‘American Idol’ season 14: Fox boss cites contestants as partial reason for struggle

Remember when “American Idol” was the talk of the town? Well, it’s lucky now to be the talk of a single community center within that said down. The ratings are lower, the performances not as memorable, and the production somewhat repetitive. This is no longer the same giant that it once was.

We’ve also heard a variety of different reasons given for the decline of the show. In the past, blame has been put on the judges for not getting along; this year, it’s apparently for the contestants not being interesting enough to get more people watching. Speaking at the TCA Summer Press Tour this afternoon, Peter Rice (who is running the event while Fox’s replacements prepare for the job) made is clear that “in the last two years, we haven’t found a group of kids that captured the imagination of the American viewing public.”

Is he right? To a certain extent. While Jena Irene and Caleb Johnson were both talented, neither one of them redefined what it meant to be a contestant on the show. Granted, they also weren’t gifted as many opportunities. The budget is different now, and viewers have become so tired of seeing the same sort of thing. It’s like going to a magic show every week; eventually, you’re going to see the same tricks and they are less interesting with each passing visit.

Much of the show’s woes are culture-related to how we feel now about the genre … but we also still think that their pans to the judges (especially Jennifer Lopez) during performances this past year were a huge hindrance that kept us from fully enjoying the show like we wanted to. It disrupted the connection between viewers and artists, and there were no other times in the season where we could get that sort of pure, wonderful moment.

What do you think: Is “American Idol” dead, and is the lack of a talent pool the reason? Let us know in the comments, and head over here to grab some further news worth singing about via our newsletter.

Photo: Fox