I realize I've been quiet of late. Life has taken me away and I apologize for that. With that said last night saw the culmination of the first season of X-Factor and all I can say is, I saw it coming from a mile away. As I hinted on twitter and as I've told everyone I've spoken with over the last few months, this was a done deal since September. The whole show felt as if it was scripted, so orchestrated from the beginning and the end did nothing to dispel that fact.
With all that said, Melanie (despite her lack of a dynamic high end) was the most viable pop singer left in the competition, but she was far from the most talented and, quite frankly, has already reached her zenith. And while we've seen the truly talented folks like Astro and the precocious Rachel Crow drop by the wayside, they never really had a chance.
Recall when we were introduced to the somewhat plain, unassuming Melanie. She kept her head down, walked with little confidence, but then when she sang, there was a clear, very smooth pretty voice. That's all well and good, but was she really someone you could root for? No, not yet anyway. A story had to be built.
Up next the judges had to pick their top four and yet somehow, despite everyone knowing she belonged there, Melanie was surprisingly sent home. She was devastated and, apparently, so was Simon. In the 11th hour, he realized he made a mistake, traveled to Melanie's home and told her that he'd opened the competition to one additional person to make room for her. So now we've got a Lazurian legend beginning. She was dead in the water, but she's risen to get one more chance at pursuing her dream. Hurray.
Still pretty plain, every week, she sings a little bigger, her makeup and clothes become a bit more polished, but she still lacks a real connection with the audience. The voice is good enough, but her personality comes across as rather dull, is there a way to bring out another side, something the audience didn't even know existed? Sure. Dump her in the bottom three, scare everyone that felt like she was safe. You know that, oh my god, they couldn't possible send her home, could they? We'd better start actively voting for her. But that's not going to be enough, if only there was something cool and secret she was hiding...
Holy crap she's Jamaican! (and let me state for the record that I believe she's actually from Tortola, but since Americans know crap about What a twist? Apparently she was so ashamed at being cool and Jamaican that she had to hide her true self from America and in a crying fit she unleashed the accent and now she has a personality! Well, sorta. It's not like we really saw a huge change in her personality, just a lot of references to the fact that she has a true self and isn't that the same thing, at least on television?
So it comes down to the bottom three. Chris can't win, even though his story is so much more legitimate and compelling (because despite her tears it is harder to overcome an addiction to drugs than it is a bad accent) and the really talented, but bear-like Josh just doesn't look the part, even when they wash his hair. So that leaves our rags to riches, Cinderellaesque tale of Melanie Amaro.
Perhaps all this just happened. Maybe it wasn't engineered. Maybe all the sniping of the judges was also genuine. Maybe, but it sure as heck felt otherwise.
Steve Jones is rumored to be headed out the door. Stuff about him not connecting with the audience. I'd give him another year. It's not like Ryan Secrest was an instant star, it took time for everyone to get comfortable with the show. (And don't we miss Dunkelman?). Those same rumors suggest that Nicole (who was originally hired as his co-host, but moved to the judging table after Cheryl Cole was fired--- oy was that a mistake) could step into the role as host. Let me please say two quick things about that. One, Nicole definitely should not be at the judges table. She's just not very good. She mostly babbles a lot of crazy stuff and rarely said much of interest. Paula really already fills that role. As for moving her to the host role, I just don't see it. She seems like a talented singer and dancer, but frankly thinking on her feet doesn't seem to be a strong suit and the fact that she cries at the drop of a hat doesn't make for a good host. They can't stop the show every week while you get yourself together. If you choose not to bring back Steve, maybe look outside the show for help. Go get yourself a Nick Cannon or something. Someone who will bring some personality to the stage. Just my two cents.
