IDOL CHATTER

Ellen DeGeneres Joins American Idol; Paula Tweets Congrats

ELLEN DEGENERES TAKES Paula Abdul's not-even-cold-yet seat in the new season of American Idol.

So Randy is the homeboy, Kara is the tough chick, and Simon is the brutally honest with a side of cruel. But what does Ellen bring to the table? Comedy? Do we need someone cracking jokes instead of giving constructive criticism?

"Beyond her incredible sense of humor and love of music, she brings with her an immense warmth and compassion that is almost palpable," said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Idol executive producer and CEO of FremantleMedia North America.

Well, I'm funny and I love music. I should be a judge too!

Paula was the heart of the group. She didn't want to hurt feelings, always verbally painting a picture of how much she adored you. But she also knew what she was talking about musically. I'm not sure if DeGeneres' record companies lawsuit will give her much street cred in the music department.

It's too early to say how this will turn out, but already Paula has given her thumbs up on the hire. "I think Ellen will b a gr8 judge on Idol,'' she Twittered. "She is wildly funny, talented and I wish her the best of luck!"

That seemed to be the majority consensus among the Twitterati, 55 percent of 1,246 voters who declared "it's awesome!" in a Pigeon Poll.

Only 14 percent voted the news was "horrible!," with the second largest percentage -- 24 percent -- declaring they were taking a wait-and-see attitude.

When Kara started working on Idol, no one knew what her place would be, but she has earned her spot this year. But Ellen has big shoes to fill if she wants loyal Idol fans to trust her opinions and take her seriously. Come January 2010, we'll all be the judge of that.

Nicki R. is a Southern girl living in the big city of Chicago. She loves quiet evenings a home watching horror films with her dogs Jezebelle and Zombie. Check out her blog, Hey, Look Behind You!