Just watched this on The X Factor and was like, Wooow, Same Difference have a good song! O: The cheese is still there, though, lol.
For those who have never watched the show, The X Factor is our British version of American Idol and such shows. Same Difference came third last year, and consist of brother and sister in their late teens. They were always very cheesy and everyone was surprised they made it that far, lol...
You might have heard of Leona Lewis. She won the show two years ago. (I know, real talent! O: Shock horror!)
We R One by Same DifferenceAnd a long rant about The X Factor now... I was going to write this for the school magazine, but it's too long and there's no space. Still, I needed to get it on paper. You don't have to read it, just thought those of you who know the context of it could read it and give me feedback? (:
The Editor’s Gossip
The X Factor: Singing? What Singing?
I have spent over a year editing Scrawl now, and not once have I been able to publish my writing; which is fine by me, because I can’t claim to be a talented writer! However, for once, instead of writer’s block, I have been bitten so badly by the writing bug that I can’t put my pen down. I must blame my sudden burst of inspiration on The X Factor, and especially Laura White – or rather, the lack of people voting for her that caused her to be lobbed out of the competition (and the squabbling judges who helped speed that process along).
When I hear gossip about The X Factor’s latest news, I groan – because it is so clichéd, so generic, and yet so
addictive. I am ashamed to admit I do watch The X Factor weekly, but my reasons lie very much in the rare glimmers of singing talent on the show. Still, I have never voted and I never will. If I wasn’t a singer, I doubt I’d be attracted to the programme whatsoever. However, I love singing, from choirs to artists to bands, and I do appreciate that there is some talent showcased on The X Factor – Leona Lewis is its prime example.
What I hate most about The X Factor is how much it cheapens its contestants’ amazing talents. Before I rant about how much the show irritates me, I will say this: people underestimate and under-appreciate how much those singers put into their performances. These individuals have a week to prepare a song under mentors who too often don’t seem to know what they are doing; they are made to dance even though it is a singing competition (their sense of style has been criticised, never mind the dancing and the singing); and they must perform this in front of a live audience of hundreds, as well as millions on TV screens in the UK. Oh, and let’s not forget YouTubers who could lay Cowell to waste, and of course, the four judges themselves – or rather, the aforementioned Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh.
So yes, those poor contestants don’t need to worry about the screaming studio audience who thump out rapturous applause for them every week, because their main problem is in the shape of two men in their mid-forties (or is it fifties?) who, with one negative word, could bring their self-confidence crashing down. It is true that if a contestant didn’t sing well they should receive some criticism, because it is the bare facts: it’s a singing competition, and if you don’t perform, you’re out. By entering the show, you are submitting yourself to countless criticism already. But we should all remember that these people are extremely brave for getting up on stage every single week and singing their hearts out (even if it is out of tune), and the entertainment that they bring, whether it be amusing or heart-wrenching, should be appreciated.
People of Britain can be cruel: we take a huge chunk out of other’s dignities so we can feel better about ourselves; we treat them like they were born to provide us with entertainment. But we never stop even for one second and think: ‘Would I do any better if I was in their position?’ I highly doubt it.
But anyway, back to slating – and have I got a lot to slate. I spend about two hours every Saturday night watching The X Factor, and I find myself cringing at least once every five minutes. “What is
that?” “Why have they said that
again?” “Why do I even watch this show?” – these phrases and the like often spring to mind. Yes, I am sure it must annoy you too: the generic phrases the judges repeat in their VTs (“If s/he doesn’t pull it off, it’s going to be a disaster”) and the constant bickering between the judges (“Louis, you’re a girl, you’re gay, you’re this, you’re that, etc.”) I just want to shout into the TV: “Shut up and let me listen to the singing! I don’t give a flying toss about
you! Can you sing? NO!”
Louis and Simon are always commenting on how a particularly contestant isn’t appealing to the public. Well, how can they when their VT contains more of the judges than the contestants themselves? The X Factor isn’t about isn’t the singers, it isn’t about the entertainment that they provide, and it most definitely isn’t about the singing. It’s about Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue, and partly, Cheryl Cole. Before the arrival of the latter ladies, it had been Sharon Osbourne. Well, I commend her for leaving the show. At least she left with a scrap of her dignity.
I feel sorry for the contestants; before they’ve even gotten onto the stage to prove their worth, they have to endure listening to those devastating comments in their VTs made by other judges. For example: “That song is too big for him/her, I don’t think they’ll pull it off.” Oh wow, thanks guys, what a confidence booster that is! And just before I go on stage and sing too. Gee, I’m flattered.
I know it helps build tension, but after ten weeks of the same comments, don’t they realise that we’re just a
bit bored by now?
