x-factor: is it a plague on our society?

[shootthebandit]

more and more of our population are being struct down with a zombie virus called "factor-x". If you consider someone to be a zombie look out for these signs: they have a dreadful taste in music, they dont go outside on saturdays and they make reference they grunt the words "wagner" and "cher". These zombies are talking over both our TV and music, there are also more of these zombies than there are voters

^joking aside^ x-factor has significantly lowered the quality of our TV programs and music. Also the fact the more people vote on x-factor than general elections is seriously worrying.

do you agree with me that this program has turned our population into mindless zombies who cant make an informed decision on what music they like but instead have to get someone else to make that decision?

 

[Tipsy Giant]

It is a plague on my art form, anyone who likes x factor has no understanding of music

I can't figure out if they make people idiots or pander directly to them, i'm guessing they were already idiots, in which case bit safer they aren't voting

 

[Jesus Phish]

It is. It's a plague to the music industry and to the media. Newspapers, televisions, radio shows, the internet, all waste time with it.

It makes celebrities out of idiots. I'm unfortunate enough to be from Dublin. I'm pretty sick of John and Edward Grimes at this stage, two no talented brothers who should probably have a dedicated social care worker assigned to them.

 

[Habakkuk]

Yep, its a plague alsright.

 

[fletch_talon]

Personally I see eltism in all its ugly forms as the greater threat to modern society.
Whether its claiming moral superiority due to religion, social/intellectual superiority due to race or gender... Hell did you know some people even get elitest over preferences in music, games and other art forms.
For some reason, there are people out there who feel the need to assert their belief that they are better than others. If you ask me, this is the greatest plaue mankind has ever had to deal with.

Honestly what is with you people? I don't know what your preference is in music/entertainment but are you seriously so arrogant as to think that anything else is crap?
I know the answer is yes but I wanted to ask anyway to see if you picked up on how stupid such a belief sounds.

Taste in music is not indicative of someone's intelligence. Their personality maybe, but not their intelligence. Different things appeal to different people. Smart business people create products for these people.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Yep. Most bands have to work the club circuit for years and years trying to get noticed and build up a reputation. Now shows like this are teaching everyone that they can doss it for ages without putting in the work, effort and skill because X-Factor will come along with a magic wand and give them all the rewards for none of the legwork. I don't like any kind of program that gets people into the mindset of expecting something for nothing (yes, that includes the National Lottery, and yes I am a massively grumpy b*stard).

 

[messy]

Yep. Most bands have to work the club circuit for years and years trying to get noticed and build up a reputation. Now shows like this are teaching everyone that they can doss it for ages without putting in the work, effort and skill because X-Factor will come along with a magic wand and give them all the rewards for none of the legwork. I don't like any kind of program that gets people into the mindset of expecting something for nothing (yes, that includes the National Lottery, and yes I am a massively grumpy b*stard).

More or less what I was going to say. Gives people the easy route. Even though only around 4/200,000 or so ever make anything of themselves each year it gives the illusion that fame is more or less a given.

 

[gallaetha_matt]

I'm not sure if it's a plague on society. But it's definately bad for the music industry.

Yep. Most bands have to work the club circuit for years and years trying to get noticed and build up a reputation. Now shows like this are teaching everyone that they can doss it for ages without putting in the work, effort and skill because X-Factor will come along with a magic wand and give them all the rewards for none of the legwork.

That is why. There are still a lot of bands out there working hard to get noticed, but it's getting more difficult for them to make a living out of it because more people are buying the commercially produced X-Factor stuff. If they're not making a living out of it, or getting any kind of fan support, why bother?

Honestly - the best musicians, writers and artists of our generation are working at behind check out counters, in bars or cleaning floors.

I'm also sick of the media saturation. I can't read a newspaper, watch TV, hang out with friends or even click around on the internet without some mention of X-Factor hitting me. It's quite disheartening to find that you're the only person in a group that doesn't know what a 'wagner' is. Getting looked at like I'm a piece of shit for it doesn't entice me to try to find out either.

