The new judges -- Britney Spears and Demi Lovato -- made their debut on the Season 2 premiere of "X Factor" this week, but is Spears really as mean as the previews have been trying to paint her?
So how did the much hyped debut of Britney Spears as a judge on the second season of "X Factor" go? If one goes, by the ratings for the two-night, three-hour premiere, it was so-so. But if one goes by the pop singer's performance, she was far better than so-so. Paired up with fellow newcomer Demi Lovato, the two made a welcome edition to the businesslike L. A. Reid and the brutally honest Simon Cowell. But she was billed as perhaps being meaner than Cowell. Was she, or was that all just promo hype as well?
Change is always an iffy thing, especially when replacing integral parts. It is anticipated and dreaded at the same time. On television, especially reality television, it can make or break a show, which is why producers strive to keep a team together. But Simon Cowell, executive producer of "X Factor," felt his judges panel wasn't working and ditched two of his Season 1 judges, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, keeing L. A. Reid. But where Reid and Cowell hold credentials as starmakers, Lovato and Spears are actual pop stars. And few are bigger than Britney Spears.
The enormous rise in volume of the live crowds when she was introduced was an obvious indicator or her star power. But that doesn't make her a good judge.
However, being honest does.
Spears had no problem telling the endless stream of live auditioners that they didn't have the "x factor" or that singing just wasn't their strong suit. It was obvious that the producers (of which Simon Cowell is one) were attempting to make her the star of the show, with Lovato as the cute sidekick. With Lovato's energy and enthusiasm (and continuous flirting with the young guys) and Britney's no-nonsense openness and expressive honesty, the judges panel worked far better than the syrupy supportiveness of previous judges Abdul and Scherzinger.
But Simon Cowell wasn't giving up his crown of the "King of Mean" to a first-timer, no matter what the "X Factor" previews indicated and no matter what he, a born salesman, had to say about Spears' judging ability (like: "And they say I'm the mean one?").
In an appearance Spears and Cowell made prior to the Season 2 premiere, Cowell told talk show host Ellen Degeneres that he had never heard anyone say "no" so quickly. Although his new fellow judge denied this, she admitted that she just wanted to be honest and that she was offering "constructive criticism." Cowell laughed, noting that that had been his excuse the first five years.
But being honest and saying "no" doesn't make one "mean." Spears is an excellent edition to the "X Factor" judges panel (as is Lovato), but she's got a long way to go before she is the complete soul crusher Simon Cowell continues to be. Saying things like, "I don't think so, sweetie" is a far cry from "You remind me of a dog trying to lay an egg -- it's just wrong." A quick and terse "no" is nothing compared to Cowell's deflating adjectival onslaught, like his use of the word's "hideous," "horrendous," "awful," and worse.
And yet, many auditioning still call Spears "mean" as they leave the various venues. Apparently hearing "no" from a pretty pop princess is not all that different from hearing "no" from a reality show icon when all is said and done. Perhaps to some a tough, honest opinion becomes "mean" when one doesn't hear that which one expects or wants to hear. And to hear it from someone that many consider a personal idol? Doubly cruel...
So has Simon met his match? Perhaps in overall honesty, but if Britney is going to vie for the title of "Meanest Judge," she'll have to work on her soul shattering descriptiveness, something that Cowell has honed to near perfection over the years. Maybe work the term "horrendous" into her critiques...
The "X Factor" airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays on Fox Television.
(photo credit: rocor, Creative Commons)
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