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Kara DioGuardi Judges My Songwriting

Posted 6/20/11 5:30 pm EST by in American Idol


Kara DioGuardi

Kara DioGuardi took a lot of lumps from American Idol fans during her two-year stint as “the fourth judge.” Hell, anyone who keeps up with my Idol coverage knows I’ve employed far too many Kara DioSaster puns.

Things are different in KaraLand now, though. She’s absolutely killing it as head judge on her latest TV endeavor, Bravo’s Platinum Hit, a reality competition where aspiring songwriters battle it out to become America’s Next Top Diane Warren. (New episodes premiere every Monday night. So much drama, and the songwriters are actually talented!) Plus, Kara escaped Idol with her sense of humor intact, joking openly in interviews about her less-than-stellar time on live TV.

Last week, Kara stopped by MTV News and I had about a zillion things to ask her. But I also wanted to give her the chance to critique me. I’ve made mortgage payments thanks to her Idol gaffes, so it’s only fair to allow her to get a few shots in at me. So I strapped on my songwriter cap and spent 20 minutes re-writing the lyrics to one of my musical “Glee-caps” in Kara’s honor. And then I performed it for her. To her face. And asked her opinion. Gulp.

What would one of the industry’s top songwriters think of my tune? Would she say the melody needs work? Or that my lyrics are cliché? How could I go on living if the person responsible for so many of my favorite karaoke jams hated my music?

Check out the video below to see her reaction. (Spoiler alert: she’s awesome.) Read More...

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Kara DioGuardi Catches MTV Staff Off Guard With Sense Of Humor

Posted 6/16/11 8:42 am EST by in American Idol


Kara DioGuardi

By Morgan Schwartz

Kara DioGuardi strolled into MTV News yesterday in a pair of black plastic flip flops. A weird choice of shoes? At first, I thought so. But after listening to her candidly (and hilariously) talk about her experiences and seeing how laid back and open she was, the shoes seemed a perfect fit.

I first got to know Kara when she judged American Idol in its eighth and ninth seasons. As a hardcore Idol fan, I must say, having a seemingly random woman walk on and upset the balance of Randy, Simon and Paula really pissed me off. But Kara won me over pretty quickly and I became an admirer.

Always looking hot, Kara proved to be a provider of some pretty good feedback (or at least better than her female counterpart Paula, who always seemed to be, um, a little out of it). But I still had no idea where her expertise came from. And though I learned she was a songwriter, I had no idea how much she actually did. Until today.

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The Original 'American Idol' Judges Voted Best In A Landslide

Posted 9/23/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


Starting in January, "American Idol" will open up on a new era. When the show returns to the airwaves, the judges' table will look entirely new, as Jennifer Lopez and longtime Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will be joining Randy Jackson as the new adjudicators of talent on the hit show. (The producers also announced a bunch of other changes for next season, including the elimination of theme weeks and a permanent position for music business mastermind Jimmy Iovine.)

Tyler and Lopez certainly lend the show a healthy dose of star power (they each have a long history of success on stage, in the studio and out among the people), it will be interesting to see exactly what kind of vibe and chemistry they bring to the table. They have an uphill battle ahead of them, as according to the results of yesterday's poll, the original three judges (Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul) are by far the most beloved of any combination the show has ever had. That trio took home just about 70 percent of the vote, blowing away the nearest competition. Second place went to the new lineup (which at least bodes well for the show compared to the most recent seasons), grabbing 16 percent. The team of Cowell, Abdul, Jackson and Kara DioGuardi got eight percent, and bringing up the rear is season nine's combination of Cowell, Jackson, DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres (they took home a mere six percent).

Of course, we won't know how well Tyler and Lopez perform until the cameras roll on their work and the shows are broadcast. But even though they haven't been a team in several seasons, that original trio remains on a pedestal. At least people seem to be more interested in the new team than last year's squad, which gets them off on the right foot.

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'American Idol' Officially Announces New Judges, So Which Team Is The Best?

Posted 9/22/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


After months of contract-based turmoil and seemingly countless rumors, the producers of "American Idol" have finally made it official. The next season of the show — which is scheduled to begin airing in January 2011 and will represent the show's 10th go-round — will feature a judges' table that consists of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and actress/pop sensation Jennifer Lopez (in addition to Randy Jackson, the only judge left from the show's first episode).

There has been turnover behind the judges' table before, but it has never been quite as dramatic as this. The show seemed to be humming along well as a trio before the introduction of Kara DioGuardi made the panel into a quartet. Then Paula Abdul exited, clearing the way for Ellen DeGeneres to fill in. But this season, neither DeGeneres nor DioGuardi will be returning, and that's on top of the fact that Simon Cowell — who has been the show's face and guiding hand since its inception — decided to bolt in favor of throwing his weight behind an American version of his hit British competition show "X Factor."

With all that upheaval, that leaves us with Jackson, Tyler and Lopez, all of whom bring distinct personalities to the show. But will they be able to provide enough different kinds of opinions to the table? And what will their chemistry be like? And most of all, who will assume the Cowell role of blunt, stern taskmaster?