Taste in music is not indicative of someone's intelligence. Their personality maybe, but not their intelligence. Different things appeal to different people. Smart business people create products for these people.

You have a point. But I'd argue that there's elitism on both sides. Both on my side (the non X-Factor people who are awesome and well endowed) and what I like to call the OTHERS (X-Factor obsessed people who smell bad and are not very attractive at all). Elitism is never a good thing.

 

[shootthebandit]

Personally I see eltism in all its ugly forms as the greater threat to modern society.
Whether its claiming moral superiority due to religion, social/intellectual superiority due to race or gender... Hell did you know some people even get elitest over preferences in music, games and other art forms.
For some reason, there are people out there who feel the need to assert their belief that they are better than others. If you ask me, this is the greatest plaue mankind has ever had to deal with.

Honestly what is with you people? I don't know what your preference is in music/entertainment but are you seriously so arrogant as to think that anything else is crap?
I know the answer is yes but I wanted to ask anyway to see if you picked up on how stupid such a belief sounds.

Taste in music is not indicative of someone's intelligence. Their personality maybe, but not their intelligence. Different things appeal to different people. Smart business people create products for these people.

i disagree, i dont care what your taste in music is BUT what annoys me is people that cant decide for themselves what they like they have to get a program to pick their taste for them OR they just follow the masses. Take for example kings of leon, as soon as the idiot masses started liking them they are never going to be the same(they admitted this themselves in several interviews). These people are like sheep they only like what they are told to like and thats what annoys me.

 

[imnot]

I cant stand it, It screws people up so bad.
And the people on it, THEY THINK THEY CAN SING!

 

[fletch_talon]

Taste in music is not indicative of someone's intelligence. Their personality maybe, but not their intelligence. Different things appeal to different people. Smart business people create products for these people.

You have a point. But I'd argue that there's elitism on both sides. Both on my side (the non X-Factor people who are awesome and well endowed) and what I like to call the OTHERS (X-Factor obsessed people who smell bad and are not very attractive at all). Elitism is never a good thing.

You make a good point. There's probably as many pop/rap/bieber elitists as there are metal/classical/ANYTHING BUT BIEBER! elitists.
I think I just spend too much time on this site where its easy to get a very one sided view of which side of any particular argument the elitists lie on.

 

[shootthebandit]

That is why. There are still a lot of bands out there working hard to get noticed, but it's getting more difficult for them to make a living out of it because more people are buying the commercially produced X-Factor stuff. If they're not making a living out of it, or getting any kind of fan support, why bother?

Honestly - the best musicians, writers and artists of our generation are working at behind check out counters, in bars or cleaning floors.

I'm also sick of the media saturation. I can't read a newspaper, watch TV, hang out with friends or even click around on the internet without some mention of X-Factor hitting me. It's quite disheartening to find that you're the only person in a group that doesn't know what a 'wagner' is. Getting looked at like I'm a piece of shit for it doesn't entice me to try to find out either.

i agree with this statement, you need experience to make good music not just a pretty face and some clever software. look at the rolling stones those are 4 of the ugliest guys youll ever see yet they produced some of the best songs of all time.

i too didnt know what a 'wagner' was, your not the only one

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

See, when we had the WWE you called that fake. Now you've just replaced the fighting with singing and call it real.

 

[Queen Michael]

Isn't x-factor that dating show on MTV? Because if it isn't, I'm kind of proud that I haven't got a clue what it is.

 

[Jonluw]

I do think it's a plague, yes. It isn't only x-factor though. The "... Idol" series were also shit.

 

[HK_01]

Any of these casting shows are absolutely terrible and a plague on our society. The sole reason for their existence is that they fulfill the perverse desire of some to see other people fail.

 

[Jonluw]

i too didnt know what a 'wagner' was, your not the only one

Wait... Wagner was a classical composer, wasn't he? Does the word hold some other meaning in this context? Because I can't seem to make sense of that sentence.

 

[GWarface]

Its just as bad as any reality or "talent" show...

I just hope they die an agonising death for corrupting our youth...

 

[John the Gamer]

It's not a plague, it's just boring. And crap. But I can't(and won't) stop others from watching it.