“The X Factor” is back for its second season in the U.S., and this new season brings new judges.
The Princess of Pop herself, Britney Spears, joins the judges panel along with up-and-coming pop sensation Demi Lovato. They join previous judges Simon Cowell and recording industry executive L.A. Reid.
It’s Britney b*tch! All of the gossip and press leading up to this season has been surrounding Spears and her decision to join the show. People have wondered if she could handle the pressure, or if she would crack under it. We quickly realized she was not only ready for the pressure, but she was ready take names and be brutally honest. In her first two days of judging, Spears had no problem telling people what she thought of their performances and where they stood in her eyes. She was honest, clear and not afraid to be mean.
Spears’ facial expressions were on full display, and boy did they put on a show. Whether the person on stage was wonderful or terrible, Spears always had a different expression on her face. The looks ranged from confused, happy, sad, distracted, uninterested, cheerful and crazy at times. Now when I say “crazy,” do I mean she then proceeded to stand up, scream at the contestant, shave their hair off, write 666 across their forehead and beat the hell out of them with an umbrella? No. But a few of the contestants were so bad and outrageous poor Spears just couldn’t take it.
Overall Spears is not the most exuberant judge, but her charm is undeniable and her smile is bright.
Lovato brings realness to the judge’s table. She is a natural and gives advice and admiration with ease. She appears genuine and comes off as a humbled person. She is not afraid to keep it real with the contestants and gives her honest opinion, but it is always in a way that makes them feel special. With her past struggles with depression, it is obvious she does not want to hurt the contestants or belittle them.
One girl who auditioned had been bullied like Lovato, and girls at school poked fun at her aspirations to become a singer. Her performance was the highlight of the two-night premiere, and she was outstanding. She received the loudest cheers of the two nights and made every judge cry, even Cowell. Lovato was shaken by the performance and left her chair to join the young lady on stage. She hugged her tightly and told her, “Look where you are and what you have done,” and told her to forget the haters because they are all back home watching her become a star on television. Lovato is the most relatable of the judges and truly has a good heart.
Reid is calm, cool and collected while judging. He is boring and needs to exit the show soon before we are put to sleep by his lack of personality.
Cowell is the same old Cowell from his “American Idol” days. He is blunt, to the point and quick with his decision. One thing that is different about him on this show is that he does seem to show more emotion, which I believe helps him in the long run. It shows he really does care about the contestants and is not there just for the money.
The show overall is not that good. It is more overproduced than “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.” I am left questioning how real some of the contestants’ stories are and if they were recruited to audition by producers only to gain airtime for making a complete ass of themselves. The ratings have not been spectacular, but I that is to not to be blamed on the judges. I believe the American audience is simply over the talent show competitions. Whether it’s “The Voice,” “American Idol,” “America’s Got Talent” or “The X Factor,” these shows are not relevant anymore, and the people have lost interest.
It’s not about making dreams come true anymore. It is about ratings, money, and people acting foolish.
I will not be tuning in to watch these shows anymore because they do not keep my attention. That is, unless Spears starts clubbing people with an umbrella or Lovato punches Reid, but until then it’s time for me to take my final bow.
