If I was a betting person, I would say she is not coming back. My girls say they liked her. I voted in the weigh in, I would watch anyway because it is the singers and not the judges that make the show. Sarah's Reality check was a good article, gives another perspecitve on her idea about Paula.

I'm hurrying off to work - see ya.

Hi Z !

If the deafeningly silent response on this blog to Paula Abdul's Twitter announcement that she will NOT be returning for her 9th season of American Idol is any indicator, it appears
that most folks could give a rat's butt if she either stays, or goes.

I gather it all came down to ye olde filthy lucre, the mighty dollar; a discrepancy of some several million shekels separating what Paula felt she was worth to the show, compared to what the Idol execs regarded as their fair, reasonable and quite generous offer.

Paula was obviously not going to budge from her demands.

I believe if the Idol brass gave Paula what she was asking (in the $20,000,000 range),
she would have been pulling in around a cool $5,000,000 more than host Ryan Seacrest... and that just wouldn't be quite kosher, now would it?

(I think Seacrest just recently signed a 3-year deal w/ Idol for $45, 000,000.)

Who knows if this whole Paula thing isn't just another calculated publicity stunt, orchestrated to stir up the Season-9 rumor mill, and that Paula, after a huge ground-swell of angst and protest from her large and loyal fan-base, will reconsider her leaving
the show and settle for, what most of us 9-5 plebes view as a veritable king's fortune.

Of course, if she actually sticks to her guns and exits-stage-left, that opens up a virtual 'Paula-dora's Box' (sorry!) of wild speculation as to whether the show will just revert back to the earlier three-judge format, and stay w/ the familiar Randy, Kara and Simon.

Or perhaps they'll opt for some other female music celeb, such as J. Lo, who some T.V. entertainment talking-heads have already suggested as a possible Paula's replacement.

In my view, I think they should just go w/ the three remaining regular judges, as the four-judge-panel format didn't seem to pan out, without its inherent problems, last season.

Whatever Paula ultimately decides, I wish her well. She brought a genuine enthusiasm,
a positivity, an honest exuberance, and unique, theatrical flair (some might say "heart") to eight wonderful seasons of this amazingly-popular talent show.

If she leaves, she will definitely be sadly missed.

There is only ONE Paula Abdul!

( I heard you Paula 'dissers' out there whispering, "and thank God.")

Gentlemen, let the speculation begin.... I meant continue.

ALEX

But she leaving the American idol...so...
i say good bye and i miss you...

Paula Abdul Redux !

Sorry folks, I somehow got Paula's recent salary demands for "Idol" Season-9 majorly out-of-whack which was NOT "in the range of $20,000,000", the figure I had thrown out there in my earlier posting.

I was merely off by about $15,000,000..... DOH!

I read a very enlightening article in today's L.A. Times Calendar (entertainment) section co-penned by reporters Joe Flint and Maria Elena Fernandez, and they claimed, "Abdul was
offered a deal valued at nearly $5-million a year, which would have been a sizable boost from her current package of close to $4-million annually."

Also earlier, I high-balled Ryan Seacrest's latest 3-year deal, which is in the ball-park of $30-million, about $15-million less than the figure I erroneously quoted. OOPS!

Now that we've got the moolah situation straightened out, I was intrigued by Flint and Hernandez's speculations re/ what Abdul's next professional gambit might be.

Apparently there are rumors afoot that she may, as we speak, be considering a segue over to that other hugely popular, and successful Fox talent showcase, "So You Think You Can Dance", which is produced by former "Idol" producer, Nigel Lithgoe.

Abdul and Lithgoe are rumored to be having a serious tete-a-tete in Las Vegas this coming weekend, where the final auditions of "So You Think You Can Dance" 6th-Season are being recorded.

I would think Paula would be a no-brainer-natural choice for the Fox dance talent search, since she made her 'rep' initially as a choreographer to other high-profile singer/ performers, primarily for dance-themed music videos

Whether Paula will demand the same annual price-tag for her judging services as was rejected by the "Idol" brass is a moot point, but what would appear to be a big loss for "Idol" could prove to be a shrewd move, and a huge gain for "S-Y-T- Y-C-Dance".

Ninth-Season auditions for "Idol" start this Friday in Denver, so unless there is an eleventh-hour change of heart on Abdul's part, it looks like the judging trio of Randy, Kara and Simon will have to endure those "Gong Show"-esque, bizzaro preliminaries without Paula.

Of course the REAL "Idol" season doesn't realistically begin till they've narrowed the field of hopefuls down to the most talented 16 contestants; the "You're going to Hollywood" survivors, and by that time perhaps Paula will have had a change of heart, and opted to come on board for her 9th season on the most-watched, highest-rated show on T.V. .

Paula isn't going away anytime soon. But where she's going is a mystery wrapped up in a
conundrum; she's definitely an enigmatic, and quixotic personality, but that's why her fans love her, and wish her well.

Paula Abdul ain't no fool.

Stay tuned.

ALEX