‘Idol’ world weighs in on Abdul’s absence
Idol responses: Abdul tendered her resignation via Twitter. Former Idols, finalists and friends responded in kind, and on MySpace and in blogs. A sampling:
‘ ¢ “I am shocked and saddened about paula. Idol and the cast have grown with each other over the last 8 seasons. I can’t imagine the panel without paula. She’s a star @ a great friend.” ‘†Host Ryan Seacrest.
Abdul — Simon ‘Misses Me Already’
The ex-judge was at JFK yesterday, where she called the situation “overwhelming” — but insisted the drama wouldn’t change her relationship with her former desk-mate.
Abdul also said she hadn’t heard about producer Nigel Lythgoe’s offer to be on “So You Think You Can Dance” — but she might have another backup gig lined up anyway: Babysitting … for Barack Obama’s kids!
More after the JUMP…
Don’t Kiss Paula’s Ass Goodbye … Just Yet
The door isn’t completely slammed on Paula Abdul …
Multiple “American Idol” insiders are telling TMZ there is a chance Paula will come back to the show. Reality — better than a good chance.
We’re told the conflict is ultimately all about money … and buzz leading up to season 9.
But for now, “A.I.” is full speed ahead — auditions for the show are set for tomorrow … without Abdul.
Can ‘American Idol’ still be a star without Paula?
The jury’s still out on Judge Paula.
American Idol followers say Paula Abdul’s abrupt departure leaves a big hole as the show loses both her cheerleading and her antics. But a few say the loss, especially with the addition of a judge last season, may not have a substantial effect on TV’s top-rated show.
After Abdul, “Idol” will still ad up
While her fans might be upset, advertisers don’t expect Paula Abdul’s exit as an “American Idol” judge to have any significant impact on ad sales or audience ratings for the top-rated Fox show.
“To me, that show is appointment TV, and a lot of it is driven by the contestants and how compelling they are, ” said Shari Cohen, executive director of Mindshare in New York, which buys TV ad time for national advertisers.
“I think the judges offer a layer of intrigue and allure, but it’s really very much about how compelling are the contestants and does that draw viewers in.”
Abdul’s ‘Idol’ tenure truly over?
Yet some industry observers and rival network execs still expressed surprise at the turn of events and wondered whether a deal to keep Abdul in place may still be struck.
“That number that Fox was offering her — she’ll never be paid that kind of salary again, I guarantee it, ” one rival exec said.
Indeed, the network landscape is littered with contractual disputes that seemed irreversible — until a deal was made nonetheless. In the famous case of ‘Dukes of Hazzard, ‘ stars Tom Wopat and John Schneider were even replaced for a portion of a season ‘‒ eventually returning, with their replacements sent back to obscurity.
More recently, walkouts took place on shows such as ‘CSI’ and ‘Becker, ‘ until deals were eventually struck.
This summer, 20th Century Fox TV threatened to replace the voice actors on “Family Guy, ” until a deal was struck.
‘Idol’ After Paula: Who’s to Blame, What It Means — and What’s Next
Is The View Interested in Paula Abdul?
Could newly unemployed Paula Abdul be the fifth femme to join the ladies of The View? Why not! “We love Paula, ” The View’s rep exclusively tells us. “She was always welcome on the program in the past and always will be in the future.”
Some say Abdul should join Dancing With the Stars or host her own dancing-type show, but we totally disagree. Ab-doll’s at her best (and most amusing) when she’s yammering away about nothing, and what better place to do that on a national platform than The View?
Here’s why it makes sense:
‘Idol’ Absent Abdul: What Goes Missing?
Here’s a prediction: her departure won’t make an appreciable difference, one way or the other. If, as has been reported, Ms. Abdul left because she was making a fraction of what Mr. Cowell and the show’s host, Ryan Seacrest, were earning, then she was right to be upset. But not because her contribution was equal to theirs. The disparity is unfair because none of them, in and of themselves, is essential to the show’s success. They’re replaceable ‘ any number of churls or smoothies could play the Cowell or Seacrest roles. (And is there any other star of prime-time television as unremarkable as Randy Jackson?)
American Idol Shocker: Paula Abdul Quits!
My suspicion is that Paula overplayed a decent hand. A certain percentage of the Idol audience (the same people who boo when Cowell is introduced) really loves her and the kind approach she takes with even the most hopeless contestants. The producers have consistently recognized that and been quick to defend her; after all, she was easily the most famous of the judging panel when Idol was just another reality wannabe hoping to catch on in the summer of 2002. But she’s not as important to the show today as Cowell, the only judge whose opinions appear connected to both the English language and to what we can see on the screen. And she’s not as important as Seacrest, who does his best to keep things running on time — in fact, Paula’s inability to get to the point has been the cause of most of the Idol time issues over the years. Asking for a raise is one thing, but her demands for Cowell money in the midst of a recession were easy to brush aside.
Paula Abdul’s Most Memorable Idol Moments
Love her or hate her, fans of American Idol can’t deny that Paula Abdul ever provided a lack of things to talk about. Whether it was her loopy phrasing, her forays into selling jewelry, her reality show, or the continual rumors that she was not the “just say no” type, the perils of Paula were the longest running storyline on America’s top-rated show.
