OK the reality television phenomenon that is X Factor has returned to our screens for another year, and I found myself tuning in to the 2010 series opener as once again the nation conducts its search for the next great pop star.
First impressions are somewhat... mixed, and though the judges have yet to really get their handbags and claws out to any of the auditionees, but likewise I didn’t see anyone with what I would call “transcendental” talent show up yet either, which made it a relatively no thrills starter, to ease us in to the new series.
I think I will keep an eye out on the unusually named Gamu, as the self described “girl with a red flower in her hair” impressed the judges with her own take on “Walking on Sunshine” as they trawled through Glasgow. Indeed early reports suggest that bookies are calling her an early favourite to win the whole competition. I personally say don’t count your chickens, and even though I did like her, I think I will need to see just a little bit more from her before she gets my vote.
Of course X Factor just wouldn’t be X Factor, without a “What The F**K” moment, and that came out in the form of 30 year old Shirleena when the judges moved the search on to London. Her eccentric take on “Mercy” by Duffy, had me on the floor out of a double whammy of laughter and cringing. I apparently looked like she was driving me into a seizure, and I have a strange suspicion that this woman could probably do just that, making me hope that if she continues in the competition, then producers will put a warning on the title card. Of course the real WTF moment came when the judges let her through 2 to 1. I know those guys are the experts, but surely they must have been drinking at that point.
Other memorable candidates were G & S a double act, whose take on “Don’t Stop Believing” quite possibly ruined the pilot episode of Glee, for me, for all time. I mean come on guys, it isn’t a double act unless you can both sing. I also shouted at the TV when “JAHM” hit the screen and butchered Bad Romance, after apparently meeting online and auditioning “over the phone”...... yeah I could believe that.
There has also been another point of controversy with thousands of viewers venting their spleens on twitter regarding the use of auto-tune technology by the show. The use of a post production technology to improve the voices of the contestants was met with outrage and seen by many as an attempt to falsely convey the quality of the talent that people have. I can only think, if that is what they sound like after they have been vocally photo-shopped, I would hate to have heard it raw *cringe*.
Oh well all controversy aside, the big lactating behemoth that is ITV’s cash cow has performed well in the ratings and 11.1 million viewers tuned in nationwide, and early estimations are showing that this will be a big year for the show, now in its seventh series. I will personally be watching (because the other half makes me) and seeing if I can spot the next Leona/Alexandra and be ready to vent my spleen on twitter if another Jedward shows up..... beware.
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Anne Rice: The Courage of her Convictions
Anne Rice gave herself back to God just a few short years ago, and yet barely a week ago, the critically acclaimed author of “Interview with the Vampire”, announced that she was to quit being a Christian, due to their attitudes to feminism and homosexuality. In the moment I read the words I felt the kind of pride that makes a young cynic like me stop and take notice.
As an unashamed fan of her stories of the Vampires and the Witches that walk among us, I have always felt a deep and almost spiritual bond to Anne Rice. I felt nothing short of divine praise was due to her contribution to literature, as she dealt both sensitively and with a great deal of depth, those themes that many authors might be wary, if not downright afraid to touch.
During my adolescence she introduced me to the power and beauty of a world that was so real and vivid, that it turned many of my ideas about life and sexuality completely inside out. In many ways I owe part of the young man I am today to her, and her “savage garden” of aesthetics. Her back catalogue of fiction had affected me deeply, and made me proud of my own sexual identity, something which had been a difficult concept for me to understand even late into my teenage years. While reading her books she became my teacher, and she helped me to form my own personal philosophy, to life, love, sex and beauty.
In 2002 however her life and her career took a drastic change, when she “consecrated her writing to Jesus Christ” and that she would write “directly” for him. After returning to her childhood faith of Catholicism in 1998 she began to feel that her past literary accomplishments were to prepare her for that step, and she confirmed this on her personal website. Myself, and I am sure many other fans of her previous work were saddened to see the end of her previous works, and perhaps even worried when her new book “Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt” hit the shelves in 2005 and seemed in subject matter to be a far cry from where she started.
On a personal note I felt a sharp and palpable pang of personal grief, and almost a sense of betrayal. How could a woman who created such masterpieces turn herself to a religion where the views of homosexuality were still left wanting. Why would someone, who wrote so beautifully of the empowerment of women and their control of their own private destinies, decide to write only on behalf of a faith system where abortion was a grievous sin? Out of principle I chose not to read her later work, if only for the fact that I was worried that I would only find Christian Rhetoric burning through the pages in my hands.
