Since the singing competition American Idol premiered in 2002 and became something that makes the phrase "financial success" an understatement, it's become quite the cultural phenomenon in the U.S. Seriously, more people vote for Idol contestants than vote in the United States Presidential race.
But then Simon Cowell left and it got a little boring. Still funny but, after nearly 10 years on the air, the formula has grown tiresome.
But now, thankfully, Cowell is back on our television screens judging a new singing competition, this time a U.S. version of his wildly popular UK singing competition show The X-Factor. Even though it definitely does bear a lot of similarities to Idol, it's different in the sense that it's, well, better. And here are Five Reasons Why The X-Factor Is Better Than American Idol.