American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi said she plans on hanging out with the newest addition to the Idol judge lot, Ellen DeGeneres, before the new season starts. “I’m hoping the chemistry with Ellen will be great — and a great start to the season,” said the second-year judge at a Media and Money conference in New York. Her plan of building rapport with DeGeneres is part of her attempt to build an identity in the show after receiving criticisms during her rookie year. “You have to know on the show who you are and have a vision of yourself. What am I trying to represent? You’ll see more of this branding myself.”
As the senior Vice-President at Warner Bros. records and the owner of Arthouse Entertainment, DioGuardi finds herself in a role of trying to mould and critique upcoming artists, including putting them in a position to deal with rejection. Her approach in Idol reflected that, but could now take a different turn.
“The show exists without me,” she commented. “It’s really a TV show, not just a singing contest: It’s about the American dream, and it also plays an A&R (talent-discovery) role.”
She also spoke about Paula Abdul and her thoughts about the judge’s departure from the show. The entrepreneur said that Abdul was “the heart of the show”. She added, that the singer “nurtured and empathised. That was her role, and she was great at it.”
As for going into the music business, DioGuardi said that she already had the know-how, especially with her Billboard experience. “I was educated about where revenue streams came from,” she said. “Eventually I bet on myself and I knew, unlike many artists who can’t pay the rent, I’d make a living (at running her own company and owning her own copyrights).”
