People were amused and bedazzled when 'American Idol' judge Paula Abdul appeared live on various television stations, apparently inebriated. 'How come Fox still lets her be the judge on the most popular talent competition in the country?', they all seemed to think. A couple of well-aimed statements from Paula's publicist, from the network and then from the object of all attention, Paula Abdul herself, seemed to calm down the turbid waters.
Hardly a day had passed since people seemed to somehow forget all about Miss Abdul and her wacky behavior that another judge appeared in all the headlines, this time for his comments while auditioning potential Idols. Simon Cowell, who is not at his first 'offense' of this kind, was generally blamed for turning the show into a circus, instead of doing his best to focus on the candidates vocal skills.
As the first episode of the new season began showing footage taken from the auditions, Cowell was seen and heard addressing a bug-eyed man by terms that did not refer strictly to his singing ability. 'You look a little odd. The dancing is terrible. The singing was horrendous and you look like one of those creatures that live in the jungle with those massive eyes. What do they call them? Bush babies.', he said to the man who was standing in front of him, sparkling outrage for casting aside a contestant on the basis of his looks and not of his talent.
But the president of Fox Entertainment was quick to defend both the attitude displayed by Cowell and his comment. 'It's part of what makes "American Idol" "American Idol". Let's face it, the show's been on the air for six years, and the judges have been critical for six years. Hundreds of millions have watched and hundreds of thousands of auditions have occurred. People know what the show is about. I think the judges know what makes the show tick. It's just a continuation of what's been a special formula.', he said.
Simon himself admitted that he should probably stick to criticizing the contestants on the basis of their talent, but said that this is, after all, what makes the show worth watching. 'I take your point, which is, It's a singing competition, and why should I call someone, I think it was a "bush baby". The appeal of this show is that we've never tried to censor this show. And there are times, trust me, when I watch it back and I just think, "God, I wish I hadn't said that, and why do they put it in the show?". But it's something we all sign up for, good things and bad things. I feel more comfortable being on a show where we are prepared to show the warts as well as the good things.', he explained during a recent interview.
If you take Cowell's bitter remarks, add a little of Paula Abdul's odd behavior, you get the perfect recipe that will totally guarantee you an instant hit. As a matter of fact, this new season of 'American Idol' scored record ratings in the US, with more than 37.3 million people tuning in to see it.
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