There was a moment on America’s Got Talent’s premiere this season where one controversial singer was pushed through with a 3-1 vote.
The one dissenting vote was from Howie Mandel, which does not bother the comedian at all.
According to Howie, that is what makes the four judges so great. They all have different tastes, which allows a little bit for everyone.
Howie Mandel on disagreeing with other judges
One singer named Ben Lapidus sang a cringe-worthy comedy song about parmesan cheese on the premiere. All four judges hit the red buzzer to eliminate him.
However, the fans all started cheering loudly and chanting “parmesan,” so Simon Cowell told Ben to sing it again. According to Simon, the song was an earworm that he couldn’t shake, so he took back his X.
Heidi Klum, who loved it from the start, also said yes. Sofia Vergara wanted to say no, but the fans wouldn’t let up, so she said yes.
Howie Mandel kept it at no.
“What’s great is, I think we disagree, but we agree to disagree. We respect the disagreement,” Mandel told CBS8. “We don’t have the same taste, and that’s what we love about everybody there. That’s what I love about Heidi, Sofia, and Simon.”
It seems like the one person who would have said yes was a comedian like Howie, but he was not to be swayed, and according to the judge, that is okay. He has always said he was one of the “toughest” judges, saying he is “brutally honest.”
Howie Mandel on the premiere of America’s Got Talent
There wasn’t much in the way of disagreement in the first episode.
When it comes to the great stories, he is as affected by them as Simon Cowell. When Avery Dixon came out and shared his story of being bullied in school and then knocked the judges out with his sax playing, Howie said “I love you” to the young man.
When Mervant Vera came out and performed card tricks while rapping simultaneously, it blew Howie away, and he was an easy yes.
However, when Ben sang a song about parmesan, Howie drew the line, and he didn’t care what the other judges thought or what the fans wanted either. He said no, and that was it, and as Howie said, each judge has their own standards and opinions, which is what makes America’s Got Talent such an excellent reality competition show.
America’s Got Talent airs on Tuesday nights at 8/7c on NBC.