Howard Stern: I'll do 'American Idol'

Could he? Would he? Should he? Howard Stern as an "American Idol" judge?

The shock jock - who has mused about the possibility of returning to terrestrial radio - Monday acknowledged for the first time that he'd happily consider a role as a judge on "Idol" - though never specifically stated that talks were ongoing.

"There's not a better job on the planet than judging that -- karaoke contest," he said on his Sirius radio program Monday, while confirming that reports are somewhat true. He'd be interested in "American Idol" after his Sirius contract ends this year, and "Idol's" apparently interested in him, too, as first reported by the New York Post's Page Six last week.

"It might be possible," he said of joining the show. "We'll see." (Both Fox and "Idol" declined to comment.) And to offer the merest taste of what a Stern-judged "Idol" might be like, he promised Monday that he would wear a badge on the show reading, 'there's a new sheriff in town,' Taser Ellen DeGeneres if she attempted to dance, fire Ryan Seacrest (for no apparent reason) and tell overweight contestants to slim down, because in his words, the show would henceforth become "The Biggest Loser and American Idol" combined.

So, as usual, get out your salt shaker and take this news with a grain of that stuff inside.

But still, if the possibility of a Stern-judged "Idol" now exists, what are the pros and cons? First, the pros:

Stern would add a delectable unpredictability to a process that has become a little predictable.

Stern would be newsworthy - his utterances tweeted, blogged and reported, ad nauseam.

Stern would offer the hard, blunt appraisal that Simon Cowell offered. He's not someone to traffic in pleasantries.

Stern knows plenty about music, though unclear how much he has absorbed the canon of (say) Taylor Swift.

Stern would be funny. Funny is important on "Idol" and "Idol" has not been funny as of late.

The cons? There are a few:

He'd turn "Idol" into his own personal circus.

Stern comes with enough baggage to ground a 747. It might be a bit of a distraction.

Stern might alienate big sponsors such as Coke, which is why this idea may be a non-starter from the outset.

Stern has been known to offend - and how would that sit with the other judges?

With Stern's big personality at the table, might that obscure the contestants on stage? Oh yes - those. We almost forgot about them.