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Conway Sisters - Let's Try to be Clearer


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Old 14-11-2005, 16:15
willow1978
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I've read most of the threads on the Controversy That Shook The UK, having watched the wretched programme for the first time on Saturday.

Louis Walsh had to choose between two very poor acts. Having never seen either of them before, having no background knowledge, it was the toss of a coin - both were pathetically poor. Dreadful.

However, let's get a few things straight.

The IRA did not influence Louis Walsh's decision and are not voting en masse for any act, nor are they threatening violence on foot of a very limited talent show. References to the IRA are in extremely poor taste. You might not like the Conway Sisters, but to imply that the (meagre) success they have is down to intimidation is grossly unfair.

Louis was perfectly within his rights to vote as he saw fit, for whatever reasons he chose. That's the perogitive of a judge.

For those who think that Irish people should be disqualified by reason of birth, it may interest you to know that the XFactor is shown on an Irish TV channel at the same time as in the UK, because the production company, Granada, pretty much owns the station in question. It is, in that sense, as much an Irish show. It's very much in Granada's interests to keep an Irish interest on the show.

The bigotry shown by S. Osbourne and some of the contributors to this site is quite breathtaking.
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:18
Woody_Brixton
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Originally Posted by willow1978
I've read most of the threads on the Controversy That Shook The UK, having watched the wretched programme for the first time on Saturday.

Louis Walsh had to choose between two very poor acts. Having never seen either of them before, having no background knowledge, it was the toss of a coin - both were pathetically poor. Dreadful.

However, let's get a few things straight.

The IRA did not influence Louis Walsh's decision and are not voting en masse for any act, nor are they threatening violence on foot of a very limited talent show. References to the IRA are in extremely poor taste. You might not like the Conway Sisters, but to imply that the (meagre) success they have is down to intimidation is grossly unfair.

Louis was perfectly within his rights to vote as he saw fit, for whatever reasons he chose. That's the perogitive of a judge.

For those who think that Irish people should be disqualified by reason of birth, it may interest you to know that the XFactor is shown on an Irish TV channel at the same time as in the UK, because the production company, Granada, pretty much owns the station in question. It is, in that sense, as much an Irish show. It's very much in Granada's interests to keep an Irish interest on the show.

The bigotry shown by S. Osbourne and some of the contributors to this site is quite breathtaking.
I agree any IRA comments are bang out order.

But as you haven't watched the show before, in previous weeks Maria has been fantastic, whereas the Conways have been consitantly average. Maria just had the wrong song this week.

Add that to the fact that the Conways have toured with Louis group Westlife and the fact that Louis knows their dad - you can see why people are pissed off.
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:20
Sabine12345
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Originally Posted by Woody_Brixton
in previous weeks Maria has been fantastic, whereas the Conways have been consitantly average.

This is a HUGE matter of opinion.
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:20
willow1978
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Well no, I can't actually see it.

So Louis and the Conways know each other. It's common enough in a small industry. I'd have been more surprised if they didn't.

Maria might have been fantastic in other weeks, but surely it's judged on a week-by-week basis, not on history? Isn't the idea that you're only as good as your last performance?
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:28
PorkSausage
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Originally Posted by Sabine12345
This is a HUGE matter of opinion.
And looking back at the judges' comments, one that they seem to share as well.
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:29
Sabine12345
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Originally Posted by PorkSausage
And looking back at the judges' comments, one that they seem to share as well.
Does the opinion of 1, 2 or 3 people make something a fact?
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:29
emmkay
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Originally Posted by willow1978
Well no, I can't actually see it.

So Louis and the Conways know each other. It's common enough in a small industry. I'd have been more surprised if they didn't.

Maria might have been fantastic in other weeks, but surely it's judged on a week-by-week basis, not on history? Isn't the idea that you're only as good as your last performance?

Well exactly, at the end of the day, does it really matter?, if Maria was *that* fantastic then she shouldn't have fallen into the bottom two, each mentor has a history of voting for acts dependant on prior history or a relationship with them, that's life, Louis might also have been taking the opportunity to get rid of the best competition to his acts and again, that's life. As it turns out no-one has actually lost anything, the Conways get another chance to improve, the show gets wall to wall coverage and masses of new viewers and if maria is that good then she'll get signed up anyway, probably by Simon Cowell!!
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:31
willow1978
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That's true as well, if Maria is that great, she'll have no hassle being a huge star.
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:35
PorkSausage
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Originally Posted by Sabine12345
Does the opinion of 1, 2 or 3 people make something a fact?
No.

Why do you ask?
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:37
DancingQueen
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Simon always says you are only as good as your last performance which is absolutely true
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:51
MC_Satan
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Simon does indeed say you are only as good as your last performance. The last performance of the Conways was worse than the last performance of Maria's. In fact any performance of the Conways has at best been average.
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:55
JonDoe
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Originally Posted by Sabine12345
This is a HUGE matter of opinion.
Shared by 82% of this forum, 92% of the Xtra Factor poll and what sounded like 99% of the studio audience on Saturday.

Of course, my mistake, you were there and you said it was only Maria's family booing.
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:56
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Originally Posted by PorkSausage
And looking back at the judges' comments, one that they seem to share as well.
Obviously the voting GBP don't
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Old 14-11-2005, 16:59
JonDoe
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Originally Posted by willow1978
For those who think that Irish people should be disqualified by reason of birth, it may interest you to know that the XFactor is shown on an Irish TV channel at the same time as in the UK
You seem to be getting the public response a little arse about face here.

