Things seem to be calming down in the news about American Idol, Clay Aiken, and the judges!  It’s been amusing to see the over-reaction and over-the -top headlines.  But…life goes on.  Who will be the next celebrity that gets poked by the press?

I think the Los Angeles Times wrote one of the most logical articles about Clay’s reaction to American Idol:

‘American Idol’ recap: Is Clay Aiken right about the judges?                                                                                                                                                                              by Amy Reiter

 Clay Aiken had a point. The former “American Idol” contestant (second place, Season 2) and onetime congressional nominee (Democrat, North Carolina) caused a bit of a foofaraw this week when he tweeted his dissatisfaction with the show’s current panel of judges.

“Well … now I know why the ratings are down,” Aiken wrote in response to the show’s final season premiere on Wednesday, calling Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez  and Harry Connick Jr. “boring” and chiding them for failing to react more emphatically to an untalented aspiring contestant.

“It’s VERY clear now that Simon Cowell was the reason @AmericanIdol was a hit,” Aiken opined in a series of tweets. “I’ve watched root canals more entertaining than these judges.”

Although I cannot, in all honesty, say I miss Cowell’s brand of self-satisfied nasty, Aiken’s irritation with “Idol’s” current judging panel is not unjustified. On Thursday night’s episode, the judges consistently spoke over or physically interrupted the auditions of some of the season’s more promising contestants, preventing the us from being able to hear and respond to them ourselves. Lopez’s steady flow of commentary prompted one talented performer to express concern that he had completely flubbed his audition. But Connick is clearly the worst offender, employing the broadest array of disruptive tools: leaving in the middle of one audition (“Keep singing,” he told the confused contestant) and in the beginning of another, only to reappear behind the singer and frighten him with a bear hug at a key lyrical moment.

What’s more, in one instance, Connick expressed a willingness to put through to Hollywood a contestant who was a complete train wreck: She insulted Urban, repeatedly forgot her lyrics and came across as woefully adrift. Thank goodness for Urban, who seemed as aghast as the rest of us at Connick’s shockingly low standards. “You so don’t seem ready for this at all,” Urban told the contestant, Californian Sarah Hayes, 26, of Middletown. “Emotionally, physically, mentally, everything was just unstable.”

So much for all that talk about setting a higher bar than ever for the show’s farewell season…

Amy goes on, in the article, to review each singer.  If you would like to read her article, Click on LA TIMES.

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Buddy TV has a question they want you to answer about Clay and American Idol:

‘Idol’ Round Up: Clay Aiken Goes on Twitter Tirade, Adam Lambert Named Top-Earning Alum and More

Clay Aiken, who was featured in the season 15 premiere, has no qualms expressing his disappointment at the show that made him famous. The season two runner-up, who claimed he hasn’t watched the program in a decade, tuned in Wednesday night and took to Twitter to give everyone a piece of his mind.

Interestingly, Aiken will still be seen next week on Idol to help contestants during the Philadelphia auditions. Season eight winner Kris Allen and season five winner Taylor Hicks are set to return for the final season. Find out what they have to say about their return…(Video that was posted on CANN Friday.)

Idol Premieres to Lowest Ratings Ever

American Idol may have defeated every broadcast show on the air Monday night but it also hit an all-time low. The season 15 opener pulled in 10.9 million viewers– which is 9 percent behind last year’s all-time-low premiere.

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A big thank you to DisplacedNCgirl for sharing some screen caps from the American Idol Video.  These are fun!!

Are you heading out to vote?

I hope so!!