However last week, coincidentaly while rereading “The Witching Hour”, I read about how she had quit being Christian. My curiosity was inflamed I did some research, and Rice actually confirmed her views on her Facebook in response to an inflammatory statement from “You Can Run But You Cannot Hide” a severely right wing Christian ministry. She stated on the social networking site that:
“I quit being a Christian. I’m out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.”
She wrote in response to a statement by the ministry that
I was moved in ways I could not even process for a few long minutes. However I soon had to smile, and I felt something wonderful had occurred. Though Rice has maintained that she is a faithful Catholic, she was horrified by the views taken by some so-called “modern” Christians, and that “following Christ does not mean following His followers.”
Perhaps this is my own specific brand of hero worship talking, but there is something so deep and meaningful about this statement, and it helps me to reaffirm my own faith in humanity as a whole. With a few well chosen words Rice has maintained her own faith, and her own love of Jesus, while simultaneously rejecting the idea that homosexuality is wrong, and turning her back on the religious right wing.
Rice, by taking her own stand by not conforming to beliefs that she finds herself morally opposed against, and so shows the world that they are allowed to have faith, and yet they do not need to follow those that spread messages of hate and ignorance to the masses.
Anne Rice herself is the mother of a gay son, Christopher Rice an author who lives in California, and regular writer for the American LGBT related news magazine the Advocate. Rice has maintained that the decision was not due to her son’s orientation, but more to do with her own beliefs and opinions. As a fan boy or her work and vampire fanatic, as a proud gay man, and a staunch humanist, my heart goes out to her bravery, and her willingness to stand up for peoples rights. I can only hope that others follow her proud example, and help to weaken the iron grip of many of these hate spreading ministries have on their "communities" and "congregations".
As an unashamed fan of her stories of the Vampires and the Witches that walk among us, I have always felt a deep and almost spiritual bond to Anne Rice. I felt nothing short of divine praise was due to her contribution to literature, as she dealt both sensitively and with a great deal of depth, those themes that many authors might be wary, if not downright afraid to touch.
During my adolescence she introduced me to the power and beauty of a world that was so real and vivid, that it turned many of my ideas about life and sexuality completely inside out. In many ways I owe part of the young man I am today to her, and her “savage garden” of aesthetics. Her back catalogue of fiction had affected me deeply, and made me proud of my own sexual identity, something which had been a difficult concept for me to understand even late into my teenage years. While reading her books she became my teacher, and she helped me to form my own personal philosophy, to life, love, sex and beauty.
In 2002 however her life and her career took a drastic change, when she “consecrated her writing to Jesus Christ” and that she would write “directly” for him. After returning to her childhood faith of Catholicism in 1998 she began to feel that her past literary accomplishments were to prepare her for that step, and she confirmed this on her personal website. Myself, and I am sure many other fans of her previous work were saddened to see the end of her previous works, and perhaps even worried when her new book “Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt” hit the shelves in 2005 and seemed in subject matter to be a far cry from where she started.
On a personal note I felt a sharp and palpable pang of personal grief, and almost a sense of betrayal. How could a woman who created such masterpieces turn herself to a religion where the views of homosexuality were still left wanting. Why would someone, who wrote so beautifully of the empowerment of women and their control of their own private destinies, decide to write only on behalf of a faith system where abortion was a grievous sin? Out of principle I chose not to read her later work, if only for the fact that I was worried that I would only find Christian Rhetoric burning through the pages in my hands.
However last week, coincidentaly while rereading “The Witching Hour”, I read about how she had quit being Christian. My curiosity was inflamed I did some research, and Rice actually confirmed her views on her Facebook in response to an inflammatory statement from “You Can Run But You Cannot Hide” a severely right wing Christian ministry. She stated on the social networking site that:
“I quit being a Christian. I’m out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.”
She wrote in response to a statement by the ministry that
I was moved in ways I could not even process for a few long minutes. However I soon had to smile, and I felt something wonderful had occurred. Though Rice has maintained that she is a faithful Catholic, she was horrified by the views taken by some so-called “modern” Christians, and that “following Christ does not mean following His followers.”
Perhaps this is my own specific brand of hero worship talking, but there is something so deep and meaningful about this statement, and it helps me to reaffirm my own faith in humanity as a whole. With a few well chosen words Rice has maintained her own faith, and her own love of Jesus, while simultaneously rejecting the idea that homosexuality is wrong, and turning her back on the religious right wing.
