Idol Auditions: Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler Bring Laughs, Critiques and Tears (Of Course)

If you're still worried about next season's revamped American Idol, here are two reasons to watch: Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.
No joke. Don't be fooled by the early promos, which show Tyler as a flaky man of few words and Lopez as the next Paula Abdul. There are tears — lots of them, in fact — in the 23 minutes of audition footage Fox released, but there's also lots of promise — not only in the contestants, but the new judges as well.

First look at Idol auditions: Is Jennifer Lopez the second coming of Paula Abdul?

In the select auditions, which range from impeccably good to devastatingly cringe-worthy, Tyler and Lopez seem to have an easygoing rapport with Randy Jackson. Most notably, they are brutally honest with those not advancing to Hollywood Week without being brutal (ahem, Simon Cowell).The tangents and antics are kept to a minimum, but Tyler provides plenty of laughs — remarking with "f--- a duck" after one hopeful's near-perfect performance and even flirting with a rocker chick/die-hard Aerosmith fan.

Road trip! Is American Idol headed to Vegas?

"You look like you could be one of my... ," he tells the girl."Friends," Jackson finishes for him.Looks like they're fitting in just fine.Season 10 of American Idol premieres Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 8/7c.