Sunday 9th June

I try not to watch those programmes, you know, ‘X factor’, ‘The Voice’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. But sometimes you are tired and it seems that whatever channel you switch on they are on.  And if not them then ‘The Apprentice’ or ‘Masterchef’ or some other so-called ‘Reality TV show,.

I don’t hate them, in fact I don’t really dislike the idea of ordinary people trying to do something extraordinary, especially as life for so many of us is incredibly mundane.  I don’t like the fact that they use backing singers and (apparently) a programme to make the singers sing in tune even when they aren’t, and I don’t like the sycophantic or in some cases nasty comments from the judges.  Why would anyone put themselves up for that; making a pratt of yourself on primetime TV.  But then again the ones that do well obviously think it was worth it, and for them maybe it was.   But the thing that gets me is that almost every contestant has to have a  backstory, some tearjerker in the wings, a mother with cancer or a lifetime of rejection.  And they all say the same thing how winning the show, or the semi-final, or just a round is the most important thing in their lives, how much they desperately want to win is a must say mantra.  I would love someone to just say, ‘Yeah I wouldn’t mind winning, but really it’s no big deal.’

Of course that is never going to happen.  Life isn’t like that at all.  Well, not on ‘Reality TV’, where everyone is just so happy to be given the chance for their not-even-fifteen minutes of fame.  And I was the same, when I was young.  I wanted to run away and be in a rock band. Fuck it, I still do. Because deep down we all think we are special, or maybe we think we just might be good enough.  And so we watch and admire and deride and know that we too could do that if we wanted to.  We just don’t bother, it’s easier to watch other people doing it, and after all, as the hosts keep on telling us, there can only be one winner.  In all these talent shows there can only ever be one winner.  The people who make the programmes.