The X Factor

Were you glued last night? Did you race home to catch Kate and Matt wow the crowds? Are you too obsessed with the X Factor? After my Mum declined a Skype chat this morning and too many mentions on Facebook,  I decided to find out what all the fuss was about. So by the magic of the interweb, I found a live stream of The X Factor (UK).
I admit, I managed to get sucked in by the lights, the fervour, the banter and in some parts, rather good singing. Apart from the refreshingly good advertising breaks (Australia needs a major overhaul when it comes to ad breaks) I wondered what is it exactly that has everyone hooked? Is it the artificial wrangling between judges or the promise for normal, dare I say, plain people to reach stellar status?
When sub zero temperatures and similar type economies deny a lot of watchers a social life perhaps this is a fine substitute to the bright but expensive lights of a club or theatre? How timely for producers to seize the moment and give viewers a moment of excitement and fun when the chips for many or so firmly down town.
Like so much British TV, Australia has jumped on the bandwagon of variety and quiz shows, The X Factor being no exception. Ronan Keating, yes 'Our Ro',  plays Mr Tough Guy (as if that's possible), while Natalie Imbruglia plays the pretty card, and that's about all. With a mere 45,000 Facebook fans, they have a long way to go to compete with the over 2 million UK likes. Maybe with temperatures warming up and the country's mood a little more buoyant, people are finding a little more to do with their Saturday nights? You tell me.