What??? Really?? I just saw this tweet from NPR announcing that Ellen Degeneres is not returning to American Idol.  I know that she wasn’t overly critical and maybe was too much of a cheerleader, but I felt like she spoke for us as the average viewer and I think she was (is) funny!  Our whole family did.  I also felt like she was an improvement over the goofy Paula.

Simon’s gone and now Ellen.   And, I just heard on the Today Show that Kara may be out too.  That would leave just Randy.  I did hear that Bret Michaels (of Poison), Justin Timberlake, and even Jennifer Lopez were all being considered as replacements.  That seems like a lot for one show. 

When the show first aired, I did not watch it.  My family did. All of them, but me.  I was too freakin’ busy with work at my crazy-ass 60-hr a week job.  “I’m making money, people!  I don’t have time for family fun!”

When I entered the slower lane, I joined the ritual known as American Idol.  I was hooked after Season 5 which was my initiation.  Now, I look forward to it every January! 

With this announcement, I’m torn.  Will it be the same?  Who will the new judge or judges be (do we really need 4 judges?)?  My oldest said that she won’t watch it now that Simon and Ellen are gone.  It was the one show that the entire family could watch together.  The girls now like to watch overly dramatic teenagery shows like “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Pretty Little Liars”.  My 10-yr-old son cannot and does not want to watch these shows (the hubby and I don’t either).   American Idol was the only “family friendly” show appropriate for all ages in our household that everyone liked.  Bummer.

Maybe this will be a good time to start weaning ourselves off of this show.  It’s a commitment and very time-consuming – in the beginning it takes up two or three nights a week!  

It would leave me more time to develop my painting or maybe even a brand new hobby. . . . . .what would it be?