I'm actually a little bit disappointed with all the performances on the first X-Factor Live show. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire show is going to be a huge flop for ITV. No one of the contestant really has a very special, new or surprising voice.

I think the show's done a bad job at giving us the competitors' backgrounds, which means people are voting for the ones they've read about in the tabloids and feel they know. For example, I've read on this forum several times that VOS are three middle-aged women, when one is a 25-year-old university student! And who's to say the older two haven't had knocks and unhappiness to overcome, just as Verity has?
Or maybe Simon's just being cleverer than the other two judges by giving the tabloids stories about his artists.

Have we learned nothing from Pop Idol? VWS were in the bottom 2 because they were on first. By the time everyone comes to vote, they were forgotten. Same thing happened the first few weeks of pop idol until they put michelle on first.

Very strong attitude mate, and to be frank I do not consider it to be a fair one. Rowetta is a fave, is she not black? and sorry her being nutty only puts me off not makes me want to vote for her which I wont be nothing to do with the color of her skin mind. Two: a rather tasty looking blonde with a good voice who was NOT the worst on the night went home and not VWS doning the walking.

I cannot agree with you and think that people may have voted for their second favorite who they considered not safe lets say it was Steve, bad vocal not well, so if people thought VWS would be safe and through, they then vote for the one who is not going to be. I know I did this once many moons ago and it cost me my favorite and many other peoples at that as we all made the same mistake, people start to vote tactically instead of with their hearts, and they need to stick with their hearts.

So I think you need to be careful when bandying about words like racist as I sincerely think you are wrong. I am also a little offended to see you saying that, as it is wrong to blame everything in life on racism, this is a TV show and I am sure people dont look and say RIGHT cant vote for none of them they is "black man"!! If they do then they need shooting. Color should never be the issue it is about what you likes to listen to man, not what the color of their skin is.

Peppermint

I think the fact that VWS were a light year ahead of that drab bimbo in terms of performance renders the last comment meaningless. Big, black and brilliant -------- they should never have been in bottom 2. Roberta was only better than Verity. BTW Rowetta is mixed race.

If more people felt that VWS were brilliant, then they wouldn't have been in the bottom two. However, the fact that not enough people thought VWS were brilliant has everything to do with subjective taste and nothing to do with racial prejudice.

I would rather listen to Bob Dylan instead of Stevie Wonder (who I like, but not as much). Does that preference make me a racist?

I would rather go out with Kylie instead of Jamelia, but I think Beyonce is prettier than both of them. Does that preference make me a racist?

People discriminate when making positive choices (choice of car, clothes, food etc.). It's a fact of life; if women didn't discriminate, then I would be able to go out with any woman I choose. But life doesn't work like that...

Accusing someone of racism is very serious. I would consider it a grave insult if someone accused me of treating non-white clients any differently from white clients. To me, clients are clients; from a business perspective, their ethnicity is irrelevant.

The result of the X-factor (like every similar show that has done before it) will be determined by things like genre preference (G4 will face hostility from the pure pop lovers), lust, and tabloid nonsense/sympathy votes instead of raw talent. I think all of the contestants are talented (they are more musical than I will ever be), but I don't like all of them, and it is impossible for all of them to win. The outcome is bound to be unfair, so just deal with it (if your favourite loses).

I cant believe thread is still going *sigh*. I hope Rowetta wins X-factor, just so I don't have to see these lame threads anymore

It's a constant surprise to see most non-white people get bumped off these shows, whilst the charts are full of people of all colours. Clearly there is a different group of the public phone voting as opposed to buying records.

BTW I can't ever get used to describing anyone as "black" when they are clearly brown. I've never seen a black person, like the Ace of Spades is black. Likewise I'm as pale as pale can be, but I'm not actually "white" like a fridge or a polar bear is white. It's cheap to give all people a label which doesn't even describe them, in order to exercise prejudice. This is where a lot of the negative connotation derive from in my belief.

Having said that. the UK population is 93% "white" or non ethnic. Of the 7%, only 2-3% are of African/Carribean racial background.

Rudi

I think it's hiarous that you guys are taking the OP's point seriously. It's obviously a total wind -up - and quite a funny one at that.

I totally agree about colour, though I have seen a woman who was as black as the ace of spades as you put it, (she was exquisit, wish I'd got her number) I've also seen 'black' people with pigments whiter than your average Glaswegian (they don't go brown on sunbeds up here just luminous orange).
Mind you I still think people need to remember the person that actually got bumped from the show this week was extremely pale indeed.

They were in the bottom two because they were awful that night, as were Roberta and Tabby.
Verity, surprisingly, wasn't that bad.

