47. SIMON COWELL
''I don't mean to be rude, but...'' American Idol judge Simon Cowell has made a fortune off those seven words, the usual preface to a harsh assessment of a contestant's vocal skills, style, or attitude. (To season 1's Jim Verraros: ''If you win this competition, we will have failed.'') Millions of faithful viewers tune in weekly to see the acerbic Brit — and while every competition-based reality show since has added a ''mean'' judge of its own, none can deliver bad news in such an entertainingly brutal way.

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