"The object of this competition is not to be mean to the losers but to find a winner. The process makes you mean because you get frustrated"
About this Quote
The subtext is part confession, part defense. Cowell’s persona is built on the sharp put-down, yet he’s insisting that even the notorious judge is, in a sense, a symptom. Frustration becomes the alibi: hours of auditions, endless mediocre performances, producers pushing for “moments,” the knowledge that being blunt reads as honesty on camera. Mean becomes a performance style with an internal logic: it clears the room, speeds decisions, and manufactures stakes for viewers who want resolution, not nuance.
Context matters because Cowell emerged as reality TV learned to monetize humiliation without ever calling it that. His line draws a boundary between purpose and collateral damage, which is exactly how these shows keep their consciences clean. It’s not cruelty, he implies, it’s efficiency - and if you feel bad, blame the format.
Quote Details
| Topic | Victory |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Cowell, Simon. (n.d.). The object of this competition is not to be mean to the losers but to find a winner. The process makes you mean because you get frustrated. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-object-of-this-competition-is-not-to-be-mean-58631/
Chicago Style
Cowell, Simon. "The object of this competition is not to be mean to the losers but to find a winner. The process makes you mean because you get frustrated." FixQuotes. Accessed February 1, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-object-of-this-competition-is-not-to-be-mean-58631/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The object of this competition is not to be mean to the losers but to find a winner. The process makes you mean because you get frustrated." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-object-of-this-competition-is-not-to-be-mean-58631/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.








