By now, everyone has heard about how awful Britney Spears was during the MTV Video Music Awards.

Therefore, you'd expect Simon Cowell to completely lay into her, right?

Wrong.

"She stole the show, whether you liked it or not. The only thing you heard about the following day was Britney Spears," the American Idol judge said.

Granted, Cowell admitted: "It wasn't the best performance. She wasn't ready for it." However, he notes, "She's had more attention in the last 48 hours than any artist on the planet."

True. But, come on. Does anyone want this sort of attention?

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.