The article seems to state that all the big shows such as and including X-Factor, are just set up in order to get more views and early hype for the next batch of pop stars.
It's also interesting as it seems that the show is made larger than life in order to get the audience so excited and responsive that they forget who they are cheering/voting for, this all they do is focus on a giant projection of the contestants or attempt to record footage of the event live in order to prove the fact they were there. Thus the whole experience ends up being more about the fact that the audience watched and reacted to the show, rather than the focus being the contestants themselves.
Therefore, if the content isn't nearly as relevant as it should be, the audience might as well be cheering at a brick wall. After all, they are usually reacting to the way the producers want them to and tell them to e.g. use of cues.
Further more, from reading this article I noticed many similarities to the popular fictional series 'The Hunger Games' in which children are cast into an arena to kill one another. However, before all that, they have to get sponsors, individuals from the same district who want to see them dead, as without them they won't get support in the arena. Support might be food, medicine or weapons which they might receive if they are able to convince both the sponsors and their audience to like them.
This links to the article, as the band referred to (Little Mix) are shown crying and talking about bullying. Thus being subjects that the audience can relate to and empathise with, therefore improving the groups chances of winning. Granted, these emotions may not be an act, but they show a human side which is engaging for the audience. However, these can also be exaggerated to gain sympathy and votes.
Similarly, these reactions that may or not be manufactured are shown on TV programs that are. After all, even though many claim to be live and reality programs, usually everything they need to say or perform is scripted down to every move and emotion the audience see. This is underlined when occasionally the unexpected happens e.g. wardrobe malfunctions.
Other shows such as X-Factor include I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing.
Added Notes (16/10/2013):
Recently axed 2013 X-Factor contestant Lorna Simpson said that the show was rigged. Granted a lot of her arguments sound as if she just wanted to complain because she lost e.g. "I had some middle-aged woman’s wardrobe. I’m 26! Why are you trying to hide me? You’ve hidden me enough." sounds more like something someone who is jealous would say, and considering I don't watch the show I can't say if she was good or not.
However, she did say "It’s unfair. X Factor set me up to go out in the first week. They underplayed me... it was set up." because she wasn't featured on the show as often as the others, and “They know the outcome of the whole competition. It’s prepared. It’s TV and they have to be ahead.”. These were interesting comments as both sound similar to the points raised in the article we discussed which stated "X Factor reflects back only what we give it." shortly followed by "Outside is the world of fake bloggers, rigged votes, structured reality, YouTube pop stars, holograms in pantomime and protesters in comic-book masks; albums from dead singers, scripted political debates, simulated flash mobs, arrests for Facebook pages, Twitter rumours, online bomb threats and TV marriages shorter than an advert break. As Baudrillard said of Disneyland, the arena's artifice exists to convince us that the world outside is real. In fact, that world looks an awful lot like The X Factor."
Harvard Referencing:
- Bagwell, M (2013) Axed 'X Factor' Contestant Lorna Simpson Says The Show Is A 'Set Up'. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/15/x-factor-lorna-simpson_n_4099532.html?utm_hp_ref=email_share (Accessed: 10/10/2013).
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