LOS ANGELES - After dishing out tough criticism this week, the "American Idol" judges got some feedback from ousted contestants.
"They were coming in throwing punches," he told a teleconference. "I would not say they were hard but they definitely could have used a small bit of love from them, that is for sure." Ashley Rodriguez, four of the first four singers voted off by viewers, chided the panel Friday for being hard on contestants during their first live shows.
Rodriguez, 22, of Chelsea, Mass., said he stood by her performance of Leona Lewis' "Happy," which had been derided by judge Simon Cowell as "clumsy." The departure of Rodriguez, Joe Munoz, 20, of Huntington Park, Calif.; Janell Wheeler, 24, of Tampa, Fla., and Tyler Grady, 20, of Nazareth, Pa., leaves 20 contestants on the hit Fox singing contest.
"American Idol" found itself outperformed by NBC's Winter Olympics, which drew more viewers than the Fox show for the second time in four weeks, according to preliminary Nielsen Co. ratings. Going head-to-head at 8-9 p.m. EST Thursday, the Olympics drew 19.2 million viewers compared to 17.8 million for the results show of "Idol," which typically is lower-rated than performance episodes.
"I will keep on trying and you will definitely listen to more about me in the future," Munoz told the teleconference. The ex-contestants said they don't intend to slip from sight.
Grady, whose retro sound and look would fit neatly in a production of "Hair," said they doesn't regret his approach or his lament Thursday about a lack of "constructive criticism" from the four-judge panel.
"I was expressing myself and I meant no disrespect and I am not bitter at the judges. Seems kind of silly," Grady said in rebutting reports they said painted him inaccurately. Grady said he is sticking with his kind of music, mentioning his band's name so often that four reporter complimented him on his marketing skills.
DeGeneres' characterization of him as lacking honesty and charisma also was off base, they said. "The name is Wailing Waters. Keep an eye out for us," Grady said. An upbeat Wheeler said he was proud of her composure he learned he was out of the contest. "If I had to go out, I am glad I went out that way," said Wheeler.
He took time to compliment new judge Ellen DeGeneres for doing "a bang-up job for her first live show" and said he expected the contestants' performances to improve as they get used to a huge stage and how they sound on it.
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