ABSTRACT
4For two years, 2011 and 2012, Aerosmith front-man, Steven Tyler, and pop-diva, Jennifer Lopez, joined Randy Jackson to judge contestants on the popular reality television competition, American Idol. The judges on the show are tasked with the sometimes difficult jobs of helping the performers to relax before their audition, communicating rejection to untalented contestants, offering comfort to devastated singers who don't make the cut, and delivering criticism in a way that is constructive and helpful to those in the competition. Steven Tyler quickly earned a reputation as the clown of the group, often resorting to humor and wacky stunts to soften the blow of bad news. Although most of the contestants appreciated his effort to lighten the mood, some of his communication strategies landed him in hot water with the network when his jokes bordered on inappropriate. Jennifer Lopez was often the counterweight to Tyler because her communication demonstrated a great deal of empathy and compassion when dealing with the contestants. She was brought to tears when they had to cut one of her favorite performers and requested that she be the one to deliver the news. The American Idol judges have demonstrated how interpersonal communication can be a challenging, but powerful process.
