American Idol vs X Factor

With the final of X Factor in sight and the new series of American Idol about to venture back onto our screens, I thought now would be a good time to make my vote on the biggest competition yet… American Idol vs X Factor. We all know how popular the X Factor is. Even those who despise watching Simon Cowell attempt to turn an unknown wannabe into the ‘next big thing’ can’t help but feel compelled to watch the show on a Saturday night. However, in spite of this X Factor craze, which is taking over the UK, the show wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight against the mighty American Idol. Only a small number of us watch the US version, which airs between January-May every year, but it is this group of people, including myself, who would not hesitate in saying that American Idol is in a totally different league to the X Factor in many ways.

The major difference between the two world’s biggest reality TV shows is that the contestants on Idol are actually talented. Although X Factor has produced the likes of Leona Lewis, there are not many other singers from the show that have experienced even the slightest success that Leona has had. I mean, you don’t see Leon Jackson performing at the MTV VMAs do you? Meanwhile, American Idols go on to enjoy global success and dominate the charts, even those who don’t get to the final of the show. For example, Jennifer Hudson came seventh in the third series; however, she went on to win an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her performance in the 2006 film Dream-girls, and her debut CD won a Grammy for Best RnB Album in 2008.

Furthermore in Idol, those with a musical talent beyond vocals are encouraged to use it, which enables viewers to see the full potential of stars such as David Cook, winner of season seven. However, this is not the case in X Factor and most of the time those who play instruments suffer any early exit from the competition, perpetuating the stereotype that these shows are nothing more than glorified karaoke competitions.

The contestants on Idol also have their own unique qualities which makes the show a lot more interesting to watch since all the performances are different. Last season’s finale, for instance, was incredible because Adam Lambert was very eccentric and he delivered the most flamboyant performances, whilst Kris Allen’s friendly personality and guitar-playing won over the public and made him one of the most likeable contestants in the history of Idol. On the other hand, X Factor seems to keep producing the same types of artists, which makes the show repetitive and tedious.

The most irritating thing about X Factor, apart from Louis Walsh, is the fact that the contestants rely on sob stories, and more often than not the judges fall for the sympathy act. You only need to look back to the end of the last series of X Factor when Simon Cowell revealed that he’d tipped crack-head mum Rachel Hylton to win before the finals began. American Idol obviously still likes a good sob story now and again, but the show isn’t based on those foundations, unlike X Factor. For example, Series eight contestant Scott MacIntyre was completely blind, however, after his first audition he never spoke of his disability again as it was his talent that got him through to the finals.

On Idol, the judging panel seems to be a lot fairer as they are purely there for guidance and not to feed their egos- hard to believe when Simon Cowell’s on the panel, I know. The contestants can make their own song choices and face up to a tongue-lashing from the judges if they pick something rubbish. Whereas the X Factor mentoring system means that the judges choose the songs for their acts, something I’m convinced they only do so they can then criticise each other after the performance and turn the focus back on themselves rather than the contestants. And of course, who can forget the ridiculous voting system on X Factor, which allows the judges to vote out their fellow judge’s strongest acts if the opportunity arises and help their own acts win. Take Jamie Archer for example, who lost out recently against tone deaf Lloyd Daniels, much to Simon Cowell’s chagrin.

The judges themselves are undoubtedly more entertaining on Idol than X Factor. Whereas Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue appear to be more interested in their fashion war, Paula Abdul is so unpredictable in what she might say or do that it brings a kind of excitement to Idol that’s distinctly lacking on X Factor. At least when Sharon Osbourne was on the panel there was the possibility she might punch someone. Although Paula won’t be on the next series of Idol, the producers are maintaining the excitement of the judging panel by having a guest judge each week, including Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne and Victoria Beckham.

Perhaps American Idol’s strongest selling point over X Factor is that there’s no Louis Walsh in sight. Randy Jackson is hilarious with his ‘what’s up dawg’ catchphrase and he does actually seem to know what he’s talking about, unlike Louis Walsh who thinks people want to see two clowns called John and Edward running around on stage every Saturday night. Even everyone’s favourite cheeky chappy host Dermot O’Leary could be beaten by Idol’s Ryan Seacrest with his natural wittiness and jokes with the judges, which makes the show a lot more fun to watch.

Having only watched the last two out of eight series of American Idol, I think it is safe to say I am already addicted. Even whilst on holiday in America over the summer, I jumped at the chance of attending the American Idols tour in Tampa, Florida which exceeded my expectations at all levels. It was the most entertaining concert I had ever been to and made the X Factor tour I had previously attended seem puny, as is the same for the series. American Idol is much more advanced than the hilariously trashy equivalent we get lumbered with over here and I definitely recommend it for all you X Factor addicts out there.