Sorry, 'Idol' judges: You have no credibility

By Craig Berman, TODAY.com contributor

You can forgive the “American Idol” judges if they’re wondering why nobody listens to them any more.

Two weeks ago, Jennifer Lopez praised DeAndre Brackensick non-stop for two hours on performance night, only to see him exit the next day as the lowest vote-getter. Last week all three urged voters to kick off Hollie Cavanagh, but instead it was Jessica Sanchez who found herself in trouble. The perennial favorite of all three judges got the boot from the voters only to be saved by the judges.

That keeps Jessica around temporarily, but it might not mean much without a change of heart from the audience. The judges can’t save her again if the voters continue to ignore their praise. Love the rules or hate them, “Idol” puts the fate of everyone in the hands of the viewers, not the trio on the podium.

And right now, there’s no indication that those viewers consider Randy Jackson, J.Lo and Steven Tyler credible voices.

The back-to-back results send a clear message, which is that all the hyperbole, cheerleading and begging in the world doesn’t sway voters who aren’t listening with the same mistake-cancelling eardrums the judges have. J.Lo can rush the stage to keep Jessica from having to sing her farewell chorus, and Randy can tell the crowd that she’s the best singer in the country, but it doesn’t make people care.  More >>