Sofabet Article- How to Watch The-X Factor

earldbestearldbest Posts: 3,894
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http://sofabet.com/2013/11/12/how-to-watch-the-x-factor/

I wonder how many of these points DS posters miss out on. :D
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  • scratchy23scratchy23 Posts: 3,675
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    Sofabet is fascinating and gets it spot on a lot of the time. It can be really tenuous sometimes though with it's theories. Complete bullshit sometimes.
  • rbdcayrbdcay Posts: 12,041
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    scratchy23 wrote: »
    Sofabet is fascinating and gets it spot on a lot of the time. It can be really tenuous sometimes though with it's theories. Complete bullshit sometimes.

    BIB as with a lot of the conspiracy theorising on this board.
  • Jessica_HambyJessica_Hamby Posts: 1,622
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    Interesting comments from Charlotte Church about the how the judges have no creative input to the show.

    http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s103/the-x-factor/news/a505319/charlotte-church-offered-x-factor-role-id-rather-poke-my-eyes-out.html
  • earldbestearldbest Posts: 3,894
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    Interesting comments from Charlotte Church about the how the judges have no creative input to the show.

    http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s103/the-x-factor/news/a505319/charlotte-church-offered-x-factor-role-id-rather-poke-my-eyes-out.html

    If that were 100% true, what kind of magic potion do they have Gary Barlow on?
  • Jessica_HambyJessica_Hamby Posts: 1,622
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    earldbest wrote: »
    If that were 100% true, what kind of magic potion do they have Gary Barlow on?

    Gary's career has hardly been stellar recently. I'm sure he's glad for the money and the publicity.

    He's latest record is another piece of middle-of-the-road tat that makes Status Quo look edgy.
  • twingletwingle Posts: 19,322
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    I remember reading them Matt, Rebecca and 1D year and they looked spot on
  • Eve ElleEve Elle Posts: 6,507
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    Even though sofabet might seem to get lost in their own theories sometimes (they get to a point where even the most inconsequential things are given great meaning), overall, they make very compelling cases mostly. It's fascinating really, so long as you approach it with an open mind but don't lose your own objectiveness. With the financial risks involved in something like the X-Factor, very few things are simply "left to chance". :)
  • David_MorganDavid_Morgan Posts: 1,513
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    Nice article - but I was hoping for more. It seems to me entirely reasonable to state that the show is managed; you don't really need to defend that assertion. However, that management results in a tension. The tension comes from the fact that ITV want viewers and SyCo want a commercial act. Give the public what we want and you gain an audience, but, potentially, lose the future star. Bias too heavily toward a commercial launch and you lose viewers. Of course, you need viewers to form a decent launch pad and you need successful, post-XF, careers to attract future contestants of calibre. It's a multi-axis balancing act designed to maximize revenue - viewer enjoyment is just a by-product.

    I've never watched the Voice - I assume it is badly made like everything else from Auntie - but it does sound like the better show as the SyCo element is removed from the equation.
  • twingletwingle Posts: 19,322
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    Nice article - but I was hoping for more. It seems to me entirely reasonable to state that the show is managed; you don't really need to defend that assertion. However, that management results in a tension. The tension comes from the fact that ITV want viewers and SyCo want a commercial act. Give the public what we want and you gain an audience, but, potentially, lose the future star. Bias too heavily toward a commercial launch and you lose viewers. Of course, you need viewers to form a decent launch pad and you need successful, post-XF, careers to attract future contestants of calibre. It's a multi-axis balancing act designed to maximize revenue - viewer enjoyment is just a by-product.

    I've never watched the Voice - I assume it is badly made like everything else from Auntie - but it does sound like the better show as the SyCo element is removed from the equation.

    The voice is no different from X factor just they disguise manipulation better although saying that last year was pretty transparent
  • Patti-AnnPatti-Ann Posts: 22,747
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    It will be interesting to see their comments on Abi.

    I'm rather confused myself about it. She was allowed to shine on week 1. Week 2 she did the unsuitable Kylie song (and odd staging - what were the umbrellas about :confused: )

    Week 3 was Moon River and Sharon's comment about people putting the kettle on, no doubt prompting a sympathy vote.

    Week 4 she was allowed to do a disco song as a ballad (so actually side stepping the theme) and gets praise for it.

    Week 5 she's on first, and up second is Sam B's show stopping performance. This will make Abi's performance fade from the viewers mind.

    So some weeks they seemed to want her to do well, and others they seemed to stitch her up :confused:

    Does Sofabet do a piece every week p:confused:
  • Jessica_HambyJessica_Hamby Posts: 1,622
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    Patti-Ann wrote: »
    It will be interesting to see their comments on Abi.

