I am a 68 yr. old grandmother. My favorite show is American Idol. I was very unhappy with the way Simon talked down to Sanjaya. I really like that 17 year old teenager. he did not deserve Simon's vicious and nasty tongue lashings that he gave him. Sanjaya is a gentle loving guy with a beautiful smile and a big heart. it isn't easy for anyone to get up on stage and perform especially at age 17. Sanjaya did his best- he tried and that was worth a lot. He was an inspiration to teens. and others. he took the insults bravely and continued on. It was not his fault that people liked him and like him they did,inspite of Simon. I don't believe anyone needs to be ridiculed like Simon ridiculed him. My respect for Simon went way down. Randy and Paula can get their points across without breaking hearts. I hope Sanjaya goes on and proves Simon wrong. He could be the next teenage heart-throb! You Go Sanjaya! Bobbie
Monday March 19, 2007

FOX
In a candid interview with 60 Minutes' Anderson Cooper on Sunday, American Idol's Simon Cowell opened up about coming under fire for his catty commentary each week on Fox's hit reality series.
"I don't think I'm humiliating anybody," Cowell tells Cooper."Possibly [the contestants are] humiliating themselves."
And while Mr. Nasty says he's "helping" the singers by hurling what some would call verbal assaults, he explained to Cooper that "No one is dragged into that audition room kicking and screaming."
Calling to attention season six auditioner Kenneth Briggs, whom Cowell said looked like a "bush baby," Cooper asked the judge if he believed his commentary to be hurtful. "I want to meet the parents sometimes and say 'are you aware that your son/daughter has zero talent and you're wasting their time when they could be doing something they're good at?'" Cowell admits.
But don't for a minute think Cowell feels even the slightest tinge of remorse after making himself known to America for, frankly, being downright nasty.
"I don't have a conscience about this at all," Cowell says, describing his Idol duties with all sincerity. "At the end of the day, if you've decided you want to enter American Idol, you want a short circuit to be rich and famous. If that means you have to take a bit of criticism along the way - tough."
Talk to Us: Do you side with Simon while rating the Idol competition at home?
| Morning Rush: Put Your Mouth Where His Bacne Is |
Categories: Anderson Cooper | Simon Cowell | American Idol
You people need to learn to speak and write walking English and try something other than punk culture. Try a spell checker, dictionary, thesaurus or whatever the bleep you need to pen something sharp, relevant _and_ brutal. How's that for critizim (sic) of you under educated, never was, never will be's.
Suck bones.
I love Simon and he is alway right about the singing any way. He is funny when he talks about how they look but sometime he is just to much to. If you don't what Simon to be hard and tell your kid the truth then parents you better start doing your own job. Stop sening them to Simon. I konw you want them to hate Simon and not you. You are the good guys after Simon gets done with them. I understand I'm a Mama of three. But Simon is just doing his job and yours so don't hate him you should be thanking himfor your kids still loving you and hating him.
I'm with Simon. Most of those early contestants that embarrass themselves know what they are signing up for, which is to SING. They only humiliate themselves. They know they are only looking for their 15 minutes of fame.
right on simon----i love it------- wanna baby these wannabe's? i don't think so. i know some of these people are ugly and untalented, and i know they can't help it. BUT THEY CAN STAY OFF NATIONAL TELEVISION SO WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT AND HEAR THEM!
Harsh? Never you are just brutaly honest!
Well, or I wish we were in love.
Me and Simon are in love.
These people who have no talent shouldn't be led on by American Idol by letting them go thru to see the judges. Go to Vote for the worst .com
American Idol isn't a talent contest, it's a reality show.
Simon is the man!!! He makes American Idol a good show that I want to watch :) If there were no Simon, I'd have no interest in watching American Idol that's for sure! :)
Simon says. Simon does. This is a network show that needs ratings like its compeitiors. Simon knows if these wannabes singers were in front of music producers they would be worst. The majority, if not all would not even get their demos in the door. It's a winning game for all who wants 15 minutes of fame. Paula is like the Mother Hen. Randy is the Good Ole Uncle who tells you the truth when he can't take it. But, SImon is like all fathers he has his favorites. And this show is Melinda Doolittle. She portrays the act or I am so shy and humble and grateful. But, she will get a major makeover, if she wins. What about Howard Stern and a www voting to keep kid on who can't sing, Sahnaja (sp. It's great gladiator entertainment. All who makes it get a chance to strut their stuff before millions. Go AI for spreading the love.
