Well, now that The X Factor judges have chosen the finalists, and the series moves to the point where semi-competent singers are singing all the time, my interest has completely dissolved, and I won’t bother watching it any more.

I’ve heard this called ‘ironic watching’ of such programmes, but make no mistake, there’s no irony at all about my stance: I like to watch the terrible and freakish performances of the horribly deluded, some of whom are staggeringly arrogant and/or rude when told they’re not that good. There’s no irony or archness in it, I’m straightforwardly laughing. Though if schadenfreude is ironic, then maybe I’m guilty.

The only fun-dampener for me, though, has been the way that they’ve started milking the moment when contestants find out if they’re in or not. Instead of just padding it out with reaction or ambient shots or whatever, they’ve made the judges say ridiculously redundant and tortuous lines. To the extent that I wonder if they’ve had to reshoot because of exchanges like:

Judge: ” Well, as you know, we only have three places…and so… we’ve had a very difficult decision to make about you… and we have … not… decided that you … will… not… be going… to have to stay… at home…”
Contestant: “Um, so am I in, or out?”