Media Diary – The-X-Factor

The name of the media text I have chosen to discuss in this media diary is The-X-Factor. For me and for many other people, it has become an important part of my Saturday night viewing entertainment, and the show has recently returned to our screens for its eleventh series. The format has remained largely unchanged for the last decade, albeit the introduction of audience auditions several years ago. This year has seen a number of changes to the show, the most notable being the return of Simon Cowell, the show’s creator and head judge. Known for his candid comments towards contestants, his return to the panel is hopefully going to enhance ratings this year. 

The-X-Factor is primetime Saturday night entertainment, with most shows airing at 20:00. The show is also broadcast on Sundays – the purpose of the Sunday show being to evict one of the contestants. This series is the first to see a Friday night slot added to the programme’s schedule; whether this will prove successful or not is yet to be seen. The show is broadcast on ITV, and repeated on ITV+1 one hour later. The-X-Factor is produced by several institutions, including Thames, FreemantleMedia and Syco Entertainment. 

The-X-Factor encompasses a variety of genres, and it is likely this is why the programme has endured for so long, as it caters to a variety of tastes. Primarily, the show is a talent show, looking for aspiring musicians who want to make a name for themselves. In addition to this, it is a reality show, with personality often being valued over any aptitude for singing. The show is also what we call an interactive show, due to the public taking part in the voting process every week. This involves the audience and gives them a sense of empowerment, as the contestants’ fates lie in their hands. Due to the nature of show evicting contestants, it is also considered to be a game show, a popular format for primetime entertainment. 

The target audience of the text is likely to be the mainstream audience, as it is a much talked about programme in social circles, and it is accepted that most people watch the show as their Saturday night entertainment. Groupies, who wish to be accepted by those around them, may watch the show in order to be respected by their friends. They may also watch the show so that they can participate in discussions about the text, giving their own informed view. 

The contestants have been fairly mixed this year, and I’m unsure at this point of who will make it to the live shows. Often there will be standout acts in the audition stages, but this year I haven’t felt that there have been any. It’s more than likely that several future finalists have been seen on the show by now, but it’s hard to guess who they will be. 

Furthermore, I much prefer the auditions which take place in the small room, rather than with the audience, so I was glad that that aspect of the show was retained for this year. I enjoy them because it means that the panel is not influenced by the audience’s actions (cheering/chanting). Often I think the judges’ overall decision is swayed too much by the audience, meaning that acts with less talent may go through, while more talented acts may not. 

An aspect of The-X-Factor I’ve never been particularly fond of is the sob stories many contestants bring with them. Although they are now considered a big part of TV talent shows, they often influence the judging panel’s views on acts, putting through people who may not be particularly
talented because they feel sympathy for them. Having said that, the current series seems to have featured significantly less sob stories than previous years, which is something I am pleased about.  
In my opinion, people watch The-X-Factor to satisfy their desire for Saturday night entertainment. It is a show that offers humour (from the bad acts and judges’ antics), controversy (acts that should have gone through, judges disagreeing with eachother), and allows people to make a judgment on somebody else’s talent (which could be considered empowering).

The performances on the show tend to incite different reactions from different audience members. Talent is subjective and while one person may find an act to have talent, another may not. The-X-Factor, although predominantly a music show, focuses on the personalities and attitudes of different contestants. 

Sob-stories have been known to generate sympathy, however this isn’t always the case, as to many people they are unnecessary and influence the judges too much. Furthermore, individual audience members may have different views on each of the judges – e.g. admiring them, disliking them – and this may influence their opinions on the show.