Simon Cowell

Bozell Column: Unzipping the Male 'X Factor'
By Brent Bozell | October 1, 2011 | 8:02 AM EDT

Back in the 1970s, there was a lot of discussion about the way TV executives were grabbing ratings with female jiggle. “T&A,” it was called. The jiggle continues, but now it’s coming from somewhere else. So far, the hot new trend of the 2011 TV season is...dangling male genitalia. That’s full-frontal male nudity...hidden behind graphic effects.

CBS was thrilled the September 19 premiere of its reboot of the sleazy “Two and a Half Men” drew gonzo ratings. After all the Charlie Sheen drama, how could his TV character’s funeral not attract a crowd? But that wasn’t enough for Chuck Lorre & Co. They had to debut actor Ashton Kutcher in the nude. First, Kutcher  pulled the pixilated-nudie stunt Monday afternoon on the season debut of the Ellen DeGeneres show. Then they repeated it on CBS Monday night – twice. The opening gag of the season is that Kutcher’s character has a stunning endowment.

Where's the Outrage at 'X-Factor' Flasher?
By Erin R. Brown | September 23, 2011 | 4:41 PM EDT

Popular British reality singing competition "The X Factor" aired in the U.S. Sept. 21 to a TV audience of roughly 12 million, all tuning in to hear the raw pipes of undiscovered talent. But the studio audience, judges and Fox TV viewers got more than they bargained for, when an unassuming contestant let it all out on stage.

Much in the vein of American Idol, "The X Factor" show is a reality singing competition in which a panel of judges (including Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul from the original "American Idol" panel) determines which singer or group has "The X Factor" and can continue each week based on their live singing performances.

Journalists Applaud Perez Hilton, Howard Stern as Replacements on 'American Idol'
By Colleen Raezler | February 24, 2010 | 5:38 PM EST
Fox's family-friendly "American Idol" is headed down the tubes if Howard Stern and Perez Hilton have anything to do with it.

Stern, while now on XM Sirius Satellite Radio, dominated the public airwaves for more than 20 years as a shock jock. Regular discussions on his show revolved around celebrities' sexual proclivities, complete with explicit language. Strippers and porn stars were regular guests. As of 2005, the FCC had fined him more than any other radio broadcaster to the tune $2.5 million. He migrated to satellite radio to escape FCC rules.

Gossip blogger Hilton built his career by enhancing paparazzi shots of celebrities with crude white drawings of genitalia and bodily fluids and posting them on his site, PerezHilton.com, and outing gay celebrities. He injected politics into the Miss USA pageant last spring as a judge when he asked about same-sex marriage. He continually harassed former Miss California Carrie Prejean on his Web site after she expressed a belief in the traditional view of marriage in response to his question.  

After "Idol" judge Simon Cowell, known for his brutal honesty, announced on Jan. 11 that this would be his last season as part of the wildly popular singing competition, Stern and Hilton both pitched themselves as his replacement, and entertainment journalists applauded. 

Did Evangelical Christian Vote Make Kris Allen 'American Idol'?
By Noel Sheppard | May 22, 2009 | 11:33 AM EDT

UPDATE at end of post: Kris apparently won by a large margin.

On Tuesday, NewsBuster Tim Graham asked readers: "Will whoever wins ["American Idol"] be seen as the winner on the musical merits? Or will it become a political/cultural narrative?"

A day after favorite Adam Lambert surprisingly lost, FoxNews.com asked, "Did The Evangelical Christian Vote Push Kris Allen Over The Edge?"

Interesting question. Here's the author's premise (h/t Hot Air, video of Allen being interviewed on "Fox & Friends" embedded below the fold):