After bilking it for every ounce of free publicity it could, American Idol producers finally confirmed what pretty much everyone in a country with electricity already knew by parading out  Steven Tyler and pop singer-actress Jennifer Lopez as the show's newest judges in front of the next crop of Idol wannabes during a media cattle call in the forum in LA Wednesday (9/22). Idol's gain is Aerosmith's loss to most, despite the lead singer's attempts to persuade band members and fans that his stint on the show will be a plus for the veteran group.  Leading the dissenters is lead guitarist Joe Perry, who thinks the association of Aerosmith with the program has nothing but negative implications for the band and Tyler.  Lopez proclaiming she is '...looking for the next Michael Jackson' won't help.  For his part, Tyler said he intends to '...bring some Rock to this roller coaster'.  While hardly off the rails, Idol has seen a steady decline in viewership over the last few seasons, including a nearly 10% drop last season alone. Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe thinks that the addition of Tyler will help revive ratings because the audience will respond to '...not knowing what he was going to say and where he's going to come from'.  That he will will - and in the process might make Lythgoe regret what he wished for.
USAToday.com

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