Dear British People

[goldvermilion87]

You know I love your TV (notice I did not say "telly" just to be cool).  I do the vast majority of my television watching on the computer.  I follow Doctor Who and Merlin.  Sherlock is my MOST FAVORITE.

HOWEVER!

WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? Did you all tune into the X Factor?

WHY????????????????????

I am suffering now, because there is no escaping the hype.  I like singing.  I DO NOT LIKE HYPE!  It is so LOUD that it fills the house. 

:-(

Comments

[arnie1967.livejournal.com]

::raises hand:: I didn't watch it. I don't like it. I also haven't noticed the hype. What's up? ::wonders if this is going to explode across her flist soon::

[goldvermilion87.livejournal.com]

I think this is far too old news for it to explode across your flist.

The bigger picture: I have dealt with American Idol for... eight years? I think the singing was excellent, and got better every year. But I HATED the weeks of people acting like idiots instead of just auditioning. I was frustrated that each one minute song was preceded by a five minute sob story. And I had no interest whatsoever in the flirting/fighting/just-plain-crazy from Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.

Now the X Factor is running (Simon has left AI) for the first time ever in the States, and it makes the hype of AI look tame. It's all LIGHTS COSTUMES DANCERS DRAMATIC MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND PRETERNATURALLY GLOWY JUDGES!!!!!!!

And since my family is obsessed with these types of shows, there is no escape.

[arnie1967.livejournal.com]

I was frustrated that each one minute song was preceded by a five minute sob story.

That drives me nuts. People have given me links to AI or X Factor clips on YouTube, and there's always a ton of piffle before it gets to the song. If I wanted to hear their life story, I'd watch the flaming show.

It's all LIGHTS COSTUMES DANCERS DRAMATIC MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND PRETERNATURALLY GLOWY JUDGES!!!!!!!

::cringes:: That sounds eyebleedingly bad. All that crap is why I don't watch any of those shows.

I'm so sorry you're stuck with that junk on your TV. :o(

[goldvermilion87.livejournal.com]

I survive. :-)

On the plus side, we have a show "The Sing-Off" which is completely a capella. There is some human-interest-ing, but it's not terrible, and the judges are all competent and intelligent, AND THE SINGING IS EXCELLENT!

So there are perks to living in a house where the talent shows are always recorded. :-)

[musical-lottie.livejournal.com]

Just out of curiosity, has X Factor started over there from the first series, or is it the current series (judges are Gary Barlow, ... someone, Tulisa someone, and Louis Walsh)? Before that we had Pop Idol (the basis for American Idol and all of the other Idols) and before that we had Popstars, although that was more a documentary series than an actual public voting thing.

Heh, I used to think Pop Idol was bad enough, with all of the hype. Looking back now I'd rather watch an entire series of PI than be subjected to an episode of X Factor [my family watch so I can't really escape] :(

[goldvermilion87.livejournal.com]

It's just a new show altogether--same relationship to your X Factor as American Idol to Pop Idol.

And I'm with you--American Idol was too much for me, but at least when it came down to it, there was really good singing without too much pyrotechnics, lights, etc.

My mom and brother watch it, but my dad hates it. Thing is, when it plays, it's just so loud that it permeates the house... and we don't live in a tiny house!

[musical-lottie.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see. Yikes. I've found with the X Factor that often the judges either are not hearing what we're hearing, or they just don't care and only want somebody who will sell records - and I'm not entirely convinced that the quality of the records they may sell matters. Interestingly the 2008 X Factor winner - who can sing - was a judge recently (as one was ill) and her judging was far more realistic than the others'. Thus giving me further reason to very much suspect that for the others it is more about selling rather than singing.

[goldvermilion87.livejournal.com]

Well, they wouldn't be shy about that. The X factor IS about the selling and not the singing in and of itself. That's how it's different from AI (or PI).