You know that he was one sided and loved Archie and didn't care for Cook. I know it may sound crazy but did he do that on purpose so Cook would win?

When we were voting most of us thought he said that because he knows the fans would get upset and vote double time....and we did...it lit a fire under us.

I'm not sure it was on purpose though...Archy did have a really good night and DC paled in comparison. Simon said what he thought (as always) and I thought he was right.

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. I do know that the judges do watch the show back after the show and, many times, they do form a different opinion. I was in the Kodak during the final competition of Season 4 and you can't hear everything. What you get on TV is different than what you hear live. What I heard of David's pieces from what looks like the soundboard probably does differ from what you hear from the audience.

No matter what, I think that the fans of AI looked at the entire season in making their decision as they should have.

Jeannine

Any other time I would say Simon did it on purpose...but it really seems like he spoke too soon during the show and once he watched it back he realized how harsh he was on DC. I will agree that the way the show was going and the way the producers put things...I thought Archie was the favorite to win too. I noticed that Randy Jackson especially seemed to like Archie over Cook...even though the only time he stood up all season was for Cook. I think Paula liked Cook from the get go and Simon said on many other shows that Cook was his favorite. Either way, I think he did help get all of us fired up and voting!

I'm with zoo on this one: "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't."

What I do know is that Simon Cowell is an incredibly shrewd businessman. He has built an empire by deliberate and wise choices.

I have given props to Archie for his performances on Tuesday night -- he was on. But I don't feel like he had consistently strong performances all season, whereas I definitely feel that DC did. Again, I agree with zoo that voters took into account the entire season and voted for the guy who aced his homework all semester vs. the guy that really crammed for the final exam and aced it. (just my opinon.)

When I was voting, I was determined to give DC everything that I had, because he had worked for it for so many years. He clearly had the talent and experience to be The Idol. He had bankrolled his own CDs, done the gigs in the bars, scraped and clawed his way toward making his dream come true. And I just really wanted Archie to not have the crown so that he can (hopefully) grow up a little bit, get some experience in life and really be ready to embrace this crazy music biz world.

Edit: OK, what I meant by not wanting Archie to have the crown is that I am very concerned about what this music biz world will do to such a young, impressionable "gosh" young man. I hope that with some time to grow, he will be better prepared to handle it.

I haven’t read anything about Randy’s role in all this. He was the one who infuriated me the most, honestly. Randy was already crowning Archie with such passion, fervor and conviction that I found it to be very disrespectful with our David and his fans. And he obviously was the only judge who wasn’t happy with the final results. At the end, Simon’s pleased expression was undeniable…

Simon has mentioned many times that he has "the kiss of death" by giving his endorsement of someone. In MANY interviews leading up to the finale he had been saying he wanted DC to win so it was quite a shock to everyone (or at least me) that he gave Archie such total support during the final performances. It seems to me he wanted DC to win but didn't want to give him his "kiss of death". But that's just MHO.

yes he did it on purpose coz he knows david will gonna win..try to check on ellen show..

I totally agree with you about Archie. I thought he was way too young to handle the crown at this point. If only he had waited a few more years, then I would've thought he was ready. I think he's so sweet and I just wouldn't want to see him get corrupted by what the buisness can do to people.

As for Simon, I'm not sure if he was doing it on purpose or not, but it definitely made me angry enough to vote faster and harder than I normally would have. I think that's the case for a lot of fans, which is why there was such a gap between DC's and Archie's votes. When Ryan first said that the winner had 56%, I thought, "That has to be David...we voted like crazy people last night" LOL A local radio station around here even said on Thursday morning, "The David Cook fans must have just went BERSERK (word nerdiness...you like it? Yeah you do ) with their voting last night!"

~Steph

I really think Archie stood out tuesday night. But I don't think he won by a knockout. "The World I Know" was ine of my favorite performances of the whole season and I gotta say, if someone deserved to win, that was Cookie.

Simon did good in apologizing. He knew he was wrong.

Hmmmn, this question has entered my mind a time or two since the finale. All I can say is that I had seen Simon publicly say he wanted Cook to win. He said it on several shows and it showed in his remarks.

That last night, I think he thought that Archie did have a knockout and he wanted to make sure Cook's fans knew that we had to be on the ball and vote our asses off (hello, 12 million more votes.. it definitely worked.. my fingers are still cramping a little..).. then the next night, I believe he was sincere in his apology that he watched it at home and realized it wasn't as clear cut as he'd first thought. Did he owe David an apology? I'm still not sure that answer is a yes but I'm really glad that he gave it to David.

Maybe Simon was trying to help sway the vote with those remarks.. it worked and I truly believe the better "entertainer" one..

I don't think he did it on purpose so that DC would win. But I think it probably made people vote a lot more.