    I'm rather confused myself about it. She was allowed to shine on week 1. Week 2 she did the unsuitable Kylie song (and odd staging - what were the umbrellas about :confused: )

    Week 3 was Moon River and Sharon's comment about people putting the kettle on, no doubt prompting a sympathy vote.

    Week 4 she was allowed to do a disco song as a ballad (so actually side stepping the theme) and gets praise for it.

    Week 5 she's on first, and up second is Sam B's show stopping performance. This will make Abi's performance fade from the viewers mind.

    So some weeks they seemed to want her to do well, and others they seemed to stitch her up :confused:

    Does Sofabet do a piece every week p:confused:

    Week 1 was Livin' On A Prayer. I thought that was a very poor choice for her and left a quite bad impression. I felt the first two weeks were designed to portray her badly and pretty much blow any chances she might have had.

    Week 5, not only was she on first but she was followed by the John Lewis ad and then Sam Bailey's VT in which she meets Michael Bolton as well as her performance. Then came Nicholas, who is another of the favourites.

    To be honest, bu the time Nicholas started most viewers would have forgotten that Abi had performed.
  • noelw1969noelw1969 Posts: 936
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    4. Controversy = publicity = ratings = advertising revenue

    Sofabet have obviously not kept up on recent series. This show has increased its controversy levels and has seen its ratings drop week by week for the last few years.

    On top of that, the ratings continue to fall into 2nd place behind a relatively "tedious" ballroom dancing show with no ads, an old and even more tedious presenter and a format that hasn't changed since forever.
  • David_MorganDavid_Morgan Posts: 1,513
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    noelw1969 wrote: »
    4. Controversy = publicity = ratings = advertising revenue

    Sofabet have obviously not kept up on recent series. This show has increased its controversy levels and has seen its ratings drop week by week for the last few years.

    On top of that, the ratings continue to fall into 2nd place behind a relatively "tedious" ballroom dancing show with no ads, an old and even more tedious presenter and a format that hasn't changed since forever.

    You say this as if it is a bad thing. How can not having ad breaks possibly be a bad thing. We record everything and play it back later, skimming the ads.
  • EurostarEurostar Posts: 78,519
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    Week 1 was Livin' On A Prayer. I thought that was a very poor choice for her and left a quite bad impression. I felt the first two weeks were designed to portray her badly and pretty much blow any chances she might have had.

    Week 5, not only was she on first but she was followed by the John Lewis ad and then Sam Bailey's VT in which she meets Michael Bolton as well as her performance. Then came Nicholas, who is another of the favourites.

    To be honest, bu the time Nicholas started most viewers would have forgotten that Abi had performed.

    Abi said this week that the Kylie song in Week 2 was all wrong for her and entirely unsuitable : proof positive that songs are forced on some acts by the producers and it's far from a level playing field.
  • earldbestearldbest Posts: 3,894
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    Patti-Ann wrote: »
    It will be interesting to see their comments on Abi.

    I'm rather confused myself about it. She was allowed to shine on week 1. Week 2 she did the unsuitable Kylie song (and odd staging - what were the umbrellas about :confused: )

    Week 3 was Moon River and Sharon's comment about people putting the kettle on, no doubt prompting a sympathy vote.

    Week 4 she was allowed to do a disco song as a ballad (so actually side stepping the theme) and gets praise for it.

    Week 5 she's on first, and up second is Sam B's show stopping performance. This will make Abi's performance fade from the viewers mind.

    So some weeks they seemed to want her to do well, and others they seemed to stitch her up :confused:

    Does Sofabet do a piece every week p:confused:

    Think of it this way: Weeks 2 and 3 prevent her from gaining significant support from floating voters, Week 4 cuts off the sympathy vote, leading to Week 5's perfect takedown.
  • Patti-AnnPatti-Ann Posts: 22,747
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    earldbest wrote: »
    Think of it this way: Weeks 2 and 3 prevent her from gaining significant support from floating voters, Week 4 cuts off the sympathy vote, leading to Week 5's perfect takedown.

    That sounds plausible.

    I wonder who is next on their hit list ;)

    What's bad about it is that the contestant doesn't realise how they are being set up :cool:
  • noelw1969noelw1969 Posts: 936
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    You say this as if it is a bad thing. How can not having ad breaks possibly be a bad thing. We record everything and play it back later, skimming the ads.

    Not saying its a bad thing at all, I'm just making some comparison between the shows. I've always found it funny that ballroom dancing can draw more viewers than singing. Sofabets point that controversy = higher ratings is just plain wrong.
  • Jessica_HambyJessica_Hamby Posts: 1,622
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    noelw1969 wrote: »
    Not saying its a bad thing at all, I'm just making some comparison between the shows. I've always found it funny that ballroom dancing can draw more viewers than singing. Sofabets point that controversy = higher ratings is just plain wrong.

    You're comparing apples with oranges. The point they're making is that x factor has higher ratings with a bit of cobtroversy than x factor would have without it.