Here are some of the great moments and controversies in Abdul’s eight-year run on Idol (cue disco version of “The Way We Were”):
Paula Abdul: Relive six of her wildest moments!
Paula-Abdul-Here-Idol_dlFor the past 48 hours, I’ve subsisted on a steady diet of Honey Bunches of Oats, Diet Dr. Pepper, and news and speculation about Paula Abdul. And while I’m planning an item about Paula’s five best pop songs for our Music Mix blog later this afternoon, I thought it might be fun for now to look back at some of Paula’s wildest, wackiest moments since returning to the spotlight with American Idol in 2002. Check out my six favorites, then head to the comments section and share your own! (And pick up this week’s issue of EW for more on Paula’s exit.) Melon-Gate: During the season 5 semifinals, Paula’s advice to Kevin Covais and Jose ‘Sway’ Penala took a turn for the absurd, ending with this memorable bit of free verse (which she credited to Simon Cowell): ‘The moth who finds the melon finds the cornflake always finds the melon’â€and one of you didn’t get the right fortune cookie.’
Paula Abdul beat rest of ‘American Idol’ cast in award race
Paula Abdul may not be returning to “American Idol” this season, but she can take comfort that she trumped the newest judge ‘ Kara DioGuardi ‘ when it came to hauling home showbiz hardware. And she also outdid the rest of the original panel ‘ Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson ‘ as well as host Ryan Seacrest in the awards derby.
Paula Abdul won a Grammy way back in 1990 for best short-form music video for the track “Opposites Attract.” And she also has a pair of Emmy Awards for choreography.
Paula Abdul won an Emmy on her own in 1989 for “The Tracy Ullman Show” and was one of three choreographers on the 1990 “American Music Awards” (along with Dean Barlow and Michael Darrin) to tie with Walter Painter, who choreographed the opening of the Disney-MGM studios. She had been a solo nominee in 1988 for “The Tracy Ullman Show” but lost to Alan Johnson, who handled the dance numbers in the song-filled “Irving Berlin’s 100th Birthday Celebration.
Abdul Walks Off Television’s Biggest Stage
Scott Sternberg, whose reality-series production company produced ‘Hey Paula, ‘ a reality show focused on Ms. Abdul for the Bravo cable channel in 2007, said she was one of the hardest-working people that he had met in show business.
‘She was always very on-task and very focused, ‘ he said. Though Ms. Abdul had emotional moments during the taping of the reality series, ‘she’s a 24-hour energized machine, ‘ Mr. Sternberg said. ‘I am sure she has another mission and other goals in sight.’
After the goodbye for Paula Abdul
Now that Paula Abdul has voted herself off of Fox’s “American Idol” after eight years as a judge on the hit talent show, the question is whether there will be a recount or if she will seek office somewhere else.
With auditions for the ninth season of “American Idol” starting Friday in Denver, the odds of Abdul getting one of the show’s judges’ patented saves from the network seem long but not impossible.
But one thing was clear Wednesday: Abdul will have a future in television if her former “American Idol” boss or rival networks have anything to say about it.
Abdul’s ‘Idol’ Exit Shakes Up TV’s Top-Rated Show
Abdul’s former publicist, Howard Bragman, has no doubt she’ll land on her feet — somewhere.
”Don’t write Paula out, ” he said. ”When the earth is destroyed, I am convinced that cockroaches and Paula Abdul will survive. … When Paula Abdul was a Laker Girl, she was the most famous Laker Girl ever. When she was a choreographer, she was the most famous choreographer ever. She became the No. 1 pop star and then she’s on the No. 1 TV show — and it’s remarkable, but she seems to have a quality and ability to rise from the ashes.”
Bragman called Abdul a survivor who considers herself a star and ”lives in sort of Paula-land” where she sees the world through ”the Paula lens.”
Paula Abdul’s Exit Is ‘Terrible’ For ‘American Idol, ‘ Fans Say
It seems like Paula Abdul will be sorely missed by “American Idol” fans now that she’s leaving the show. Abdul surprised everyone when she announced that she would no longer be sitting at the judges’ table alongside Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi.
Critic’s Notebook: Paula Abdul was the ‘American Idol’ mess we’ll miss
Paula-abdul The news that Paula Abdul has chosen to leave ‘American Idol’ rather than accept a salary below her asking price forces the question reality television has been dancing around for years now: What is a reliable train wreck actually worth?
Abdul may have been chosen as one of ‘American Idol’s’ original judges because of her singing career ‘†‘I’ve been where you are’ is her default position with contestants ‘†but what she actually brought to the show was, well, insanity. Loopiness gave way at times to incoherence that seemed chemically induced, an allegation that she denied, then admitted, then denied admitting, then admitted denying, etc. Oh, she tried to fashion herself as a mother hen, comforting the forlorn, or as a feisty foil to Simon Cowell, but the role that worked best for her was the ditsy, drunken sidekick.