But I have seen it happen before where a judge doesn't favour that particular person so the fans vote more - it happened in the first season of X Factor over here in the UK. Sharon Osbourne didn't like one guy and told him that in the final and he ended up winning - he's not well known over here anymore though.

I really don't know if he did it on purpose or not, but it certainly worked on me. I wasn't sure I was going to vote the entire four hours since I had to be up early the very next day. However, after all the well-deserved praise Archie got and the not-so-deserved criticism Cookie got, I voted at least 1000 times...

My favorite part, though, was that Simon said he didn't really care who won, but once it was announced, his facial expressions sure gave it away. He was standing, clapping, smiling...He hugged Paula and he even raised his glass to DC...OH YEAH, he definitely WANTED Cookie to win...

In the "articles" thread, I posted a LiveJournal account of someone who was there in the theater for the finale night, and she said that when the two Davids came out (in white suits) at the very beginning of the show, Cook yelled out, "Cowell!" and when he got his attention he said, "Thanks!"

So first I went, David Cook calls him "Cowell"? Really?

And then, what was he thanking him for? Was he saying "Thank you for giving me 'First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' last week and getting me to the finals"? "Thanks for everything this season -- your compliments have meant a lot to me"? Or "Thanks for being mean to me last night so my fans voted their butts off in retaliation"?

I really don't know. Maybe he already knew he was getting an apology and was thanking him for that. Or for going on ELLEN and LENO before the show and saying he wanted Cook to win.

Who knows? I just thought it was interesting, both that they are casual enough with each other for him to call him "Cowell" and then that he was thanking him for something BEFORE (2 hours before) he knew he won.

I think he did that to get on our bad side
and make us vote and vote..
and that's what we did

I think the "thank you" may have been for the apology. Simon had backtracked on the TV Guide Channel red carpet pre-show about a half hour before the Finale show started, so I'm sure someone had already told DC about it.

yes some of you may noticed the expression on Simon's face. It was really really happy. And i do think he did in for a reason Yeah like you all said, i believe all those

I have to agree with you. For a long time Simon wanted Cook to win and like you said, "he lit a fire under us" and he WON!

BLake-Beautifully said, my friend! That sums up my feelings about the entire season. You are right on with EVERYTHING you said. Simon is no dummy! -he's just as talented at his craft as DC. We'll probably never publically know, but those of us who suspect, can appreciate his work as well, right?
For the first time in years, I was intrigued with DC's ability to entertain by flipping those songs into masterpieces. Genious! Until now, no one artist has consistently shown the ability to do that as well DC.

At first I did think Simon said that on purpose to rally Cookie's fans to vote. But, on further reflection, I think Simon really did call it as he saw it at the time. I have read from many posters who have attended AI filmings that the sound is very different when you are inside the theater than when watching and listening on TV. Cookie was at a disadvantage on the first song. Love U2 and Bono, but "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" isn't a good song for a singing competition because it's so repetitive. There really isn't a good bridge in the song or even a hook that David could do anything with. It's the sort of song that invites comparison to the original artist because you almost have to sing it the way it's written. "Dream Big" I really enjoyed. I don't think it was a great song, but David did the most with it that he could. Again, though, at the finale we are used to the big power ballads of previous years. I think his last song was a brilliant choice. I really think Simon was apologizing mostly for his comments about the last song because that is where he verged on disrespectful to David. Afterall, he applauded David throughout the season for taking risks and being creative and making songs his own. Then, when David continues what he's done so well all season and steps out of the norm and picks a "new" song that he just does simply with his guitar, Simon tells him he should have conformed and NOT taken a risk?!!!

Another point to consider is this: we don't know what the vote totals are week to week but I think the producers and probably the judges do. From the time our Cookie sang "Billie Jean" to the finale, every poll I saw with the exception of the AOL poll, had him in the lead. Dialidol had him leading the votes every week by a comfortable margin. If anything was not on the up and up at the finale, I think it was that the judges actually tried to make the vote closer for Archie's sake by praising him so much. There are many casual viewers of AI who only watch the last few eliminations and vote based on what they hear the last few weeks and what the judges say. I almost felt after Hello and Billie Jean that the judges (yes including Randy) wanted DC to win. When they got down to the top 4, they suddenly shifted most of their praise back to Archie again (like it was at the beginning of top 24). The judges and producers definitely wanted a David vs David finale, and they might have actually gotten scared that it was going to be a David Cook/Syesha or Cook/Castro finale, so they started pushing Archie again. All I know is this: this is the first time I've been happy with the results and felt the right person won since Kelly Clarkson in Season 1. David Cook will be a huge success.

all i know is that when the judges started praising archie a little too much, i got angry & went to my phone & started voting for cookie like crazy.

i've been reading things like these everywhere. that reverse psychology and whatever reasons why cookie won. maybe simon did that on purpose..or maybe he didn't. it's all over anyway.. DC won! hell yeah.

david cook won, simon smiled like a fox, case closed.

