It means he's about to tell the truth as he sees it.

I suspect that Simon could be very rude if he chose to be and what people see are him being brutally honest rather than telling them what they want to hear, which is usually what family and friends do.

It's like people going into ministry I've noticed. They think they are wonderful, and the first time someone says anything remotely contrary to that (in an effort to make this person a better minister) they can't handle it.

Not being rude.

I only Watch American and Canadian Idol through the first episodes when all the talentless fools audition. And, personally, I don't criticize Cowell in the slightest for his comments. Most often, he is being brutally honest in his condemnation of their talent and ability. It's no different than a straight-forward rebuke than one would receive by a similar type of person for trying to become an accountant when one can't count or wanting to be a doctor but have no affinity for science. The difference is, Cowell is on t.v.

The contestants who are on the receiving end of his scathing comments deserve everything they get, even if it is harsh. If they honestly thought they could sing or entertain, then they need to be set straight. They need a reality check and he gives it to them. Clearly, their friends have either lied to them (a cruel joke?)and told them they were good or no-one had the courage to tell them just how bad they are. Or maybe they just never listened to anyone as they stubbornly clung to their inflated image of themselves. He's doing them a favour by telling them they are atrocious. They should thank him.

Sometimes the message doesn't hit home when it's delivered gently or politely or tinged with compassion. 'Nice' criticism just doesn't convince many of these people that they should never sing again---not even in the shower when they are alone. Chances are that's already been tried, yet they're still certain they are not only good, but great. He is that voice of pure honesty---with nothing to gain by saying otherwise---that contradicts those voices in their heads that tell them they are good.

Besides, it's not like it's a secret how he is and what his job is on the show. If they walk into those auditions expecting to be let down gently, they are fools. They knew or ought to have known what the possible---likely---result would be. If you set yourself up for a fall, you have to be prepared to take the fall. Those who've deluded themselves or are just going in for their two minutes of tv time are getting exactly what they wanted.

It is an entertainment show, after all. Would the public want him to be any less?

Yeah, I agree with everything you folks have said... I think it's tragic how the people on that show have never been given an honest asseessment of their particular gifts and limitations. Sometimes he takes it farther than I would, but I agree that the people have subjected themselves to the possibility of hearing harsh feedback.

But here's a specific example. At the end of the episode they showed a clip from next week, where he leans out the door of the audition room to where a marching band is playing in the hallway and says, "Not being rude, but SHUT UP!"

Whereas, he could have said, "PLEASE BE QUIET" - which I think would be both effective and actually not rude.

Anyway, it sounds like you're supporting my first interpretation (the more charitable one) and that gives me some peace of mind... don't know why I obsess over little tidbits like this, but sometimes it happens.

I am not sure if it is a positive thing or not, but what always amazes me are the contestants that after auditioning, being laughed at, and being subjected to Simons blunt critisism, still manage to walk out with heads held high. Still convinced that they have exceptional musical talents and really should be the next American/Canadian idol. Is this a protective mechanism or a healthy self confidence?

In most cases, I think it's a deluded sense of reality. Some of them do have healthy confidence, and they are saying things like, "This isn't my time, I wasn't as ready as I thought, but you haven't seen the last of me, I'm pursuing my passion..." etc.

But the ones who say that the judges have no taste, that they are ready, that they could be the next Idol if given the chance, are either, like you say, in protective mode, OR they have an inaccurate self-image and no sense of their own gifts and limitations.

I watch those shows from time to time.
Mostly they are rather painful. Sometimes I call it TheScreamFest (I am a bit of a music snob).

I think he's playing the Bad Boy-Meany. Unfortunately that's what performers are sometimes up against in the real world.

He can be brutally honest and I do often agree with him; however he's paid the big bucks to play that role, I think.

I agree with Magda's post. I agree with Simon nearly always and enjoy his "bite", but there have been a couple times when I've cringed at ignorant remarks about body type....what the??

So often I wonder at some of the really horrible screachers...don't they have mothers? Was old mom deaf? Mom wasn't doing her job too well, if you ask me.

I think Simon's just doing his job. He's being paid to be rude. It gets ratings. Let's face it, the judges are not seeing every one of the 16, 000 contestants that show up. Someone is screening them and they are making a definite choice to let some of the loonies in. I have pretty mixed feelings about it. Some contestents really are stuck in hubris and do need a reality check. I think some go in knowing perfectly well how bad they are but they're up for their 15 seconds of fame. But some of them... there was a young man on last night who truly believed he was good... I had to wonder about his mental health... I wondered if he had Aspergers or a personality disorder. Something was up with him. If my memory serves, Simon tempered his comments but one could see he was crushed none the less. And there I am, sitting watching it... what does that say about me? Or any of us who lap this stuff up?

