To think that very few celebrities have the 'x factor'

[Bargaincatfood]

not an intellectual thread
Especially not most of those who won the show?! I remember the year 1direction were in it, my friends and I used to watch it before going out. We used to talk about the curly haired one, he wasn't that good looking, wasn't the best singer or the best dancer but my god was he mesmerising. Even my mum commented on him. Now he's the only one out of that insanely popular band with any semblance of a career.
It makes me think how few celebrities there are with that utterly mesmerising, star quality, where they're the only person you pay attention to on stage. It's hard to distinguish this from talent, obviously you pay attention to someone with an amazing voice. But that's not enough on it's own, as poor Leona found out.
I used to think it about Corrine Bailey Rae too, she was just so unique in tone and beautiful, but then she faded into oblivion so i mustn't have been in the majority.

Who has the X factor for you?

Paul McCartney and Michael Nesmith for sure.
Very few people really though.

Most celebrities are famous due to their appearance instead of ability and talent.

You could replace any member of girls aloud or one direction with another attractive 20 year old and nobody would notice. None of them are particularly good singers that would stand out against an average karaoke singer

See also boyzone and Westlife- completely interchangeable members

Let's also not forget that all five members of 1D auditioned as solo artists and all five were rejected. Then, Louis Walsh and Nicole Sherzinger (?) chose them out of all of the many rejects - based on their looks alone - to form a band, who, as we know, became world famous and multi-millionaires.

Ooh this is interesting!!

@imnotthatlucky

Let's also not forget that all five members of 1D auditioned as solo artists and all five were rejected. Then, Louis Walsh and Nicole Sherzinger (?) chose them out of all of the many rejects - based on their looks alone - to form a band, who, as we know, became world famous and multi-millionaires.

I only realised that after reading Harry Styles’ Vogue interview recently. I never watched X Factor but have obviously been aware of 1D and some of their solo songs. Agree there’s something about him - not just looks but attitude, poise, just something special.

It's an amorphous concept. It's in the eye of the beholder.

Yeah, it's mainly luck, and often connection's, it is surprising how many famous actors had parents that were already in the business, even if they were not in a camera facing role.

Years ago I read a magazine article about this (pre x factor).

It compared Kylie and Dannii Minogue. Dannii was the bigger star first, she's the better singer. But Kylie's the superstar because she has the X factor.

@felulageller

Years ago I read a magazine article about this (pre x factor).

It compared Kylie and Dannii Minogue. Dannii was the bigger star first, she's the better singer. But Kylie's the superstar because she has the X factor.

She had better songs and wore gold hotpants. She has an awful voice but she's wonderfully entertaining.

I don't remember Dannii ever being a bigger star, though. Didn't Kylie become known for Neighbours, moved into singing and Dannii came on after that?

These days it’s true. Very few really charismatic (which is what I think X factor is) celebrities. Oh they’re good looking but not especially charismatic.

Hollywood actors for example - take Daniel Craig as James Bond, handsome? Sure. But nowhere near as charismatic as Connery. Then (since he plays similar action parts) take Chris Pratt and compare him to younger Harrison Ford - again nowhere near the same charisma.

The actresses are even worse. I can’t remember a truly charismatic actress in the last ten years. Scarlet Johanson and Jessica Chastain for instance - good looking but zero X factor. Compare that to actresses from the 50’s, or 60’s or 70’s.

Old Hollywood and the entertainment industry might have had a lot of abuse and sleaze behind the scenes but they also had charismatic stars and energy. The metoo era Hollywood is just bland, bland, bland. Sexless unmanly men and boring uptight women.

@SpangoDweller

Is there though? Is anyone going to be talking about Harry Styles 30 years from now or playing his music?

I think it's also about being "of their time". Usually success comes because they tap into the zeitgeist, like the Spice Girls and girl power, or the Beatles and 60s cool, or the Beach Boys and California surfing.

I think my rose tinted specs are about to come out… but we did seem to have more in days gone by. Perhaps I’ve just forgot the dross alongside them at the time.

Freddie Mercury, Elton John in his prime, Tina turner… I don’t know everyone just seems so blah and dull these days. No personality.

take Daniel Craig as James Bond, handsome? Sure. But nowhere near as charismatic as Connery.

He was playing a different character, though. Connery's Bond was cool and suave, Craig's was a psychopath. Which is the only interpretation that makes sense, really.

I really think that if Craig had been the original Bond, people would say similar things about him.

We always say that X is the only person who could play Y, but if there's one thing the Shoeburyness industry isn't short of, it's talent. (Yes, it's a shame so many sub par people get huge success, but I guess enough fans are throwing enough money to maintain it.) If you look at old screen tests, you can see that there were often lots of people who could have made a role their own. I adore Vivian Leigh, but I've seen Paulette Goddard's screen tests as Scarlett O'Hara, and she would have been incredible. I think she lost the role only due to a scandal. I don't think Clark Gable was in the original pool for Rhett either.

Old Hollywood was often essentially theatre on screen. Film hadn't fully become its own medium at that point.

@DrSbaitso. Dani was initially the much bigger star in Australia before Kylie was even in Neighbours. By the time the gold hotpants came along Kylie had already been mega famous for over a decade although they definitely helped a resurgence of her career at the time.

Shoeburyness? When have I ever written that out, autocorrect?? Showbusiness!

My autocorrect is going insane lately. Sigh.

[quote WhatAHexIGotInto]@DrSbaitso. Dani was initially the much bigger star in Australia before Kylie was even in Neighbours. By the time the gold hotpants came along Kylie had already been mega famous for over a decade although they definitely helped a resurgence of her career at the time.[/quote]
Ah OK. Thank you.

@DrSbaitso

Film was most definitely its own medium by then. Epics, Hitchcock movies, movies crossing continents - none of this remotely possible in theatre.

Bond is dumb entertainment, who cares if it “makes sense”? I seriously doubt it would have lasted this long if the first incarnation was a boring psychopath without charisma or silly sex appeal.

I’m just saying, charisma still exists obviously, but there’s a blandness to movie stars today that crept in around 2010, perhaps a bit earlier. Maybe having to be too sanitised and careful not to offend is responsible for the lack of personality.

@DrSbaitso 🤣 Shoeburyness sounds like it's a place in Dorset or something.

[quote WhatAHexIGotInto]@DrSbaitso 🤣 Shoeburyness sounds like it's a place in Dorset or something.[/quote]
I've never written that word out, where did autocorrect even get it??

My autocorrect has been so embarrassing lately, I might have to name change just for that!

Corrine Bailey Rae's husband tragically died of an overdose at the height of her fame which I suspect led to her retreating from the limelight www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/methadone-killed-bailey-rae-s-husband-1208493.html

@WhatAHexIGotInto it's in Essex!

Do you not think over-exposure plays a huge part too? There's no magic or mystery about "stars" any more- the paps photograph them filling their cars with petrol, doing their shopping, pulling a funny face.

I think maybe it's because they get rich so quickly. They don't need to work because they have enough to last them a good few years so disappear for years. In the old days they needed to keep working longer.