AMERICAN IDOL JUDGES: A "WOLF PACK" ANALOGY

By Pam Hayes

May 14, 2004
 

After observing Simon Cowell’s reaction to Clay’s performance [of 'Fantasy'] with the remaining contestants on AI3 the other night, I am compelled to write something to share with others. 

Since the beginning of AI2, I have wondered why Simon’s critiques of Clay seemed particularly harsh at times.  He seemed to reserve, just for Clay, some really personally scathing comments.  Some of the comments had nothing to do with the vocal performance and everything to do with the nature of the “beasts”.  I have thought about the judges and the contestants, especially the interaction between Simon and Clay, in terms of pure animal biology to find some answers.  I believe I have figured it out.  After all, humans are really animals and things that occur in the social structures of animals also occur in human social structures.

Humans can be thought of as having a “pack” mentality in social situations.  If you attend any gathering on a regular basis, there are dominant people and subservient people in the group.  This is similar to a family of wolves, where the dominant male and female pair controls the pack.  The American Idol competition puts a group of males and females together in a temporary “family” or pack.  From the start, the judges would be perceived to be the Alpha (or top) humans in the pack. Simon, of course, would be the dominant Alpha male and Paula would be his dominant female.  Randy would take the position of Beta male, so his position would not necessarily be relevant to this particular discussion.

As the contestants applied for membership into the pack, they would jockey for position based on the reactions of the judges at first and then the fans as time went on. Now, the drama in this particular pack (AI2), revolved around the relationship between the new wolf – Clay Aiken, and the established alpha wolves, Simon and Paula.  At first, Clay is tolerated by Simon and praised by Paula.  Simon probably did not see the young Clay pup as a threat to his dominance.  Didn’t Paula still laugh at his jokes? Didn’t his tight shirt still strain across that muscular chest?  This new young wolf is acceptable, he is talented, and he will be an asset to the pack.  In fact, the Clay pup has taken some advice from the alphas on how to change his physical image.  Clay is pleasing the leaders of the pack.  This becomes a critical point however, because the better looking and more confident that Clay becomes, the more uneasy and critical Simon seems to be. This young wolf may eventually challenge him for dominance in the pack.  This possibility would be difficult for the “older” alpha male, Simon, to handle, so he nips at Clay’s heels to see if he can intimidate him back into a suitable place. Some of his comments about Clay can be understood when viewed in this light.  Telling Clay that his performance of “Grease” was “horrible” is one example.  I imagine that it really was horrible for Simon to see Clay strut like the confident performer he is. And seeing the pack of fans respond to him as they did must have also been “horrible” for Simon.   Clay’s performance in that beautiful red jacket where he demonstrated the “hip shake heard round the world” could only mean trouble for the Simon wolf.  When Simon told Clay that he “preferred him with a bag over his head”, that was undoubtedly true.  I imagine that Simon would have loved to cover up Clay’s bedroom eyes and sexy smile.  But his fans would have none of that and howled with dismay at this ridiculous criticism.

And we know that these remarks really didn’t hurt the Clay wolf, because now his “pup” days are at an end and he is seriously challenging Simon for dominance.  Clay stayed calm and secure.  He continued looking and sounding spectacular every week.  Paula, as the alpha female, admired him.  She wanted him to do more (more dancing), so that she could watch him “strut his stuff”.  She had no interest in keeping Simon’s status in the pack.  She seemed to enjoy Clay and must have been feeling the same “thud” quality that captured the rest of the pack. But Simon surely was aware of what is happening.  He sees the signs in the audience; he hears the screams of the females – females who should rightfully be “his”. Clay was mounting a very successful attack on Simon’s alpha maleness.  So, Simon kept snipping at him when he could, throwing out some compliments occasionally because he doesn’t want to be seen as insane, after all.

So why didn’t Simon challenge the others?  Obviously, because Clay was the biggest threat. Even so, he did challenge Josh Gracin to some pushups to show “who was boss”.  Simon conquered Josh. He did not find Ruben a challenge – “The Velvet Teddy Bear” wasn’t competing on that level with Simon.  I am sure he did not think Ruben, no matter what the fans were screaming, was a challenger in the same sense that Clay was.  I don’t believe that Clay really knew what was going on, he just performed and like Paula said “You just are.”

When Clay unleashed that powerful voice, flashed those green eyes and that smile, his obviously growing sexuality must have been a real physical pain for Simon to witness.  He was being dethroned by the very cub he had let into his pack!  It would be over soon.  Clay would take them all – women and men of all ages- away from Simon’s control.  Clay didn’t mean to do it, he couldn’t help it.  It is his nature to be the dominant one.

But, did Simon give up gracefully and submit to the challenger’s conquest?  No, he did not. The “old wolf” refuses to accept the inevitable and refuses to admit that his pack, especially the females, has been wrested from him by a “nerd” from North Carolina. Paula understood and usually gave Clay the adulation that he deserved.  So much bitterness must Simon feel- that when he must now face Clay, he can’t face him.  He sits and sulks like the dethroned pup he has become.