英语文摘:Caustic Simon Cowell says goodbye to "American Idol"

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The exciting finale of "American Idol" Wednesday night was also a farewell for Simon Cowell.

As a judge, Simon doesn't say much on the show, and is known for being mean to aspiring singers.

On the finale, there was even a montage showing his meanest insults, such as "It sounded like cats jumping off the Empire State Building ... just before they hit the floor."

However, this music industry veteran was authoritative and mostly on target. Though caustic, arrogant, he steers viewers to the proper assessment of contestants.

British music mogul Simon Cowell smiles during the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London July 1, 2007.

"You sucked the soul out of that song," Cowell told Andrew Garcia after his performance this season of Marvin Gaye's "Heard It Through the Grapevine."

"It was like a musical, the bad part of the musical," he said to Didi Benami after she tackled Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good."

He was key to the show's early success, said Tim Brooks, a TV historian and former network executive, according to media reports.

"His sarcastic — but knowledgeable — put-downs lifted the show from the traditional `Star Search' mold to something genuinely new on television, a talent show where not only was the competition fierce and the standards high but the judges were part of the entertainment," Brooks said