Damon Albarn Wants X Factor Scrapped
Blur frontman, Damon Albarn has demanded that ITV talent show, The X Factor is scrapped.
During a stint as guest editor of Radio 4’s Today programme Damon said: “We need to dismantle very significant parts of our culture and really re-examine them. For a start you have to get rid of things like The X Factor immediately.”
He added: “I think it sends out all the wrong messages. I think it’s creating a mindset which suggests that you can get something for nothing, that it’s easy to acquire status and fame, which is rubbish. It should be one of the hardest things to do.”
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January 20th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
On the contrary, I completely disagree with Damons reasoning. I hazard a strong guess that had it not been for a stroke of luck Blur would never have made it. As they are simply terrible as a group. In listening to some more sensible ageing rockers on radio the other week, a few openly admitted they would never have had the guts to enter a competition such as the X factor or indeed any other reality talent programme we have had in recent years, because they feared that there own ability to sing was simply not high enough a few admitted they couldn’t sing and that their success lay in the hands of people who liked their personalities rather than musical ability or singing talents.
I do think there is nothing wrong with hard work, indeed as a singer myself of some 37 years apologies 38 years as its now 2008. I have a great deal of admiration for regional singers and musicians including tribute acts which is a real money maker for those good to sustain say 2 45 minute programmes in the artist they proport to look like and sound like.
I do understand the issue that working artists may have with talent shows, but the biggest contention here is that you simply have to impress millions of people at one go, not a few hundred at a gig or few thousand at theatre or even 25 thousand in a stadium as the programme is not just about creating an artist with a raw talent or one that is developed already through training but an artist that sells.
The industry is the hardest to enter and that is the reason why talent shows like the X factor will never come off our screens and that is rightly so. People need chances in life and this for some is all they have.
Maureen
NEwcastle.