I think I'm a victim of car crash TV - The X Factor

[Jaffa The Cake]

I just watched this ITV lets-do-another-pop-idol embarrassment, which I truly believe is the televisual equivalent of putting 5 types of turd in a blender and blending them with the lid off.

For starters, if Pop Idol 1 went through the country to find the best solo act (as they claimed), and that other show found the best group act... what are all these new shows finding? The second best? Surely that would have been the runner up to the first shows...

Anyway, I was watching the show, which was basically just "Simon Cowell says nasty things about people who's ambition far outweighs their talent" and I was thinking how god awful it was. After a while, the credits appeared, and I was smiling, I became aware I had also been laughing. I'm not sure at what point my intelligence was sufficiently subdued to the point where I started enjoying this tripe, but the fact I can't remember must mean that the brain numbing power of the show is equivalent to over half of a bottle of absinth.

Did anyone else watch this show and have a similar experience? Or have experienced it with a similar show?

If my girlfriend's wanting to watch it next weekend (note, I watched tonight's event alone), I'll probably play all annoyed about it but secretly be glad I can once again kill my brain with something other than alcohol.

[Xander]

I watched it, and hated most of it. Though in my opinion, it was worth watching it just to see the vocal group that did Bohemian Rhapsody. They were really, really good.

The rest WAS crap, tho.

[non capisco]

There ain't no shame in enjoying something you know is yet more cultural swill. A disgruntled Liam Gallagher wannabe dickhead making a crass rehab comment about Sharon Osbourne's kids in front of her is entertaining enough viewing, doesn't mean you can't enjoy something more substantial later. The earlier stages of this sort of thing are always watchable, that 'I Believe I Can Fly' bloke from last year's kept me and my flatmate chuckling, it's when you get down to the supposed cream of the crop and the tie-in records start happening that there's no reason to watch.

[Jaffa The Cake]

the vocal group that did Bohemian Rhapsody.

They were quiet good weren't they. Perhaps in one of those moods were I quite enjoy watching people get their feelings hurt. As horrible as it sounds, I can't imagine anything else people get out of those shows.

[Jaffa The Cake]

it's when you get down to the supposed cream of the crop and the tie-in records start happening that there's no reason to watch.

Oh I agree. I've been forced to watch these kind of shows before. I've sat through the audition episodes and felt... y'know... not bored. But once it gets down to the 'talented' ones, the masturbatory tossness of it all is too much to bare.

[Artemis]

Watching 'American Idol' last season for the first time was immensly enjoyable. The Americans are more talented, and have grander dreams of greatness (and have greater ideas about how good they think they are) then the British version. The gap between how good they think they are and how good they are can be astonishing.

For real car-crash 'reality' TV, go find out about Fox's 'The Swan' - I couldn't even bring myself to watch it.

[skibz]

I hate to admit this, but I'm actually considering watching it again.

The problem is, I know it's going to get really, really dull as soon as all the awful acts are gotten rid of.

[Lu tze]

I held Mrs Tze's hands to try and stop her plugging her ears. Nearly had to resort to the amp remote control to drown out her screams.
Surely these people have mental health problems that require addressing. Anyway I'm off to put Mrs Tze under the patio now.