There are many points at which I do take issue though. These so called "talent shows", which come under the broad spectrum of "reality TV", take pleasure from the performances of regular, ordinary people. How real these programmes are though is up for heated debate. Especially when you consider allegations of fixing and the use of voice enhancement technology. On the other side of the spectrum, some argue that this is a TV show and it's meant to be entertaining so what's wrong with manipulating the process here and there? It's only a game show right?
The major point for me is the spectacle made out of the people who aren't "talented". They are laughed and jeered at on stage by the judges and the crowd. What's worse is when the very same people are asked to come back in the finale' and do a last performance together. Obviously the contestants they ask to come back are not considered talented and they are made into a complete and utter joke. I literally found it difficult to watch and could not align myself with those who did see it as entertaining. I found it cringeworthy, but perhaps this is the entertainment factor for some.
Now that the show is over we have our new winner, which this year is "Matt Cardle". Apparently this year the X Factor were looking for something a bit different. So this guy's "thing" is the fact he wears a hat. Edgy. Now Cardle has won, Simon Cowell aims to get his song to Christmas Number 1. Adding insult to injury, Cardle's Christmas song is a cover of a Scottish rock band called Biffy Clyro. Obviously the song has been popularised, losing much of its rock roots in the process. The icing on the cake is their decision to change the title from "Many of Horror" to "When we Collide". No one wants a Christmas Number 1 with the word horror in the title now do they? That would be far too unfamiliar.
Over the years it seems many have become bored and also frustrated with the monotony of the X Factor and the conventionalised music it promotes. So, in opposition to this various music campaigns have been set up via Facebook and other networking sites to deny the X Factor it's place at the top of the charts. Last year "Killing in the Name of" by Rage Against the Machine was used to clinch the top spot. This campaign formed the basis for the numerous amount of groups that have followed this year.
Famously they did this performance live on BBC Radio 5 in the run up to Christmas:
If you listen to the song, you'll notice they decide to sing the explicit version despite being asked not to. It's not surprising really. I mean seriously, the lyrics are "F*** you I won't do what you tell me". What did they expect?
The problem we have this year is that there isn't enough focus on any one campaign, there are three or four, which obviously diverges the amount of downloads. What this potentially means is that because there are multiple campaigns, X Factor will get to Christmas Number 1. It's undeniable.
From my tone so far you're probably expecting me to say this is a bad thing right? Well it's not. In fact, the amount of awareness these groups promote is fantastic. So what we didn't get the number one spot! These groups have been around for years and like a lot of the previous X Factor Winners, he'll probably be forgotten in a matter of months. No more than a blip on the face of the music industry.
Anyway, for me this isn't a rage against Cardle personally. If he is a good singer than fair enough, I guess he deserves a chance. My real point of issue is the depiction of people contesting on the show, the power this gives to Simon Cowell's already over inflated sense of self, and the way this continues to reinforce the same old music continually being churned out by our music industry. This point about the music industry is emphasised far better here than I could ever put into words:
Now that the show is over we have our new winner, which this year is "Matt Cardle". Apparently this year the X Factor were looking for something a bit different. So this guy's "thing" is the fact he wears a hat. Edgy. Now Cardle has won, Simon Cowell aims to get his song to Christmas Number 1. Adding insult to injury, Cardle's Christmas song is a cover of a Scottish rock band called Biffy Clyro. Obviously the song has been popularised, losing much of its rock roots in the process. The icing on the cake is their decision to change the title from "Many of Horror" to "When we Collide". No one wants a Christmas Number 1 with the word horror in the title now do they? That would be far too unfamiliar.
Over the years it seems many have become bored and also frustrated with the monotony of the X Factor and the conventionalised music it promotes. So, in opposition to this various music campaigns have been set up via Facebook and other networking sites to deny the X Factor it's place at the top of the charts. Last year "Killing in the Name of" by Rage Against the Machine was used to clinch the top spot. This campaign formed the basis for the numerous amount of groups that have followed this year.
Famously they did this performance live on BBC Radio 5 in the run up to Christmas:
If you listen to the song, you'll notice they decide to sing the explicit version despite being asked not to. It's not surprising really. I mean seriously, the lyrics are "F*** you I won't do what you tell me". What did they expect?
The problem we have this year is that there isn't enough focus on any one campaign, there are three or four, which obviously diverges the amount of downloads. What this potentially means is that because there are multiple campaigns, X Factor will get to Christmas Number 1. It's undeniable.
From my tone so far you're probably expecting me to say this is a bad thing right? Well it's not. In fact, the amount of awareness these groups promote is fantastic. So what we didn't get the number one spot! These groups have been around for years and like a lot of the previous X Factor Winners, he'll probably be forgotten in a matter of months. No more than a blip on the face of the music industry.
Anyway, for me this isn't a rage against Cardle personally. If he is a good singer than fair enough, I guess he deserves a chance. My real point of issue is the depiction of people contesting on the show, the power this gives to Simon Cowell's already over inflated sense of self, and the way this continues to reinforce the same old music continually being churned out by our music industry. This point about the music industry is emphasised far better here than I could ever put into words:
