h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I watch it less and less, mainly just first few weeks now, and have little respect for winners.
What worries me is the public humiliation for some of those eliminated in first round. The contestants eliminated who clearly have emotional problems have always worried me, but in the first show an average female singer was begging tearfully to be let through, followed by half a dozen of her family kneeling and begging in front of squirming judges. Perhaps families are blinded to a lack of talent? No one is forced to go on show, but a little more humane editing may help?

Nobody forced them to do it. If people have genuinely got talent they should get out there and work at it, not sit around waiting for the bit of cheap filler between the adverts to give 'em a meal ticket. Maybe if they watched less television they'd be more suitable to be on it.

At first I believe that the family was doing it for the camera's.

Now I am not so sure. Those who are not strong enough to accept the critism, shouldn't have entered. They at least had a chance of watching last year's competition to understand how things could go.

Well indeed, going out on the road and learning your trade is the best way to do it, indeed there is a certain lack of street cred to winning the show....Girls Aloud could hardly be given great respect for winning a talent show.
....certainly people should expect a hard time if they go on show....but some contestants clearly have emotional problems, and appear vulnerable adults, those I will always worry about......the arrogant untalanted ones deserve no sympathy, one this week was simply horrific, how he got through I have no idea!

The two young men/boys.. the 16 yr old and the one called Scott?? they both deserved to go through.. I had shivers going up my spine with those two.

It really needs to be put to rest. The main reason for it's existence is the prurient pleasure we take in the public humiliation of the ones that fail the auditions. Other than that, all the contestants are either wannabees or celebrity stalkers, there is not an ounce of originality in any of the people taking part, even the badinage between Simon and Sharon has become tired and formulaic.

Well i agree with shows like the x factor to a degree , there are lots of talent out there that just need the we bit push onto the right path . but lil you said the girls family was doing it for the tv yes they probley were but so were the judges ,simon cowell is the biggest person out there that plays to the public . its all good tv take it all with a pinch of salt .

No, no.. I said "at first I believed".. unfortunately towards the end I wasn't quite so sure of that thought. For someone to be waiting to receive a tummy tuck on the NHS, they must have psychological problems and low self esteem. I just hope the girl finds some happiness in her life.

......well I hope she finds some sort of happyness, although I wasn't thinking of her when I mentioned vulnerable people with problems, she could still get holiday camp, pub, social club work, as , although she wasn't fantastic, she could at least sing.
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.....I was thinking of the people they described as ''nutter after nutter'' (not my choice of words). There have been people who clearly have severe problems who seemed only to be shown as some sort of amusment, some have just stood there rigid as a board, not even singing, just talking really, those my heart went out to, and yes no one is forced to go on show, but surely some could be edited out?

I watched on Saturday for the latest in the ritual humiliation of the young, old and greedy. Anyone going on this show really has it coming to them in spades I am afraid. Whatever happened to learning your craft and then going on to take the spoils?

That is what life seems to be increasingly about - do not bother to work for it, morever rely on some 10th rate TV show to simply give it to you. Instant gratification for a lazy generation who sing kareoke down the pub and really do think they are who they impersonate.

Just out of curiosity, can anyone nominate any emergent band/single vocalist (from the last five years) that they believe will still be around in 10 years time?

I confidently predict none. "Music" today is fast food audio pap that the purveyors of will sacrifice their soul to achieve, only to find one or two years later their "Career" sink under the waves of the advancing tide of further pap.

In the light of that, the savage humiliation they undergo on "X" factor is the least they should expect. Great fun to watch.............

It was the looks they gave as each one left the room too.. it wasn't very nice to see.

Well I feel sometimes people really over milk it and that is not healthy but it is harmless entertainment.

.The Doctor Is In.
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....to be honest, I am not sure watching someone with severe mental health problems being humiliated on televison is ''fun''.

What makes you think these people have 'severe' mental health problems? That's a huge judgement to make on the grounds that they appear to suffer from a huge amount of self-delusion.

I think this may be a rare occasion where myself and the Doctor agree (though i would quibble with his 'ten year estimate - if couched in terms of people who come through these shows, they yes, spot on. If the pop world in general then aI disagree.).

These people queue for hours to be humiliated in the hope that they can make a quick buck by being on tv. The amount of real talent on display isds virtually nil. They beg to be kicked.

OH MY!!.. Doc and Bluey are agreeing!

This has to be a first!

lil xx

Well that is rather sick I agree.

.....blue shark.
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....I think we have a misunderstanding here. I am not talking about the vast majority of people on show...but there is a tiny amount who appear to have mental health problems, yes you only see them for a few seconds, but some sound severely depressed, or appear to have other mental health problems.....it is not those people appearing on TV that is wrong, but the way judges snigger, laugh, say ''nutter after nutter'' that is wrong, and I will still feel sorry for those small amount of contestants.

I can't comment as only saw tiny bit of Saturdays show

I am going for a lie down - me and Blues agreeing? Crikey, we will be going down the pub next for a matey pint.........

The X Factor is part of the increasing trend for tv to be bread and circuses for the 21st century. There are many other examples, and to be honest I'm more concerned about the genral trend than I am about one example.