The Rise of JEDWARD
I'm not afraid to admit that, like much of the country and Michael (on the blog yesterday), I am hooked on The X Factor. And this year it seems to have taken a step up in the entertainment stakes.
It became clear shortly after live show one that the real talking point on the show was going to be the talentless twins, John and Edward - or 'Jedward' as they have now been branded.
While most might see them as great entertainment, in a 'laugh at them rather than with them' kind of way, others are taking pleasure simply from seeing Simon Cowell's increasingly alarmed reaction week after week as they continue to do well in the voting.
However, there is another more important point to the success of Jedward.
It seems to be a classic example of how being unpopular can actually make you more popular.
The minute Simon Cowell spoke so candidly about the lack of talent in the Jedward duo, the nation was hooked - and it seems, voting.
It seems contradictory but history proves the point.
Everybody remembers Britain's love/ hate relationship with Jade Goody and, in many ways, it was key to her success. And then there is The X Factor's own Simon Cowell - a man who has made himself immensely popular by being candid, arrogant, and at times downright rude.
Jade's springboard to success, Big Brother, and Jedward's instrument, X Factor, both rely heavily on the maxim that a good drama has to have conflict.
The X Factor relies on controversy to make the headlines every week, whether it is Cheryl's latest outfit or the acts themselves, and this year the bulk of that controversy has arrived in the slightly alarming shape of Jedward.
I am yet to decide whether Simon Cowell is genuinely outraged by the twins' lack of singing and dancing ability, or whether it is all a cleverly hatched plan to secure the best ratings the show has ever had... we may never know.
When considered in that light, I find myself beginning to feel that Jedward have actually been quite hard done by. It could reasonably be argued that, rather than using X Factor to achieve their dreams, they have inadvertently become a tool in a show that takes no prisoners and nets a vast amount of money for all involved - except the artists, if reports are to be believed.
So, is being unpopular the new way to be popular? I suggest that rather than referring to the word unpopular, we should refer instead to a personality that stands out. I have to admit that, while I don't want them to win the competition, I will continue to happily debate which song the duo will massacre next, and which matching outfits will incense, and yet delight, the nation in the weeks to come - perhaps that answers the question.COMMENTS
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