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American Idol judge Randy Jackson is not above dissing the competition.
And when we say "the competition," we don't mean fellow judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.
During a recent conference call to promote the sixth season of ratings juggernaut American Idol, which returns to the airwaves tonight (Fox, CTV, 8 p.m.), Jackson had some choice words for what he considers to be shameless Idol ripoffs.
"Rock Star, I don't know if the ratings were that big, so I don't know how many people it actually connected with," Jackson said of the CBS series. "It probably didn't connect with that many people."
And Jackson claimed he hadn't even heard of NBC's Grease: You're The One That I Want, a new talent show that is casting male and female leads for a stage production.
"Another Idol copy show? Wow! Another one!" Jackson said with mock amazement. "If I were doing a show, I definitely wouldn't have three judges with an English guy. It just goes to show a lot of networks don't have a lot of originality."
Well, that ain't exactly breaking news, dawg.
Anyway, the good-natured Jackson bristled again when it was suggested that shows like Rock Star are more contemporary than the oldies-laden Idol.
"The song selections we make, it's not about being modern, it's about challenging people," Jackson said.
"One thing I know being a record producer is that every kid in America knows every song on the radio right now. If I say, sing Promiscuous (by Nelly Furtado), or SexyBack (by Justin Timberlake), they know all of that. But if I say, let me hear you sing some Nat King Cole, who's that? Or better yet, sing some Beatles. Who are they?
"That creates the challenge part of the competition. Having them sing whatever is on the charts right now is boring, because I know they already know those. I know those."
Debates about song selection notwithstanding, American Idol continues to be a TV phenomenon that has survived in behemoth form well beyond its anticipated expiry date.
"This is the greatest music talent show ever," said Jackson, not lacking for confidence. "We (Jackson, Cowell and Abdul) never think about the ratings. But there's a lot of great talent out there in America, it's just a matter of finding it.
"Look at what's happening with Jennifer Hudson (who is turning heads in the movie Dreamgirls) and she didn't even win in the year she competed. The show will continue to be successful as long as we keep finding great talent."
Does American Idol actually find "great" talent? It's debatable (hello, Taylor Hicks).
But as far as viewership goes, the numbers don't lie.
"I don't think any of us did," Jackson said, when asked if he had any inkling that American Idol would become this huge. "I went into it blind as a bat. But I knew the record industry was in the toilet. I knew the record industry needed something different.
"The quest never ends for us, so that's what keeps us curious and interested. And America has gotten it right every year."