Troubled Hollywood

We knew that all along, though, didn’t we? We knew Simon had a heart and that when push came to shove, he wouldn’t be out and out mean to anyone. It seems like every year we see a little more of that heart than the year before. This year, he’s nearly unrecognizable, save for a few cutdowns here and there. It’s like when he stood up to hug Renaldo Lapuz last year as he sang that he and Simon were brothers forever, that some of that love and good fellowship rubbed off on Simon.

Tonight, it was Simon that was putting people through and the other judges putting their foot down. Even with the very first contestant, Adeola Adegoke, Simon reached out to her. Upon hearing that she had turned in her resignation as a bank teller just to audition, Simon insisted on helping her get her job back. She insisted on continuing to sing, but once she finally resigned to leaving, Simon did call her boss and told her that Adeola was fantastic, and that she really needed her job back. It worked.

With Jackie Tohn, Simon gave her a few chances where he normally would have just rejected her straight out. After her first song, I’m Yours, didn’t come off too well, Simon advised her to sign a song in her normal voice. She did, and it came off much better. When Kara DioGuardi told Jackie she couldn’t wait to see what she’d do next, Jackie asked their advice on what type of thing she should do. Simon, after a huge screen came down and nearly lopped off all the judges’ heads in a very ominous move, told Jackie she should never ask who she should be, as it gives the worst impression. Yet, he put her through.

Very surprising was when Nick Mitchell, aka Norman Gentle, came in with one of those comedy routines that Simon hates. He was very bothered by it, but he laughed when Norman cracked a joke with a certain implication of Simon and Ryan Seacrest’s sexuality. Simon told him that was funny. He didn’t vote him through, but the others did. In years past I would have thought Simon would have kicked the guy to the curb after the crack about his sexuality. I thought only Ryan was allowed to make those types of jokes about him.

It was with 16-year-old Monique Garcia Torres where Simon just couldn’t hold back his heart. She brought her little brother with her into the audition, and Simon was quite enchanted with him. He asked the little brother, Christopher, if his sister was any good before listening to her. Simon kept smiling at Christopher throughout. Once Randy and Kara rejected her, and Paula voted yes, Simon looked over at Christopher with a pout, put Monique through, and told her to thank her little brother.

Just in case you’re still not convinced the guy with the big ego also has a big heart, look at the picture here to the right. This puppy wasn’t dumped in his lap. He nearly begged to hold it.

Photo courtesy of Fox

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For more information on American Idol, see SirLinksalot: American Idol and American Idol Headlines.