X-Factor and the Drama Queen

Drama. We all love it. Feed on it. Nurture it. Make it our own.
And what better place to find real human drama than on reality shows. None of this made up stuff, no matter how expertly crafted. But the real McCoy. People wringing out their hearts and opening themselves to millions of people who are drawn into their personal tragedy.

Or is it really that simple? How much of it is real, and how much orchestrated? My wife watched a couple of early audition episodes of “The X-Factor” with me and gave up on it because “there was too much drama”. It seemed that every contestant had a dramatic tale to tell which sought to outdo the previous one.

Now, don’t get me wrong - I am as much a sucker for a dramatic tale as next guy. Well, maybe minus the cynicism and the disbelief. I like the drama, but there are times when you feel it is just getting milked a tad too much.

Take this week’s Thanksgiving episode of The X-Factor. Each of the remaining ten contestants were asked to state who they were thankful for in their personal lives. And we had everything from parents, siblings, the whole US Military and even God. From tales of dire family tragedy to bubbly gushing accounts as to how God was so good to one and all.

I don’t question the tragedy of the tales told here, but rather the manipulation of it in order to create entertainment. One might even ask - “Is there room for an artist on the reality shows who has no great trauma to share?”.

This manipulation already begins with the audition stages. By not televising these auditions live, but only a few months later, reality directors can have a field day. Aspiring contestants line up among thousands of other hopefuls to audition. And in many cases, just before the contestant is about to enter for his/her audition - we get a voice over telling their tale of tragedy; we see them filmed at  home, interviewed with family - and we once again reach into the kleenex box to wipe away the tears. Magnificent how they manage to fit all this into their waiting in line. Can we still call this a “reality show?” I guess you have to read the fine print.

Now, I know I am going to get flamed for this - in a crescendo of boos (which is sometimes a welcome change to the screaming teeny-boppers) - but while most contestants appear to be uncontrollably caught up in their tale of personal tragedy, others seem to consciously milk it to their own advantage. Take Cece, for example, in the X-Factor. She came into the competition enthusing smug and somewhat aggressive confidence - which caused most people not to like her at all. But she managed to squeeze through, to a certain extent, by her talent. But when it looked like the talent just wasn’t enough, and she barely survived elimination one week, she resorted to making herself into one of  the show’s most dramatic figures. This is perhaps her greatest talent - manipulating the audience. She jumped from last to sixth place in one week. Encouraged by this result, she may have gone overboard this week in exploiting a truly tragic family tale to its fullest. Was it just me or did the rest of you notice her looking out of the corner of her eye, while wiping away her tears, to see how she was doing? And once again she found herself this week fighting for survival in a sing-off. Yet Simon knows what side of the bread she is buttered on, and chose to keep her on, if just to see what she will do next. For isn’t that entertainment?

Carly should win this year’s X-Factor competition. She has the best voice. But maybe she is  just a little too well adjusted for the show and the audience.