"American Idol" is coming back in January to captivate huge audiences and crush the four remaining pop stars that didn't get their start on reality TV (watch your back, Alicia Keys). This season of "AI" will feature a couple big changes. Once the show gets to the Hollywood level -- i.e. the final 24 -- contestants will be able to play instruments when they take the stage. This will give some of the more musically-inclined contestants a chance to showcase their abilities. Where was this rule when Bo Bice was around, dammit?!? This could've changed everything!
"American Idol" will also be cutting back on the celebrity mentors that dominated last season. Creator Nigel Lythgoe says:
We got such good mentors [last season] that we forgot about getting across who these kids were, their backgrounds and families.
So that means less of J. Lo's ass and more of Sanjaya's sister's rack. Is it a good trade-off? Tough to say. Either way, if you're an aspiring "American Idol" contestant, you might want to ask for a guitar for Christmas.
I'm going to ask right now, before the show starts back up: Can we please set a limit this year on how many "AI" contestants get to become famous after the show ends? It's really getting ridiculous. I'm not trying to be anti-"American Idol" or anything like that, but we have to stop letting every single finalist from the show become famous afterwards. Much like kids forgoing college for the NBA, this surplus of ex-"American Idol" pop stars is diluting the talent pool and lowering the overall level of play. Oh sure, you get your Kelly Clarksons and your Carrie Underwoods, but for each one of them, there are dozens of failed pop stars who could've used a few years in the D-league. Let's all make a promise to try to keep it to 3 or less famous ex-"Idols" this year. It's best for us, and it's best for the kids.