I can't stand the early auditions on the Idol shows. I just cringe with embarrassment on behalf of the people who make fools of themselves, so I've stopped watching the auditions.

I get really into it, though, when they're down to the last ten or twenty, and they're all very talented, and it becomes a really good competition. I was SO MAD last year when Chris Daughtry was voted off, what the *&#:$# were people thinking? Taylor Hicks???Come on!

Simon seems to take advantage of some sort of unwritten rule that if you preface something with "Don't take this the wrong way...", or "No offense, but....", then you can say pretty much anything you want. He's certainly not alone in that!

I love Simon. He gives people a taste of reality. If they're no good at singing Simon knows it. And if they can't get on American Idol, they more than likely weren't meant for a singing career. Most of the people who win American Idol don't even get anywhere, with the exception of Kelly Clarkson and Canadian Idol winnder Carrie Underwood.

I just saw a "news" story on Entertainment Tonight about American Idol. Rosie O'Donnell was very critical of Simon and the gang on the View this morning. Rosie said American Idol is the "new freak show" and thinks that American entertainment has reaced a new low. I have to agree with her.

It showed a clip of Simon belittling a man for, in addition to bad singing and dancing, for having a face that "looked like one of those jungle masks, you know, with the big eyes." It was over the top. Belittling a man for his physical appearance.

The story also discussed rumours that Paula Aubdul is showing up drunk for the auditions.

Ok, the guy did sort of look like a Makak monkey, but really he looked more like a hobbit. I mean, the guy even had pointy ears!

GospelCrazy wrote: "Because it seems to me that whenever he said that last night, he was, by my reckoning, being quite rude indeed."

EZ Answer: I will need another episode to test my hypothesis, but I wonder if the following fits. Simon seems to move to blunt (aka rude) when participants fail to heed subtle verbal or non-verbal cues.

Again, I need another episode (and editing makes it difficult to catch everything) but if the participant doesn't heed the judges' facial expressions or initial "no"--but pushes the judges to amplify or justify, then Simon (and increasingly Randy) gets blunt.

There is something there that resonates with me. Civil society requires that people pick up and heed social cues. But some people refuse to take a kind "no." Like when the telemarketer calls at supper time. It should be enough that we give a kindly stated, "Thank you, but I'm not interested." But the telemarketer does not heed this social grace. Instead, the pitch is continues and accelerated.

The frustrating thing about those phone calls is that the telemarketer forces us to be socially rude in order to terminate the exchange. We have to repeat ourselves, or raise our voice, or justify our needs, or hang up without mutual consent. Our anger is justified: the other person will not terminate the exchange gracefully.

To draw an extreme analogy: the trauma police officers experience when drawn into a "death by police officer" suicide. That's when the suicidal person draws a knife on a police officer, knowing that the police officer must fire his or her gun in response. The police officer is traumatized and caught in an aweful bind that has him or her wrathfully angry at the deceased for using him or her to kill.

Simon's situation is far less than the police trauma. But they won't accept his non-confrontational cue.

But there are the times when Simon launches directly into criticism. I think Simon must be thinking that either 1) this person has failed to catch the gentle cues of loved ones that they can't sing or 2) this person's loved one's have taken the cowards way out praised the naken emperor's new clothes. So he provides the wake up call.

Interesting hypothesis EZed.

I think that you may be on to something.

Most of the time Simon acts appropriately but some of his insults are quite cruel.

This is a show that I just can't be bothered with anymore. It's getting really old.

Jeffery: He didn't say he looked like a mask, he said he looked like a monkey. I think he even said, "Jungle baby."

I like EZed's theory.

Also, the show is heavily edited. We usually see the people singing only one song, but then there are short clips later of them singing other numbers. These are, I suspect, 5-7 minute auditons being compressed into 30-60 seconds. So some of the behaviour that leads to Simon's responses may not be shown in the final edited version.

I sometimes wonder, though, if time of day, or blood sugar levels, or frustration, or some other factors enter into it. Because sometimes they are gentle and other times innappropriately harsh.

I suppose sometimes he's being so brutal in order to say, "You need to focus on some other life goal," whereas when he's more gentle it's because he thinks it's worthwhile for the person to keep on singing?

All of that said, I am disgusted by his reaction to peoples' looks. It's one thing to say, "You don't have the right image for this show." But that's not what he does. He's actually very mean and snobby when it comes to looks and body types, and it has a different energy to it, I find, than his comments on performance.

GospelCrazy wrote: "All of that said, I am disgusted by his reaction to peoples' looks."

EZ Answer: Agreed. The comment to Kenneth Briggs (the first of the two "new friends") about looks was so disappointing. Simon compared Briggs to a "bush baby," and Briggs took that to mean "monkey."

