This image was lost some time after publication.

In a development that should shake the world of hugely popular televised karaoke competitions to its very, off-key-warbling, deluded-contestant-abusing core, Us Weekly reports that rocker-turned-general-use-famous-person Courtney Love has received The Call from American Idol's producers, inviting her to hold forth on the lack of musical ability on display at the planet's favorite talent show of the damned:

"He called," Love tells Usmagazine.com. "He was wondering if I was interested. I thought it was kind of weird but brilliant."

Is FOX lining up a replacement for slap-happy Paula Abdul, or just looking to spice up the show with the always-entertaining rocker/actress? Love, who is currently in L.A. recording a solo album, declined to reveal any more specific details.

But a source tells Usmagazine.com that Lythgoe was considering having Love "replace Paula."

Whether the Idol team intends for Love to "replace Paula" or merely serve as a guest arbiter, she does seem like an inspired choice: While the judges' panel has never lacked for incoherent, rambling, and seemingly drug-addled evaluations of its hopeful stars during Abdul's tenure, it's always been missing the threat that one of them might snap, succumbing to the whispers of the demon voices by assaulting a particularly untalented singer with those conspicuously placed red Coca-Cola cups.