‘Idol’ judges have grown into their roles

The contestants on “American Idol” change every year. The permanent cast, however, does not.

There are four cast members, and three of them are the show’s judges (the other is Ryan Seacrest, its host). The judges have been the same judges since the first season, and without them, the show would collapse.

FOX’s reality talent search series might let the public select their idol, but it would not be the most popular television show in America without Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson.

Over the five seasons they’ve worked together, the three have grown into their roles. Sometimes they’re more serious, while other times they seem to recognize that the entire show is a huge farce. Even as they grow more alike, their differences become clear, as each fills a certain, necessary role in the “American Idol” equation.

No other show has been able to create a judging panel quite like this one, and that’s thanks to their distinct personalities and clear understanding of the job they were hired to do.

Paula Abdul: Cries with you, cries for you
Paula Abdul’s job is, on paper, to provide the perspective of a pop idol. Of the three judges, Abdul was the only household name when "Idol" began in 2002. Still, back then, she hadn’t been seen dancing with animated cats or doing much at all for a number of years.

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As Simon Cowell explains in his book “I Don’t Meant to Be Rude, But…”, Paula nearly quit the series during the first auditions because of his caustic remarks and the overall tone of the show. Simon writes that Paula was crying hysterically, upset over his criticisms and the responses of the contestants.

She stayed, of course, seemingly just to provide a counterpoint to Simon’s nastiness. Paula quickly became the “den mother” of the show, and the person who would never say anything bad about anyone. Any criticism she does offer comes buried inside happier thoughts.

Last season, she told one semi-finalist, “It wasn’t my favorite song choice, but I still think you were true to who you are, and that’s what’s important in this competition.”

That nice-at-all-costs tone fell away somewhat during “American Idol 5,” when she behaved so erratically that host Ryan Seacrest repeatedly suggested on-air that she was drunk. Perhaps bruised over former contestant Corey Clark’s accusations that she’d had a relationship with him, claims that surfaced at the end of season four, Paula’s behavior was atypical, to say the least.

A few times she even criticized contestants, telling Paris Bennett last season, “I felt like it was kind of a struggle for you to find that place where you own the stage like you always do week after week.” That caused the shocked audience to boo Paula.

Yet ultimately she stayed in character, offering more and more praise, with more and more emotion behind her words. After finalist Elliott Yamin performed one song, she burst into tears and told him, “You move me. You celebrate what this competition is all about. ... You have a beautiful, beautiful voice.”

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