Kara DioGuardi's entry as the fourth American Idol judge is perhaps the most rattling change the show implemented this season.  From the moment her entry was announced, people began speculating whether Paula Abdul was on her way out, and then people began asking whether she could contribute something good to the show, and then people began thinking whether the decision to hire her in the first place was a good one.  Seeing a fourth person on the judges' table, watching the performances week after week, trumped everything else, from the return of the Wild Card to the introduction of the judges' save.  Or so I think.

All of a sudden, there's a flurry of speculation about whether all of this will last for only this season.  Kara told TV Guide Magazine that she's only signed up with the show for one year--but that doesn't mean she'll be leaving when a winner is announced in roughly three weeks.


"I'm only here for one season," she told the magazine.  "That's what we've discussed.  So we'll see what happens.  Hopefully they'll keep me on."

Opinion about the songwriter's stint on the show has been arguably mixed.  There are people (disclaimer: I'm one of them) who think her addition has added a new, good dimension to the whole judging process.  And then there are people who find her blabbering about "artistry" and the way she says it annoying.

Then there's the logistical implications of her joining the show: this year probably saw American Idol go to overtime more times than the past seasons.  In an interview with TVGuide.com, former show boss Nigel Lythgoe admitted that he isn't a fan of the fourth judge tactic.  "What we've seen is that four judges tend to take away time from the program, which was always going to be the problem," he said.  "They're tried a lot of different things [this year].  I think they'll probably ... keep some of them and lose others."

And then there's the very persistent rumors of clashes between Kara and the established judges.  It's something that everybody's denied, but tidbits about what happens behind the scenes still comes around.  OK! magazine once mentioned an apparent clash between Kara and Simon Cowell when she interrupted Randy Jackson during a show.  Somewhere during the incident, Simon scratched his ear with his middle finger while Kara spoke, and the reaction from the new judge wasn't any good.  "She was so upset, she couldn't hold it back," an insider told the magazine.  "Kara was telling everybody, 'I don't care anymore.  I'm going to quit!'  She didn't sign up to be anybody's punching bag.  That's what she feels she's become."

From where we are, it seems, that's the least of Kara's concerns.  While her future is still up in the air, she's thankful about the chance she's been given.

"My life has become extremely exciting and I am so excited for this opportunity," she said.  "I feel grateful to America that they let me grow and they let me find my groove on the show and that they were patient.  And hopefully I haven't disappointed them. It's been a scary experience at times."

My take, as always?  I've gotten a little tired of speculating about the future of the show's judges--Simon and Paula have hinted about their life after Idol, whether they're in it or not, over the past weeks--and this is, admittedly, no exception.  Am I still willing to spend some time betting on whether Kara's going to leave the show?  Partly, but I'd rather wait for the current season to end, when everybody makes things official.  Then we speculate.  But still, should she stay or should she go?

Read More:
American Idol 8: Top 5 Fashion Rankings
American Idol 8: Adam Lambert's Near Elimination
American Idol 8: Matt Giraud's Schizophrenic Season
American Idol: 72 People and Things That Would Be Better Judges than Paula Abdul
American Idol 8: A Great Top 5, and Simon Cowell's Psychological Warfare
American Idol 8: Top 5 Performance Rankings
American Idol: The Dark Side of the Susan Boyle Phenomenon
American Idol: Susan Boyle Shocks the World on 'Britain's Got Talent'
The Susan Boyle All-Stars: 50 Famous Singers Who Aren't Easy on the Eyes
22 Things I'd Rather Listen To Than Paula Abdul on American Idol 




-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TV Guide Magazine, TVGuide.com, OK! Magazine
(Image courtesy of Fox)