American Idol has seen a multitude of judges over the years. Its most recent season sees Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie on the panel, with each offering their own personal touch to the competition series. However, fans are starting to feel that only one of the three judges is truly “honest.”
American Idol Fans Have Seen Quite A Few Different Judges Over The Years
When American Idol first premiered back in 2002, the show was famously hosted by Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson. Of the three, Cowell was especially known for his brutally honest comments with contestants.
Over the years, fans have seen a multitude of figures become American Idol judges. Such names include Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban. In the show’s most recent era, the current line-up is Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, who herself got her big break as a contestant on the show.
As previously reported, fans have been complaining that the current three judges are going to easy on the contestants. However, on social media, one fan felt at least one judge is starting to prove they can be blunt when push comes to shove.
As the fan wrote, “Carrie is the only honest judge.” The continued, “Carrie is not impressed on rock night. I LOVE her honesty. The contestants are not picking the right songs and are boring. Can’t they google Carrie and guns and roses????”
During a recent episode of the show, fans tuned into hear songs from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame performers, complete with guest mentor James Taylor. As noted by Parade, twelve inductees were revealed during the show: “Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes.”
For her part, Underwood also gave a pre-taped performance of Heart’s “Alone.” She previously performed this song during her time as a contestant on the show.
Some Fans Defended The Song Selections, While Others Still Didn’t Like It
At the judges’ table, Underwood was dressed as Axl Rose from Guns N Roses, complete with a red bandana. As one fan noted, “She’s a very big Guns and Roses fan. Hasn’t been shy about that through the years.”
Fans weighed in on whether the episode really suited the “rock” theme with its selection. Some pointed out that “Rock” and “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame” have some overlap, but don’t always mean the same thing.
That said, even fans who understood the selection didn’t necessarily like it either. A few thought Underwood’s performance of “Alone” was more than enough to make a statement. Some comments included:
- “It’s about artists who have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Not all artists in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame are rock and roll.”
- “Yeah it was very apparent who they wanted to go through. Nobody has been forced outside of their comfort zones and it really shows.”
- “Not sure I agree totally as this was Rock & Roll Hall of Fame night, however, in general, the song choices are universally bad. It’s honestly mind boggling. This is not a ‘who’s the best singer competition,’ it’s a popularity contest.”
- “I think the judges are scared to criticize so they don’t influence the votes.”
- “I really enjoyed last night. I liked most of the song choices and thought the contestants did a decent job. However, hearing Carrie sing at the beginning really showcased how good she is compared to many of the other singers.”
Have you been keeping up with American Idol? What did you think of the recent performances? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest reality TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
