American Idol

When Pink Floyd first took its concept album "The Wall" to the concert stage more than three decades ago, even lead singer and chief songwriter Roger Waters couldn't imagine a day when rock music might get any bigger. But 32 years later, his magnum opus about the battle between individual freedoms and authoritarian oppression has magnified beyond Waters' own expectations of yore. Now the man who once excoriated the voluminous expansion of the rock concert experience has helped institutionalize it. "I famously hated playing to large numbers of people and playing in stadiums," Waters, 68, said from a tour stop in Austin, Texas, earlier this month.

"American Idol"continued to suffer a ratings drop as it headed into its season finale Wednesday night and prepared to crown either Phillip Phillips or Jessica Sanchez the winner. According to preliminary ratings, the Tuesday night episode of the Fox show drew 14.3 million viewers. That was enough for an easy win, and the show also was first in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults ages 18 to 49. "American Idol's" overall numbers, however, are inching downward.

In the wake of all the what-went-wrong, post-Pia Toscano hand-wringing (not to mention the Casey Abrams near ouster) in recent weeks, there's been a lot of talk about a need to revisit the way voting works on "American Idol. " And the people doing the talking aren't just fans bereft of their favorite singers. "Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe recently said the show might consider adopting a system in which "Idol" voters determined the bottom three, and then the judges decided which contestant would be sent home.

Randy Jackson is known for providing measured critiques to aspiring singers on Fox's "American Idol," but in his private life, he's had to analyze something entirely different: After a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes nine years ago, the music industry veteran needed to reevaluate his diet and lifestyle. Jackson went from piling his plates high with fried food and counting riding in a golf cart as exercise to eating veggies with every meal and working out every day. He talked to us about how his diagnosis changed his life and how he hopes to help others.

This was supposed to be the year that "American Idol" crashed and burned. How could it not? Everyone knew ex-judge Simon Cowell was the star. Once he packed up and left with his tight T-shirts and brutal one-liners, "Idol" was like a young singer who forgets the lyrics: Living on borrowed time. But turns out the pessimists will have to hang on to those eulogies a little longer. Although "Idol" has continued to decline in the ratings — as it has done every season since 2006 — the loss has been far less than many observers were expecting.

Blame the teenyboppers! "American Idol," everyone agrees, has gone to the dollies. Young women have long been held accountable for pop's occasional loss of reason, from the bobby sox brigade that first embraced Frank Swoonatra to the hordes afflicted with Bieber Fever. Now this perennial crisis has overtaken "Idol. " With only two women remaining in the finalists' pool, critics, fans and even executive producer Ken Warwick have called for a halt to the reign of fast-voting misses and mums, which has thrown the game in favor of anything in three-day stubble.

CLIVE DAVIS, whose discoveries stretch from Janis Joplin to Alicia Keys, is sitting in his favorite bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, amused to hear what a rival record company chief once said privately about the "American Idol" phenomenon that Davis helps propel: "If 'American Idol' really is the future of the record business, I don't want to be part of this business anymore."

Johnny Galecki seeks to be average. The star of "The Big Bang Theory" is seated outside a small Hollywood restaurant, talking about his longing to play ordinary, run-of-the-mill figures rather than the larger-than-life characters that actors and audiences sometimes embrace. "Guys like Dustin Hoffman and Jack Lemmon have always been my leading men," said the 36-year-old, leather jacket-clad actor, who minutes before was crushing the butt of a luxury cigarette with his scuffed combat boot.

More than 100,000 people audition for "American Idol" every year, holding on to the wide-eyed fantasy that making the top 10 — with its promise of weekly exposure to millions of TV viewers and a national summer tour — will drop them squarely on the road to fame. But after the season ends (as it does this year on May 26), many of those sent home find that "Idol" doesn't come with guarantees. In fact, now in its ninth season, the Fox series has churned out more than 80 would-be stars, creating a bizarre glut of talent, with few seeing quantifiable success.

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Friday. This year's perceived "American Idol" front-runner, Pia Toscano, was chopped from the show Thursday night. ( Los Angeles Times ) Kelly Clarkson performed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and will return to the "Idol" stage next week. ( People ) Starz has been giving itself away for free to Dish Network subscribers. The ploy is helping the ratings, but will anyone ever buy it? ( Los Angeles Times ) Reality TV joins "Star Trek," comic books and porn in the world of convention-dom.

UNDERRATED 'The West Wing' : As we careen into election season, there was something so soothing about seeing some of President Josiah Bartlet's Cabinet reconvene for a wittily self-aware PSA about walking (and, if possible, talking, in keeping with series creator Aaron Sorkin's signature style). Though there are laughs in the pointless political jockeying of "Veep" and its predecessor "In the Loop," we could use more of the Bartlet administration's ambition and good intentions.

