PASADENA, California - Perhaps it was because there was no one onstage to ridicule, other than themselves; or perhaps it was because there were no unpleasant surprises waiting for them, or shocking voting results to deal with.
Whatever the reason, there were no tears (Jennifer Lopez), no shouting (Randy Jackson), no catty comments (Ryan Seacrest) and no preening, head-bobbing, rock 'n' roll squealing (Steven Tyler) when the judges and host of American Idol took the stage to talk up the still-popular program's 11th season.
Not even when a Postmedia News reporter suggested that recent runners-up on Idol have gone on to bigger, better music careers than the actual winner, leading some to question the whole premise of a talent competition that's about finding "The One.""No, no, baby, you have it all wrong," Lopez cooed, while Jackson proffered that "I pity the fool" look.
"I don't think that's true," Jackson said. "I mean, (last year's winner) Scotty McCreery is now a platinum artist, which today is like selling 10 million records. I think probably the only three artists who are bigger are Adele, Rihanna and (Lady) Gaga, if my memory serves me correctly, with Adele bigger than all of them, worldwide, in singles.
"It depends on the artist. I say this every year: You can win American Idol but, in the end, you have to make an amazing, competitive record. It's about the songs. We do our thing, and the public votes, and then it's all about that great record."
The pre-show talk about this season echoes that of past seasons: This season's field-of-talent is the hippest, coolest, most exciting, etc. Idol's critics have got it wrong; blowback from The Voice's judges is just sour grapes; Simon Cowell and The X Factor people have been put in their place and should just mind their x's and o's going forward, etc., etc.
It wasn't always that way, though. Tyler, for one, admitted that when he signed on last season, his rock 'n' roll mates were dumbstruck. "It wasn't really accepted up front, I must admit," Tyler said. "Mostly from my own bandmates, because they didn't know what was going on with Aerosmith at the end."
What a difference 20 million TV viewers makes.
"It's brought nothing but younger kids to our music," Tyler said. "We haven't had an album out for a while, but we're working on one now. I can't go anywhere, now. It was like that before, but it's way more over-the-top now because of the show, because of the notoriety.
"It took Aerosmith sales up 260 per cent last year. It's been nothing but good. One hand washes the other. I can't let down the rock 'n' roll community just by being on Idol. I'm a judge. I've judged myself for years. Aerosmith has been really successful. So it's been all good."
Tyler insists the judges won't be critical this season just for the sake of being critical.
"The talent performs in front of us, and we put our eyes on the ones who are good. Yeah, there's a lot of luck involved, but you get a lot of luck by putting in hard work. We recognize the ones who have that magic because we've seen it in ourselves, or in other people over the course of our careers. We see that in these kids. So, to be hard on them is pointless. What are we going to tell them to do? Go home and practice and come back next year?"
Idol trades on honesty and authenticity, Jackson insisted.
"This is the most authentic talent show," Jackson said. "And the judges should always call it as they see it, not as people want them to call it. People say, 'It should be tougher; it should be this; it should be that.' You have to call it as you see it, do you know what I mean? We try to help and mentor and nurture the talent, not tear them down."
Lopez concurred.
"We try to give them advice the way we would want it to be given to us," she said. "I want to do it in a way where they hear me. "At the same time, you know, there's nothing wrong with a little tough love. "There's nothing wrong with a little encouragement, and making them feel great at the same time. We all have our own styles and personalities, but at the end of the day we're trying to get them through, no matter what we say to them."