Back from the dead
228 wordsMy cyberstalker has been missing my words of wisdom so much that he emailed me to complain. So what shall I write about?
Trips to various Merlin Group theme parks? Taking up Scuba diving? Making soup? A nice weekend in Monmouthshire celebrating mum’s 60th birthday?
No, I’m going to comment very briefly about The X Factor.
I like the X Factor. It’s big and dumb, but it knows it. It’s polished. It’s fun. It’s pantomime, but it deals in real dreams.
But when MPs start asking questions in parliament about who’s been knocked out, you have to wonder.
Point one: The judges have pointed out it’s not a dancing competition. Debbie and I like to observe every week that it’s not a ‘wanting it’ competition (as much as the contestants would like it to be). It’s also not a singing competition. It is, to quote Superintendent Chalmers “nothing but a damn popularity contest”. The clue’s in the title. It’s a competition about having ‘the X factor’. Singing is only a tiny part of that. A glint in the eye, a certain way of moving, something indefinable - that’s what brings the votes in. Or just being Scottish, apparently, if last year is anything to go by.
Point two: The standard by now is incredibly high. Every week, someone good is going to go. That’s how it works.
Cyberstalker - No, Debbie has not left me.
November 13th, 2008 at 18:06
Phew, Thought you’d gone without saying goodbye for a minute there.
X factor, can’t stand it. glad it’s on ITV. Paying a licence fee to watch egotistical judges pontificate over mostly sub standard auditionees, would be just the last straw. Far better to spend your time Cyberstalking, at least you learn lots of new things, places to go, good things to do and I suppose deep down it satisfies what could otherwise be a rather unpalatable voyeristic aspect of our characters.
Good to see you back, regards to Debbie ( I’m sure she’s losing weight).