X Factor

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know I dislike the X Factor.  I thought I would give you a bit of background as to why and what my issues are with the show. 

1. Auditions

One of my main problem with the auditions is the audience.  I have long disagreed with the practice of having bad singers in the televised auditions but now with an large audience in the room, booing and baying for their blood it gets extremely uncomfortable when the singer is convinced they are good .  I understand that all acts audition in front of producers before they even get to the judges auditions.  If so, surely the point of these auditions should be to weed out the bad singers, not put them through for a second audition in front of a large crowd and TV cameras.  I assume they are put through for 'entertainment value' but personally I dont find it entertaining to watch someone get humiliated in front of an audience (both in the room AND on national TV).  I can understand some of these singers thinking they are good - after all - they must be surely? They have passed the first audition?  They are no doubt thinking "Wow that producer liked me? Perhaps I CAN sing after all?"  This leads on to my second problem

2. So called "Joke" acts

Every year there is one person at least who gets put through to the live shows seemingly just for "entertainment value" and not for their vocal talent.  Surely the idea of the show is to find someone who will sell records? If so, why put these acts through at the expense of more talented singers?

3. The Judges

The show focuses way too much on the arguing between the judges and their 'controversial decisions'.  Judges fling insults at each other, praise up bad singers purely because they are on 'their team' and give the impression that they think the show revolves around them.  Surely it should be about the talent?

4.Winner Importance

Too much hype is given to the importance of winning.  It is common knowledge that the winner stands less chance of being a success than the runner up.  History has proven this.  Also too much emphasis is put on the phrase "world class" by the judges.  In the UK, excluding this years winner as its only a week or so ago, there is only Leona Lewis out of the winners who has exactly come close to being a 'world class performer' and setting the world on fire.  We get told 'its the winners show' yet every year the runners up, and some who came lower, get signed by Simon and become more of a star than the winner.  Why is that?  Is it maybe because the winners album takes so long to come out that by then the kids who voted have moved on to the contestants from the following year or is it because in the UK you hear hardly anything of the winner after the initial single/press buzz until the next series launches of the X Factor?   Take Melanie Amaro for example in X Factor USA who won a $5m record contract on 22 December 2011.  Almost a year later, her album is still not out and according to Amazon has no release date set.  (As a side note, Chris Rene who came third, already has his album out on the same label as the winner......)  Her first "official" single, sold 20,000 copies and did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100.  Thats 20,000 out of 12.5million who watched the final.  So out of 12.5million and however many of those voted (i cannot find any reference to how many votes there were online), only 20,000 could be bothered to pay $1 or so for her single?  Her latest single has recently been released and as of now, it has not charted on the Billboard Hot 200 (Source)

Interesting note - out of all the contestants in last years X Factor USA, only Chris Rene (3rd Place) and Marcus Canty (4th Place) have charted in the main Billboard Chart.  Chris charted at 101 with Young Homie and 100 with Trouble, and Marcus charted at 98 with Won't Make A Fool Out Of You. (Source)

5. Rewriting Of History

This year, I understand they showed a montage in the final of past winners.  Steve Brookstein wasn't featured.  Yes, I know he famously disagreed with Simon and has been quite vocal about the show since, however he STILL was the first winner of the programme.  Would it really hurt to acknowledge him instead of pretending he never existed?

6. Dermot's Dancing

No! Please No!

7. The West End

Stop referring to the West End as a fallback option for failed contestants.  Oh so often we hear "I dont think you are good enough, however you would be fantastic in the West End" or similar off one of the judges.  Its not a second choice.  Its a completely different discipline.  How often in the past has Simon said someone was "too Broadway" as an insult?