Fans of American Idol are calling for the celebrity judging panel to provide more constructive feedback to the contestants. On any given night of performances, it's not uncommon to hear Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie praise each and every singer. Criticism is extremely rare, even in those instances when a competitor completely misses the mark. It's never fun to negatively critique someone, but viewers feel the trio needs to be stricter on contestants to help them grow. They're are urging Katy, Luke and Lionel to take a page from the book of Simon Cowell, whose no-holds-barred commentary is sorely missed.
When American Idol premiered in 2002, record executive Simon quickly became someone we loved to hate. Oftentimes, his critiques were downright insulting, especially when commenting on a woman's appearance and weight. But in other instances, he knew exactly what he was talking about. Simon pushed those early contestants to their limits, never refraining from telling them exactly what they did wrong on stage. While some saw his blunt tendencies as too harsh, his words lit a fire in the contestants to improve. During Simon's eight-year tenure on American Idol, the world was introduced to Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and countless others who went on to become industry giants.
On Reddit, fans are slamming the current judges for their severe lack of constructive criticism. One said, "It's because these judges don't know how to judge. They rarely ever give criticism and when they do it's just drab bs that's not even really criticism anyway. The most they tell people is about changing a song. They don't know what to judge or what to look at in a performance and it's very obvious." Several demanded a "Simon 2.0," someone who is a talent scout or record producer in the industry: "Bottom line, [Simon] knew what would sell, what worked and what didn't ... these 'famous' judges don't necessarily know what they're talking about just cuz they sing themselves."
The group of pro-Simon viewers expressed annoyance that, when the current judges do give advice, it's confusing and conflicting. For example, when Hunter Metts broke down following his mess-up in "Falling Slowly" from Once, Katy, Luke and Lionel praised him for showing vulnerability. A fan argued, "If Cassandra [Coleman] had cried after her mess-up last week, I don't think they would have been as kind to her as they were to Hunter ... both contestants have been pretty equally neurotic and jittery onstage, but only Cassandra gets criticism on it, which is totally unfair and likely skews voting."
It may be a coincidence, but since the reboot of Idol in 2018, a limited number of stars have emerged. Season 16 finalist Gabby Barrett found success with her country hit "I Hope," but other contestants have sporadically released lesser-known singles. As for last year's winner Just Sam, rumors are swirling that she was dropped from Hollywood Records. It's been said that American Idol doesn't offer a free pass to fame. The contestants have to put in the work and know how to survive in the cutthroat industry. If the judges don't prepare them accordingly, they'll likely never survive.
Source: Reddit