How To Fix American Idol

[MsFroggy]

6) Stop bringing on all these "hot" at the moment pop acts on results night. There are enough Idols on the market, that they should all be allowed to perform. Enough Flo Rida, Lady Gaga extravaganzas.

Some Idols, the ones who can sing, such as Kelly, Adam, Carrie, Daughtry or JHud, are worth bringing back and can be great examples of what these contestants could be in their wildest dreams and show them something to aspire to. Others... not so much.

Besides, if they're lucky enough to be signed - which none of the people on this season deserve - these hot pop acts, bad or good, are who the contestants are going to be going up against on the charts out there in real life, outside of the Idol bubble, where winning or not winning this show makes not one bit of difference.

[brierpatch]

Another suggestion - make the mentor actually mentor - meaning that the mentor spends an intensive week working with the idols rather than 15 minutes - and then only invite people to be mentors who are qualified to do this.

[Lil Bit]

Stop making the contestants sing songs that were produced in the 60's and then berate them for "sounding old fashioned."

(actually, I like the old songs, but if you're going to have them sing something that's 40 years old, don't expect them to always make it contemporary)

[libgirl2]

Stop making the contestants sing songs that were produced in the 60's and then berate them for "sounding old fashioned."

(actually, I like the old songs, but if you're going to have them sing something that's 40 years old, don't expect them to always make it contemporary)

And give them a better song list so we don't have to hear about a judge not knowing the song!

[RealityLovesMe]

I think mentors need to be axed because there isn't enough time for it.
I wouldn't mind if there was a guest judge every week but if they do that, they have to get rid of Ellen and Kara.
The show's voting system needs to remain in tact. No limiting the numbers of votes. Don't people realize that that will mean that the fanatics will just get access to more phones? There is no way to beat the power voters. YOU will just have to vote more than them! Geez!
I think the last 2 seasons, the judges save has been used wisely. Both saved contestants have been good and did deserve another chance. The save worked quite well this season. BUT I think what needs to happen is for the judges to give unbiased judgment. The save would not be needed if the judges were fair. Simon, if you didn't want Mike to go home, why did you bash him for no reason in the first place? Stay consistent, buddy! And then there would be no need to save anyone.
Randy should be made head judge. He's really the least biased on the panel. If he had added responsibility, he might rise to the occasion.
If instruments are allowed, why not allow dancers? That should make things more entertaining!

[norealityhere]

On the Idol website, they have a survey you can take on what you like / dislike / how to improve the show.
I don't believe they've ever had it before, so I expect they're going to heed it.

[I'm MEL]

If instruments are allowed, why not allow dancers? That should make things more entertaining!

That would be hilarious! It would be a great way to disguise a bad singing performance. But they only get dancers if they choreograph them or design their costumes!

[waywyrd]

Dancing? I'm having Taylor Hicks flashbacks.....

I'd really love if they got rid of theme weeks. If we want to see the best of what these people can do, let them have at it in their preferred genre. Honestly, what does forcing a rocker to sing country prove? Or making a country singer do disco? Nothing. More often than not, it's a trainwreck. I want to see them sing what they love, not something force fed off a lame-ass song list.

Oh, and lose Kara, please and thank you.

[TopCatDC]

...I'd really love if they got rid of theme weeks. If we want to see the best of what these people can do, let them have at it in their preferred genre. Honestly, what does forcing a rocker to sing country prove? Or making a country singer do disco? Nothing. More often than not, it's a trainwreck...

Several people have echoed this. But let me stick up for theme weeks.

Yes, sometimes you get train wrecks. But as Daughtry, Lewis, Cook, Allen, and Lambert have demonstrated - just because they do "Country Week" (for example), it doesn't mean you have to put on a cowboy hat and boots. Instead you can get Lambert's Ring of Fire, or Cook's Little Sparrow, or Daughtry's Making Memories of Us. These guys have proved that whatever the source material, be it Disco or Sinatra, you can pull it back into your wheelhouse. So nobody has to take on another style if they don't want to.

And haven't these rearrangements been some of the most memorable performances of their seasons? Nothing fuel's creativity like setting some boundaries. Tell Kris Allen to do disco, and he comes back with a cool acoustic She Works Hard for the Money. Tell Daughtry to do a Standard, and he does What a Wonderful World as a rock & roll lullaby. Tell David Cook to sing Broadway and... well, what do you know - he actually sings Music of the Night totally straight and kills it. I never would have thought he could do that!

Compare that to the first four weeks or so of the live shows this year where they basically had no theme. It was Billboard Top 100 - pick anything that can be cleared. And the song choices for the most part were horrible. How many times did we hear that someone made a choice because "I liked the song" or "It was fun"?

While I admit that every theme will by it's nature advantage some and disadvantage others, it's how people overcome those disadvantages that are, for me, usually more interesting to watch.

[Magnum]

Take this survey to tell (presumably) the producers how you would fix the show.

Loved rating Kara a 1 and Simon a 10.