We're head deep into series 7 of the infamous show and before more and more people drop it from their schedules, I thought it was a good time to write a piece on it. A while ago I read an interesting article about the show, and whether it was a good or bad thing for the music industry. At first glance, most people who care about their music and the industry, will say it's ruining the current state of music. Dominating the chart and dictating christmas number 1s (until last year!), there's no doubt that it's the biggest thing to happen to the industry for quite some time (forgetting internet/downloading...2nd biggest thing doesn't sound as great).
I think the negatives of the show are obvious, and don't need much dwelling on (destruction of originality, emphasis on public humiliation of failed contestants, horrible cliche script from the judges...the list is pretty long). I do, however, believe that the show has brought the industry something big for fans of chart music, and haters of it. Since the birth of the show, millions of people have tuned in weekly and followed the progression of hopeful singers who look to follow their passion. The main problem with this is that so many people go on the show for money and fame (and even admit to this in their audition), but I guess these are so closely related to the life of a pop star that you can't have too much of a go at them for their rather superficial ambitions. It is a problem with this celebrity culture and money obsessed society we live in and not the hopefuls directly.
It may be annoying and it may be ridiculous that the artists and guest performers dominate the charts in the way they do, but I would imagine that it does increase sales in music...something which is a big issue for the industry right now. Also, people are talking about the contestants. Maybe I'm being naive, and it's more about what outfit Cheryl has worn this week, or who looked better out of her and Dannii (you know who you are), or how rude Simon is; but there are a lot of people who are taking an interest in the process and development of the singers. Now don't get me wrong, I hate most of the ideals of the show, and struggle to get through an episode, but if it gets people talking about music and eventually buying it, then I'm all for it (although I guess the argument here is that the people who love the music from the show are more likely to be those downloading singles and not buying albums, although not always). I don't care what music people like, I just want them to be passionate about it, and if The X Factor is making people passionate, then I'm all for it. For the haters, it gives you a stronger sense of appreciation of what you listen to and something to moan about (which we all love).
It definitely isn't the most authentic way to get people interested in unsigned music, but if the show didn't exist then there's a chance music would play even less of a role in those peoples lives. Yes it might leave room for a better show that cares more about the music than money, and it may leave room for a show that is produced in a way that focuses on the artists and not one which shows more adverts and dramatised sob stories than people singing-but the point is that this is what people want, and if it's a choice between this and another Katie Price show (perhaps similar quality), I'd rather it be one that gets people talking about music.
I think that when I used to criticise the show and get angry at it, I was ignoring the fact that it's not meant for me. It's not meant for anyone who takes their music too seriously, or likes to discover an unsigned band in a subtle way, or listen to someone who writes their music and cares about it. The X Factor doesn't claim to cater to this. It's an entertainment show first and foremost. At the end of the day it's getting people talking about music, so I can't complain. It may be unfortunate, but it's a sign of the times. I can't imagine a show like this being as successful in the 70s, but then, times have changed and the way people 'buy' (/download) their music has changed. The show is a perfect reflection of our society and if you want things to be more authentic/real and less dramatised, money-orientated and hideously superficial, then we need to look to change society first. This, however, is a job for others.
