This is the first in a series that will be reviewing The X Factor results shows. While these reviews are based on the Australian franchise, I will be interested to learn how well they relate to franchises in other countries and invite you to comment in the box provided below.
In Australia, we have had thus far four weeks of live performances and results shows. I am, therefore, somewhat behind with my reviews but will endeavour to catch up to the show’s schedule in the next few days.
Week 1
In a move that shocked the nation, the early and outright favourite was the first to be eliminated: Xtra Factor. During voting, judges criticised Xtra Factor’s performances as being flawed from the beginning and “trying too hard to cover every angle so that it was all over the place”.
The popular performer had built a steady and enthusiastic fan base that massed onto forums, Twitter and Facebook to register their outrage and dismay. The unofficial head of their fan club, Natalie Garonzi1, tearfully declared that she couldn’t understand how they could have been in the bottom two and that if it had gone to deadlock “they would have won for sure ‘cause I alone voted for them 1208 times.”
Xtra Factor’s mentor agreed that Ms Garonzi may well have voted alone as the problem with favourites is that everyone thinks everyone else has voted for them so there’s no need for them to spend money on voting2 at such an early stage. He went on to warn the fans of remaining contestants to consider Xtra Factor’s demise as a wake-up call and urged them to take out substantial loans now in order to vote early and often for their favourites in future weeks.
Notes:
1For those unfamiliar with the Australian version, Natalie Garonzi was the host of The Xtra Factor in 2010. Channel 7 chose not to renew the show in 2011 because of its poor ratings the year before. The show’s cancellation has elicited considerable comment across social networks.
2In Australia, viewers pay to vote at the rate of 55c per standard call with mobile calls to the 190 number charged extra. As I understand it, all profits from these calls are split between Telstra and The X Factor Australia franchise.
Are you joking about the early and outright favourite thing Mopshell, cuz Cleo was widely predicted to be the first one out.
ReplyDeleteThe review doesn't mention or refer to Cleo at all which is why it doesn't carry the RRSPCXFCJ tag - no contestants were mentioned. This was intended to be a stand-alone piece about the demise of the spin-off show The Xtra Factor which aired last year and was cancelled this year. A lot of people were right royally annoyed about it so I characterized Xtra Factor as being both a favourite and the first elimination. I didn't plan for this piece to be the first in a series at the time. That just kinda happened after I watched the second results show when Mel B cast the deciding vote and sent one of her own contestants home. By then I'd committed to a series which has focused on the contestants ever since. Cleo, I'm afraid, missed out on any kind of mention at all; she didn't get a review - the price paid for being the first one to leave, poor Cleo.
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