Good Riddance Scowl

Occasionally, a figure transcends his medium and becomes emblematic of so much else. To many, John Wayne became more than an actor, his life reflected the physical embodiment of American patriotism. Wayne enhanced our sense of self, which was of course largely to the good, but sometimes a performer arises who pulls us down, whose very presence on the stage is coarsening and to the ill. Simon Cowell is in this league of corrupter. Cowell received some undue adulation last evening from ABC's Nightline as he temporarily exited the national stage with great fanfare and was praised for his candor, his supposedly refreshing honesty, where once again, the dinosaur media got it wrong. Cowell was no creature of virtue but a vicious breaker of dreams who criticized in the most inflammatory and damaging way. Cowell, so far as I know, is no singer of great repute but has seen fit to eviscerate his betters who had the guts to put themselves up on that stage under the microscope of scrutiny. Cowell put a twist on the FOX network catch phrase- his tagline should be "you create, I deride". Cowell has gained tremendous wealth and notoriety by mocking those whose talent and courage he could never match. What brilliant gift did Cowell ever display as he dished out his unique brand of heartless criticism bent on sidetracking careers and destroying psyches? Simon Cowell should go down as one who diminished the culture. I will not miss him ripping apart the aspirations of others as Cowell seemed to me the type who relished pulling the wings off butterflies as a child and grew up to vastly enrich himself by crushing hope.