The people who direct the technical side of The X Factor also come into my line of fire. Why do they always put so much of what those silly judges have to say in the VTs anyway? And even when it is the contestants’ time to shine (well, not really, because they all look rather deprived of sleep without make-up), they’re always saying the same thing. Maybe they really are boring in real life, but honestly, how does it liken us to a contestant if all they ever talk about is “I don’t want to go back to my old life” and “I want to do it for my family”? I believe them, I really do, but the effect of inducing sympathy only goes so far. Once you’ve said it about a thousand times, one can get annoyed. I don’t blame the contestants for this – I blame the directors. It’s clichéd and it’s irritating, so change your VTs, X Factor!
I also hate the format of the show. That studio; oh, don’t get me started on that studio. You’d think they’d change it – upgrade it! – every now and again, but no. It still flashes bright lights and has sliding panel doors that have uber-sized pixelated images of the contestants. I would
freak if I had to have my face on one of those. There’s a reason I don’t enlarge my photos or stick my face into someone else’s – I want to keep the secretly awful bits to myself, thanks. Those doors also look like they’ll break down any second. It’s just typical of The X Factor: to have flashy things that will most likely break because they’re only there for show. There is no class, no quality in the show, and that is why I think it only serves to cheapen the talent of those great singers.
Unlike money-winning game shows like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, The Weakest Link, Deal or No Deal and that gold balls game on ITV around four or five o’clock after school, there is no alternative to The X Factor, so if you’re an amazing singer who happens to live in the slums and want a chance to make your dreams come true, then that’s all you’ve got going for you. Unless, of course, you want acting, dancing
and singing to all be requirements; then you could audition for the BBC’s annual talent-searching competition for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals.
I must return to the reason for my rant: Laura White. A great singer? Yes. Unlucky to be lobbed out? Yes again. Worth debating for weeks on end that it would end up a topic in the House of Commons? …No. Not in my opinion, anyway. It’s traumatising, I am sure, to be in Laura’s position, and I sympathise with her immensely. However, what’s done is done – The X Factor was obviously not going to reinstall her on the show. If you are so concerned about the contestants’ well being, then vote for them. Also, all that media coverage about why the judges had done what they had done – again, it always goes back to ‘protecting their own acts’, and in the process making the show about themselves rather than the singers. For goodness sake, just get rid of this stupid system. You don’t get these sorts of problems on similar shows, and why? Because there is no need for rivalry between the people who judge it. They are bound to be biased at the end of the day, so for Pete’s sake, put them all on equal footing! Let them be mentored by outsiders who won’t get their acts involved in their silly, petty and immature arguments.
I commend Cheryl Cole as being the only one who rarely ever voices herself in the VTs of acts that are not her own. She is obviously fiercely protective of her contestants, which is understandable and normal, but unlike Simon and Louis, she feels no need to challenge and put down the other contestants. The show should be about the best singer – this might be why previous winners save for Leona Lewis have had so little success in the music industry since winning; did those people really win for their talent? Look at Shayne Ward, look at Leon Jackson. I personally think Rhydian should have won; he would have been the better recording artist even if he doesn’t have the pop star voice, because he’s more unique than Leon and he is more charismatic.
Overall, the contestants this year have either been very bad or very good. The only exception, I think, is Rachel Hylton, who I think has worsened as the competition has progressed. She has an amazing voice and a lot of potential, but I think the show has only made her worse. I actually think Daniel improved, but he was never going to win even though he seemed like a lovely bloke. Ruth, Dannii’s last act in the Over 25s, was always at a disadvantage, being Spanish, but I think she has a great voice and I think she will go far if she returns to Spain.
I think Simon never had much of a chance to win from the beginning, although he said differently onscreen. With Austin, Scott and Eoghan not being mind-blowing singers, especially compared to the girls, Simon will be lucky to keep poor little Eoghan in the final, who, despite being adorable and actually has a great voice that has been steadily improving, just isn’t pop star material in my eyes.
Louis still has JLS (poor Girl Band and Bad Lashes never stood a chance), and I love them for their personality and set-up, but they are not the best singers. Still, my heart goes out to them for being so tight-knit and never involving themselves in the gossip (Aston is a great singer - better than Scott, anyway).
Finally, there’s Cheryl’s girls: Alexandra, Diana and Laura. Laura, no doubt, should not have left so early. I think the final will most likely be between Alexandra and Diana, but who knows? The X Factor is completely unpredictable at the worst of times. Alexandra has the more powerful and mind-blowing voice, but Diana is unique and original; both have potentially great careers in the recording industry. But who will the public choose? The safe bets or the dark horses of the competition? I hope Britain makes the right decision, otherwise The Editor’s Gossip will be returning to your Scrawl pages sooner than expected, and we’ll have another winner who will flop rather than fly in years to come.
It's going to be great aha. If we take some photos I'll show you. (: 
It's going to be great aha. If we take some photos I'll show you. (: 
And obviously I wasn't lying when I said we were already going to struggle to fit things in this month. 
There are just so many people wanting to contribute, which is good. I suppose that this rant won't really be at all relevant by January. But, if we... somehow... reserve you some room - I think that half a page is the most you're going to get (or else you'll have to start writing shorter Editorial Notes!!!) - hopefully you may be able to put one in by the end of this year.
