Ever since Kara DioGuardi was named as the fourth judge on American Idol back in August, fans have been wondering what sort of dynamic she would bring to the show. Well, it didn’t take viewers long to figure out that DioGuardi was hired to up the mean-girl quotient on Judge’s Row, despite assurances from producers that this season was going to be kinder and gentler than in years past. While her first comment out of the box was derogatory in a harmless sort of way (“That was, uh, that was, uh. I’ve never seen anything like that before … in a not-so-good wayâ€), her attitude shifted considerably when it came to critiquing female contestants.
DioGuardi brought her claws out and dropped a “bitch†bomb on a bikini-clad contestant who took exception to Kara’s criticism of her rendition of “Vision Of Love,†but that paled in comparison to her stone cold diss of the only contestant who actually knew who she was. DioGuardi barely waited until 16-year-old Leah Marie, who came clutching a songbook of over 100 songs she had personally penned, was out of earshot to blast her for, get this, actually being one of her fans! “That’s my fan. What does that tell you about my fans?â€, she complained to the other judges, apparently pissed that her lone supporter at the Arizona tryouts didn’t have a better singing voice. While it remains to be seen whether these mean-girl moments were isolated incidents or part of a larger pattern, one thing is certain: Simon finally has some competition for the role of Idol’s biggest villain.
American Idol [Fox]