# Paula Abdul Not Returning To American Idol Next Season **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394 "2009-08-05T05:56:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/1 "2009-08-05T05:56:06Z")
According to this [MSNBC article](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32293116/ns/entertainment-reality_tv/), the madwoman won’t be returning to American Idol next season. Granted, she was always fun to watch as she lurched between insane and inane, but I doubt the show will tank without her. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/2 "2009-08-05T06:06:19Z")
It’s been obvious for a few years that she’s on drugs. I wonder if that had anything to do with it or she really convinced herself that she was worth more than the millions they were paying her. She’ll never be relevant again. Lightning doesn’t strike 3 times. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/3 "2009-08-05T08:22:34Z")
I never understood all the criticism of Paula Abdul. For all the power and control American Idol “judges” have, they may as well be drunk hicks yelling at the TV. What purpose do these grossly overpaid spectators have if not chewap, tawdry entertainment? If her heart wasn’t in it anymore, sure, it was time. I’m not going to celebrate or anything, though. It’s just another passage to me. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/4 "2009-08-05T12:33:37Z")
And Kara does the happy dance. She sucked as a judge, but if she keeps whipping off her dress every couple episodes like she did at the finale, she can stay. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/5 "2009-08-05T13:22:03Z")
She reportedly wanted $20MM to continue and the show was _only_ offering her $10MM. She declined. If she’s looking for sympathy, this isn’t the time. 10 million bucks for giving sloppy commentary on a singing competition is still an obscene amount of money and she should have thanked her lucky stars for being given the opportunity, especially after it was leaked that she had a relationship with one of the contestants. Of course, if Ryan Seacrest did, indeed, ink a deal for $45MM over 3 years, then it does seem to be a bit lopsided. I guess it pays to be friends with Simon. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/6 "2009-08-05T14:05:40Z")
I can’t believe I’m defending her, but Paula was a lot more lucid last season than she normally is. Her comments were better than Kara’s. I think she was a key ingredient in the judging “balance” and it won’t be the same without her. Randy is the judge I could most do without, dawg. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/7 "2009-08-05T14:25:56Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > …What purpose do these grossly overpaid spectators have if not chewap, tawdry entertainment? > … The whole show is cheap, tawdry entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/8 "2009-08-05T14:38:04Z")
Actually, I’d say keep Simon and replace everyone else. Now that the show is famous and successful, find some judges who can…give opinions that matter! ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/9 "2009-08-05T15:29:23Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Actually, I’d say keep Simon and replace everyone else. > > Now that the show is famous and successful, find some judges who can…give opinions that matter! What would be the fun in that? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/10 "2009-08-05T15:34:51Z")
Not that I was ever a huge fan anyway . . . I usually just watch the try-outs and the first couple episodes of actual competition; I don’t even know who won the last couple years . . . but I will not be watching anymore. I figured Kara would be a 1-season anomaly and they’d get her off the air. She has got to be one of those most annoying people I’ve ever seen on television. Everything about her makes me cringe. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/11 "2009-08-05T15:42:58Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > I never understood all the criticism of Paula Abdul. For all the power and control American Idol “judges” have, they may as well be drunk hicks yelling at the TV. What purpose do these grossly overpaid spectators have if not chewap, tawdry entertainment? This is true of all the ones who aren’t Simon, but Simon is why the show works. Without him it would be _Star Search_. I actually preferred Paula to Kara, who I think is not only vaccuous, but childish as well. Also, her songwriting SIZZUCKS. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/12 "2009-08-05T15:44:47Z")
Ugh. Paula might have been loopy and incoherent once in awhile, but she was sincere. I can’t stand Kara, so unless they find someone interesting to replace Paula, I probably won’t watch either. I’ll just read the threads. They’re usually more entertaining anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/13 "2009-08-05T15:58:49Z")
I can’t believe they dumped Paula. (The reported $10M difference in salary is small change for AI. They wanted her out.) After they stopped performing Kara’s song on the AI tour, I thought for sure she would be given the boot. Paula was sappy, but at least she wasn’t giving bad advice like Kara (one week–“Show us who you really are”, next week–“You’re messing up a classic song” :rolleyes: ). Hmm, who would make a good AI judge? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/14 "2009-08-05T16:16:40Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Kara (one week–“Show us who you really are”, next week–“You’re messing up a classic song” :rolleyes: ). To be fair, that has always annoyed me about the show, since long before Kara was on it. One week, “you don’t take any chances, you’re on thin ice.” Next week, “you shouldn’t have taken that chance. Goodbye.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/15 "2009-08-05T20:06:50Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Hmm, who would make a good AI judge? I’d say an interesting panel might be: Simon Cowell Quentin Tarantino Bjork…for fun. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/16 "2009-08-05T20:42:33Z")
And Cowell’s been tlakng about leaving after 2010, also. He wants to launch \*The X Factor \*in the US as a rival to AI. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/17 "2009-08-05T21:25:30Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > And Cowell’s been tlakng about leaving after 2010, also. He wants to launch \*The X Factor \*in the US as a rival to AI. Since the show is contracted until the year 3012, that could set up some of the most abysmal television in history. I can see 2 hours of, “Dog. Dog dog dog. You in the HOUSE, dog! Dog, I mean _dog._ Give it up for my dog! It’s the doghouse, baby. This the doghouse.” ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/18 "2009-08-05T21:32:20Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’d say an interesting panel might be: > > Simon Cowell > > Quentin Tarantino > > Bjork…for fun. Do you mean Q.T. or Roger Federer? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/19 "2009-08-05T21:42:31Z")
You often have to wonder in cases like these was it forced or amicable? I guess once you get past a certain point, money is merely a prestige thing. I mean is $10 million gonna make you live any less better than $20 million? Perhaps, but if not, then why put up with “crap” if you don’t have to. You always seem to read about deals like this when one performer gets a great deal and the rest feel they need to re-negotiate to get better. It’s kind of like if others doing the basic jobs are making federal minimum wage which is $7.25/hour and you’re making $10.00. If they raise the minimum wage to $10.00/hour you’re not getting any less but suddenly you went from making $2.75 MORE than minimum to making minimum. Although in reality you’re not getting any less it feels that way. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394/20 "2009-08-05T22:38:51Z")
Goodbye to the Xanax Queen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paula-abdul-not-returning-to-american-idol-next-season/505394.md?page=2)