Is This The Last Season For "Idol"?

   A lot of people are asking that question lately. The once unstoppable ratings juggernaut has seen viewership plummet all season, with the most recent Nielsens not even showing Idol in the top 20. Not a few years ago that would have been unthinkable. But with other singing/entertainment competitions springing up, Idol is having trouble.
   I watched one season of it. Season 2 when Ruben Studdard won. But after that (for me at least) it became karaoke night in America, with the performers almost interchangeable and nearly indistinguishable from each other. Which, of course, isn't true.
   Then, there's the judging panel. The departures of Paula Abdul, then Simon Cowell and finally Randy Jackson, followed by new judges like Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj seemed to spell the start of the long descent into T.V obscurity.
   Not that the show isn't popular anymore. It is. It's just no-where near as popular as it was even 5 years ago. And I'm sure it's still popular enough to run at least one more season. But after that...maybe it's time to pull the mic cord on the show.

TTFN