What Shambles? You don't stay up to date with the latest African American expressions?!

For shame!!

You said that the American Idol judge said that "It is not good enough to be cool - you have to be hot, hot, hot - know what I'm saying?"

Given the context in which these words were spoken, my interpretation would be that the judge was telling the singer to put more of him [or her] self into the interpretation & delivery of the song.. that is more energy; soul; passion..The judge may have been recommending that the singer raise his [and therefore the audiences'] energy level up considerably from cool {mellow} to so hot that he [she]is "cookin" and "smokin" with passion.

Clarence Major's dictionary on African American slang "Juba To Jive" says this about the word "cool" Note: the words in parenthesis are my additions.

"At various times cool has meant roughly the same thing as "bad" [meaning good], or "boss" [meaning good] or 'hip' [meaning good/in the latest fashion] or "together" [good/complete] loosely used, but generally it means anything favorably regarded ; [cool is] a word of agreement, a consent, or affirmation;..

end of quote.

That is one definition of "cool". But Majors continues with a second meaning for this word:

"also, a cool person is one who is detached, aloof. In the forties, "cool" music was fashionable, just as it was fashionable for the listeners-and everybody else to be cool. "Cool was the opposite of "hot".

end of quote

Using the male pronoun as an example, a cool person acts "laid back", he strikes a pose, giving the impression that nothing can faze [bother] him..He draws into himself and becomes [as] cold as ice. He does not get "hot and bothered" [excited] about what is happening [goin down]. His feelings are untouchable..Many African Americans see this persona as the ideal. Indeed in "The Dozens", a traditional verbal game of insult exchange the winnder is the person who 'keeps his cool' [retains the most emotional control] while coming up with creative, ritualized 'digs' {insults}.

And trouble is often averted among African American youth and adults by others telling a person to ignore criticism or challanges [to 'play pass' them]..If someone tries to 'get his goat'[to use a mainstream American saying], a man's friends might tell the challenger to "to cool it" [meaning to stop trying to raise the temperature up; stop trying to start trouble] or they could tell the person being challenged to "cool it" if they see him getting heated [angry] about what has been said.

Rappers sometimes use these commonly known cultural values in selecting their stage names..for example rapper "Coolio".

Actually, for at least 15 years or so, the phrase "cool it" has been replaced by "chill out"; .."chillin" [for example, means relaxing..which is still in the same ball park as being maintaining or outwardly exhibiting low levels of energy].

To return where I began, though I didn't see 'American Idol' {ugh!!},
I would guess that the judge wanted the singer to recognise that sometimes it's cool [acceptable, fashionable] to be hot [more emotionally involved/passionate]in the delivery of a song.

So Shambles, the next time you have a beef with me, and you think I'm getting all 'worked up about nothing', you can tell me to "cool out."

And if I ever tell YOU to "chill out" [or take a "chill pill"]
you'll now have a sense of what I'm saying.

;O)