Paula Abdul's struggles have been well-documented.  Not that they're horrible personal struggles, unless the pills/drugs rumors of years' past are true, but they are struggles nonetheless.  Paula has long been lambasted as the weak link on American Idol's judging panel.  Idol purists like to say that the show wouldn't be the same without Paula.  These people, and I say this in as delicate and understanding a way as possible, are misguided.  The “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” school of thought is a dated idiom, and one that American Idol has never conformed to anyway.  From releasing Brian Dunkleman into the wild after season 1, to the changing of the formats on an almost yearly basis, to the implementation of instruments last season, to the recent hiring of Kara DioGuardi, American Idol has always been aggressive in making their show a better one.  Whatever you think of Paula Abdul, the time finally seems right for her departure.

There was that whole messy business of Paula's stalker killing herself outside of Abdul's home.  Paula Goodspeed, a super-fan who had been contacting Abdul, sending her letters and flowers, for the past three years, finally had enough of Abdul not returning the love and did herself in.  What kind of emotional toll this will take on Abdul is impossible to say. It's not like the common person can empathize with such a bizarre situation.  Abdul must be feeling some combination of sadness, shame, and relief.  There is a rumor going around that Paula's departure from Idol may be imminent, as she also has another TV project in the pipeline.  These rumors seem to pop up before every season of Idol, but this time, I think the possibility is more real.

Paula Abdul is not very good at her job.  She serves a purpose – being the positive ray of light for even the worst singers – but Randy Jackson has turned into a similar harbinger of positivity, the difference being that he does in a far more lucid manner.  The producers and fellow judges all seem to really like Paula as a person, and I suspect this has delayed her inevitable dismissal.  The problem, then, was two-fold – finding the right time for her release, when personal embarrassment would be at a minimum, and being able to replace her at the drop of a hat.

The latter issue is already in place with the hiring of Kara DioGuardi.  And now, thanks to the possibility of another project (though, it may not really exist) and the stalker ordeal, Abdul has more than enough excuse to make a gentle exit Stage Left if she, or FOX, desired it.  If Abdul does end up leaving American Idol before the season starts, the stated reasons will be personal.  However, this will probably not be the truth.  It will be a forced resignation, as no sane person would turn down a high-profile, high-paying job like American Idol judge.  That being said, no time is more perfect that now for Paula Abdul to leave the show once and for all.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source: LA Times
(Image Courtesy of FOX)