Rice, by taking her own stand by not conforming to beliefs that she finds herself morally opposed against, and so shows the world that they are allowed to have faith, and yet they do not need to follow those that spread messages of hate and ignorance to the masses.
Anne Rice herself is the mother of a gay son, Christopher Rice an author who lives in California, and regular writer for the American LGBT related news magazine the Advocate. Rice has maintained that the decision was not due to her son’s orientation, but more to do with her own beliefs and opinions. As a fan boy or her work and vampire fanatic, as a proud gay man, and a staunch humanist, my heart goes out to her bravery, and her willingness to stand up for peoples rights. I can only hope that others follow her proud example, and help to weaken the iron grip of many of these hate spreading ministries have on their "communities" and "congregations".
Sunday, 1 August 2010
How many roads must a man walk down?
The saga of my mid-mid-life crisis continues. But that's mostly because its my birthday at the end of the month, and at the not so tender age of 23 I am still not sure what direction my life is going in.
I have spoken before about my love/hate relationship with my job, and of my steady relationship, and how I want to live my life in the best possible way. But here's the rub, I am a FUCKING hypocrite, though I am ashamed to admit it.
The truth is, I don't like my job anymore. My boss is a massive tool, and I mean that in the honest to god American sense, in the course of not even a year working for him I am becoming a neurotic mess. I cant lie, I enjoy the work, but this isn't the type of job I ever saw myself doing, and more often than not I leave work feeling like I am falling down a well, and my chances of escape are limited.
I talk a lot about changing my life, but I keep falling into the same patterns. I change things around for a month, then something happens and it destabilises all the good work I have done. My commitment to going out and seeing friends more, all well and good, but then I forget to return calls, or have to cancel lunches because I want to work through lunch to meet yet another deadline.
My relationship is all that keeps me sane, yet even that is fraught with stress sometimes, and on more than one occasion I have almost snapped and vented my spleen at him, but I will not do that since I know not all my anger is to do with him.
All these endless books and films make the idea of changing for the better sound easy. But my own "coming of age" in my new and impressive adult life, feels so hard.
But still I try to keep the faith. I am not ready to call it quits just yet. I am still looking to chase my dreams, as unlikely as they seem right now. I know that my road is only as difficult as the obstacles I put in front of myself.
Even as I write this, I am thinking of an old dream, that has been bubbling to the surface over the past few months. I am ready to go about chasing it, but I need to plan it carefully, I am not defeated, and I am not done.
I will be 23 on the 28th August. That sounds like a good age to me!!
And for all the bloggers who respond to visual aids, here is a pic of me, looking pretty tired and unkempt, but maybe a little happy even still lol. Much love and happiness to you all, will hopefully get posting more often :) !!!!!
I have spoken before about my love/hate relationship with my job, and of my steady relationship, and how I want to live my life in the best possible way. But here's the rub, I am a FUCKING hypocrite, though I am ashamed to admit it.
The truth is, I don't like my job anymore. My boss is a massive tool, and I mean that in the honest to god American sense, in the course of not even a year working for him I am becoming a neurotic mess. I cant lie, I enjoy the work, but this isn't the type of job I ever saw myself doing, and more often than not I leave work feeling like I am falling down a well, and my chances of escape are limited.
I talk a lot about changing my life, but I keep falling into the same patterns. I change things around for a month, then something happens and it destabilises all the good work I have done. My commitment to going out and seeing friends more, all well and good, but then I forget to return calls, or have to cancel lunches because I want to work through lunch to meet yet another deadline.
My relationship is all that keeps me sane, yet even that is fraught with stress sometimes, and on more than one occasion I have almost snapped and vented my spleen at him, but I will not do that since I know not all my anger is to do with him.
All these endless books and films make the idea of changing for the better sound easy. But my own "coming of age" in my new and impressive adult life, feels so hard.
But still I try to keep the faith. I am not ready to call it quits just yet. I am still looking to chase my dreams, as unlikely as they seem right now. I know that my road is only as difficult as the obstacles I put in front of myself.
Even as I write this, I am thinking of an old dream, that has been bubbling to the surface over the past few months. I am ready to go about chasing it, but I need to plan it carefully, I am not defeated, and I am not done.
I will be 23 on the 28th August. That sounds like a good age to me!!
And for all the bloggers who respond to visual aids, here is a pic of me, looking pretty tired and unkempt, but maybe a little happy even still lol. Much love and happiness to you all, will hopefully get posting more often :) !!!!!
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