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X-Factor vs Rage Against The Machine
This is a battle currently going on in the UK at the moment. For those of you who don’t know what it is, The X-Factor is pretty much the same as American Idol, although groups can audition instead of just solo artists. If you happen to be able to sign but have no talent elsewhere, The X-Factor can make you famous and Simon Cowell can give you a jolly little record deal with one or two pre-written albums.
Often, the winners of The X-Factor have become number 1 in the singles charts at Christmas. This year it seems a lot of people are getting more than a little annoyed about it, so a campaign has been launched whereby it is planned to get as many people to buy Rage Against The Machine’s Killing in the Name Of in the week before Christmas as possible. The Facebook group has a huge number of members, and I’ve come across numerous people who never even buy singles who are considering doing this.
To me this signifies a shift in the country’s attitudes to manufactured, personality-lacking pop music. There have always been people who felt rather irritated by such “talent” shows, but never such a backlash. Simon Cowell is, of course, less than happy about the whole thing, but personally, as someone who despises such terrible, fake pop music, I think it’s great and may even considering buying the record myself (even though I never by the singles, don’t like the band and actually own the song anyway!).
So what do you think? Is this an overly-bitter and unfestive way to feel?
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