by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: October 26, 2009

American Idol would be something else without Simon Cowell. It would be better from the aspect that his focus on markets, who will buy the most records, and what will make the most money would be gone. His decisions clearly and consistently favor the marketable and not the best. As a result, you had better be an attractive, mainstream country or pop blond female, or an attractive mainstream country or pop male.

American Idol would be worse because sometimes Simon actually gives a critique that focuses on the quality of the performance and not the odds that a future tour will sell out. His relentless nastiness is often clearly designed to stir up attention from the viewing and studio audiences, and is part of his image. He can actually be a kind and compassionate person, so it is obvious that he brings out the claws for the sake of theater.

Paula Abdul revealed an embarrassing problem with American Idol one evening, when she read prepared notes that had detailed criticism of a contestant's second performance. The problem was that no one had done their second performance yet, so where did she get the detailed notes? That event made a lot of viewers wonder just how preconceived or fixed the judging on American Idol is. It may be that the judges listen during rehearsals and make notes during the week, but that was a devastating blow to the integrity of the judges.

Randy Jackson could go, and not be missed. He repeats the same mannerisms, words, and tag lines that were tired out three years ago. The use of the word "dawg" and "dude" for men was uncool a long time ago. Using those words to address women was never the thing to do, even when they were hip and fresh. After all these years, it is definitely doubtful that he even knows anything about pitch, since he has wrongly used the criticism "It's a little pitchy" three thousand times too many.

But Simon will always be there to tell the truth to the worst offenders of singing. He is the one who will tell a singer that they are in big trouble and why. Some of them clearly demonstrate problems, such as nerves and dress, that they should have resolved before they made the final twenty. Others have problems that they will never be able to correct in time to become a polished and insanely popular performer who can carry a sold out tour and platinum record.

But his history of falsely bad mouthing performers who racially, appearance wise, and genre wise do not meet his limited concept of what makes an American Idol should become history, or he should. Then, American Idol would be something better, and would be at the level of quality competitions like "So You Think You Can Dance, which has judges who have actually danced."

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