With the revolving judges on American Idol the last few seasons, Randy Jackson is still there. It was Randy, Paula and Simon for so long. Then we had Ellen DeGeneres, who just seemed like the right person on the wrong show! Ditto Kara Dioguardi.
But, with Randy Jackson, it's just different. He never seems to be dwarfed or overshadowed no matter who he's sitting with on the judging panel. Never has this been more evident than now when he's sharing Idol judging duties with high-beam stars like Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.
"No, you can't sing."
Randy is still blunt and he doesn't lay on the "honey" and "sweetie" remarks like Jennifer and Steven. He also doesn't spew out all those citrusy sour comments that Simon used to twist into his criticisms of contestants. I love that Randy is still more critical than either Steven or Jennifer though; it gives this judging threesome a nice balance.
I always smile when Randy adds "I like you though, man" when he has to say "no" to a contestant with a nice personality but a bad singing voice. This is likely going to make the person feel at least somewhat better about failing the audition. In this way, Jackson's a great fit with Lopez and Tyler, who also are quick to chime in when they like a contestant.
Still Gettin' Giggly with It
It's suprising to see that even without Simon, Randy still seems to get the lengthy giggle fits. He sometimes seems a bit out of place with Steven and Jennifer, who don't seem as quick to laugh at (rather than with!) a contestant, or keep laughing for as long.
Granted, some of those people who can't sing a note have weird voices like strangled birds, so I guess you can't really blame the guy too much.
Keepin' It Real
You'll seldom hear Randy use his standard expressions like "thanks for keeping it real" or "that was pitchy, dawg" ad nauseam every season. He still comes up with the shortened terms that he carries off well and we expect from him, though, such as "Saint Lou" for St. Louis.
I like that Randy remains true to himself as an American Idol judge, but also stays fresh to fit in with the other judges are on the panel -- whoever they are! Randy Jackson, don't change a thing -- you've still got it, dawg!
Are you liking Randy with Jennifer and Steven this season?
