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The answer to whether or not American Idol would be the same without Simon Cowell is a resounding "absolutely, positively no." He is about the only redeemable quality of American Idol. Now I admit, I watch the show pretty religiously. I'd say "I'm not ashamed to admit that," but I am a little ashamed. The only way I can justify tuning in every week to hear mediocre singers butcher some classic songs (e.g., see Beatles week), is to hear Simon Cowell's brutal, hilariously creative, and nearly always spot-on critiques.

The fact is, there are three "judges," but the only opinion that really matters is Cowell's. This is clear by the contestants' reactions. Positive feedback from Randy and/or Paula is met with smiles and polite "thank you"s, but a glowing review from Cowell usually causes contestants to jump up and down in elation and the crowd to erupt with applause. (Sure, you could argue that Cowell doesn't always get it right, citing his prediction that Taylor Hicks wouldn't make it very far in the competition, and Hicks ended up winning. But in some ways, Simon was right: have you see or heard from Taylor Hicks since that season ended? He seems to be going the way of Fantasia and Rueben. The fact is, Cowell is the only one who knows how to pick stars. He saw mega-stardom in Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, and both have gone on to huge success).

The unfortunate truth is that Randy Jackson seems like a nice guy and all, but the only critiques he's ever able to offer are "it was a little pitchy" and "you worked it out." Furthermore, in this viewer's humble opinion, Jackson gets it wrong as much as he gets it right. A mediocre performance will have him jumping up and down declaring "dawg, you brought it!", while a great performance will have him shaking his head and saying "naw, dawg, that didn't do it for me." I truly don't think he belongs on the panel.

Then there is Paula Abdul. No sense in wasting too many words on her. She's simply there to buffer Simon's harsh feedback. All she ever has to offer is a rephrasing of Randy's comments or a compliment on someone's outfit, "gift," or aura. She really has no right judging a competition.

Put simply: Cowell is American Idol. He's smart, honest, entertaining, brutal when need-be, and he knows how to pick winners. Ratings would plummet without him.

Learn more about this author, Sean Curtis.
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