Wednesday 22 December 2010

Dear World - X Factor And Christmas Number One

Dear World.

"So this is Christmas, and what have you done?", as John Lennon famously sang in his Christmas song.

And, he is right. What have we done?

Granted, the reason why I chose this quote is for a totally different reason for his choice of words in that song.

Yes, I'm on about Christmas number one. Well, not just that, I'm kind of on about how the X Factor's dominating the top spot at Christmas.

If you haven't guessed yet, I don't like the X Factor. Scratch that, I rather dislike any form of reality show.

Why do I dislike it so? Well, it's obvious, really. Is it? Yes, why yes it is.

The main reason is the same thing that made a few people rather grumpy when I wrote about the new protest against this year's X Factor winner.

Since it started, the winner of the X Factor has always won the Christmas number one slot. Actually, all but one, thanks to Rage Against The Machine winning last year and raising money for Shelter at the same time.

But, though I totally agreed with the whole protest last year, maybe it should give up now. And I don't mean just mean the X Factor.

Look at it this way. For a while now, the winner of the X Factor has won the Christmas number one. This, last year, made someone rather annoyed and began a campaign against it and won. This year's no different, with an X Factor winner against a handful of songs in pursuit to dethrone another X Factor winner.

And what will happen next year? The same. Why? Well, to me, last year's campaign gave birth to a cycle.

Once the X Factor begins, someone plans on what could go up against the winner of that year. During the live stages of the show, the plans for the campaigners become more realistic. When the winner of the X Factor is known, the campaigners attempts to raise the awareness of the campaign. The winner of the top spot is named, then people talk about it for the weeks after. After a few months, the whole thing repeats itself.

Thing is, it's not just this cycle that I've grown to avoid at all costs. It's the fact that the winner's song is always a cover.

In the past, the song that earned the top spot on Christmas has always been by someone who actually wrote the song (well, the majority anyway). The X Factor winner only has to perform a song written by a band before them. Why? Maybe you can answer that.

I mean, isn't it a bit, y'know, a bit like cheating of sorts? All that Matt guy had to do is to ruin a Biffy Clyro song. A week later, he wins Christmas number one. Which part seems fair to you?

Oh, and to reply to anybody thinking 'he won the X Factor, he worked for months to win it'. How? The X Factor has turned from a singing contest to a competition of popularity, like a musical version of Big Brother. Why couldn't Matt, or everyone who won the competition, just write the winner's song? If they did, then I'd have so much more respect for them than I do now.

Which makes me question another thing about the X Factor. Why is it not shown during the summer? Why must it be shown during the autumn and winter months? Sales. It just gives money to the pocket of Cowell. Not only does he have everyone coming to him for auditions, at the end of it he has a list of ten or so acts that he can sign up. Most of the money from sales of the X Factor winner's single goes to Cowell. So who has really won this year's X Factor? Simon Cowell, like every other year.

I believe that's enough ranting for one day, World. I shall leave it here and ponder the answers to difficult questions, such as if penguins and dogs had arms and hands, who would win? Who knows…

I thank ye, world.

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