The American Idol judges are once again receiving criticism from fans, this time over being too nice to a contestant. Twitter users recently complained that the panel is giving “special treatment” to 17-year-old singer Haven Madison.
American Idol Fans Accuse Judges of ‘Special Treatment’
During Sunday’s new episode of Season 21, Haven Madison performed “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, prompting Katy Perry to say she’s been taking “confidence pills.” She predicted that Haven will be “the next big pop star.”
Fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were similarly impressed, with Bryan predicting she’ll be a “massive star,” and Richie telling her she has “star written all over you.” Haven ended up being voted into the Top 10, and then the Top 8 on Monday night.
However, not all the fans at home agreed with the judges’ assessment of her talent. One Twitter user argued that the judges are giving her “special treatment,” while another said she wasn’t “as good as the judges are making her out to be.”
Another user replied, “The judges give effusive praise to everyone. It was a stretch to say she’s primed for stardom.” Someone else wrote, “Judges tripping over themselves to be positive. Losing all credibility.”
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Perry Has Already Been Criticized This Season
This isn’t the first time Katy Perry has been criticized by American Idol fans for her judging style this season. However, she was ironically slammed for being too harsh when interacting with contestants.
First, fans accused Perry of mom shaming singer and mother of three Sara Beth. Former AGT singer Tory Vegasy also commented on Perry’s negative reaction to a singer with a musical theatre style. Then during the Showstoppers round, a video went viral showing Perry faking out contestants when delivering good news.
It’s starting to seem like the judges (particularly Perry) can’t win. It’s also worth noting that Haven Madison was voted into the Top 8 by the viewers at home, rather than being saved by the judges. So clearly a lot of people agree with the panel’s assessment of her talent.
