Kara DioGuardi vs. Simon Cowell

Ah, it was bound to happen. Usually anyone who comes in contact with Simon Cowell will end up having a few sarcastic words here and there. Of course, there was no exception when it came to new judge Kara DioGuardi.

But what gets me though is the way people are acting about it. Many are acting as if Kara is plotting Simon's death, when in fact it's just Simon being Simon as he has always been since day one. Poor Kara is realizing just how nasty the media can be as rumors are flying all over that she hates Simon and may leave the show (both are untrue, in my opinion).

Maybe the shock is that Kara "don't take no mess." So far she seems to be pretty opinionated and she isn't going to sit back and let Simon dictate how she feels. From telling him he has a cold heart to defending contestants against Simon, it's crystal clear that Kara does indeed have a backbone and will be able to withstand all the pressures of being an Idol judge.

But back to the point: Why is this such a big deal? We've seen it season after season with a plethora of contestants and guests. Simon has a way of starting bickers. In fact, American Idol has pretty much thrived on nastiness since day one, and most at the hands and mouth of Mr. Cowell. Take away the rude comments, the outlandish contestants looking for their 15 minutes, and what do you have? You have a bunch of singers vying for the next spot alongside Kelly, Ruben, Fantasia, etc. Blowing a small argument out of whack by two judges is not gonna skyrocket the ratings any higher than they have gotten. There have been judges fighting from the moment Paula sat down next to Simon. Even Randy, who seems eternally optimistic, almost came to a physical confrontation on Season One when Simon called R.J. Helton a loser. So the fact that this is big news is a surprise to me.

As long as the show continues, we will continue to see these sorts of confrontations. It's pretty unfortunate that the rumors have to start circulating so viciously. Kara, in many eyes, is starting to look like an evil Simon hater, when, if people just stepped back and actually thought for a moment, it would be clear that it's just another day in Simon land where he's gotten into it with someone else.