All those questions will be answered in a few months, but at the moment, we can speculate plenty. Based solely on the idea of the new trio of judges, how do they match up against the other versions of the panel? Vote for your favorite combination below and let us know why you voted the way you did in the comments.

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With Ellen DeGeneres Gone, It's Time For Jessica Simpson To Be The New Paula Abdul

Posted 7/30/10 4:00 pm EST by in Music


The future of "American Idol" was already up in the air with Simon Cowell's exit from the show before Ellen DeGeneres announced she wasn't coming back and rumors started circulating that Kara DioGuardi was also leaving the confines of the judges' table. In the past few months, we've spent a number of posts trying to figure out who would be the new version of Simon Cowell. But we realized that the search the producers of the show should be conducting is one for the new Paula Abdul.

Since her exit, the efforts of DeGeneres and DioGuardi have driven home the fact that the show really missed Abdul's approach to the show, which was equal parts poetic, positive, wacky, insightful and completely unhinged. And not only did Abdul give something to "Idol," but "Idol" also gave a lot to Abdul, resurrecting the former chart-topper's career and making her a player in both the worlds of television and music.

That's why there are a handful of artists who should be clamoring to grab a chair behind the judges' table on "American Idol." The rumored deal with Jennifer Lopez is interesting, but here are the 10 we think would do even better.

Click here for photos of the former pop stars who would make excellent "American Idol" judges!

Jessica Simpson
Though she has had a few moments on reality television (most recently on the VH1 show "Jessica Simpson's The Price of Beauty"), her music career has sputtered a bit since her initial string of hits at the turn of the century. A high-profile spot on "Idol" would definitely elevate her status and give her all sorts of options moving forward. Plus, she knows plenty about music and has a winning personality.

Mandy Moore
Though she has completely reinvented herself since the "Candy" era, Mandy Moore deserves to be a much bigger star. Her experience at various levels of the record industry and her interest in a number of different genres (pop, rock, country and the like) would make her a stellar choice.

Nick Lachey
Lachey hasn't been around very much since the "Newlyweds" era, but the guy knows music, has a great television presence and, most importantly, says what he thinks, which would not only make him a great Paula replacement but also a great fill-in for Simon.

JC Chasez
Sure, the former *NSYNC member (who put out one of the most underrated solo albums of the boy band era) spends a lot of his time as a judge on "America's Best Dance Crew" (which also happens to be produced by none other than Randy Jackson), but there's no reason why he couldn't pull double time, as he is a key reason why "ABDC" is such a hit. He's cutting, insightful and gets to the point in ways that most people can't.
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Why Kara DioGuardi Should Stay On 'American Idol'

Posted 7/30/10 2:30 pm EST by in Television


By Eric Ditzian

Last March, as it became increasingly clear Simon Cowell didn't give a hoot and Ellen DeGeneres' nice-gal charm didn't translate well to reality competition judging, I wrote a story headlined, "Is Kara DioGuardi The Best 'American Idol' Judge?"

"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," I argued, staking out an opinion that was surely not popular but which was difficult to dispute if you looked at the show honestly.

Now comes word that, following Ellen DeGeneres' exit, DioGuardi might well be getting the heave-ho from "Idol" producers. All I can say is, "Noooo!"

It feels weird to be in a position of defending Kara. There really is something a bit prickly about her presence on the "Idol" panel, a hyper-sensitivity mixed with an over-seriousness. Alas, she's just not that likeable. Of course, why she comes off as unlikeable, whereas the far more acerbic Simon Cowell is a fan favorite, is the topic for a different blog post.

But you know what? Forget likeability. As with my politicians, I prefer my "Idol" judges to be competent rather than someone with whom I'd like to share a beer. And Kara was undoubtedly the most competent season nine judge, both understanding and communicating the key ingredients of a successful recording artist.

Listen, being an "Idol" judge is incredibly hard. It takes practice to pop off a TV-friendly sound bite. If you doubt that, just remember how much Ellen, with years of experience in front of the camera, struggled during the live shows. With Kara, Ellen and Simon gone, we'd be stuck with Randy Jackson's shrug-heavy commentary and two new judges attempting to learn on the job.

For a show already dipping in the ratings, the last thing producers should do is boot the one person with the potential to replace Simon as the must-hear "Idol" judge. No knock against rumored replacements Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, but can either of these reality novices offer more enlightening words than Kara, herself a vet of both the judges table and the recording studio?

While I don't imagine Kara will get the same support that Conan O'Brien did during his struggles with NBC ("I'm with KaKa" doesn't roll off the tongue, does it?), we'd like to see the "Idol" faithful raise their voices and say in unison, "Don't let Kara go!"

Do you want to keep Kara DioGuardi on "American Idol"? Let us know in the comments!

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'American Idol' Lowered The Age To Look For Justin Bieber: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 7/20/10 5:00 pm EST by in Music


"I think different people will show up this time. You're seeing stars like Justin Bieber, a lot of younger artists do it, you know? So you want to take advantage of that. There's a lot of kids that are getting better earlier. It's great."

