Simon Cowell Slams Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore For Saying He Should be Shot

Simon Cowell is furious after a member of the 80s pop band Depeche Mode said he should be shot because of his influence on how stars are made.

Depeche Mode guitarist Martin Gore last week told a magazine interviewer that he hates reality shows like Cowell’s “X Factor,” and declared “I think somebody should shoot Simon Cowell.”

Cowell, angry at the comments, took to Twitter to slam Gore by saying his comments are irresponsible in the wake of soaring gun crime, and to take a potshot at Gore’s band all at the same time.

I read Martin gore wants to shootme. He was is in depeche mode. Do you realise how weird and stupid that makes you. Go and watch the news.

— Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) November 26, 2012

He continued calling Gore a “weirdo,” saying:

Why I am angry about weirdo gore is a ton of people have got shot this year and people.like weirdo gore encourage this.

— Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) November 26, 2012

We’re guessing Depeche Mode won’t be making a guest appearance on the X Factor any time soon!

It doesn’t really sound like Gore wants Cowell dead, though, but he’d like to be rid of reality shows. In an interview with Music Week, Gore blames reality shows such as The X Factor for the decline of new bands in the music industry because they don’t get the same funding as manufactured acts.

I’m not advocating violence, but I think somebody should shoot Simon Cowell. His influence in the music industry over the last God knows how many years it’s been now. It’s just like, so many people think that that’s what music is. What happened to bands getting together? They are very few and far between now and the ones that do probably can’t afford to get into a studio and make a record.