"American Idol": What's the Latest as the Show Gears Up for Season 10?

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After all of the brouhaha surrounding who was going to be sitting at the judge's table for "American Idol's" upcoming 10^th season settled down, things have been remarkably quiet and chugging along quite uneventfully.

The auditions are currently underway and except for those rumblings in the press that contestants have already been warned to stay away from J-Lo songs, there hasn't been much news to shine a light on.

Unless, of course, you believe recent reports that Jennifer Lopez has managed to link her payday to Ryan Seacrest's payday. Yes, you read that correctly.

Jennifer Lopez is in the House

According to a recent report, the diva, who always swears she's not a diva, Jennifer Lopez, has made sure that anytime Ryan Seacrest gets a raise, she gets a raise. If that is true, I need to have J-Lo's people contact my people.

Because, next to the Big-O (that would be Oprah) very few people see the kind of payday that Ryan Seacrest reels in. Except, of course, maybe Simon Cowell. But, I guess they don't call her Jenny from the block for nothing......she used to have a little, but now, she definitely has a lot.

Outside of that, I've personally been holding out for another great story about Steven Tyler falling off a stage or something (Or, at least falling out of a chair). But, it seems that the former screamer crooner of Aerosmith is just a regular guy showing up for work, doing his job. Ho-hum.

Can "American Idol" Remain a Ratings Powerhouse?

With all of the original faces of "American Idol" judges gone, save one, the future of the show hangs in the balance. To their advantage, however, the tide of successes from the past 9 years will certainly be powerful enough to pull in an audience, at least for the next season.

If for nothing else, just to see how much of a diva Jennifer Lopez is going to be, or like me, to see if Steven Tyler can remain in an upright position.

But, the bigger question will most certainly be whether the show will able to stay afloat with the same kind of kinetic energy that has made it the ratings juggernaut it has been. Change can definitely be a good thing, because it opens the door for more opportunities and new possibilities.

But, change can also be a horrible thing. Especially if something is not broken. Certainly, no one will argue that up until now, "American Idol" has most definitely not been broken.

But, as a decade's long fan and "American Idol" devotee, I will be tuning in next season and doing my part to boost the ratings and to keep Ryan Seacrest (and hey, maybe J-Lo too) at the top of Forbe's highest paid entertainers list.

If you're also interested in contributing to Ry-guy's bank account, the new season kicks off January 2011. See you there.

Sources:

American Idol.com
People.com
TMZ.com
E! Online.com