Simon Cowell did not mince words today when asked whether Paula Abdul should have apologized to Jason Castro this week for critiquing his second song before he’d even sung it. “I don’t think [an apology] is necessary, to be honest with you,” the American Idol judge told reporters while promoting America’s Got Talent at NBC’s summer season press day in Pasadena. “I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion. It was a live show. She made a mistake. He’s a grown-up. Look, it’s a high class problem. He’s singing in front of 25 million people. They’re all lucky to be on the show. You’ve got to put it in perspective. The year it becomes normal is the year I’ll probably leave. I genuinely like it when it’s a bit loopy.”
Cowell did not hide his feelings about the Idol songwriting competition, which last year yielded the oft-mocked “This Is My Now” for winner Jordin Sparks. “I have nothing to do with it — I’d like to bring in the best songwriters in the world,” said Cowell, who joked, “You can guarantee either the word ‘proud’ or ‘moment’ will be in the song. How about ‘I’m Proud to Be in this Moment Now’?” When asked if the final two will get to change up the arrangement to better suit their vocal styles, Cowell hinted at a glimmer of hope: “I won’t give it away, but there’s a slight change to last year which is going to be an improvement.”
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Simon’s response is not surprising. He never feels he has to appologize fro anything. So I am sure he thinks, why should Paula? Of course, he is down playing the entire thing. AI just wants Paulagate to go away. But it won’t. I don’t think anyone will listen to the judges the same way again.
I,myself do not think that an appoligy was needed.When people do things,they more than likely have a reason for the action.
I,myself do not think that an appoligy was needed.When people do things,they more than likely have a reason for the action.
People have way to much time on their hands… Simons comment are usually dead on.. and Paula always tries to be nice even when giving a bad critique… Now How many of you out there have made mistakes… said the wrong thing… in front of other people…This is LIVE Television.. she made a mistake so get over it….
When I make mistakes and say the wrong thing in front of people…I say SORRY!
Thank goodness for Mr. Cowell. Paula is human and like all humans she occassionaly makes a mistake just like the rest of us. No harm no foul.
Of all the lame cover-ups for Paula-gate, this one is the worst, because Simon should have the intelligence to do better spin job.
Simon, Simon … abdicating your status to Randy? Jumping on the “tool” train?
How’s life among the bottom-feeders, Simon? How does it feel to lie for a living?
Paula exposed her altered state (“I thought you sang twice!” — what a great judge!), AND let the script slip (exposing AI’s dirty little secret), AND screwed Jason over at the same time.
Now say this again with a straight face: “They’re all lucky to be on the show”
YOU’RE lucky to be on Fox, since Rupert has the FCC in his back pocket.
Thanks for adding to the degradation. What a champ you are.
/end sarcasm
Simon is covering up what happened. It’s not that Paula “made a mistake” – her mistake revealed that the judges are judging according to a SCRIPT. she had a card telling her what comments to make. Her mistake was to be on the wrong page of the script – reading comments for a song that hadn’t been sung.
The “big deal” is not her mistake. The big deal is that there is a SCRIPT in the first place.
Do people who agree it was a “mistake” even know what happened?
Jason had to go ahead and sing after Paula read comments that the performance was bad. How the heck can someone get it together to perform when they know that the judges have their minds made up, and their comments prepared, BEFORE you open your mouth?
How sad. The last AI judge with some integrity has shown that he, too, is no longer deserving of respect. No matter who you are, when you make a mistake that injures another human being, you apologize. Paula is no better than anyone else. She most certainly does owe Jason Castro an apology for putting him in such a humiliating position.
As for those kids being lucky to be there, without those kids, Mr. Cowell would be without a job. In fact, without us viewers, let’s see how much longer he remains employed.
Shame on you, Simon. I thought you had class. I was wrong.
I don’t think Jason needs an apology. Whether she said is presumptuously or not, Paula’s right. He needs to get serious or get out. I can’t help but think if Michael Johns still would have been there. And seriously, if Jason looked like an ogre and still sang that way, would you vote for him? THINK ABOUT IT!
Do y’all want Jason treated like Taylor Hicks if he wins? Is that what y’all want? Just because a person wins the competition doesn’t mean they have to like it.
Jolene: And you know that Paula was reading from a script how? Where is the proof in your accusation? Because I think they made it pretty clear that the judges were taking notes for the performances.
Jason’s been phoning it in for two weeks now. I’m so tired of it. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but I think he’s in over his head. He needs to grow as an artist and a public figure. The Elliott-way would be best for him. Stop trying to make him out to be some STAR when he hasn’t reached that point yet. Coming on this show is the best thing that ever could have happened to him. He will be eternally grateful for the exposure. But, you can’t force people to like him. Some will, and some won’t. TPTB may not want him to win, so is that a crime? Randy and Simon may not like his singing style, but is it wrong for them to express an opinion? Get over it people! Do you see Jason crying about it? It’s hardly worth a stroke or heart attack. This crap has clouded the stupid show. Paula made a mistake. Freakin’…let…it…go. No apology is needed. No apology will be given. Crying about it will only make you sick. So grow up, be an adult about it like Jason has, and…move…on!
So … when the going gets tough … Cowell cowers … and then folds. There’s no “there” there, the center will not hold … AI has jumped the shark … and it turns out Simon can’t swim … so he’s runnin’ scared atop the waves … like the Disney cartoon he once disdained… but has become.
