I feel the need to somewhat lighten the mood...well...actually, lift my own spirits after the events of the last week so I needed to write about something that makes me smile...makes me feel like we live on an amazing planet and I’m proud to be here...
This is a strange one...I find myself wondering if I should be writing about this at all...but then I remember that it isn’t about me...it’s about the people involved in it...and the fact that they touch us...even though we don’t know them.
I am of course talking about the phenomenon’s that are The X-Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and other said talent Competitions.
These are, I concede, fundamentally talent shows but...to me, and I hope to others, they are provide much more than that.
Yes you get the freaks that none of us believe should be there..the judges put them through knowing that it’s more the ‘Cringe Factor’ that keeps us watching...and the hope that someone starts a Facebook campaign to get at Simon which actually increases the viewing numbers so they’re actually making more money for Simon...and yes...you get the great performances from the confident ones that are fantastic to watch and you want to see them do well...note perfect renditions that make you say ‘wow’.
Then there are the stories of the less confident, the vulnerable, the ones that have a real story to tell, that compels you and I to watch the shows.
Stories of tears, pain and despair...and yet born out of this comes an amazing voice, one that totally stuns the audience and the judges. The ones that silence the room, silence audiences and us all at home...makes you turn up the TV and watch them over and over on YouTube..the ones that leave you with a tear in your eye, not of sadness, but of pride, that here is someone that may have been through tough times, sometimes lost everything or someone close to them...yet they find the courage...the strength to not only apply for the shows, but to stand in front of the live audience and millions of us at home watching and deliver an emotional performance that comes from the heart... with true feeling.
For these contestants it’s an inconceivable dream to think that they could become stars...and for some...it’s actually a hope to take them away from a place they would rather not be. From troubled backgrounds on rough estates..or perhaps even the last wish of a lost love one...they all bring a story of passion, nerves, vulnerability... and for us, we witness them become performers...if just for a few moments.
Yes some might argue that some of these people could have made more of their lives by paying attention at school and educating themselves out of their situations..but for some, they don’t have that option...they chose the selfless path, becoming carers for their parents or grandparents, or chose to become mothers. They give us hope, they prove that through adversity, through sheer hard work and determination, you can achieve, no matter where you come from or your circumstances...let nothing stand in the way of your dreams...just go out there and get them...
What really amazes me are the touching stories of the kids that audition...that show talent way beyond their years...even continuing to pursue their dreams when all around them is ridicule and bullying...shame on you. They stand on that big stage, scared and alone...then they start singing and you see them come alive...you sense they were born to do it.
I have to concede, I do believe they are great shows...and yes... I fast forward through the ‘Jedward’ type performances, they just ruin it for the others because the media focuses on the talentless. It’s shows like this that expose the diamonds amongst the coal...giving them all an equal platform to show what they can do...
I’ve put together some links here that make me proud to be British...proud to know that there are amazing people out there that share their talent with us through this vehicle that is television...without which, we would never get to see and hear them...so for that...we have to thank Simon.
I fail to see how watching these could not at the very least, make you smile...actually... I hope you feel proud of them.
Touching Stories
Daniel Evans - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNyHuTNGBbw
Amy Connelly - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzBBPAqYhf8&feature=related
Scott James - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt5egjZ9ISI
This season...
Jade Richards - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dnp6N9jsLo&feature=related
Janet Devlin - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaDFdtk0A2Y
Goose bump effect...
Shaheen Jafargholi - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYDM3MIzEHo
Andrew Johnson - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA2bC1WkAQU&feature=related
Liam McNally - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utfkGocmCiE&feature=related
I could go on...there are so many more...but I’ll leave that up to you and your spare time on YouTube...just remember, the next time you watch the show, take it for what it means to the contestants, not Simons bank balance.
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