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UPDATES TV TUG OF WAR: It’s Ellen vs Simon
Whether Howard Stern will or won’t join American Idol as the judge replacing Simon Cowell, is one of the hot debates on the Internet right now. And, of course, Howard is fanning the flames of the controversy by insulting everyone connected to the “karaoke show”, especially Simon, Ellen, and Ryan Seacrest. I’ve just learned Howard Stern is indeed “being considered” as a judge but my sources tell me that ”Ellen is not in favor” of his joining the panel.
Ellen DeGeneres tonight makes her American Idol show debut. And when you watch, remember that I recently reported that, on her first day taping the Hollywood segment, Simon Cowell showed up an hour and a half late for the taping. And Ellen stewed while she waited for him. She had reason: to accommodate both her talk show hosting duties and her American Idol judging duties, she had moved up her schedule so that now she shot the talk show earlier in the day and then jumped in the car to go to Idol. She was on time, and Cowell was not. “Here it was the first day of taping of the Hollywood shows, and Ellen was there waiting for Simon to show up. Ellen’s new to the gig and she’s very organized and she made a commitment to take this on, and now she’s asking herself, ‘What did I get myself into?’ She called Simon Cowell a prima donna. So right from the start, the chemistry isn’t great,” an insider tells us.
It’ll be interesting to see tonight whether the tension between Ellen and Simon is visible. (Or even edited out…) But as I reported previously, Ellen after the taping contacted the pal who brought her to the primetime hit show, Fox alternative programming chief Mike Darnell, and made a request: she asked him to “hurry up and pick” Simon’s successor. Now she doesn’t want Howard Stern as a judge.
Meanwhile, here’s an exclusive interview Ellen DeGeneres did with Extra‘s Mario Lopez where she dished about the judges’ chemistry:
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Howard probably knows more than that idiot Ellen. He has musical guests on his show all the time and is very in tune with music. In fact Howard had a mini Idol-like audition in the studio with Paula, Randy and Simon on his show a few years back. Howard cleverly snuck in a well known lead singer of a band and these freaking morons told him that he wasn’t good. HOWARD ON IDOL WOULD BE GENIUS! COME ON DARNELL. PULL THE TRIGGER!
Howard would make the ratings SOAR. He says what people think.
Forget the talent performances, I want to see Ellen kick the living crap out of Stern on live television. And you know she can.
Are you kidding me? Ellen is shitting bricks at the possibility of having to hold up in the presence of Howard’s take-no-prisoners comic sensibility. Her horrible dancing rituals and mawkish self-hating lesbian b.s. routine would wither in seconds…
If Howard Stern becomes a judge on American Idol, I will stop watching American Idol completely and I will tell my friends to stop watching American Idol and will tell them why they should stop watching the show.Valerie
Thanks for the opportunity to exercise my rights.
And you would get to exercise your authority over your friends, woohoo!
I no longer care…Paula is gone, I’ll not watch it again!
Putting on Howard Stern would be crazy on a family friendly show. I think it’d be a turn off to most viewers….wrong show, wrong hour. Simon can justify his harshness because he has the expertise to make it justifiable. It is in the name of “good”. Stern’s rudeness would be for the sake of rudeness and simply would lead to damaging the franchise and the ratings.
He used to call her Ellen DeWrongGenitals on his show, so I can see why she wouldn’t want to host with him. However, the try-out shows would probably be even funnier with Stern than Simon.
I have watched American Idol for 9 seasons now. I have no problem with Simon leaving, but if Howard Stern became a judge (which I STRONGLY believe will not happen) I would immediately quit watching. But no worries – there’s NO WAY that would happen. He shows contempt for the “karaoke show”, so why would they hire him. Plus, the biggest demographic of this show is teens and tweens, and parents will NOT want them watching Howard Stern.
Probably the ONLY thing that might keep American Idol from experiencing the inevitable (and given the presence of Ellen DeGeneres, virtually guaranteed) ratings dive would be bringing Howard Stern on board. Ellen’s nasty behavior off-camera (and her ultra-odd schtick on-camera) spells total disaster for the people who not only put Idol together but for those of us who used to want to watch and follow Idol throughout the season. She is, as all will soon come to learn, Idol’s poison pill. How very sad.
ellen degeneres is a big sad joke. she gets support of the gay media moguls, otherwise she would be washing dishes.
