A WHILE ago a frustrated letter writer had a go at the X Factor NZ judges, bagging them all in inventive detail. While I'm not a fan of letters which attack people, it is in line with the format of the show, and the judges being elevated to public figures through popular entertainment.
Reality shows are popular out of all proportion in Europe, England and America but, in New Zealand, a reality show had better be excellent if it wants to survive. Right now, we're heading towards disaster. Sunday night's X Factor derailed like a Hutt commuter train hitting the barriers at Melling. Judge Natalia Kills belittled and bullied contestant Joe Irvine after he completed his version of Cry Me A River, accusing him of copying her husband by wearing a steel-grey suit. Irvine was tidily dressed in an old-fashioned Sinatra/Michael Buble look, and he took the abuse with good grace.
The adage of there being no such thing as bad publicity relies heavily on having a huge audience with a variety of tastes. If some audience members watching Big Brother in England don't like some drama, it doesn't matter - there's always thousands of idiots who will get off on it. New Zealand has a tiny audience in comparison, and I think we have some common attributes. We don't like bullying, and we like people to get a fair shake of the stick.
Wairarapa's Shae Brider has already demonstrated the audience isn't tolerant of people with convictions trying their luck on stage. And soon the complete nonsense that is The Bachelor NZ will hit our screens. It starts on the premise that a man with a good physique and looks is looking for love. Cue an opportunity for us to ridicule and pity a bevy of female contestants as they flaunt themselves in a manner only stereotypes can.
This season, I think TV is going to get shredded over our inability to present a decent reality show. I genuinely think the public would like them, but these ones are spiralling out of control.