If anyone's racist, it's you , you're the one claiming that white people are prejudiced against them. Had it been that the public were voting them out , then yes, maybe you could say people were being racist. The fact is people were voting for their favourite, no one thought "I don't like Voices With Soul because they're black, I'm going to vote for someone else so they have less of a chance of winning." That's pathetic.

Most of the most popular artists out there are black: Beyonce, Jamelia, Usher, 50 Cent, Nelly, etc.

Look, the person who started the thread is clearly trying to wind you all up - and they are doing a great job. It's been quite funny watching this in the background but so many people are taking this seriously I had to post eventualy. Nobody is stupid enough to think reacism is at play here. Nobody could possibly be that stupid.

Stupidity knows no limits, unfortunately...

thanks for this! Just made me laugh out loud! I

haven't got to the end of this thread yet so apologies if I am repeating what others have said, but SIMPLY AMAZING...WHAT are you going on about???....it's not about VWS being black (otherwise, as many others have said, WHO VOTED FOR ROWETTA??) Its the usual story of the demographic who vote - a lot of teenage girls - and also people assuming that certain groups will be safe "because they're so good everyone else will have voted for them so I don't have to"!! This is EXACTLY why Sam was voted off the last Pop Idol and it's how VWS and Roberta ended up in the bottom 2 on Saturday when neither deserved to be there - the other reason was, of course the masses of sympathy votes for the lovely but blah Verity who looked and sang like a hotel lounge singer..and not a good one at that - (sorry Mr Cowell)....

I actually didn't think they were that good...nothing to do with them being black. They look terribly, they have crap loud and obnoxious personalities and rthey didn't sing that song as well as many others have in the past.

Most of th most popular artistes out there are White: U2, Daniel and Natasha Bedingfield, Robbie Williams, Will Young, Mcfly, Busted, Amy Winehouse, Jamie Cullum, Cliff Richard , Blue, Rachel Stevens, Keane, Coldplay, Joss stone, Tom Jones, Westlife, The Darkness, Lostprophets, Brian Macfadden, Girls Aloud, Travis e.t.c
and that is in Britain alone, do you realise that Jamelia is the only British Black artiste on your list? The rest are America.

A very selective list and tom jones? If your going that far back also count Shirley Bassy.
And it's not where they're from it's how they sell and all those listed before were big sellers in the UK

To be honest...please don't flame me here. I think they were in the bottom two because a)they were first b) they are not conventionally pretty c) we seen very little of their personalities to balance factors a and b off.

Before you all say 'but Roberta was gorgeous'...yes, but she's a Britney clone (looks) and there was nothign special about her performance. Also...very little 'getting to know you' going on with her.

I have to agree with you we don't see much of VWS' personality so, it always surprises my when people say they are loud and obnoxious; I think a LOT of people carry sterotyped impression of ethnic minorities and in this case black people.

I think Roberta looks more like Jessica Simpson than Britney spears.

Maybe because they seem more like a tribute band ?

I really wish this show would let them sing some unknown stuff.

It feels like I'm watching Kareoke.

Those black artistes listed still haven't sold as much as most British artistes. I'd rather we put British artistes against each other, American artistes either black or white easily "enjoy" transatlantic success making them more likely to sell more and earn more.

But trying to say Black artistes are not popular in britain because there arn't many black artistes in britain is a self defeating statement.
We have to look at what the British people buy and the sale of Black (gods I hate using that term) artistes actually outstrips in percentage the amount of 'black' people in britain.

IMHO they were first on, sang nervously and not too well (especially at the start), and I don't believe there is any particular need to look for other reasons.

Here, here! They have FANTASTIC voices but are a little formulaic - on the other hand, I have to admit that I'm getting just a little p***ed off with G4 - it's all getting a bit 'Radio 2' on us - they should throw away the backing (if they're allowed to) and stick with Acapella which is what they do well; 'Creep' was just amazing!

I'm surprised about the comments re Steves vocals, I though his voice was amazing, I think he is the only one in the competition who has the X FACTOR.

The guy oozes class and I think he will be a big star.

As for VWS, they shouldn't even be in the final 9 , people are calling Verity but for anyone who bothered to watch the show showing the decision to cut 5 into 3 VWS sang "I will always love you" just like Verity did, but they were absolutely atrocious , I have never heard a more out of tune and flat rendition and if Louis Walsh hadn't felt sorry for them and didn't want to send both black groups home because of fear of this type of racist crap, then they would have already been back in obscurity where they belong.

Can't black people accept that sometimes they lose because they were just not good enough and likeable enough on the day, and accept it has nothing to do with the colour of skin, it always seem a do-gooding minority bring up all this racist rubbish