At the beginning of the newest season of American Idol (I think we’re on the 139th now), the show’s producers added daytime talk show phenom Ellen DeGeneres to the judge’s table. From what I hear on the street (O.K. fine…from what my mom tells me), the comedienne has breathed new life into the FOX show. Though Idol still holds the top ratings spot, in recent seasons numbers have been consistently lower and lower. As someone who hadn’t watched Idol since Kelly Clarkson’s valiant triumph in 2002, Ellen’s addition to the show wasn’t exactly earth shattering. I like Ellen, she’s like Oprah (sans the depressing subject matter and preachyness), but her quirky personality alone wasn’t enough to get me watching Idol again.
I really like Ellen. I follow her on Twitter and Facebook and I also watch clips of her show on StumbleUpon and YouTube. I, like most Gen-Yers, watch much of my TV via short clips posted on social media sites. She is all over social media. Since the beginning of January she has tweeted non-stop about Idol, and anyone who watches her talk show has heard her lament about her rigorous taping schedule. When the producers at Idol signed Ellen, it seems they also gained access to her legions of loyal online followers. Through her online activity I was constantly hearing about her Idol experiences and upcoming must-see moments. I wanted to be in on this conversation and thus was motivated to start watching Idol again. Long before her foray into the world of reality television, Ellen had already cultivated a following online by engaging with her fans. No previous Idol judge has been as active or as successful in the online world. Ratings are up this season, and there is little doubt that Ellen and her loyal followers have a lot to do with the hike.
Check out these awesome posts by Carmen, Zoya, Sayuri, Caitlin and Katie for more on Idol's social media efforts!
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I'm a HUGE Ellen fan...and a HUGE idol fan (I shouldn't be embarrassed about this, right?) so the addition of Ellen as a judge has made me very happy! I think it was a really smart move on Idol's part, especially considering how active Ellen is on social media. Since she started as a judge, I've definitely been made more aware of Idol's presence on social media platforms. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Ellen. I think American Idol has definitely made the right move by adding her to the panel. The fact that she's so active on various social media platforms will definitely get more people talking about the show.
ReplyDeleteGreat insight, Kara. I definitely think Idol made a great strategic move with adding Ellen to the show. She has such a huge following and a huge voice. People care about what she says. Now Paula on the other hand... well, let's not go there. Good move, American Idol!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard that Ellen was joining the Idol team I didn't know if I approved. As in- what does she have to offer to the music world.
ReplyDeleteI foolishly forgot that Ellen is a celeb. A celeb who has had ups and downs and has really made it!
she is such a great judge, provides awesome feedback about stardom.. and how tough it is!
i could go on.. but overall what I'm getting at is, Good job Kara.. Great insight into Ellen's contribution!
I love Ellen. In fact I plan a road trip in the near future to see her show in LA.
ReplyDeletethat being said - yes Idol made a good choice to hire a household name as a new judge - but what does ellen know about MUSIC?? does she have a seceret music theory degree I don't know about?? is she really qualified to be judging a singing competiton?
I think that idol made a safe choice rather than a credible one.