In reality TV Cowell is a one off, American Idol need to do something very off the wall to replace him and I think Ellen’s DeGeneres’ addition to the judges panel was done with the knowledge that this series would be Simon’s swansong. Surely she too would have known that? I think they did right by actually trying to replace him with two characters (although Paula was a definitely character alright.) Effectively they’ll be trying to do that, Ellen and then someone else who has what Ellen hasn’t. Either way it won’t have anything to do with music or the ability to decide what is or is not good musically. It’ll be about who the entertainer is, it’s the same as Britain’s got or America’s got Talent. And it all sets up X Factor nicely, thank you. It’s a no lose situation once again for Goldfinger and good luck to him, he has an entertainment industry now at his beck and call. The ratings say that he is right, an audience want entertaining and if you dumb them down enough they’re easily entertained. No longer do they want entertaining by a voice or an artist that drools talent but one who has, dare I say it the X Factor. We’ll just keep calling it American Idol though so the advertisers don’t get confused, perish the thought they were having to think of where to spend their advertising budgets just yet.
Did it ever occur to anyone that nothing lasts forever? Even if you don’t like Simon Cowell, and although personally I do then give him one thing, give him the credit on timing. His American Idol exit is precision timing. Look how well it worked for Little Britain and better still Basil Fawlty, knowing when to quit and sticking by your decision no matter how much money you’re offered. Seinfeld was another, wild horses wouldn’t drag him back and the residuals for the rest of his life and beyond were more than ample. Who needs the cash apart from NBC of course. People like to have something to remember and sustaining respect and the loyalty from your fans is all about knowing when to back away and them remembering you as part of something that revolutionized television, something that was what it was because of you. They remember you for that and if it starts to decline they don’t remember you at all. The ship sinks, you drown in it. But Simon will be gone by then so if the good ship Idol were to sink he will be known as the reason it sunk. And the reason it sailed was because of him. Touche, his adoring crowd will always remember him fondly.
Great TV stars, film stars, maybe even porn stars are the ones who understand shelf life, formerly known as artist integrity. Otherwise known as sharp cookies. More in tune with longevity and not grabbing what they can while they can, like all good artists they have confidence in their own ability. They like to reinvent themselves and take on new challenges, they don’t want everything on a plate and then wonder when the plate is taken from underneath them. No more gruel Scrooge, get back to the kitchen and cook it up all over again.
We’re a live for the moment generation, too afraid that our star will cease to shine and someone else will be grabbing at our coat tails. Where are the managers hell bent on sustaining that pedigree of artist who is there on merit. And when did merit and ability and the desire to succeed ever go away? The greedy came along and robbed us and once they got in they kept coming back to rob us more and more. Talent is there to be discovered, nurtured and then made available to the masses to see just what it was that got us attracted to them in the first place. It’s never about throwing a herd of wannabes in a multitude of car parks spread across a continent so that a wizard of pop can dictate who does what with you, when and for how long. Then it’s out of the car park and back on the bus to oblivion because foolishly, for one minute you thought you had what it took. The bare faced cheek to turn up.
