Sting Criticizes X Factor As TV Karaoke

Is Sting my new hero? TV karaoke indeed – I think he is being overly complimentary a bit actually. Here’s what he had to say about the X Factor in yesterday’s London Evening Standard:

“I am sorry but none of those kids are going to go anywhere, and I say that sadly. They are humiliated when they get sent off. How appalling for a young person to feel that rejection. It is a soap opera which has nothing to do with music. In fact, it has put music back decades. Television is very cynical.”

“I tried to keep an open mind, but basically I was looking at televised karaoke where they conform to stereo-types. They are either Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston or Boyzone and are not encouraged to create any real unique signature or fingerprint. That cannot come from TV. The X Factor is a preposterous show and you have judges who have no recognisable talent apart from self-promotion, advising them what to wear and how to look. It is appalling.”

“The real shop floor for musical talent is pubs and clubs, that is where the original work is. But they are being closed down on a daily basis. It is impossible to put an act on in a pub. It has become too expensive through excessive regulations. The music industry has been hugely important to England, bringing in millions. If anyone thinks the X Factor is going to do that, they are wrong.”

Too right Sting mate. And who is he to say all this you might ask? A guy of 11 Grammys, two Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy and three Oscar nominations. If you agree with Sting do not watch the show. Go out and see some live music.

TV Definitely Was Better In The Olde Days

Found this on the interweb. It’s got everything: buckled music; groovy graphics; patronising sexist voice serving a secret message to the teachers; a bit of racy action; pets’ welfare etc. And it’s a maths program! No wonder I am on that there interweb most of the time. Am looking at stuff like this:

Giving Up Television

Ash Wednesday is upon us again. Coming from a Catholic home I am accustomed to giving things up for Lent. As a child our family used to give up TV. All my mates thought that was hardcore – in fact everyone did – now as an adult I see giving up TV as a joy.

Last year I gave  up chocolate, coffee and telly. Within no time I was in a meeting where there was choccie biscuits and I was tucking into them before I could even say “Oh but I have forgotten that it is Lent.” And within a few days I was getting chronic kidney pains and constipation from caffeine withdrawal so I had to go back on coffee to get back off it. In the end then the only thing I gave up successfully was television.

TV is such a waste of your time and to be honest I find it horribly patronising and vulgar. Livio Hughes from Headshift told me last year that “Television is for the middle classes to make fun of the working classes.” Whilst I could argue about the class issue I could see his point. TV is there to poke fun at the fall guy and that I find vulgar so it is with no problem that I shall be giving up the telly again this year. (How did I get back onto it I wonder.) Think I might take up swimming three times a week also…

Happy Easter!

Lent is over so we can all eat chocolate like a right old bunch of sinners.  Going from 5 cups of coffee down to none my kidneys started to hurt so I went back onto one cup a day. Now I am just on the tea. I went back on the chocolate soon after the beginning of Lent as it`s just too damn nice. TV I managed to stay off for the whole of Lent except for the last week when I went on a family holiday.  It doesn`t help that my cousin is Orla Chennaoui, a reporter for Sky News. Still, today I will return to London and I think I will stay off TV except for the Formula 1 races. Looks like Ferrari will take this tournament away with themselves though with the pace Raikkonen showed in Malaysia this morning.

Lent Update: TV Is A Total Waste Of Your Time

Thought I’d give an update on how my Lent is going.  A while back I gave up caffeine, chocolate and television.  (Read more here).  Well I broke the chocolate thing within three days cos I forgot that there was chocolate in chocolate chip cookies.  D’oh!/Dough! Then I had a bottle of Coca Cola – I had forgotten there was caffeine in that too. Then I went back off the caffeine again.Since then my kidneys have hurt a bit so I had to actually go back on coffee! Now after about fours weeks I have thrown the chocolate thing out the window (though I am not eating anything nearly as much as I used to) and the only caffeine I take is with tea. Not so bad. Funny though that I haven’t actually turned the TV back on. Either accidentally or on purpose. TV is a total waste of your time. Sit in front of a computer instead. At least you have more to show for it at the end of the day. Yes.(By the way I have even had two nightmares where I turned the TV on).