It was time for someone like Mr. Cowell to finally deliver as is to American 'Idols' and the audience. We are way too nice and tend to hold back on being truthful i.e. if you ask me "do I look fat in these pants", expect an honest answer. And that is exactly what Simon is doing. I like how he compares people (contestants) to variety of things/animals, uses very British expressions to desribe them because it is the truth. Many contestants seem not to understand what Simon is trying to say just because they have never been criticized before. We need to learn in America a bit of European truthfulness.
Generally, I think Simon knows the difference between bad and good. He expresses it. Sometimes I think he over-praises people and sometimes I think he over-insults people but he rarely comes out of left field with his analysis. I think he praises Melinda Doolittle way too much. I definitely couldn't say that she's bad but she's not necessarily what I would expect to see in pop music right now. I also noticed that Simon went a bit too far with his harshness on Stephanie Edwards. I didn't think her "Love Hangover" song was anywhere near as bad as the judges were saying. I think this is going to be a competition between the black females. They are the only ones with potential.
i agree, but not completely. most of the people are there just for the couple minutes of fame. i mean, some of the people can't hit even ONE good note, and you can't tell me that they even think they've got a chance. it's all for being able to say "i was a contestant on AI". but, he doesn't need to be THAT harsh. all he's gotta say is "you're not what we're looking for, sorry." insulting them and being a jerk isn't called for. i bet he was a bully as a kid. it's like he sees this show as a way to be able to make fun of people. but then, i'm sure there were people who went on the show thinking they were all that and got kicked down within the first few days. so those kinda people i think need a reality check and to be told that they're no good so they'll shut up and quit bragging to their friends. so it's kinda 50/50 i guess.
COME ON PEOPLE...like you have never laughed at Simon's comments!! He has been in this business a long time and knows his stuff. Who BETTER to judge than someone who knows what he is talking about!! I agree with his comments about 99.9% of the time. Plus, it's all part of show business...would you watch the show if he or Randy or Paula just dead-panned it all the time? NO! And some of the contestants who try and be "witty" and comment back to Simon or whoever, just come across looking like smart-asses who can't take criticism. Not all criticism is bad!! And remember contestants...facial expressions!! You never know when the camera is on you or not...and when it catches you off-guard and you have a smirk, or a sassy look on your face, you're only hurting yourself, because people like me think you're a smart-ass!
I agree that the AI contestants should expect to get judged. I liked Simon's comment about wanting to tell them when they're not good, so that they can move on and find something that they are actually good at. (This should come from parents, but these days we see parents thinking that their children are perfect at everything.) What is awful is that Paula contradicts what Simon says. Simon tells them that they are bad and should move on. Paula tells them to keep fighting for their dreams. While Simon's comments hurt immediately, Paula's comments hurt people long-term.
Simon is the main reason I even watch the show..LOVE him! He's not mean..he's HONEST. And seriously..the people he comments on their physical appearace..have they never looked in the mirror? Does anybody think the guy with the pop eyes had never realize he actually DOES look like a Bush-baby? I'm sure Simon wasn't the first person to point that out. When you look like some of these people do and you sign up to stand before Simon..you have to know what you're gonna get....so go cry somewhere else!
A whole thread on this huh? It's like his job & stuff, EXACTLY why he gets paid to make those comments that get people riled up & talking...wtf? Do we have analyze EVERY thing??????? btw: we had this thread with basically the same question before...hello? Anybody workin' over there today???????
You have to give the man props for telling it like it is. Some contestants in American Idal can't sing and when it's time to vote when the final 12 are competing and you see that the most talented are in the bottom three and the ones with the less talent are safe well now you know where Simon's comments come from.
Talent is always the best weapon in this competition, It's true if you only want fame and fortune than you're in the wrong business, if you don't have any talent what do you even go on national television and make a fool of your self? some people really should think before they go on auditions for AI because some of the people that go are just a disgrace to the people who are really there for the singing ... awful!!!!
If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen.
well.....i do think it is his duty to criticize ppl on their talent but i do not think he has the right to make fun of ppls appearances like calling them fat or saying they have weird eyes (as he did say to one AI 6 auditioner)
99.9% of the people that try out for that show can't sing. Simon is telling the truth and the truth hurts. Every one is entitled to their own opinion, but not everyones opinion is just as good as everybody elses. It is possible to be wrong and that's what these contestants and the rest of america who are so afraid of offending someone need to understand.
well, i agree with Simon to some extent....it is his duty to criticize ppl on their talent bt i do think he has no right to comment on ppls appearances like calling them fat or saying they have weird eyes (as he did say to one AI 6 auditioner)
That is his job. If you cant sing expect to get negative critizism. Is he supossed to lie??? People are so stupid. He always gets it right.
I agree with Simon 100%... most of the contestants are just there for their 15 minutes of fame so though it out loosers!!