Oh.. you noticed that too!!!

Well, it worked on me also. First time I've voted since Season 4.

Archie is a good kid, with a great voice. Cook is an Artist/Musician.
I just hope they learn from past mistakes and allow him to be himself
on this CD.

I do believe that despite all the criticisms he said to DC during the final performances, i strongly believe that simon genuinely wants DC to win.

I got mad because they didn't tell him things like they did with Archie, but that's past, David Cook=Our American Idol 2008, yay!

My intuitive hit when Simon called it a knock out for David A. was that he was telling Cook fans we had better vote like h---l if we wanted to beat the teens and grannies for Archuleta.
Then when I saw his face when David won I was sure of it.

I do believe that he was very happy with the results. And I do believe that he would have been fine if the tables had been turned. I am happy that he made those closing comments to David. He claims he didn't know. I really don't care. The end result was very happy.

Jeannine

I have no idea what Simon's intention was, and I don't care to crawl inside his head to find out.

I can tell you that it felt that last night like I was watching a completely different performance than he was, and his words angered me so much I voted as much out of defiance to his 'official decree' and out of indignant anger as anything else.

And I voted a hell of a lot more times than I would've otherwise.

Since that night, "The World I Know" has become *the* best of DC's Idol performances in my ranking. I guess song choice is in the eye of the beholder. If you ahhsk me, it was completely and utterly *the right* song choice for David Cook on that night.

I was really upset that night with the things Simon was saying to David and at the end that Archie was a total knockout. My first thought was that the judges shouldn't try to sway the vote that way. But the more I thought about it, I started to think that Simon, and maybe even Randy - who was kind of harsh to David too - said the things they did to fire up David's fans. Simon has said in a number of articles or interviews that he thought David should win. I think, as others have said, that he knew Archie did really well that night and wanted to make sure that David's fans were ready to do battle for our guy by voting like crazy. So, yeah, I think it was kind of intentional. He wanted to light a fire under us....looks like it worked!

I really like Archie too, but as someone else said also, he's just got alot of growing up to do. I see all the interviews David has been doing, and doing so well, and I keep thinking, no way could Archie handle all this. He's a really sweet, talented kid, but he needs to get more comfortable with himself and grow up a little more. But he's a super talent. I think it's so cool that he and David really seem to be friends. Really nice to see.

In a short answer, Yes, I believe he did.

He is a very clever man and a powerful influence in the Music Industry. He had said before he would personally prefer to listen to David's style of music. I think he saw all we did...He's been doing this a while and I think he knew exactly what he was doing!

I have a hunch DC would have won anyways but maybe not by so many votes

Did Simon do that on purpose by saying what he said? Yes, because he thought Archie had a great night, which he did.

Did Simon want Archie to win? Not necessarily.

First of all the record deals they both get are pretty similar.

But the winner gets the better promotion. Simon knows Cookie has much more marketability and versatility.

There is only so much they can do with Archie. He's a really nice talented kid but very hard to make a star of.

He tough to interview, doesn't have a lot of personality and outside of well crafted ballads there isn't a lot they can do to make him a star.
Soon people would grow weary of that.

Simon and the other powers to be need a star who they can market with staying power. Someone who can sell music and do that for years to come.

They got the right guy...

Seems funny to quote myself, but no one has commented on the second point of my post--that the judges knew Cook was way out in front of Archie and wanted to give "Archie"'s fans the boost by declaring him the "winner" of the night. Every single poll I saw before the last few weeks before the finale had Cook WAY out in front in the voting. Simon was not shy about stating that he thought Cook should win the whole thing and Paula wasn't either, of course, she came off as more of a smitten cougar about it. It seemed so weird to me that Simon would about face that last night and go so far overboard with the praise for Archie. Does anyone else think it's possible that we have it backwards and that they were trying to make it a closer vote (and therefore more exciting) by giving Archie some help in the vote department?

All I know is that he looked really happy when David won. As for whether or not his comments made me vote more.....no. I would have voted that many times either way. It was the last chance to vote and I wasn't going to be complacent about it.

Jeannine

Same with me, Kristie.
I dislike Archie greatly.

you people have to understand simon in which cases i dont think we ever will! : um but yeah he's done a lot in the past! but lets just say when he discovers you he discovers you like that leona lewis which i have to say great voice i love that song of hers but yeah.

I'm pretty sure Simon did that on purpose for several reasons:
1. Simon had been completely supporting Cook towards the end of the season (made obvious by the tv appearances Simon made and bragged about Cook) so for him to randomly put down David's singing at the finale was way too suspicious.
2. Simon is worried about the financial situation of American Idol. David Cook is way more modernized and marketable than any of the other contestants (not to offend anyone) and would seriously spur on the Idol profits. Not to mention Cook was way more charismatic than Archie and would be a better spokesman for AI.
3. If Simon had said "David Cook won the night" then I know his fans would not have had near the determination that they did when they thought Cook's win might be in jeopardy. I know it spurred me on at least.

