It's the end of an era for ''American Idol,'' with the looming departure of Paula Abdul from the show. Her efforts to negotiate a $16 million pay raise from her annual take of about $4 million -- which was then cut to an $8 million requested boost (to quote figures from the Los Angeles Times) ? crashed badly. Her manager complained that Fox had been rude and disrespectful, and even as Paula was thanking her fans for their support, names of possible replacements (Courtney Love, Jennifer Lopez, Cheryl Cole) sprang up like media weeds.

None of those are happening, by the way.

But before we bid Paula adieu ?til next time, in the spirit of her kind critiques, we'd like to take a moment to consider 10 Things We Love About Paula:

1. 1. She's the nice one. Sure, Simon Cowell replicates the schoolyard schadenfreude of watching another kid get it, especially if the teacher was sarcastic and mean. But with Paula on the job finding something nice to say, that kid could hold his head up a little bit and go on with his life, and viewers could feel a little less guilty.
2. 2. She looks great. Let's face it, the world would be a more attractive place if everybody managed to maintain themselves that well at age 47. Cougar mama.
3. 3. She endures. Like a Timex watch, she takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. The things this lady has gone through! Bulimia. Constant pain from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. An adrenal disease called Addison's. A stalker committing suicide in front of her house. Speculation about her being drunk and/or on something while on the show ? always denied. A string of controversies ranging from her misdemeanor hit-and-run to the embarrassing Corey Clark episode. (You remember: he said that they'd had an affair and she'd helped him try to win ''A.I.'' - though a Fox investigation cleared her of inappropriate assistance.) And yet, she's kept coming back and coming back, smiling. It's downright inspirational.
4. 4. Her music. Can we talk about six No. 1 singles? From perky and bouncy ''Straight Up'' to sassy ''Cold Hearted.'' She can pull off wistful ballads, too. Her distinctive baby doll voice makes her a standout. Let's hope the album she has on the way for later this year recaptures her past magic.
5. 5. She entertains. It hasn't only been the ''American Idol'' competitors providing edge-of-your-seat suspense. It's been Paula, too. Would she say something weird or lose her place entirely? Would she critique a performance that had yet to be given, as she did with Jason Castro? Would she come up with a way-out-there comment, as she did with David Archuletta? ("I just wanna squeeze you until your head pops off and dangle you from my rear view mirror.") With all that, she's given ''Saturday Night Live,'' ''Mad TV'' and ''The Simpsons'' parody material.
6. 6. Her dancing. Check out her old videos. Check out her 1990 music awards dance-off with Janet Jackson. Wow, no wonder she was the ''It'' dancer/choreographer of the time.
7. 7. She makes people who are unlucky in love feel better about themselves. Paula is like that friend everybody has, the sweet gal whose heart has been broken over and over as she strives to find Mr. Right, and keep him. Her marriages to Emilio Estevez and Brad Beckerman ended in divorce. Her romances with guys including Smith & Wesson firearms company heir Colt Melby and her more recent, 12-years-younger beau J.T. Torregiani, ended in breakups.
8. 8. Look at all those awards. A Grammy, seven MTV Awards, two Emmys, two People's Choice Awards and two Kids' Choice Awards. Plus, she has been honored with a star on Hollywood Boulevard, and was inducted into Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Hall of Fame. Yet she's not arrogant about it.
9. 9. She's good for the economy. Her jewelry line has been a success. She's got a perfume ''Sexy Thoughts,'' coming out, and who knows what could be around the corner?
10. 10. She gives back. Paula has been a presence on the celebrity charity scene for a variety of causes, and for that we say, good going! Her recent awareness-raising work on behalf of National Guide Dog Month this past May was highly commendable. The fact she loves dogs so much shows again her tenderhearted side. Aww. None of those are happening, by the way. But before we bid Paula adieu 'til next time, in the spirit of her kind critiques, we'd like to take a moment to consider 10 Things We Love About Paula:
    1. She's the nice one. Sure, Simon Cowell replicates the schoolyard schadenfreude of watching another kid get it, especially if the teacher was sarcastic and mean. But with Paula on the job finding something nice to say, that kid could hold his head up a little bit and go on with his life, and viewers could feel a little less guilty.
    2. She looks great. Let's face it, the world would be a more attractive place if everybody managed to maintain themselves that well at age 47. Cougar mama.
    3. She endures. Like a Timex watch, she takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. The things this lady has gone through! Bulimia. Constant pain from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. An adrenal disease called Addison's. A stalker committing suicide in front of her house. Speculation about her being drunk and/or on something while on the show ? always denied. A string of controversies ranging from her misdemeanor hit-and-run to the embarrassing Corey Clark episode. (You remember: he said that they'd had an affair and she'd helped him try to win ''A.I.'' ? though a Fox investigation cleared her of inappropriate assistance.) And yet, she's kept coming back and coming back, smiling. It's downright inspirational.
    4. Her music. Can we talk about six No. 1 singles? From perky and bouncy ''Straight Up'' to sassy ''Cold Hearted.'' She can pull off wistful ballads, too. Her distinctive baby doll voice makes her a standout. Let's hope the album she has on the way for later this year recaptures her past magic.
    5. She entertains. It hasn't only been the ''America n Idol'' competitors providing edge-of-your-seat suspense. It's been Paula, too. Would she say something weird or lose her place entirely? Would she critique a performance that had yet to be given, as she did with Jason Castro? Would she come up with a way-out-there comment, as she did with David Archuletta? ("I just wanna squeeze you until your head pops off and dangle you from my rear view mirror.") With all that, she's given ''Saturday Night Live,'' ''Mad TV'' and ''The Simpsons'' parody material.
    6. Her dancing. Check out her old videos. Check out her 1990 music awards dance-off with Janet Jackson. Wow, no wonder she was the ''It'' dancer/choreographer of the time.
    7. She makes people who are unlucky in love feel better about themselves. Paula is like that friend everybody has, the sweet gal whose heart has been broken over and over as she strives to find Mr. Right, and keep him. Her marriages to Emilio Estevez and Brad Beckerman ended in divorce. Her romances with guys including Smith & Wesson firearms company heir Colt Melby and her more recent, 12-years-younger beau J.T. Torregiani, ended in breakups.
    8. Look at all those awards. A Grammy, seven MTV Awards, two Emmys, two People's Choice Awards and two Kids' Choice Awards. Plus, she has been honored with a star on Hollywood Boulevard, and was inducted into Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Hall of Fame. Yet she's not arrogant about it.
    9. She's good for the economy. Her jewelry line has been a success. She's got a perfume ''Sexy Thoughts,'' coming out, and who knows what could be around the corner?
    10. She gives back. Paula has been a presence on the celebrity charity scene for a variety of causes, and for that we say, good going! Her recent awareness-raising work on behalf of National Guide Dog Month this past May was highly commendable. The fact she loves dogs so much shows again her tenderhearted side. Aww.