The Underrated Randy Jackson

By now, everyone knows the stereotypes: Paula Abdul never says anything critical about the "American Idol" contestants, and Simon Cowell is the mean one. I've come to appreciate the underrated role that Randy Jackson plays as the other judge. No longer do I see him as the cliched "dawg, it was airight for me" one.

I've cracked the Randy Jackson Code:

1) How many times does he say "Dawg" when he greets you? This is very important. The more times he says "Dawg," the more he wants to put off the subtle trashing he's about to administer. So one "Dawg" is good, two are okay, but more than that and you're in trouble.

2) Does he say "I don't know man"? This is another form of delay and is also a bad sign.

3) Does he say "Wow"? This one cuts both ways. If he says "wow" and wipes his forehead, it's bad, but if he says "wow" and shakes his fist two times, it's good.

It's time for the Dawg to get noticed.