Even if Archie did sing better at the finale, he only won the battle, Cook won the war.

i just find simon to be really confusing a lot of the time when it comes to idol. sometimes i want to reach through my TV & punch him in the face(example: when he ripped david for singing "the world i know", which i loved).

I don't think he did that intentionaly.

I am one of those ppl who thought that David C did not have a great night as Archie. but when i saw the performances again. David C rocked.
so yeah.. i think that is what happened with Simon

i don't really know if simon did that on purpose....
but it did really help cook, it was kinda backlash..fans thought simon was to harsh and cook is in trouble so they have voted doubly for cook...thanks and no thanks to simon

nothing against archuleta but until now i'm still wonderin why the judges like him so much..he just seems like the typical balladeer..

I admit that on final Tuesdave I was angry with Simon ... he made it seem so simple, Archie was great and Cook wasnt. It was blaring obivious that it wasnt so clean cut and that all the judges were on an Archie high. But I like Simon, really I do. He is a smart guy and he says it how he sees it and isnt afraid to apologize when he means it.



I concur with Antares when it comes to Randy. My opinion of Randy had rapidly decrease over the season and it was at rock bottom on the Tuesdave before the finale. It was disrespectful how much Randy went on about Archie, dont get me wrong, Archie did awesome and props to him, but seriously ... Randy's attitude was just down right disrespectful

Hmmm ... I have been wanting to write that since the finale ... I can't believe I haven't already lol

i had thought simon did it on purpose that tuesday night. no offense to anyone, but i didn't like DA. everything he did was in the same tone and melody, nothing said star about him at all. sure, he has a good voice, but he's not an *entertainer*. simon's comments got me to vote that night, something i had never before done with AI. i had actually tried to vote many, many times that night and it was busy forever! i was only able to get one vote through, but i did, and mostly because simon made me mad with what he said to DC. he was truly the better talent, whether he *won* the night or not (in my book, he had won the night).

and for simon to take his words back and apologize to DC on wednesday was huge, imo. it seemed as something was up.

to a certain extend, yeah i think he did it on purpose..

Originally I thought he did it on purpose. I am not so sure now.

But, it certainly made me angry enough to vote (for the first time ever). And I voted all 4 hours! I talked to my neighbors (married couple) who also voted like mad because they were angry at Simon.

But when I think back, if Simon had said "Cook knocked out Archie" on Tuesday night, imagine all the Archuleta pre-teen girl fanbase that would have voted like crazy! And we probably would not have been so riled up to vote 4 hours.

So, we could all thank Simon for getting us worked up!

Ithink randy made me the most angry that night. Cook did brilliantly. Archie was as Archie is. Nice kid ( I guess) But he leaves me and most people asleep. Sorry to all those who, for some reason, have become Archie fans, post mortum.
It may have made us vote for Cook more but it still leaves a bad taste

oh yeah! if simon didn't do anything harsh, he won't be simon anymore. that's his craft, to criticize and criticize until the people would get tired of him and be deaf to his opinions, and vote for the underdog, but nah! david's no underdog.. but whatever he did, david still won. He's certainly a genious, he always sing the songs as if they're his own.. he's always original.

I actually am not sure. Simon doesn't seem the kind of person to do this, but he's not dumb either.
Since the top 7, if I'm correct, Simon has said he wanted Cook to win, because he deserved more. We have already seen cases of people he didn't like go far on the competition, and he certainly knows that his comments tend to make fans irate. So, why not take this as advantage to Cook? Everyone thought Archie was going to win, and he didn't think it would be fair.
That sounds extremely manipulative, but I don't think it's impossible. I couldn't even watch the show at the right time, but if I had heard that live, it wouldn't matter what it would take, I would vote my fingers off (that considering I'm not even in the US). My only conclusion is that if he did it, it worked perfectly.

I think the thing is that 19 have lots of ways of manipulating the audience into voting either the way they want you to or getting you to vote more. They do so many of these reality shows (Leona Lewis won the British version of AI) that they get to learn hwo what they say and do affects the votes.

So where you appear in the line-up (going first is a disadvantage as is following someone like David when he's killed a song), what sort of song you sing (that's why producers and judges get to pick a song for you), what the judges say, the choice of theme (could you imagine Amanda Overmyer in Dolly week? lol), what sort of video package you get all affect the votes.

I'm not saying they choose the winner but I do think that they can hasten the exit of the ones they decide have had their time.

i don't think so..i think simon was just being honest that night.. he's disappointed because he want DC to win but unsure because archie's performance was good .. you can see simon's reaction when ryan announced the winner.






yeah, it can be.. that's business!