The judges for American Idol season 24 haven’t been announced yet, but the show needs a villain, which means that either Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, or both, have to go. American Idol season 23 welcomed back Lionel and Luke to the judging table, joined by new judge Carrie Underwood, who took over for Katy Perry when Katy left the show after seven seasons in order to focus on her own music career. Carrie won American Idol season 4 in 2005 and went on to become a global superstar, so she was the perfect choice to replace Katy.

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American Idol season 23 had some of the most extraordinary talent in the show’s history, including winner Jamal Roberts, runner-up John Foster, and Breanna Nix, who placed third. However, even though the contestants were so phenomenal, they could’ve benefited from some constructive criticism from the judges, but they rarely received it. Instead, Lionel, Luke, and Carrie mostly gushed about how wonderful they were and sang their praises, leaving the audience bored and frustrated. Here’s why American Idol season 24 needs a villain judge.

Lionel Richie & Luke Bryan Only Praise The American Idol Contestants

They Almost Never Give Constructive Criticism

Image via ABC

The ABC era of American Idol has been kinder and gentler than when the show aired on FOX. There’s been a cultural shift towards mental health awareness, and people no longer accept the bullying behavior of judges like Simon Cowell, who was known for his downright meanness. However, constructive criticism doesn’t have to be harsh, and it’s needed in a competition show such as American Idol. It’s become increasingly clear though that Lionel and Luke are either unwilling or unable to give the contestants the feedback that they need to thrive. They seem to be simply going through the motions of judging after eight seasons with the show.

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When American Idol contestants are pitchy or fail to work the stage, they need to be told so that they can improve in their next performances. However, Lionel and Luke only serve as cheerleaders for the contestants, raving about how great they are. It’s frustrating for the audience to watch and a huge disservice to the contestants, who could benefit from hearing advice from two seasoned performers. Whether Lionel and Luke fail to hear off-key notes or they simply don’t want to be cast as the bad guys by calling attention to them, they’re ruining the integrity of the show by not doing their jobs and actually judging the contestants.

Carrie Underwood Proved She Could Give Real Feedback

Carrie Might’ve Held Back Because Of Lionel & Luke

Image via ABC

Unlike Lionel and Luke, Carrie was capable of giving real feedback to the American Idol season 23 contestants, but she fell in line with Lionel and Luke, probably because she was new to the judging panel and didn’t want to make waves. Early in the season, she revealed that she was worried about coming across as mean as a judge, and she has an image as America’s Sweetheart to protect.

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Because fans aren’t used to hearing anything negative about the American Idol contestants, Carrie received fierce backlash when she gave eventual winner Jamal constructive criticism about his Top 5 performance of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” She told Jamal that she wanted him to work the stage more and give it his all, which was good advice, especially at that late stage in the competition. However, fans ripped her apart on social media, saying that she had no right to critique Jamal, and that she favored the other finalists, especially eventual runner-up John and third-place finisher Breanna.

Lionel and Luke unintentionally made Carrie the villain by praising Jamal, which will probably make her think twice about offering constructive criticism to a fan favorite so late in the game if she returns for American Idol season 24. However, if Carrie had a judge sitting next to her who was also willing to tell the truth instead of always gushing about how amazing the contestants are, she could really thrive in the role.

American Idol Has Become Very Boring Because Of The Lack Of Criticism For The Contestants

The Competition Has Lost Its Bite

In its ABC era, American Idol has lost what once made it so exciting to watch: the element of competition. In the FOX era of the show, if contestants forgot their lyrics or sang off-key, the audience knew that the judges were going to call attention to it. It was almost a guarantee during Hollywood Week that if contestants missed words in their songs, then they’d be eliminated.

American Idol season 23 finalist Jamal Roberts has made it to the Top 3 of the show, and there are many clues that he’ll win the whole competition.

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There was something oddly satisfying about knowing that an American Idol contestant would be held accountable after a particularly bad performance, but that doesn’t happen anymore in the ABC era of the show. Instead, the contestants are protected and coddled by the judges. It’s almost as if the judges feel that admitting that the contestants had a bad performance reflects on them because they chose to keep them on the show after their auditions. However, if the contestants have off performances, then they need to take responsibility for them.

Instead, Lionel and Luke almost always use these mistakes as a way to humanize the American Idol contestants. They make excuses for them and even relate to them by saying that it happens to them all the time and that nobody’s perfect. While this is true and no contestant should be humiliated after making an error in a performance, it should be held against them because American Idol is a competition series. It’s very boring to hear constant praise from Lionel and Luke, especially when the contestants don’t fully deserve it. Standing ovations become meaningless when everyone gets one.

American Idol Season 24 Needs Someone Like Simon Cowell

The Show Needs A Judge Who’ll Tell The Truth

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American Idol season 24 needs a judge who isn’t afraid to tell the truth like Simon, minus his meanness. Simon’s mockery of people’s physical appearances and personalities was always unacceptable, but he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and hold the contestants to a high standard. Judges such as Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. were also very good at giving constructive criticism to the contestants. Even Paula Abdul and Katy Perry, who were two of the contestants’ biggest supporters, would let them know when they needed to improve.

There has to be a middle ground between Simon, who was too blunt, and Luke and Lionel, who are too nice. That balance could be found in Carrie, which is why she needs someone like Simon to support her. That judge could be the villain, Carrie could be somewhere in the middle, and Luke or Lionel could be the nice guy. However, having both of them on the panel is detrimental to the show, and it’s making it more challenging for Carrie to do her job correctly because she doesn’t want to stand out as the bad guy.

American Idol season 24 doesn’t have to go back to the overly harsh days of the FOX era of the show, but it does need a villain judge who challenges the contestants and the other judges. Playful banter among the judges is always fun to watch, as long as it doesn’t devolve into an outright feud like the one between season 12 judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. Carre needs someone who’ll also give constructive criticism to the contestants so that she doesn’t stand out as the bad guy. An American Idol season 24 villain judge could really breathe new life into the long-running series, and nice guys Lionel and Luke might have to leave the show in order to make that happen.