Howard would be a perfect replacement for Simon on American Idol. He knows how to evaluate entertainment and talent and has been doing it for longer than any of the other judges. He is also very intelligent and able to self-censor himself if necessary. Great idea!
To the comment written on February 9, 2010 @ 3:05 P.M., Is that you Imus? Anyway, put Howard Stern on and they will soon forget about Simon Cowell. The ratings will shoot through the roof. I only wish that Hank the angry dwarf was still trolling around.
I’ve never watched an episode of AI in my life but if Stern is a judge it’ll be Must See TV.
I doubt it will ever happen though…
How ’bout alternating the spot to different people, even prior winners to host, who would know better what to look for?
I vote for Gene Simmons! Loved him on The Apprentice!
No. Just…no.
Hello people, there is more to Ellen than her sexuality. Also, I didn’t hear her say anything about Howard Stern, so I dont’ know why you guys think she hates him so much. (but if what rob s said is true, then she definitely has a right not to like him, and that doesn’t sound like pro-gay to me, that sounds like homophobia.)
The idea of Stern as an “Idol” judge is as preposterous as it is moronic, mainly because it flies in the face of the most critical aspect of the show.
The obvious problem with Stern isn’t that he’s completely unqualified, but that he completely contradicts and undermines the “family friendly” nature of the show, which has to appeal to (and not offend) all generations across middle America.
Adding (nicer/saner/funnier-than-Paula) Ellen is about as edgy as FOX will ever dare get with “Idol” (and they only dared do that post-Clay Aiken, post-Adam Lambert coming out). They won’t let Stern within a million miles of that show, and there’s certainly no way they could even begin to justify paying him $100 million. That’s sheer madness.
This is just tabloid gossip that Stern is having too much fun fanning. Laugh while you can, monkey boy!
P.S.: Look for FOX to tie in Conan (and maybe even Max Weinberg) to “Idol” as part of his talk show deal and big promotional launch next January. You heard it here first.
I am a straight man and I love Ellen. I always have. Her persona is just quirky enough to be funny without being annoying. I don’t get the bashing people give her. As for being an Idol judge I think it’s great! I’ve been a Stern fan since the “I see OJ” days so I’d love to see him on the show but I don’t think it would be good for Fox or AI.
Yep, the show has officially jumped the shark.
I’m sorry, but I must have missed the music industry achievements of Ellen and Howard. If either of them had even BEEN in the music field, then as a contestant I might respect whatever review/critique/advice they may have to offer. But as it is, anyone judging who hasn’t even had a singing career is ridiculous. I mean, come on, producers! Surely there’s someone who can SING that is willing to be a judge. If Ellen and Howard are qualified, then kick out Randy and let’s make it a clean sweep with one more judge with as much personality and singing chops…say, someone as talented in music as Al Gore.
Melissa you clearly have never listened to Howard otherwise you would know that he is one of the most openly pro-gay people out there and has been for several years. What Howard does is pick on everyone. An equal opportunity offender.
I would definitely tune if if Howard showed up even as a guest host.
Stern hasn’t been relevant for years. He looks old, thinks old, is old. He puts no effort into his radio show at all anymore, and spends most of his time complaining that he has to work. I’m no Ellen fan, but she’s right – he’s a bad choice who is a decade (or more, really) past his prime.
If not Howard Stern then how about Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson.
Well, when you deal with the caliber of person on AMERICAN IDOL,…
Before he did talk radio, Howard Stern was actually employed as a dj at radio stations in Westchester, NY; Detroit, MI; and Washington, DC.
He knows a great deal about rock music. Some well known band actually did a cover of a song he wrote as a teenager – something to do with bees, I think.
Before he did talk radio, Howard Stern was actually employed as a dj at radio stations in Westchester, NY; Detroit, MI; and Washington, DC.
He knows a great deal about rock music. Some well known band actually did a cover of a song he wrote as a teenager – something to do with bees, I think.