That brings me back to my hypothesis. If I recall correctly, Briggs targeted Simon with some comments during the greeting, prior to singing. I don't believe Briggs criticized Simon, but Briggs' comments had an energy that made the moment personal and about Simon. Briggs said something about making Cowell's jaw drop (not an insult, but Cowell is constantly picked on for his looks and wardrobe)

So, according to my theory, that is when Briggs took the exchange with Simon outside of standard (British?) civility. Then Simon responds. I can't recall (I should review the recording) if Briggs pushed Simon to amplify or justify the subtle or non-verbal "no." Ms. Squirrel and I wondered about the contestant's level of functioning.

Either way, commentary on DNA is out of bounds.

Ms. Squirrel and I had the same wondering about the next contestant. Brigg's new-found friend Jonathan Jayne was treated with gentleness and care by all three judges. Apart from it, perhaps, being more obvious to Simon that JJ's dignity was to be guarded, I also notice that JJ at no point pushed at Simon. He came in, treated the judges with respect, and they delivered their "no" with prefatory comments like, "I really like you..." and "I like your spirit" (or something like that).

Nonetheless, Simon initiated a comment about JJ's pant size.

Behind all this, of course, is the truth that we watch it, and Simon says aloud what we are too often thinking privately. But, then, the gate between private thoughts and public commentary is important for civil society.

I can' believe you people endorse Cowell making fun of someone's appearance.

Maybe they won't take "no", but I AM SURE there is a team of security guards to drag the people way onces their 15 seconds is done. To say that they need to be belittled in order to get them to vacant the stage is ridiculous.

Make fun of their singing -- acceptable in the cirumstances. Make fun of the way the look -- reprehensible! Choosing to include it in the broadcast -- scandalous!!

Jeffery wrote: "I can' believe you people endorse Cowell making fun of someone's appearance."

EZ Answer: I am not endorsing it. We are discussing what thought process Simon may be having that leads him to be rude. And what may be, for Simon, trigger behaviours.

EZ, perhaps I was overbroad in suggesting that it was more than one person but I was trying not to single anyone out. Besides, who could get mad at a cute little squirrel (well, other than gardeners).

Simon is blunt, and sometimes rude, which is unfortunate. And I felt sorry for the fellow whom he described as a bush baby. One of my daughters auditioned for Cdn Idol, and yes, the program that airs is HEAVILY edited. Before those poor unfortuate souls end up in front of Paula and Randy and Simon, they have sung for a number of other producers, in front of other auditioners. The really bad ones are just put through the hoops again, this time on public display so we can see them too.

So, they raise their hopes by putting them through to the next step and raise their hopes and dreams, merely to publically humiliate them? This is cruel and inhumane. People of conscience should boycott this show!

Well, those people haven't raised their hopes and dreams any more so than all the other people in their lives have for how many years? And from what my daughter says, the process is tiring, and nerve wracking, but a lot of fun and she met WONDERFUL people. Including some producers.

Jeffery asked: "Besides, who could get mad at a cute little squirrel "

EZ Answer: I remember when I auditioned before Simon, Randy, and Paula for the first season of American Idol. Simon got mad at me. And I thought just like you...who could get mad at a cute little squirrel like me.

I remember the day like it was a vivid dream. I scampered into the audition room, tired but pumped. Paula smiled at me. Randy chuckled and said, "Dude!" But Simon just looked at me sideways. Like he had already decided that there was no way that a Canadian squirrel could be an idol.

Randy asked what I was singing. I said "Squirrel by the Beastie Boys." Simon raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

But, man, I brought it. I brought it. I delivered my inner Beastie. And I could see from Paula's expression that she was into me. Oh yeah. She wanted The Squirrel.

Randy said, "Dude!"

But Simon couldn't appreciate the deep talent. All those years in the church choir, nurturing my Whitney Houston vocal range. My Gordon Downie introspection. Only to have Simon yell at me for wasting his precious time.

As I left the audition hall, I stood nose to nose with Ryan Seacrest and declared that the world had not heard the last of The Squirrel.

I will always appreciated how, when I arrived home, MadMonk sat me down and assured me of God's love--not to give up on myself. MadMonk held me in a manly embrace and said, "EZed, you're a butterfly, and butterflies are free to fly!" MadMonk saved my life that night. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.

O.K. just stop it you guys! I give myself a talking to about the time I spend on this site...I'll just pop into wonder cafe for a minute. The squirrel totally hooks me with a visual of he and madmonk in a manly hug...standing nose to nose with Ryan....puuuuhhhhleeeeese! Who's going to clean the bathrooms?

I do tend to drink a lot in the afternoons.

I only talk about butterflies when I am drinking.

Fly! Fly away little flying squirrel!