Oh dear… X-Factor is back.
Yes, I’m afraid it is. Once the topic came up at the dinner, I had to bite my lip almost until it bled, as not to scream and upturn the table. As far as British TV goes, there’s a few examples of dumbed-down, lowest common demoninator (I’m desperately trying not to be a snob here, but I’ve failed) TV that I cannot abide (DIY SOS comes to mind: it tries to convey humour when it just isn’t there, and don’t you just wanna punch that Nick Knowles guy) but I am physically unable to watch X-factor without heaving.
People (too) often say, “Well, I only watch the auditions” as if that makes it okay, but that is the part of the programme that I find most destructive. Yes, the contrived quick money-making scam of the elimination stages and public voting, running up to Christmas, together with the absolute tedium of it all, is unbearable enough, but the audition stages are, in my opinion, so destructive for the follwing reasons:
It’s the lowest form of wit. “Bad singing” outdoes sarcasm and farting for this title, and the amount of youtube hits those sort of clips get show that it is a highly infectious disease. However, saying that, I must admit that I find Jordan and Peter Andre’s duet, singing “A Whole New World” on Children In Need (I think) a few years back side-splitting, but I think the difference is that it is a less contrived, more spontaniously awful/funny. Also, it exploits people (usually working class) who genuinely think they’re talented for a cheap laugh, whereas the Jordan example is only mocking a rich and famous person, desperately trying to prolong their career. But in recent years, the “bad singers” often are there to play to the cameras on purpose for their slice of fame, thus subverting the purpose of the show (apparantly to discover new and talented pop singers), whereas it clutters the charts with novelty nonsense (eg Cheeky Girls).
It fuels our obsession for judging. the whole show and genre is formulated so we can engage in petty gossip, passing judgement on other people. It is natural aspect of the human psyche to do this, but I believe that these programmes bring out this unflatteringly judgemental side of us.
It breeds false hope. It makes it seem deceptively easy to make it in the music industry by showing a cut down, easy ride route to stardom, which is why there is rarely a healthily long career (I’m aware of cases when they have been more fortunate) for these artists, who fade into obsurity once the hype dies down, meaning it can squander an indivduals only chance of a sucessful career for a quick buck and a cheap thrill.
It’s just panto, without the drag. The pantomime villain (Simon Cowell etc) and empty cheers/jeers from the audience, based on a judges’ reaction to a performance are not only tragic but support dillusion and a simple black/white view of the world. Often, the judges are right in the criticism, as professionals, but are greeted with jeers, which supports the notion (to kids, as it is a family show) that criticism is negative, while praise is good, but this obviously leads to dillusion.
Tags: audition, bad singer, Cheeky Girls, DIY SOS, ITV, judge, Music, Nick Knowles, pantomime, pop singer, Simon Cowell, talent show, X-Factor
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