Sunday 20 December 2009

Top Of The Pops

So apart from the blizzard issue, there's been one important question on the nation's lips this week:

"When are we going to withdraw our troops?" Errrr... No.
"What the hell are we going to do about Global Warming?" Noooooooo.
"How are we going to get out of this financial mess?" Wrong again.

With a rather impressive amount of gusto, a campaign to "stick it to the man" (that "man" being Simon Cowell) has gathered momentum and it looks possible that Rage Against The Machine will beat this year's XFactor winner to the apparently coveted spot of Christmas Number One.

I'm not massively offended by either song. It doesn't really bother me that Simon Cowell is rich and powerful. Ok, I would like some of his money but I'm not going to be crying into my Christmas dinner if Joe McElderry isn't Number 1 this afternoon. Nor is Simon Cowell, in fact he'll probably be raising a glass to all those who backed the campaign because it undoubtedly added to sales of Joe's single too. But then again, he'll probably be too busy counting the millions of pounds that he already has.

I'm all for raging against the machine, (after all, I'm a huge JEdward fan) and I love that people have felt so passionately about something that they have gone to the effort of switching on their computers and downloaded a song. Just think what we, as a nation, could achieve if we applied this much spirit to the really important issues!

I don't get it. First nobody wants JEdward to win because they don't fit the usual X Factor mould, and now the favourite has won, and people don't want him to be successful either.

I find it fascinating that people are only now springing into action, when you consider that the following songs have also topped the festive chart:
  • St Winifred's School Choir - There's No One Quite Like Grandma
  • Cliff Richard - Mistletoe & Wine
  • Cliff Richard - Saviours' Day
  • Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby
  • Bob The Builder - Can We Fix it?
And for people to say the X Factor winner doesn't deserve to be Number 1 is a bit misguided. Whether or not you like the show, how can you say that someone who has beaten 250,000 other contestants, sung live on every performance they've done (except those stupid group performances that I'm trying desperately to erase from my memory), and been watched by 20 million viewers (that's practically the entire TV viewing public) does not deserve to be successful? What else do you want him to do?!

And if that was your argument, surely it would have been better to support an unknown act, who had been struggling to get noticed for years and give them a chance at success?

I love the X Factor, so I watch it. I hate Britain's Got Talent, so I don't watch it. This, is a decision I have made entirely of my own volition, not because Simon Cowell has subliminally messaged me over the summer telling me that I must.

I don't even know what my point is anymore, I've bored myself on the subject.
I'm off to find a shop that's open this early on a Sunday to have a sneaky Flake...

1 comment:

  1. Just thought I would mention. I supported the Rage campaign. Not because I was "sticking it to the man" or anything but because it was a refreshing thing to have in the Christmas no.1 running. Also, all the money they have made from this is being donated to Shelter (charity).

    P.S. Note re: the insanely rich Cowell. Rage's single is signed to Epic records which in turn is owned by Sony BMG which Simon Cowell is a major shareholder in. All Sony profits are shared equally among shareholders which means that regardless of the outcome, Simon gets more money for each single sold by Joe or Rage.

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