Simon Cowell's Plan to Save Lives

March 16, 2006 — -- He is the man everyone loves to hate, but Simon Cowell says that's just because deep down, you're as obnoxious as he is.

"I have great faith in humanity because I think deep down, everyone's as bad as me," Cowell said. "I try and say what I believe people at home are thinking. I loathe political correctness. It's one of the reasons why 'Idol' is successful, because it just speaks to the normal person, I think."

Cowell was a record executive when he reluctantly agreed to judge Britain's "Pop Idol." Now there are dozens of "Idols" in more than 30 countries.

The original "American Idol," Kelly Clarkson, created a buzz recently with her snubs of the show that had brought her to the nation's attention. When Clarkson won a Grammy, she neglected to thank "American Idol."

"I'm not offended personally," Cowell said. "I always say this to the contestants on the show at some point -- don't forget the people who picked up their telephones to vote for you."

Still, he said he was not surprised by Clarkson's seeming lack of appreciation.

"Look, solo artists, by nature, are selfish people," Cowell said. "No matter what you hear on the pre-interviews on 'Idol' about, you know, giving back to the community -- they don't. They're doing it to be rich and famous, which is fair enough. I have no problem with that. One of the first things they do is, when someone gets kicked off, there's now a scramble to get to the front to be the one to hug them to show the camera. They're also crying at the same time. I mean it's literally out of the way, out of the way. You're off, I've got to cry on camera. That always makes me laugh. That's the oldest trick on 'Idol.'"

In addition to "Idol," Cowell has a record label that sells millions of albums a year and 10 other television shows in the works -- including a new ABC series, "American Inventor."

The format of "American Inventor" is familiar by now -- a panel of three judges, including a rude Briton, critique thousands of amateur inventors, some brilliant, some creepy.