: Here are three reasons why she should stay on Idol, and three reasons why she should exit the Idoldome:
She should stay… because, clearly, the public loves her. Back in April, over 86 percent of you felt that Lopez should stay with Idol for an additional season. She proved to be an emotional mentor for the contestants, and had a larger vocabulary than Randy “in it to win it” Jackson and Steven “beautiful” Tyler. Of course, that was before the judge trampled on a certain contestant’s powerful performances.
She should leave… because after weeks of piercing Haley Reinhart’s soul with inexplicable hate-lasers, only 31 percent of you felt she needed to stick around. The public began clamoring for a judge that would speak the truth, but also criticize fairly. And there were some contestants (cough, Scotty and Lauren!) Lopez couldn’t help but praise, regardless of their performance level.
She should stay… because Idol still remains one of the biggest shows on television. This season, the show delivered record ratings for Fox, and posted the first ratings gain in five years with its finale results show. That means plenty of eyes are on Lopez — and whatever album/product she decides to release in the future.
She should leave… because, still, season 10′s performance finale attracted even fewer viewers than the much-maligned season 9 finale. Though many will turn on their TVs to see numbers from famous folks like Tim McGraw and Lady Gaga during the results finale, perhaps interest in the show — including its judges — have waned.
She should stay… because being left with just the option of Tyler and Jackson has us reeling. Though Lopez was hardly critical of most of the contestants, she was the only judge who attempted to form coherent opinions. She became the nicest Simon Cowell we can imagine — the one on the panel we’d fast-forward past the others to get to.
She should leave… because, quite honestly, Idol could do better. And no one show proved that more than The Voice, which attracted talent like Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, and Cee Lo Green — celebrities that haven’t quite shown they have a critical ear (when are these folks going to channel their inner Simon Cowells?), but at least have proven entertaining enough to carry interesting banter and artistically inclined enough to convince us that they know what they’re talking about. Idol should go younger and fresher, with stars not just looking to get a big payday and ample time to promote themselves. Give us judges who truly care, who are actually, excuse me, in it to win it.

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