Aretha Franklin Wants To Be Next ‘American Idol’ Judge

Time to update your office’s American Idol judges pool! (What, you guys don’t have one of those?) “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin threw her hat into the ring on Saturday (July 14), laying out her interest in the judging gig in an email to CNN. The 70-year-old legend surely has the credentials: the voice, the 18 Grammys, the sass. But this doesn’t exactly fit into our comprehensive plan to revamp the singing show, which is losing judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. Is Aretha the answer Idol‘s been looking for, or the latest in a chain of fool-ish ideas?

Here’s the thing: even if Aretha were to bring along her pal Patti LaBelle, a possibility she mentioned, we think this is a long shot. And Fox might agree, since they have yet to comment on the story. Sure, you’d be getting one or two vocal powerhouses. But you’re also getting a woman who has been far removed from the pop scene (and the singles charts) for decades. Assuming Idol lands Mariah Carey, the vocal chops are covered. Next they’d need to secure a judge for the young’ns, since that’s where rival shows like The Voice and The X Factor have the edge. Sorry, Aretha, but we don’t think this is a good idea. And we say that with the utmost r-e-s-p-e-c-t.

Does Aretha seem like a natural (woman) for Idol? Tell us in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter.