_{Jennifer Lopez…in happier times.}

With the departure of Ellen Degeneres from "American Idol," Fox has some big, sensible shoes to fill. And it looks like they’ll be filling those shoes with Jennifer Lopez‘s giant ass.

Deadline is reporting that Lopez signed a secret deal to replace Degeneres sometime last week. However, producers are still looking for a replacement for Simon Cowell. Rumor has it that the reanimated corpse of Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler is the frontrunner. As you probably remember, Tyler killed himself after recording "I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing" for the Armaggedon soundtrack back in 1998.

Personally, I think the two are a perfect fit. Lopez will bring back the washed-up singer vibe perfected by Paula Abdul, and Tyler’s beastly face will allow viewers to snicker and crack jokes, helping to fill the meanness void that will result from Cowell’s departure.