Simon Cowell - The Globalization of 'Idol' and the Journey it Took to Research Paper

Simon Cowell - The Globalization of 'Idol' and the Journey it Took to Bring Reality Television to TV Stardom - Research Paper Example Of course, most viewers not only tune to the program to watch their favorite contestant but also Simon Cowell the most famous reality TV judge. With Simon Cowell seated in the centre state from week to week and from season to season, the show has maintained the top position for eight consecutive seasons. With Cowell’s departure from the series, American idol still fares well in reality TV ratings. This factor is the main source of controversy concerning the contribution of Cowell to American idol and American idol to Cowell's successes. With this in mind, it seems more profound to claim that American idol is responsible for the creation of Simon Cowell. However, it is a fact that American Idol did not require him to become the number one reality TV show in the globe. This essay investigates the controversy between Simon Cowell and American Idol in relation to their global stardom. Who made the American Idol? Simon Cowell is often confused with Simon Fuller the British reality TV producer and manger. It is unfortunate that people link or associate American Idol’s success with Conwell despite having played a minor role in the production of the show. Simon Fuller is the man behind the production and the globalization of the American Idol although he is not present in most scenes. On the other hand, Conwell was given the role of being a judge when the program came into air in the mid 2002. This indicates that the American Idol could have been in existence even without Cowell’s participation. Although Cowell contributed to the creation of the modern day American Idol, the program acquired public interests when it was still under its early stage of production. The pop Idol was the first version that Fuller established in 2001 before Simon Cowell’s version the X Factor came into the scene (Sweney web). The American Idol was established on the X factor, which was a refined version of the pop Idol. Although the American Idol became the most r eality TV show, it had its foundation on the Pop Idol, which was Fuller’s creation. Before Simon Cowell became a judge on American Idol, Fuller had already acquired the credit of being the best reality TV show producer in the world. This indicates that Cowell worked on an established program to produce the American Idol and he was not involved in the initial work of creating the program. Reality TV shows such as American Idol and X Factor have grown to reach their status due to their interactive nature. Unlike other TV series, reality TV shows are the only programs that incorporate the views of the viewers (Rushfield 231). This involves direct votes through calls, text messages or internet that viewers make during every audition. Choosing the winner among the many contestants who compete for the top price is the main task in a reality TV shows. The role of determining the winner among the high number of contestants who present themselves at every audition is demanding task. A s a judge, Simon Cowell is known for his excessive scrutiny and criticism of contestants. Although judges are important in American Idol, they play a minor role of confirming the results. This is because the viewers are the main players in the selection a winner an audition. This indicates that American Idol could have achieved its current success without the contributions of Simon Cowell. In addition, other judges such as Jenifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Ryan have immensely contributed to the