In reality-TV terms, it would be like Donald Trump turning to his own son on NBC's The Apprentice and dismissing him with a curt "You're fired": Simon Cowell has delivered several pink slips regarding his Fox series The X Factor, effectively X-ing out not only stiff-as-a-surfboard host Steve Jones and wishy-washy judge Nicole Scherzinger, but his American Idol crony Paula Adbul as well.
Which proves at least two things...
One, Cowell is an astute enough businessman to make and steal headlines even as NBC's rival music-competition series The Voice is days away from its season premiere.
And two, Cowell is an astute judge not only of musical talent, but of what's wrong with The X Factor...
He's also mentioned, according to reports, that perhaps the show's glitz factor should be toned down a bit, in terms of its set and lighting overkill. And that the caliber of talent could be better.
God points all around. But take away the talent (which wasn't good enough), the production values (which were way too distracting and overdone), the host (who was a British Ken doll), and the female judges (who, at various points in the competition, refused to judge, even to the point of tears), and what's left?
Simon Cowell. Oh, and fellow judge L.A. Reid.
That's a proper, drastic house-cleaning -- but it's about the only way The X Factor could hope to get any attention right now.
The Voice is returning for Season 2 right after the Super Bowl, expecting to open the year with mammoth audience numbers.
American Idol, which Cowell left to prepare for the launch of his next series, is now down double digits in audience percentage so far this season.
And The X Factor? It's scrambling -- for attention, and, starting now, for replacements.
But Cowell is an astute businessman, so I'm betting he'll up the ante for his own Season 2. If The Voice made it so big with Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, expect Cowell to counter with someone bigger than a former Pussycat Doll.
That may not be enough, but at least it's a start. Whoever is chosen to be a judge, though, must understand and accept one critical component of the judge:
They're there to judge.