The long-awaited and much-hyped premiere of Simon Cowell's new reality extravaganza The X Factor has come and gone, with decidedly mixed reactions. I've read a whole bunch of reviews and recaps, finding that I agree and disagree with aspects of all of them. So, here you go, my review.
I've seen a few episodes of the original UK version of the show, and absolutely loved it. I could best describe it as American Idol on steroids, creating a much more fun show. The Simon Cowell seen in that incarnation was absolutely nothing like the Simon Cowell from Idol, which did nothing but enhance the show. The American version, thus far however? It's American Idol live. That's all. The same auditions you have to deal with for the first month of the show, just now held in an arena full of people. The judge's banter, the at times forced arguments about who should go on, the catering to famewhores and wannabes... it's exactly the same.
And, frankly, I blame American Idol.
Well, ok, I indirectly blame American Idol.
Whatever your preference for these music reality shows is (Idol, The Voice, The Sing-Off, Nashville Star, etc), you absolutely have to admit that Idol is the gold standard. Perhaps not in quality, perhaps not in results, perhaps not in entertainment... but Idol is king. According to Wikipedia, 29.29 million people watched this past season finale of American Idol, an absolutely ridiculous figure; that number is actually down almost 20% from the viewership of the show's 5th season in 2006 (though the ratings for the S10 finale was 20% higher than the S9 finale). I'm all for thinking outside the box... but there are times when the statistics prove that conventional wisdom is the proper way to think. FOX has an absolute juggernaught on their hands with Idol, even if the numbers aren't what they used to be. Since The X Factor, a similar show, is being aired in the same timeslot on the same network, why not follow Idol's blueprint? Episode after episode of bad auditions and sob stories, with a few gems sprinkled in. It's how Idol does it, people watch Idol, so that must be the way it has to be, right?
Color me bored with the crappy auditions. This is where I found NBC's The Voice to be a breathe of fresh air. There you saw only good auditions from people that deserved to be there... not a guy who is willing to drop his drawers just to get on TV. The ratings for the first week of X Factor weren't what FOX was hoping for... let's hope that they start to realize that. Fortunately however, next week kicks off "boot camp", so we've already moved on.
Frankly, the whole auditions crap is the only thing I found wrong with The X Factor. I'd read complaints of a lack of chemistry between the judges, the Simon/Paula reunion to be underwhelming, etc... all that will come. Except from Nicole Scherzinger, she'll continue to be a waste of space. The other biggest complaint I had was the talent being, well, underwhelming.... I'll give it that. I watched all but a half hour of the auditions, and can think of probably around 5 people that impressed me on vocal talent alone. That, however, is what separates The X Factor from American Idol: as LA Reid said on last night's show, The X Factor isn't about the vocals, it's about finding the best pop star. As the likes of Britney Spears and Rihanna and Taylor Swift and Ke$ha and countless others demonstrate, being a mega pop star is not about singing circles around everyone else. There are many, many other factors that go into a successful artist, which is what X Factor is all about. Now, about American Idol being a vocal competition... (let's save that for the winter season!)
In short, I was underwhelmed by The X Factor, which I think is the common link between all the reviews you'll find throughout the interwebs. I'm nowhere close to writing the show off as an epic failure, however, as it was the whole process that turned me off. I don't fully judge Idol until the live shows start, so I most certainly won't judge X Factor until then as well.
(Edit: according to xfnow.org, live shows start November 2)
