Are the judges mean-spirited from time to time? Probably yes, in my opinion. But I think we have to cut them a bit more slack than, say, the Rosie O'Donnells of the world are doing!
Can you seriously imagine sitting there hour after hour, day after day, listening to these horrible singers who either are delusional and truly believe that they're "the next American Idol"
or are just attention-seekers angling for their shot, however embarrassing, to be on national TV? The much-maligned joking around that the judges do after the contestants leave, as insulting as it may be, is simply a means of letting off steam, and anybody who's ever worked in a high-pressure situation, like a hospital or law enforcement or the like, knows that humor, while it may seem inappropriate to outsiders, is simply a way of makin' it through.
(As a middle-school teacher in an urban district, believe me, I know! I love my job, but I'm guilty, too, with trusted co-workers, of making jokes I wouldn't want to be overheard!
) Overall, I think the judges are right-on in their criticisms, though, and they're actually amazingly kind on occasion. What we see, of course, is heavily edited, but there are plenty of "I think you're an awesome person, but you're not right for the show" comments that let people down easy. Frankly, there are lots of misguided hopefuls who
need to be told, their friends' and families' encouragement notwithstanding, "Singing is
not for you, dawg!"
