~ Craig Detweiler

~Is it just me or has American Idol lost its mojo? Maybe the altering of the judges booth tipped a rather fragile balance. For all her loopiness, perhaps Paula Abdul was the perfect foil for Simon Cowell’s scowl. Despite her alleged expertise, Karla Diogardi has never struck my fancy. (And isn’t a bit too early in the celebrity cycle to already sell herself out by posing naked for Allure?) While Ellen DeGeneres is a delightful person, as a judge, she doesn’t bring much to the table. So no love for the new judging mix.

When it comes to this year’s contestants, nobody seems to have any lasting staying power. “Nice” and “pleasant” are not necessarily a virtues when it comes to televised events. The show’s appeal is built on fandom. We hate to see our favorites go. So who are we pulling for (or against)? Did any fans shed tears over Katie Stevens or Andrew Garcia’s departure?

Who will bring the heat, the passion, the panache? Adam Lambert’s recent appearance as a mentor only highlighted the blandness dogging this season. His performances last year may have occasionally misfired, but he understood the need to entertain, to grab our attention, to be bold.

Is this the way a beloved competition show ends? Not with a bang but a whimper? Are you equally bored? Or do I need to look closer? Should we give the new mix of judges and contestants more time? Or should we follow Simon Cowell by sailing off the show?

Craig has written about film in The New York Times, and appeared on CNN and NPR. He currently teaches film at Pepperdine University and works as a liaison between the university and the entertainment industry. This review first appeared on Craig’s blog and is republished here with his permission.