-"American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, talking about the reasoning for lowering the age minimum for contestants on the show. The producers of "Idol" lowered the beginning age from 16 to 15 before the new round of auditions got started, which drew raised eyebrows all across the Internet (especially from MTV News "Idol" expert Jim Cantiello). But as Jackson told MTV News on the red carpet of Monday night's (July 19) VH1 Do Something! Awards, there are any number of examples of young artists who have excelled despite their relative lack of experience.

Fellow judge Kara DioGuardi offered up another example. "Take LeAnn Rimes," DioGuardi explained to MTV News. "At a very young age she was singing very deep country songs, and she had that old soul and it worked. It could be a kid who's really young, who didn't even know he was that talented, or it could be someone that's a little bit older that, for whatever reason, it hasn't worked out yet. That's what's exciting about the show: It's about that dream and helping people realize it."

Auditions for the upcoming 10th season of "American Idol" are already underway, though there is no indication about who will be filling the void left by departed judge Simon Cowell (or if he'll even be replaced at all).

What do you think of the new age requirements on "American Idol"? Let us know in the comments!

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'American Idol' Judges Poll Results: Paula Abdul Comes Out On Top

Posted 3/18/10 6:00 pm EST by in Music, Television


On Wednesday (March 17), we posed a question: Which "American Idol" judge has been the best of all time? The question came up because there is still no replacement lined up for Simon Cowell (though we have submitted more than a few suggestions) and because Kara DioGuardi has strangely elevated herself to the position of best judge on the show.

With that in mind, we got thousands of responses to the poll question, and lo and behold, Paula Abdul came out on top by quite a large margin. She took home 65 percent of the total vote, which drives home the fact that even though we're two months into the new season of the show, everybody still misses Abdul.

The departing Simon Cowell came in second place with 26 percent. That's a pretty large gap between first place and the second spot. That means that the remaining three judges — Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres — scored less than 10 percent combined (DeGeneres stood a distant third with four percent, followed by Jackson with three percent and DioGuardi bringing up the rear with two).

Though obviously the results of these polls don't have anything to do with science, "American Idol" could be in a lot of trouble if this poll represents a microcosm of the rest of the "Idol"-watching universe. Considering that the people voting prefer a judge who isn't there and one who is leaving at the end of this season over the three who will be left behind, that puts the onus on Cowell's replacement to really make a splash to keep the show (or at least the judging portions of it) completely afloat. Perhaps the "Idol" producers should just hire back Abdul and let her run the show?

What do you think of the results of the poll? Let us know in the comments!

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In 'American Idol' History, Who Has Been The Best Judge?

Posted 3/17/10 4:50 pm EST by in Music, Television


There is no shortage of drama on the "American Idol" stage during the ninth season of the show. Did Andrew Garcia peak too early? Is Aaron Kelly too young? Will Crystal Bowersox keep the lead? Can Siobhan Magnus make a run to the top? The field seems wide open, which is fueling plenty of speculation and making the competition the most even it has been in years.

The drama doesn't stop there, though, as there is a narrative unfolding at the judges' table as well. Before this season started, alpha dog Simon Cowell announced he would be leaving the show after this season is complete in order to fully commit himself to the American version of his U.K. hit "X-Factor." This season also represented the introduction of Ellen DeGeneres, who sits on the panel as the voice of the fan and has brought some much-needed professional comedy to the proceedings.

The combination of Cowell's impending exit, former judge Paula Abdul's notable absence, Ellen's new role and Kara DioGuardi's sudden ascension to alpha dog status has created an unpredictable energy in the judges' chairs and has also fueled a ton of speculation about the future of the show.

A few weeks ago, we asked how Ellen was doing, and an equal number of people thought of her as the best judge the show had ever seen and someone who should be fired and replaced by Abdul. With DioGuardi's constant improvement, it made us wonder: In the nine season history of the show, which judge is the best of all time? Vote below and leave your argument in the comments.

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Terry Bradshaw Gets Kara DioGuardi's 'Idol' Treatment On 'The Tonight Show'

Posted 3/16/10 12:05 pm EST by in Television


By Eric Ditzian

"American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi certainly seems to be delivering more perceptive, often justifiably harsh commentary this season, but she was all smiles — and understandably less brutal — when it came to critiquing the singing talents of Terry Bradshaw on "The Tonight Show."

On Monday night (March 15), Jay Leno enlisted the help of DioGuardi in picking apart a vintage clip of Bradshaw — the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who has become an NFL Hall of Famer and a current Fox Sports analyst — busting out a rendition of Johnny Rodriguez's "Pass Me By."

Rocking a pinky ring and some thick sideburns in the video, Bradshaw tried on his best honky-tonk tone and, well, the results probably wouldn't earn the guy a golden ticket to Hollywood. But it's certainly amusing to watch him try. Check out the video to see why all Kara could say to Bradshaw afterward was, "It was a more sensitive side of you."

DioGuardi was visiting "The Tonight Show" to promote the current season of "American Idol," which is celebrating "Rolling Stones Week" this week. Each of the Top 12 contestants will bust out a tune made famous by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on Tuesday night's (March 16) performance show.

What did you think of Terry Bradshaw's singing? Did Kara DioGuardi do well during her "Tonight Show" guest spot? Let us know in the comments!

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