You bet it’d a bog deal. Simon is just trying to cover up one of the biggest blunders to ever occur on the show. One simple sentence was all Paula needed to say on Wednesday. “I am sorry, Jason.” Paula makes this all about herself. I use to feel sorry for her; not anymore.
Paulagate isn’t real morons. Obviously Paula would never be able to memorize pre scripted critiques! Do you actually believe she’s been able to memorize a script every week up until last Tuesday? Come on! She’s just plain loopy.
I don’t understand why everyone is saying how this “hurt” or “injured” Jason!?–He doesn’t act like he knows what’s going on half the time in the first place and Paula said right after her mistake that she was reading comments that she had made about David. Jason just shrugged and went on and still left the evening with a boring BLAND performance like all his others.
Paula doesn’t memorize, she adlibs off the cue cards, while Nigel sticks his arm up her back and makes her mouth work, more or less (sometimes less) in sync. But at least Paula’s just a dummy.
Randy can’t memorize either, so he just “dawgs” it, and sticks to his limited vocabulary, but he’s got some degree of memory-retention, so he’s Nigel’s primary mouthpiece.
Simon has no excuse. He’s not fearful for his job, the way Abdul and Jackson are, and has shown that he is capable of going against Nigel and off-script. But either he has lost his nerve, or wants another expensive new car, or else he can no longer contain his thinly-veiled contempt for the hard-working kids that’re making him such a wealthy man.
That’s the thing about being a grifter, eh Simon? You transfer your self-loathing to your victims.
simon’s right. paula made a mistake. she read from the script too early. could happen to anyone.
There was only one mistake made, Paula read one card too many. Nigel told her to throw Jason under the bus and she just did as she was told, she just forgot to stop the reading. One can see from that context how she and the show would never apologize. Very rigged.
Gooo Simon for supporting Paula. love him for it
Paula made a mistake. so what? everyone makes mistakes. the show is rigged? Dont make me laugh! i mean i love Paula, but there is No way she would remmber the lines the producers gave her for each contestant (simon and randy wouldnt either) without using note. and this was the first time ever she used notes.. no,it was just a mistake and she has sufferered enough for it now and can people please move on and leave her alone?
The world needs to back off on Paula. Come on, everytime she makes a mistake she pays dearly for it. Leave her alone – she is only human.
As lies go, that was very karaoke, very Broadway, very Cabaret, very cruise-ship-py, very amateur. This is not the Simon we put into the competition. You struggled as a spin doctor and I think you’re going to look back on tonight’s lies and go, “I don’t know who this person is.”
I love Paula, but how long are we going to make excuses for her behavior? She at least needs to explain, there is obviously something going on with her. And how DO you explain advance reviews on a song yet to be performed on a supposed live show that is based on those live performances? All the more reason why, Simon, HONESTLY, this show is a total farce. This season pales in comparison talent wise to previous ones, and Paula’s obvious impairment coupled with this pathetic attempt to make excuses just really hurts the public opinion of the show. Sick of the slurred words from Paula, the judges stating that this is the best season ever when its clearly the worst, this show has lost its credibility and original intent as far as a lot of us viewers are concerned.
Finally a word of reason. This thing has been blown so way out of proportion it’s absolutely ridiculous. Don’t people have anythin better to do?
All of this angst over Paula really makes me wonder about some of you people. Any fan of the show who has paid the slightest bit of attention over the years would know that the judges frequently watch the dress rehearsals. It’s not a big secret or anything. They all have a live feed of it into their dressing rooms. It’s difficult to hear in the studio during the live shows. Paula isn’t drunk or drugged, she just gets tongue-tied and her mouth works faster than her brain sometimes. (Or maybe it’s the other way around) She saw Jason sing his second song in rehearsal. All the last minute changes to the format rattled her. She panicked a little, wasn’t thinking clearly, had both of his songs in her head…you get the picture. She’s Paula. And besides, do you honestly think anyone could SCRIPT the critiques that she comes up with every week? People are acting like she drowned a litter of kittens or something. Paulagate?! Puhleaze.
This is a gut reaction, but my feeling is that the show is losing popularity because it appears too scripted. Who wants to watch a show where they are asked to vote for their favorite, but have the constant feeling that their opinion is being manipulated?
The screwup may have been an honest mistake, but an apology would also have lent a degree of humanity to the show.
David Archuleta for the win!
I do think the whole thing has been blown out of porportion. But Paula should have at least said..”Sorry, Jason I got mixed up” The “those notes were actually for David Cook” excuse was totally lame. Which ones? The “good to hear your lower range”? or “you
have lost your charm”? Then to turn around and tell David he was terrific?
Poor little Jason seemed totally confused. Even more so than Paula.
2 things I found funny…Simon did not even attempt to stop Paula…he would have let her blabber on and on.
I saw the tiny little smirk on his face! And what I find most suspicious about the whole thing is that in 7 seasons Paula has never (ever!) not prefaced a comment with how pretty or sweet…or nice and adorable someone is. The first time she actually outright pans a performance and it has to be poor little Jason? I mean come on…she said nicer things to Amanda about Carry On My Wayward Son…and that was atrocity at it’s finest.