X Factor versus The Apprentice

A young girl from Zimbabwe, who appeared on the X Factor, is about to return to her own country as her mother's visa to stay here has expired. It's a shame but that's life. I can also appreciate Simon Cowell putting his lawyers on her case to try and help, he's made his wedge and he's spending it looking for a legal root for somebody he knows to stay here, that's his right. But why do people think that she should get any preferential treatment because she appeared on a TV reality show?

That got me wondering why The Apprentice, another reality show, gets treated with a respect by so many people that they don't afford to the X Factor. Let's analyse it.

A panel of egomaniacs who have made a packet of cash in their chosen fields.

A group of wannabes who think they've got what it takes, but haven't been able to do it on their own. Most seem to be held back by severe psychological disturbance, a complete lack of talent or ability and a degree of egomania that makes the panel look modest.

That, to me at least, describes The Apprentice and the X Factor. Virtually identical formats.

It strikes me that the reason The Apprentice is treated in the media with more respect than the X Factor is sheer snobbery. There are still people in this country, and elsewhere no doubt, who think that making a mint from entertaining people is still slightly cheap and lower class. Whereas making a wedge from producing dodgy computers is socially superior.   

If I had the choice of a night out with two millionaires, let's say Rod Stewart the entertainer or Alan Sugar the businessman, there's no choice. I'd be out on the razz with Rod.

Perhaps if I had the choice of watching the X Factor or The Apprentice I'd plump for.............a good book!

Emotional Incontinence

On breakfast news this morning I saw the emotional cripples from X Factor. I was watching because I had heard that the new Geraldine (aka Peter Kay)video of his/her Christmas song was going to be shown. As it happens I missed it.

Now, forgive me but I thought show business was a pretty tough business, from what I saw of the misfits in X Factor, albeit about 30 seconds of it, they will spend the rest of their lives in the Priory if they have a hit single. There were so many tears, from the men and the women, I really feared the flow of moisture would get into the electrics and blow up the studio.

Perhaps they should see a psychologist before they are allowed onto a reality TV show. Mind you, stopping the emotional cripples and nitwits would probably spoil the sado-masochistic appeal of the genre.