X Factor: A singing or Entertainment contest?
on October 15th, 2010 at 5:49 pmSeries 6 of X Factor caused a bit of a stir within the media, and between some of the judges, because of one act; John & Edward, affectionately known as Jedward.
The reason Jedward attracted so much controversy was because they sparked a huge debate; was The X Factor a contest to find a strong singer, or an entertainer?
From the start, it was blatantly obvious that Jedward were not a strong act
Series 6's Jedward sparked the debate
vocally. However, they enjoyed themselves on stage, and they entertained the crowd. Rather than standing in one spot, singing a song well, they danced around, while singing out of tune. But the crowd loved it. There was a real buzz around Jedward, with X Factor fans wondering what they would come up with next. It was a positive change for the crowd to see an act like Jedward genuinely enjoying themselves, and doing something they loved.
The idea of a novelty act like Jedward is nothing new in TV talent shows; acts like Chico and the Cheeky Girls had done exactly what Jedward did. But by surviving the weekly vote-offs ahead of much stronger singers, Jedward managed to spark the public interest, and launch the media into the debate about what The X Factor judges are really looking for. And it was great for the show, and the ratings.
So what are The X Factor judges looking for?
“x factor” is defined by Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary as “a special quality, especially one that is essential for success and is difficult to describe”. It’s a star quality, which is generally visible when entertaining. There’s little doubt that Jedward have an “x factor” of sorts, but many questioned whether they should have been on a more general talent show such as Britain’s Got Talent instead of a straightforward singing contest.
There’s little doubt that Jedward were good for X Factor; people tuned in to see what they would come up with, and to see the judges clash over their opinions of the Irish twins.
But with Diva Fever quickly becoming the latest novelty act to hit the X Factor stage, the debates are likely to rage on, for Series 7 at least.
