I don't generally watch Idol and it's ilk, "Reality" programming is..., well it's so far below the lowest common form of TV as to require a whole new math to calculate how truly demeaning it is to the viewing public.

That said it seems I can't avoid knowing Simon quite well, at least in his performance and personality vis-a-vis this show.

And I actually respect what he does. He's honest, sometimes brutally so, but these people need that to wake them up from their fairy-tale life of a dream of stardom. They actually needed it years ago when some overindulgent or greedy adult praised them as the greatest thing since ever and falsely set them up to believing they had talent when they didn't.

Those other two "judges" are probably too kind and many go away from these auditions thinking "just a little more practice and I'll make it" when they should be thinking "I gave it a shot but it's not meant to be so I'll move on to the next thing in my life". I've been truly astounded the few times I've seen the show that after Simon is honest with one of these deluded people, and even if the other two agree (though they sugar coat it), that they are so deep in denial that they won't believe they don't have a shadow of talent. It's sad really, that they'll go back home and still think they just need to "catch a break" and they'll be a star.

Dang, did I type too much again

Me too

Its probably just the bad quality!
though i love when simon burns them to death!
take that for killing music!

I totally thought that too. But, Maybe it just was the bad quality and sound.

Thats just being fair!
and most of the people who go for the auditions do suck!
so they should be burned.
and anyway shows like that make me sick!
I have to put up with
1: youre a star (the irish version )
2: pop idol (the british version )
3 american idol ( you sould know )

i thought X-factor was the british version

Theres that too.
but the original was pop idol, or as i call it plop idol!