Myxomatosis

The Cry Factor (Uni work)

As I watched the latest X-Factor episode, anger and frustration gradually gave way to a sombre, resigned acceptance. It was like experiencing a slow and painful death.

What gets me is how the docile masses continue to lap up this contrived, manipulated shit. It follows the exact same template week in, week out, and yet no one bats an eyelid.

The show went beyond the boundaries of taste and decency long ago. In the past we have had a finalist sing about his recently-deceased wife, but the way it revels in wheeling out hopelessly deluded wannabes to be ridiculed reached a new nadir last Saturday. 

 Now don’t get me wrong, the show itself does contain some vocal talent. Talent that is somewhat wasted on self-pity after the inevitable disappointment for 99% of the contestants. I believe everyone needs to find a way to explore their potential to find his or her place in the world. With few exceptions, X-Factor is not the environment to do this. Yes, we can all point to people who have made a personal success out of being catapulted to instant celebrity status from reality TV shows. But, I would contend, the true success stories in this field are very isolated cases, and, very often, instant fame is a short lived thing which more often or not, has disastrous long-term consequences.    

This is not entertainment. This is The Jeremy Kyle Show with a backing track, and for Cowell and his cronies to make out they actually care as this pre-scripted nonsense plays out is beyond contempt.

X-Factor is nothing more than a textbook lesson in how to brainwash the viewer through emotional glove puppetry. It is an exploitative, intelligence insulting marketing exercise, and to submit to it is to allow yourself to be intellectually raped.