    Otherwise I could say x factor has higher ratings than Songs Of Praise so obviously controversy works.
  • David_MorganDavid_Morgan Posts: 1,513
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    noelw1969 wrote: »
    Not saying its a bad thing at all, I'm just making some comparison between the shows. I've always found it funny that ballroom dancing can draw more viewers than singing.

    I don't get it either - though more important to me is that XF contestants believe they are good singers, whereas SCD contestants are, largely, ungainly and poor dancers. Why would anybody want to watch bad dancing? If it was a proper dancing competition I might have watched it, but, as it is, it's just a freak show.
  • earldbestearldbest Posts: 3,894
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    http://sofabet.com/2013/11/14/abis-journey-a-case-study-in-x-factor-manipulation/

    Which parts are clear and which parts are crackpot?
  • EurostarEurostar Posts: 78,519
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    earldbest wrote: »

    Much of it is probably correct. They were certainly able to screw her over with song choices : there's not a hope in hell she would want to sing Kylie Minogue or 'That's Life' on the show.
  • noelw1969noelw1969 Posts: 936
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    You're comparing apples with oranges. The point they're making is that x factor has higher ratings with a bit of cobtroversy than x factor would have without it.

    Otherwise I could say x factor has higher ratings than Songs Of Praise so obviously controversy works.

    I'm not comparing apples with oranges at all.

    Please read what I put in bold lettering at the top of my original post again. Sofabet claims that the controversy side of things increases ratings. It doesn't and the examples I use to prove this are -

    1 - the talent show on the other side at the same time which does not court controversy in the slightest, parades a theoretically less popular pastime and still comes out on top in the ratings war by a distance.

    2 - The fact that X Factor ratings continue to drop, week to week and year to year regardless of how controversial they try to make it.

    I personally think my point is as clear as day. If X Factor had not messed around with the show so much and got down to basics instead, it would have higher ratings. To re-iterate, Sofabet are wrong.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 767
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    noelw1969 wrote: »
    I'm not comparing apples with oranges at all.

    Please read what I put in bold lettering at the top of my original post again. Sofabet claims that the controversy side of things increases ratings. It doesn't and the examples I use to prove this are -

    1 - the talent show on the other side at the same time which does not court controversy in the slightest, parades a theoretically less popular pastime and still comes out on top in the ratings war by a distance.

    2 - The fact that X Factor ratings continue to drop, week to week and year to year regardless of how controversial they try to make it.

    I personally think my point is as clear as day. If X Factor had not messed around with the show so much and got down to basics instead, it would have higher ratings. To re-iterate, Sofabet are wrong.

    Never watched the dance show, hated that sort of thing since "come dancing" in the 70s, but isn't the key here that it's celebrities making an arse of themselves rather than (what were) unknown members of the public?
  • David_MorganDavid_Morgan Posts: 1,513
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    noelw1969 wrote: »
    I'm not comparing apples with oranges at all.

    Please read what I put in bold lettering at the top of my original post again. Sofabet claims that the controversy side of things increases ratings. It doesn't and the examples I use to prove this are -

    1 - the talent show on the other side at the same time which does not court controversy in the slightest, parades a theoretically less popular pastime and still comes out on top in the ratings war by a distance.

    2 - The fact that X Factor ratings continue to drop, week to week and year to year regardless of how controversial they try to make it.

    I personally think my point is as clear as day. If X Factor had not messed around with the show so much and got down to basics instead, it would have higher ratings. To re-iterate, Sofabet are wrong.

    I think I have to side with the Ginger Vampire on this. The simple fact is, you cannot compare SCD and XF - at the very least they are on different channels with wildly different viewer profiles. Controversy may adversley affect SCD's audience, we just don't know. It's apples and oranges because even though they have many comparable properties - size, shape etc - what makes an apple good doesn't necessarily make an orange good; who would want a crunchy orange.
  • noelw1969noelw1969 Posts: 936
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    I think I have to side with the Ginger Vampire on this. The simple fact is, you cannot compare SCD and XF - at the very least they are on different channels with wildly different viewer profiles. Controversy may adversley affect SCD's audience, we just don't know. It's apples and oranges because even though they have many comparable properties - size, shape etc - what makes an apple good doesn't necessarily make an orange good; who would want a crunchy orange.

    Fact - Strictly does not employ controversy and enjoys the highest viewing figures every Saturday night.

    Fact - X Factor has increased its controversy levels over the years and continues to see its viewing figures drop.

    Conclusion - Sofabet are WRONG to suggest that controversy increases viewing figures regardless of the comparison I have made between 2 shows that people seem very keen to say, are in no way comparable. If the statement were true then either X Factor viewing figures would have risen or SCD would have employed such tactics to increase their own figures.
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