Talent Shows like X Factor

My daughter and her two teenage daughters won't miss "X Factor", and the latest thing is going on-line on Twitter while watching the programme, so she can read the comments of those other people watching, including some witticisms from Caitlin Moran and others. She says it is like having another hundred people in the room with you - I was lost for words, so for once didn't say anything! Like many of you, on the rare occasions when we have to sit through it when staying with dd, it seemed like an open invitation to be humiliated.

The worst thing is that it's all so manufactured. I suppose I'm still stuck in the late 60's when the prog rock bands were pushing boundaries and trying to create new musical forms. Can't imagine them getting very far on the X Factor! All they seem to want is endless rehashes of existing artists. (I'm not saying prog rock was necessarily any good - but at least they were trying something new)
Must stick up for strictly though. Haven't done any ballroom dancing since I met my husband 43 years ago but it is fun to watch it. I notice that Craig seems to be slightly nicer to contestants since he was one himself on Maestro'

I think shows like Opportunity Knocks are a million miles away from the "talent shows" of today.

I dislike the current crop of "reality" shows and never watch them - but I can't get away from them. As tanith said there is always some squabble of some sort in the newspapers and our local radio station goes on and on about Strictly every Monday

No problem with talent shows per se if ehy are pleasant entertainment and the contestants are dealt with sensitively. It's the ritual humiliation that is unacceptable - and from what I gather, it looks as though some participants are chosen for their uselessness so that the panel can be rude to them.

Good to hear people's opinions. I agree mostly - certainly about the humiliation if some of the contestants. However, is there no place at all for talent shows these days? How else would some of these youngsters with no money or contacts get themselves noticed?

I recall that Victoria Wood and Pam Ayres came up through the talent show ranks. So is it the type of talent show we dislike rather than ALL talent shows? Am also thinking that "The Voice" didn't really do that we'll - apparently ratings were very low once the auditions were over....

Ritual humiliation indeed - I have caught glimpses at DD's house - never watch this stuff.

Sad thing is that this competitive imperative spreads to other programmes. Programmes that could just be informative and/or entertaining have to impose ridiculous deadlines ( xx has just one hour to complete this task!!!) and a competitive element.

I like the X-Factor in the audition stages, but not now when they persist in making the contestants look ridiculous and feuds are fabricated about nothing at all, in order to boost ratings. Pathetic!

I don't watch them , can't stand the way some of them are so humiliated and wonder why you would put yourself in that position. Every week there is another story about the celebrity panel and the nastiness supposedly between them... and then another scandel about one of the contestants . I'm just not that interested in all the rubbish that goes on .

They're ritual humiliation imo. Don't watch them for that reason, but have to admit to seeing the last few minutes of the one you mention Grandola . They seem to make the news just as much for who is on the panel, being kicked off the panel, likes or doesn't like other people on the panel etc etc.