TV mode: It wouldn't be very entertaining to have 3 real critics, now would it? Could it be better if Paula was less over-the-top? Sure.

I like EW.com's suggestion to use a guest judge instead of Paula.

Real-world mode: agreed, better to get criticized and grow from it than to have smoke blown up your butt for years until you realize you've destroyed your value proposition both inside and outside the company.

I will admit, I do not watch American Idol. I think I did once, in the gym on a business trip while I ran on the treadmill because the guy next to me had it on already.

I have heard that Simon is a bit abrupt but why not? Its ratings! People tune in probably just to see what he will say to those people. He says what many of us have to candy coat in today's politically correct world.

But, the cynical part of me says, it's all about the ratings.

The object of the show is to produce a star, in sync with today's youth, that will produce revenue for Simon & Company. You might not like the message, but he's dead on.

Good post. Here's a thought though: what if we think of the judges as a team?

Simon delivers the hard news. The other two provide some sugar coating. It works in combination.

This may fly in the face of those same books setting out ideals of teams!

Let's be clear people.
The point of the show is to fill airtime as inexpensively as possible while selling advertizing for that time slot.
End of discussion.

Ok everyone knows that the truth will help you to get where you want,but in all honesty in my experience, people respond better when you dont approach them from such an aggressive standpoint.
You don't have to lie to people but most people would get defensive rather than focus on constructive criticism.Then again since its all for the ratings we cant really take it too seriously.

What a fantastic business model:
1. Free talent, no big star salaries to pay as in "Friends" multi-million dollar budget per episode.
2. It commands the ratings for two nights, for weeks on end. No other show since Batman has done that...same bat time...same bat channel...
3. It has reached Phenomenon status because America loves competition...and we get to vote, no hanging chads!

I would rather get compliments, criticism, anything, from someone I trust. The sugar-coating gets old quick as far as I'm concerned.

But using the example of American Idol, I have a feeling that Simon is actually nicer than an exec in the music biz would be to some of these performers.

Who's read The Wisdom of Crowds? Isn't this typical of business today - - doesn't matter how good or bad you are, it's a matter of whether or not you have a champion. That's why so many of the good singers have gotten booted off. I actually think Simon has a lot of EQ -totally self-aware.However I do need to wonder why they are always starting with Randy this year and ending with Simon. In previous years they rotated it. Maybe with this new format, it truly is the listener who is judging - but maybe for all the wrong reasons.

I agree with several of the comments above . . . I'd definitely prefer that someone is honest with me about a shortcoming rather than let me go on making mistakes.

Sometimes, people say they don't want to hurt someone's feelings by giving a true assessment. In reality, they're probably more concerned about how that person will feel about them if they give her honest feedback.

Personally, I subscribe to the "speaking the truth in love" approach . . . honesty without the harshness, and willing to take the risk of making the other person angry if I feel it's really in his or her best interest.

Simon Cowell is the reason most people watch American Idol. He tells the truth. The truth is so refreshing after all the lying hype that persists everywhere you turn. People in America are hungry for the truth. I say let's start telling the truth about everything.

Honesty is more important than appearances.

A lot of people watch the Idol shows for the same reason they watch the Olympics - to see the faces of those who don't win. Dr Wiley was on the money about Idol being a cheap and easy production, but what makes it stand apart from other talent contests (like, say, Solid Gold?) is that it delivers the bad news and exploits poor performances for maximum dramatic effect. A lot of the people who audition in the early rounds of the show are treated with incredible cruelty by the producers - some of them clearly have mental illnesses which should attract compassion rather than ridicule.

By the later rounds, the contestants are usually people who have had serious training or a semi-professional background, rather than unknown amateurs. It takes more to knock them down, and Simon Cowell delivers.

Simon might be more forthright than Paula or Randy, but if he was to make his pronouncements on , for example, sales forecasts, in the same language, no one would want to work for him. His success as a music industry executive suggests that he actually does have the ability to rely upon and encourage his juniors - the show is just a show.