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Original poster

To worry Xfactor is abusing the mentally ill

105 replies

Springyknickersohnovicars · 20/09/2011 21:03

for their viewing figures.

celebrity.aol.co.uk/2011/09/20/x-factor-ceri-rees/?ncid=webmail2

OP posts:
SanctiMoanyArse · 21/09/2011 09:15

YANBU

Embarassing bodies exploits people desperate for help into showing off their privates for teh amusement of the nation

etc etc etc

I skip em all. Takes me a while to cotton on but once i do I avoid.

SanctiMoanyArse · 21/09/2011 09:17

There's a mumsnetter with a disability (relevant to the story) who can sing ery well and went through auditions; her tale of what it was like tallies in very neatly with those of two otehr people I know, a very attractive but 'boring ' (in X factor terms) student on DH's course and a teacher of ds1's who isn;t very pretty but can't half sing.

It's all about the sell.

ledkr · 21/09/2011 09:21

Thats a funny show sancti isnt it? "im so embarrassed about my anal warts i wanted to come and talk about it on tv" Hmm

There is a huge difference between the bad singers and the very obviously sn or mentally ill being encouraged to make fools of themselves. You can see the smirks on the judges faces straight away and as i said before,the audition process is so lengthy that vulnerable people should be identified as such.

LeggyBlondeNE · 21/09/2011 09:41

Surely what's required is someone to sue SYCO for emotional distress? Let the judges make it an exemplary case and stick the boot in. With

Although am misremembering? Has this already been tried?

Ifancyashandy · 21/09/2011 09:46

Pop music has always been 'all about the sell'.

It's Saturday night telly - it's always been about laughing at people (Gen Game anyone). If you don't like it, carry on switching it off / watch Strictly. Over 10 million people disagree with you though.

Curiousmama · 21/09/2011 09:48

Yes sue SYCO

demisemiquaver · 21/09/2011 09:57

totally agree , it's all disgusting and folk should sue : at least 'nice' Cheryl got her comeuppance over the summer tho........

TurkeyBurgerThing · 21/09/2011 10:00

It pulls in MILLIONS of people and makes an obscene amount of money.

It doesn't matter how badly the people are treated if the price is right then anyone can get away with anything.

SwingingBetty · 21/09/2011 10:04

of course x-factor manipulate people. thats what they do

and the audience loves to see a nutter or someone made a fool of.

Shame on anyone who watches it

Empjusa · 21/09/2011 10:17

_Rethink were talking about this last night, and asked (on Twitter), "Do you think #XFactor have a duty of care to vulnerable contestants?"

The response that summed it up for me was, "It's not even duty of care, it's just a case of not being unkind."

demisemiquaver · 21/09/2011 12:40

you're right empjusa , just ceasing bullying would do.....they talk about anti-bullying policies atschool and work and yet this is allowed...... jees!! They'll be bringing back the stocks next......

soverylucky · 21/09/2011 12:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Scheherezade · 21/09/2011 12:59

I have no problem with them bumping off the mediocre/average singers to put of a few novelty acts to get some laughs, however to exploit the mentally unwell is seriously wrong.

Scheherezade · 21/09/2011 13:03

Can't understand people being shocked that contestants who are middle ground/average/run of the mill/ten a penny don't make it through. Why should they be allowed through along with the v.good?! It's not like they will win.

Might aswell have the v.good wh ostand a chance, and the v.bad for novelty. However - not when it is a case of laughing at the mentally unwell - as with ceri.

FGS, I've never even watched x factor! But I hate the whole "OMG, they don't let in the middle ground singers! Shock" - well, yes. Idiots.

Empjusa · 21/09/2011 13:14

Scherazade I think you'll find the shock (not that I imagine anyone is truly shocked) is that they claim to be a talent show, and then chose the v. bad over the mediocre.

It is just a freak show, a carnival freak show.

cuteboots · 21/09/2011 13:25

I cant believe they let that poor women back on the show. She obviously has mental health issues and they were using her to get a larf at the end of the show. This programee sucks like a Dyson and they should all be ashamed.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 21/09/2011 13:30

Ceri said that she's been having singing lessons before returning to the X Factor this year. If she enjoys singing, and enjoys the lessons, I think that this is great - good for her! However, I really hope that her singing tutor has had the guts and the conscience to tell her that she shouldn't go and audition again for the show - I think that would be their ethical duty, to be honest.

My goddaughter auditioned for the show last year, and didn't get through - as others have said, she doesn't fit into the really good or really-bad-so-we-can-laugh at them catagories.

It seems to be getting more and more exploitative as time goes by.

Insomnia11 · 21/09/2011 13:34

I refused to watch the early auditions from the word go as I found them embarrassing and exploitative, not to mention the overblown role of the judges. I haven't seen a lot of this series but there seemed more talent and less exploitation on the whole, but apparently not.

wannaBe · 21/09/2011 13:53

"Not all people audition 4 times. Some do turn up on the day and get to see the judges. And let's remember that no-one is forced to take part." No, they don't. The only people who "turn up on the day and get to see the judges," are those that are pre-invited to be there. (and generally most of the final twelve are acts that have been pre-invited to be there (alexandra burke? jls? both of whom have links in the entertainment industry...). Susan Boyle had already recorded a charity single - she was known. That kid on Bgt this year was alleged to have been approached by cowell some two years ago and the list goes on...

I auditioned for x-factor three years ago. I can sing but I suspect that I am A not good enough to be the future x-factor, but B, not bad enough to make for good entertainment fodder, iyswim. It literally is like a production line though - some 19000 people queue up outside the o2 stadium, and that is where the shots are taken when they talk of the people turning up to see the judges. They also go around interviewing people. And then people are called in groups - you then go into a little booth with a couple of producers and sing for about 30 seconds. They don't ask you any details about yourself other than name, age, etc, and you get either a yes or no at the end - I honestly think they've probably decided before you even open your mouth...

Tbh part of the reason I auditioned was curiosity - I didn't believe that it could be a one-off audition process, and I knew I wasn't bad enough to be humilliation fodder...

Seeing that it was three auditions (it was three when I auditioned, whether it is more now I don't know) made me very uncomfortable as to some of the acts that went through.

However, I do also wonder about the famillies of some of these people - why on earth do they not tell them that they're just not good enough. To say that it's difficult just isn't good enough imo if you love someone and care about them then you have a responsibility to try to be there for them in any way you can, and that includes not telling them to go for it when you clearly know they're rubbish and what the outcome will be - we've seen enough of these programmes to know.

So while I do think that the show has a lot to answer for, I also think that family/friends bear some responsibility as well..

fanjobanjowanjo · 21/09/2011 13:57

Why don't the families / friends say anything?

Why don't the singing teachers say anything? Ceri wasn't the only contestant to claim their singing teacher thought they were great - there was also that middle aged couple.

RedBlanket · 21/09/2011 14:05

Ceri's singing teacher tells a different story here

Curiousmama · 21/09/2011 14:33

Thanks for the link RB, just as we suspected Angry Am emailing ofcom now.

EmmaBemma · 21/09/2011 14:37

sorry, you're only worried about this now, after how many series? That's always been X-factor's entire MO: exploit the vulnerable contestants for everyone's amusement in the early stages, coining in vast advertising revenue, then later coin it in with tours and album releases come the final.

RedBlanket · 21/09/2011 14:41

Emma first time I watched it on sunday for years. I've only seen one other episode which was the final Leona Lewis won.
I knew it was a load of fake crap but this was something else.

Curiousmama · 21/09/2011 14:41

ofcom link if anyone else wants to complain? Was very easy.