Ryan Seacrest has put his gated Hollywood Hills West estate back on the market at $11.985 million. The "American Idol" host had tried to sell it in late 2010 for $14.95 million. The 10,000-square-foot Mediterranean, built in 1974, sits behind wrought-iron gates on nearly an acre of hilltop with canyon and city views. Remodeled during his ownership, the villa features beamed ceilings, a bar, a screening room, a wine cellar and a gym. There are six bedrooms and 61/2 bathrooms.

As "American Idol" winds down its 11th season, it's time to ask: Is Fox's smash singing contest losing the kids? For years, "Idol" was TV's unrivaled ratings champ, and a big part of its success lay in its appeal to young people, who made it their No. 1 TV choice for years. But this year, critics are attacking the show as increasingly stodgy while viewership has plunged more than 30% among teens and 20-somethings. And many of those viewers have gone to NBC's "The Voice," a hipper and sexier upstart that has much younger judges and often edgier songs.

Paula Abdul, the singer, dancer and former judge on "American Idol" and "The X Factor," has sold her house in Sherman Oaks for $1.884 million. She had listed it in late February at $1.899 million. The gated contemporary Mediterranean was built in 2000. It features a grand entry hall with a double staircase, French doors opening to patio and pool areas, five bedrooms and 41/2 bathrooms. The 4,679-square-foot house has mountain, canyon and city views. The onetime Laker Girl, 49, won Emmys for her choreography on "The Tracey Ullman Show" (1989)

--Consumers are likely to open their wallets this Easter holiday, with total spending expected to hit $16.8 billion on apparel, candy, food and decorations, according to the National Retail Federation. Americans will shell out an average of $145.28, up 11% from $131.04 last year. Nearly half will shop for spring fashions and accessories, while nearly 90% will go for classic Easter candy such as jelly beans and chocolate eggs. “Though the price of gas is on everyone's mind, Easter is one of the few holidays some consumers are willing to stretch their budgets, especially because many children look forward to treats and new outfits on Easter morning,” said Matthew Shay, the federation's chief executive.  --Designer Ralph Lauren has been tapped to create uniforms for the American team heading to the London Olympic Games in July.

The exultant anticipatory buzz preceding the premiere of NBC's "Smash" has grown so intense that the conversation is no longer about whether it's any good ("Good? Darling, it's great !") or if it will be a hit for a network that needs one. Instead, everyone's wondering why no one thought of doing this kind of show before. "This kind of show" being a spare-no-expense showcase chronicling the gestational stages of a Broadway musical. Chorus boys! Dueling divas! Post-audition meltdowns!

A roundup of entertainment headlines for Friday. Casey Abrams has been eliminated from "American Idol. " Long live Casey! ( Los Angeles Times ) The royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton is over, but the royal wedding coverage is not. Long live escapism! ( Los Angeles Times ) Steve Carell has left "The Office. " Long live Dunder Mifflin! ( CNN ) "Fast Five" is ready to add some high-octane fuel -- or whatever other car metaphor you'd like -- to the box office.

As "American Idol" winds down its 11th season, it's time to ask: Is Fox's smash singing contest losing the kids? For years, "Idol" was TV's unrivaled ratings champ, and a big part of its success lay in its appeal to young people, who made it their No. 1 TV choice for years. But this year, critics are attacking the show as increasingly stodgy while viewership has plunged more than 30% among teens and 20-somethings. And many of those viewers have gone to NBC's "The Voice," a hipper and sexier upstart that has much younger judges and often edgier songs.

Johnny Galecki seeks to be average. The star of "The Big Bang Theory" is seated outside a small Hollywood restaurant, talking about his longing to play ordinary, run-of-the-mill figures rather than the larger-than-life characters that actors and audiences sometimes embrace. "Guys like Dustin Hoffman and Jack Lemmon have always been my leading men," said the 36-year-old, leather jacket-clad actor, who minutes before was crushing the butt of a luxury cigarette with his scuffed combat boot.

Long the nation's most popular television series, "American Idol"has suddenly started to hit some flat notes - and it's threatening the money-making machine that has vaulted the Fox network to the top of the broadcast race. Although it's still a big hit that other networks would love to have, "Idol's" ratings this month slid to the lowest level since its debut in summer 2002. And last week for the first time, "Idol" was beaten by a head-to-head competitor,CBS'surging sitcom"The Big Bang Theory,"in the major ratings categories.