If Friends Were Coffee, How Would You Take Yours?

Of the three judges on "American Idol," you’d most like to hang out with *

Simon Cowell—he may come off harsh, but his straightforward advice helps performers improve.

Randy Jackson—he gives honest advice but still tries to say something nice at each audition.

Paula Abdul—she’s a total sweetheart and makes all the contestants feel good about their performance.

Finally, you figure out an ending to the documentary you’re shooting for school and show it to a friend. The feedback you’d value the most is *

"Overall, it’s really good, but the ending could use some more work."

"I was snoozin’ a bit at the end. What if you tried something like this instead…?"

"Don’t change a thing! This should be aired on the Sundance Channel!"

In the store, you thought these bright orange sneakers were pretty cool. But now that you’ve bought them, you aren’t sure if they’re hip—or just tacky. Your best friend should *

spare you the social humiliation and tell you straight-up that you look pretty ridiculous.

suggest you try them out for a few weeks around the neighborhood and see how you feel.

assure you they are cool, and that you are a definite trendsetter.

Your school runs an annual bake sale to raise tzedakah. This year, you chip in and make some brownies, but they turn out a little more black than brown. When your friend does a taste test, you hope he’ll respond by *

suggesting you throw this batch away since you don’t want customers gagging.

assuring you they’re pretty good, but suggesting that you put the next batch in for a little less time.

telling you that you’re the next Betty Crocker, since he knows you’re a bit sensitive about your lack of culinary talent.

Tryouts for the school basketball team are coming up, and you’re thinking about going out for the team, even though your jump shot—and, okay, dribbling skills—could use some work. A good friend should *

remind you how great you are on defense and that a good coach values a positive attitude.

suggest that you join an intramural league this year and go for Junior Varsity next season.

tell you not to get your hopes up, chances are pretty slim you’ll make the cut.

You’re mixing a CD for a friend’s big birthday bash, but you’re worried that the first few songs might be too fast-paced for your friends. After a thorough review, the ideal response from your friend is *

"Man, you could really burn out the crowd. You have to slow it down a bit."

"Maybe you should include some more mellow tunes, like…."

"You’re out, Ryan Seacrest. There’s a new deejay in town!"

The T-shirt you’d most likely wear says *

"Plays nice with others."

"Honesty is the best policy."

"Everything in moderation— including moderation."