It wasn't because the Conroys were Irish that anyone wanted them off the show. ...No one but Louis gives a flying picket where they're from.

Incidentally, did anyone mention the IRA? ...I haven't seen it.
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:03
emmkay
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Originally Posted by JonDoe
You seem to be getting the public response a little arse about face here.

It wasn't because the Conroys were Irish that anyone wanted them off the show. ...No one but Louis gives a flying picket where they're from.

Incidentally, did anyone mention the IRA? ...I haven't seen it.

To be fair to the thread starter I have read a thread today that asked why on earth the Conways sisters were even in the competition because they are irish, get your own show (was where it was leading), then it was countered by someone asking whether the thread starter would also object to Chico (hard one to answer as I'm sure most ofus object to Choco for totaly different reasons)
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:05
willow1978
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Originally Posted by JonDoe
You seem to be getting the public response a little arse about face here.

It wasn't because the Conroys were Irish that anyone wanted them off the show. ...No one but Louis gives a flying picket where they're from.

Incidentally, did anyone mention the IRA? ...I haven't seen it.
Yeah, mentions of the IRA came up in several threads. Seemingly, many people felt that 'Irish mafia' means IRA and were kind enough to give their musings on the subject.

I'm not suggesting that people wanted the Conway Sisters out because they are Irish. I do think that many believe that they are not out for that reason though. The point I was trying to get across is that many posters do not seem to be aware of Granada's positioning in the Irish market and how their perception may be that if they are showing a prime time show for a couple of hours on a Saturday evening on Irish telly, it might help their revenues from phonelines and advertising to retain an Irish interest. In other words, if there was a fix, it might not have been Louis' nepotism but Granada's business interests which caused it.
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:06
bananasplit
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I never interpreted Sharons comment ''Irish Mafia'' to mean the IRA

I assumed she meant Louis saved them because of the same country connection
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:06
PorkSausage
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Originally Posted by melanie34
Obviously the voting GBP don't

Given that Maria has not been in the bottom 2, then maybe they/we do...
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:07
Karl Marks
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Originally Posted by emmkay
To be fair to the thread starter I have read a thread today that asked why on earth the Conways sisters were even in the competition because they are irish, get your own show (was where it was leading), then it was countered by someone asking whether the thread starter would also object to Chico (hard one to answer as I'm sure most ofus object to Choco for totaly different reasons)
Why, because he's Welsh by birth?

And FYI most of us DO NOT object to Chico.
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:07
willow1978
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Originally Posted by bananasplit
I never interpreted Sharons comment ''Irish Mafia'' to mean the IRA

I assumed she meant Louis saved them because of the same country connection
That's what I had thought at the time. I never considered the IRA angle at all until I read about it here.
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:15
Woody_Brixton
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Originally Posted by willow1978
Yeah, mentions of the IRA came up in several threads. Seemingly, many people felt that 'Irish mafia' means IRA and were kind enough to give their musings on the subject.

I'm not suggesting that people wanted the Conway Sisters out because they are Irish. I do think that many believe that they are not out for that reason though. The point I was trying to get across is that many posters do not seem to be aware of Granada's positioning in the Irish market and how their perception may be that if they are showing a prime time show for a couple of hours on a Saturday evening on Irish telly, it might help their revenues from phonelines and advertising to retain an Irish interest. In other words, if there was a fix, it might not have been Louis' nepotism but Granada's business interests which caused it.
I can't Granada fixing it for a few hundred thousand viewers on TV3 when it gets 10 million over here.

Anyway Granada don't make it - it's a Thames/Syco production.
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:15
emmkay
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Originally Posted by Karl Marks
Why, because he's Welsh by birth?

And FYI most of us DO NOT object to Chico.

I know nothing about Chico, thankfully, or where he was born, lived or learned it was considered okay to make that kind of screetching noise and have the nerve to call it 'singing' I was simply describing a thread I read on here today that suggested that the Conways shouldn't be in the show because they are irish before someone else suggested that was slightly racist and asked how they felt about Chico's part in the competition, I don't know what the original thread starter thought.
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:16
JonDoe
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Originally Posted by willow1978
Yeah, mentions of the IRA came up in several threads. Seemingly, many people felt that 'Irish mafia' means IRA and were kind enough to give their musings on the subject.
Same reply to you emmkay...

I hope you'll put that down to the ignorant few.

Originally Posted by willow1978
The point I was trying to get across is that many posters do not seem to be aware of Granada's positioning in the Irish market and how their perception may be that if they are showing a prime time show for a couple of hours on a Saturday evening on Irish telly, it might help their revenues from phonelines and advertising to retain an Irish interest.
Surely that's suggesting that Irish viewers need Irish contestants to support.

I don't see any place for patriotism in a talent contest.
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:18
willow1978
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I don't either, but just like in the UK, licenses do come up for review and I don't know how showing XFactor at that time would look. I'm just speculating, but I imagine showing an Irish interest factor in a prime time TV show looks better.

It's funny though that anything bad might be thought of Louis but the idea that a profit driven company might rig stuff is anathema!
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Old 14-11-2005, 17:21
Woody_Brixton
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Originally Posted by JonDoe
I don't see any place for patriotism in a talent contest.
*ahem* Eurovision Song Contest?
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