"I think she thought it was a decent way to let Marcus go," Simon admitted. "She wanted to let him go with some dignity. She was attached to them both. But if [Nicole] thought Rachel was going to be in the bottom, she would have gone the other way."
You see, Nicole, your job as an X Factor judge is to make tough calls and to ALWAYS vote for who YOU think has the x-factor and will go on to be a huge star. It's not to break down, get all teary, and be worried about "Marcus' dignity." Even notoriously soft-hearted Paula Abdul stepped up to the plate, admitting this was a terribly hard call, but that she would give her vote to Rachel.
The truth is that you're there as the professional. The X Factor isn't just a popularity contest -- it's about finding the talent that will produce hit records. I think Marcus is terrific and should have a good career ahead of him, but Rachel is something far more special. She is a genuine star. And as a judge, you needed to vote for her stardom and not second guess how viewers voted one night. You abdicated your job and responsibility.
The fact is that Rachel's performance Dec. 7 was not her best. Simon should take responsibility for that. The song choice was weak. However, her "save me" performance of "I'd Rather Go Blind," first sung by the legendary Etta James, was stunning.
Rachel has never sung more powerfully and emotionally than when she sang out her rendition of the Etta James classic. Her vocal range was awesome and fully mature, despite just having recently turned 14.
While Marcus also pulled out a tremendous performance, it didn't have the magic or promise of Rachel's.
So, Nicole, it was your cowardice that skewed the show -- and you knew you blew it when host Steve Jones announced the results.
"I watched her face at the same time I saw Rachel," Simon told us. "She was completely devastated. I would never fire her for that."
Poor Rachel, who literally collapsed to her knees after Steve read the news, showed far more courage and dignity than Nicole.
"[Nicole] is the nicest, most beautiful person inside and out!" Rachel graciously told reporters after regaining her composure. "She was so sad. I mean, all those people who were making threats like, "Go die!" It's nobody's fault except America's fault. It's just what God had in store for me, and I will be OK."
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Send Nicole home, now.
Marcus will sink quickly to the bottom, this show was just a blip in Rachel's long, successful career. Can I pre-order her first CD yet
Don't you realize that by what she did the ratings will most likely go up for the next show?
Wasn't this a big topic around the water cooler this past week?
Won't some people tune in this week just to see if this chick is gonna melt down again? I know I WON'T! But...in this greedy, needy, look-at-me world we now live in, this is the sort of dreck that passes for entertainment. Get your popcorn ready! And choke on it...
Rachel is a great singer with a compelling personality and story. But she's a 13 year old girl whose gifted voice still sounds its age. Nobody will buy the album of a kid singing Etta James. It's simply not credible. Those songs may showcase her voice, but also do her a disservice by turning her into an impressive novelty instead of a real artist. That's why she wasn't going to win, anyway. Appealing to her younger base wouldn't grow enough votes to stay in contention, and continuing to perform age inappropriate songs actually disguises her real talent.
The X-Factor is both a singing competition and the search for the unique quality found in successful recording artists. Rachel didn't demonstrate that broad appeal, which is why she came in dead last this week. Intentional or not, by voting against Rachel, Nicole affirmed that the kid is a fantastic singer who couldn't be a star doing what she was doing-- and did her a favor by freeing her from a mere record deal to become a bigger star on Disney or Nick.