If you are a judge on American Idol, then you get pushback from the public from time to time. If a popular contestant is criticized, then people are sometimes disgruntled about that. Country music superstar Carrie Underwood, who is in her second season as an Idol judge, realizes that pitfall - and she is not fazed by it at all.
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As the "Jesus, Take the Wheel" singer recently said, she wants to be honest, helpful, and transparent with the hopefuls on the show. Underwood's personal and professional integrity won't allow her to do any less. And if she receives harsh comments from viewers who disagree, she's okay with it. Because she won American Idol in 2005, Carrie Underwood has a high degree of cred that stands her in good stead.
Underwood Talked About This Subject Recently
When Underwood appeared on the American Idol podcast that was released on April 8, she responded to a question on this topic from host Danielle Fishel. She said to Underwood, "You gave some very constructive criticism about some moments that you thought were very magical and then maybe some moments where it wasn't so good and you got booed."
The singer retorted, "I don't care." And she meant it.
Then another judge, Luke Bryan, chimed in. He defended the need to be upfront with the contestants for their own benefit. Hopefully they will have those critiques on their radar as they continue on the show.
Bryan offered, "It's tough to do as a judge. It takes a lot of confidence in yourself and you don't want to say something that's going to tank them in the competition. It's just something that they need to be thinking about if they go forward."
"I Can't Lie," Carrie Underwood Contended
It seems like the star could not live with herself if she was not direct and forthright with the contestants. If Underwood feels they fell short of the mark, she tells them so. And she tries to get the point across with compassion and empathy.
"I can't lie, I'm a terrible liar," she bluntly admitted. Underwood clarified that by saying, "As a fan of the show, if there was ever somebody that kind of had an off night and everybody's like, 'Oh my God that's so great.' I'm sitting at home being like, 'What? Liars!' You want them to pay attention to those things going forward."
She Got Booed for a Thumbs-Down Review of a Singer's Performance
A contestant named Mor did an original song minus musical accompaniment from the show's band. Carrie Underwood took issue with that strategy. She told the crowd in the studio, "I feel you guys are gonna boo me. It's coming — just bring it on. I love it. Your boos are feeding me."
Underwood explained to Mor at the time, "In a room like this, for you to bring an original song with that incredible band sitting behind you twiddling their thumbs... I feel like it was just a missed opportunity."