By Eric Ditzian
I've been a rabid, not entirely rational Kara DioGuardi hater since her debut on "American Idol" in January of 2009. She was a Frankenstein-like hybrid of the other judges' worst traits: Simon Cowell's prickliness, Paula Abdul's say-what-now gibberish, Randy Jackson's occasional indecisiveness, all without any of their charms, all slathered in a unique and unflattering I-wanna-be-a-cool-kid desperation.
Which is why, two months into season nine, I'm so confused. While Randy still says "dawg" a bit too much, Simon zaps in his commentary from a mind already busy decorating his "X Factor" set and Ellen DeGeneres remains unable to give contestants anything but gooey word-snuggles, Kara has emerged as the panel's most engaging voice. She's consistently given out the most insightful criticism, displayed the most informed ear and dolled out the advice contestants would be most wise to follow. Is it possible that Kara DioGuardi has become the best judge on "American Idol"?
Season nine didn't start off so well for Kara. In the Boston audition, she let her scuffle with creepy Andrew Fenlon escalate until we could see her internalize the argument and react out of personal anger rather than brush-a-fly-off-your-shoulder disdain (as Simon typically does). It was not a flattering pose. She also battled with guest judge Katy Perry and came off looking foolish. And then there was the clumsy, take-your-top-off flirt fest with Casey James. As the taped and edited auditions came to a close, we were sorely missing Paula Abdul and wishing Kara's "Idol" experiment had only lasted one season.
Things began to look up in Hollywood Week. Kara became an early champion of future Top 24 members Didi Benami, Andrew Garcia and Lilly Scott. Just as importantly, she questioned the chops of Tim Urban and Lee Dewyze, both of whom have received high praise disproportionate to their mid-level musical talents. In all fairness, though, she did tag woefully overmatched (but still alive) Katie Stevens as a potential winner.
The point isn't that Kara has been right 100 percent of the time. It's that she's shown she understands (and can articulate) the essential building blocks of a successful recording artist. By the time the lives shows started, Kara had found her groove. She highlighted Katelyn Epperly's sparkling take on Coldplay's "The Scientist" and feted Siobhan Magnus at the same time that she questioned how the singer hadn't yet defined herself as an artist. She's was clear, concise and almost always delivered spot-on in her commentary. "Idol" producers continued to do her a disservice as they harped on the cougar connection between her and Casey James.
To be sure, Kara has also benefited from her surrounding judges' shortcomings. Ellen has surprised no one with her aw-shucks niceness and inability to deliver better advice than anyone sitting home yelling at the TV. And Simon can barely muster the energy not to give a hoot about the proceedings. Her flaws are plenty, her persona still occasionally grating, but the truth is getting harder to ignore: Kara DioGuardi really does seem to have assumed the position of the best judge on "American Idol."
What do you think? Who is the best judge on "American Idol" right now? Leave your thoughts in the comments!