Ellen To Replace Paula on Idol . . . Seriously?

Time will tell whether Fox's decision to fill the "American Idol" judge's seat vacated by Paula Abdul with Ellen DeGeneres will pay off, but personally, I'm not feeling it.

I mean, I like Ellen, I've interviewed her, and she's a genuinely funny, sweet person, with the kind of fast-on-her-feet humour that makes her such a great talk-show host. But that makes her as qualified to judge a singing contest as, well, me, you or pretty much anybody else. Paula at least made records. And although she usually had little of value to say when it came to the judging, she was at her best when she came off as being batcrap crazy, babbling about cornflakes and moths and slurring her words, and dancing inappropriately at the drop of a hat and arguing with Simon and crying and, well, I don't see Ellen topping that. Unless there's some hidden psychiatric condition we don't know about, Ellen just seems way too stable mentally to contribute the kind of entertainment to which I've become accustomed — Simon being brutally honest, Paula being wacky, Randy saying not much of anything, and, now, Kara babbling on and on and on and on so the show runs five minutes long every week. As I try to imagine how Ellen will fit into this mix, I can't say I'm particularly enthusiastic about it.

But I'll try to keep an open mind. Here's what the press release announcing Ellen's participation said: "Emmy Award-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has joined AMERICAN IDOL as a fourth judge. DeGeneres will sit alongside Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi and offer her own unique perspective to the contestants throughout the competition."

“I’m thrilled to be the new judge on AMERICAN IDOL,” said DeGeneres. ”I’ve watched since the beginning, and I’ve always been a huge fan. So getting this job is a dream come true, and think of all the money I’ll save from not having to text in my vote.”