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As the first season of The X Factor enters the homestretch, it’s time to take stock of the reality newbie. What did the show do right, and where could it improve next season? What lessons can it learn from returning titan American Idol — still strong after 10 seasons and countless judge switch-ups? And where does sophomore series The Voice (returning Feb. 5) figure into the equation? We offer a few thoughts and suggestions below. READ FULL STORY »
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Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2011 just aired, and in addition to previously announced honorees such as the Kardashians and Herman Cain, the number one spot, as is the standard, was left secret until the broadcast. SPOILER ALERT! The 2011 Most Fascinating Person was (drumroll please)…
X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, L.A. Reid, and Paula Abdul sat down with Jimmy Kimmel last night. It was a particularly tough discussion for Scherzinger, as she was indirectly responsible for sending home spunky 13-year-old Rachel Crow, who had a gut-wrenching onstage breakdown in front of millions of fans. Of course Kimmel replayed the clip, and even Cowell had to admit, “It was even worse than I remember.”
After Abdul defended her, Scherzinger explained, “In the moment and under pressure, it’s not as easy to just be like, ‘Hey, this what I’m going to do and you’re going home!’” She insisted, “I own the decision that I made,” and expressed her happiness about reports that Crow is in talks to sign a deal with Disney. See Scherzinger’s horrified reaction to the replay in the full interview after the jump. READ FULL STORY »
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If my throbbing head and bleary eyes prove anything, it’s that one cannot exist in close proximity to Rachel Crow’s tears without experiencing a major X Factor hangover. Other symptoms include emotional emptiness, lack of faith in humanity, and an irrational hatred of Nicole Scherzinger. Seriously, someone needs to place a call to Steve Jones to make sure that he’s okay. Steve Jones cannot compute so much genuine human emotion — even ridiculously theatrical Nicole Scherzinger-style emotion.
Things were actually pretty tame at the Xanadome during the first 50-odd minutes of last night’s taping. Before Rachel collapsed onto the floor in a pile of broken dreams, the biggest thing that happened was the collective seizure the crowd experienced during the first 30 seconds of Lenny Kravitz’ performance. But the end of last night’s elimination episode brought enough drama to make up for an otherwise lackluster evening, and, as always, there was plenty that you simply couldn’t see on TV. READ FULL STORY »
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If that’s even possible!
Last night’s results show saw Astro and, unexpectedly, Drew disintegrate into the smoky red X Factor-y ether forever. We’re now left with a rather lackluster Top 5: Marcus Canty, Josh Krajcik, Chris Rene, Rachel Crow, and Melanie Amaro (pictured…is Marcus pretending Drew and Astro are still there? Sad!)
Out of all these kids (except for 31-year-old Josh who is TERRIBLY OLD), I can only see Josh or Melanie winning the $5 million recording contract and the chance to romp around in the digital playland of a Pepsi commercial during the Superbowl. But what do I know? The charming but melodically challenged Chris could be leading in votes every week. Cheese wedge Marcus and figment of Simon Cowell’s imagination Rachel Crow are kind of amusing with their over-produced showmanship. READ FULL STORY »
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“Does it get louder than this?” asked the woman sitting a few seats down from me at The X Factor, after one of the CBS pages asked her if she wanted earplugs before the show. At that point, the pre-show dance mega-mix was pumping through the Xanadome at a volume usually reserved for jet engines or Mary Murphy, but I quickly answered for the page. “Yes. Oh yes. It does.”
I thought about the health of that woman’s eardrums while Drew was singing her save-me song while the Xanadome, as it had been instructed to all night, erupted in a deafening torrent of cheering and cat-calls. READ FULL STORY »
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A lot of people seem to dislike this uncomfortable-looking attractive man — whom I’ve been calling Stevecrest — because he’s exceedingly abrupt as he tries and fails to ring around the circus that is the U.S. version of The X Factor. But you guys! I can’t help it. I am beginning to love Steve Jones.
This is a man so endearingly bumbling that he has called 15-year-old Astro “a nice man,” (without sarcasm, but it was a few weeks ago) and Howie Mandel a “top man,” (with just a bit of sarcasm, I believe). One time, after musical guest Rihanna had succeeded in slowly backing away from Steve and finally escaping, he called after her, “You glorious, glorious lady!”
I love that everything he has to come up with on the fly is just so…off. On Tuesday night, faced with the task of getting the judges to stop bickering about Drew, he bellowed, “THIS HAS TO STOP RIGHT NOW, PLEASE.” [Pause.] “THANKSGIVING.” And he bellows EVERYTHING.
As EW.com reader Josh put it, “He’s like a male, Welsh Samantha Harris.” Admittedly, this isn’t the most ringing endorsement I’ve ever read, but I look at it like this: Steve Jones is the only person on The X Factor who consistently makes me giggle. That’s definitely something. (Try harder, Simon Cowell! P.S. I don’t believe anything you ever say.)
If you need a much more convincing reason to give thanks for Steve Jones that might really nail it on the head…. READ FULL STORY »
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The curiously addicting headache that is The X Factor has taken some heat for its lack of originality, and for good reason. But there’s one thing X has that that other overproduced Fox reality singing competition lacks — detailed instructions on how to use Twitter on its very own website. Or, since this is a show with a relatively high concentration of British people, how to use Twittah on its very own website. Fans can tweet their votes via a direct message to @TheXFactorUSA, and even follow the dastardly deeds of Lakoda Rayne if they’re so inclined. So simple! So very “now.” Simon Cowell, you bloody genius.
And yet, surprisingly, until today, Cowell had never signed on to xfactorusa.com to find out how to use the extremely popular social networking site. Whaaaat? Did he miss host Steve Jones’ 87 reminders? Was he too busy playing the role of creepy uncle to Drew Ryniewicz? Actually, he’s probably been busy tending watching people tend to his meticulously manicured lawn in the French countryside, or mercilessly sending home the best singer on the show for the sake of good television.
Well, have no fear, Factorphiles – @SimonCowell has finally arrived, and he has this to say: READ FULL STORY »
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Last night’s two-and-a-half-hour X Factor — a.k.a. American Idol on Steroids, a.k.a. Simon Cowell Must Think We’re REALLY Stupid — was a big ol’ trainwreck full of flashy lights, over-produced backing tracks, faux-bickering by the judges, rushed eliminations, and the list goes on. Reading over the comments on my recap of the telecast and Adam B. Vary’s hilarious on-the-scene report, it seems people are torn between liking the rawther British, unsentimental, over-the-top gaudiness of the show, and loathing it.
I can see both sides, and in my recap I said that The X Factor‘s quick pace and unsentimental approach was a refreshing change from American Idol. I miss Idol too, but this is a different show. Simon is clearly aiming for pure spectacle here, and if the U.S. X Factor is supposed to be as campy-bordering-on-idiotic as the British version or something like America’s Got Talent, then mission accomplished. But if it’s supposed to be a singing competition, it’s largely a joke. The question is, are we willing to let it be what it is and have some escapist fun, or does Simon’s idea of fun make us want to throw ourselves off a cliff? READ FULL STORY »
We at EW scoured the TV line-up last night to find the best quotable lines from your favorite shows. Did our pick emerge from the lips of A.) One of the schemers from Ringer? B.) A Dancing With the Stars contestant? Or was it C.) The most unexpected admission of error (read: humanity) from the most confident (read: arrogant) man on TV, The X Factor‘s Simon Cowell? (Hint: Always choose C!) Read on…
