TV Comparison Simon Cowell: The Man with Two Faces

The enormous popularity of American Idol gave many people in the United States their first taste both of Simon Cowell and the singing-superstar contestant shows that he seems to have made it his life's work to popularize, but in fact the acerbic Brit was prominent on the producing end of the music industry for decades, and before his American Idol fame he was a creator, producer, and judge on the UK television show X Factor, which has since spawned many versions in other nations. It is not all that surprising to discover that Cowell started a show similar to American Idol in his native country, but it is somewhat striking to see the difference in his temperament and character between the two shows.

The Simon Cowell that for so long graced U.S. airwaves as a judge on American Idol was a vicious, cold, and often deliberately hurtful...

He was very direct and to the point, and many both enjoyed and respected the forthright way in which he told individuals that they couldn't really sing, or what they needed to work on -- he is certainly uncompromising, and his pedigree makes it clear that he knows what he's talking about when it comes to the music industry. At the same time, it is possible to be direct without being unnecessarily harsh, and as entertaining as many found Cowell's insults to be they often seemed geared more towards simply ridiculing contestants rather than helping them recognize their limitations or make improvements in their voice. Cowell's character on American Idol was the mean and hurtful judge, resembling a middle-school kid with no self-esteem but high intelligence.
This version of Simon Cowell is still visible on the…