Now look. Coffee, for me, is more than just a drink, more even than a religion. For me coffee is life itself. I'm a hopeless, unrepentant, addict. So spitting it out doesn't come second nature to me. Nunnunosirree, not even for one second. I've just had to choose between spitting it out or drowning. This - for me- is tantamount to losing a little bit of my life.
I just heard Simon Cowell using the word "cynical" in regard to someone other than himself. He's accusing a Facegroup campaign of manipulating the market.
Let's face it.That's a defining moment in the history of hypocrisy.
I mean... the nerve of the man.

it's all part of the Simon Cowell soap opera. Keeps him and his music in the headlines. Whether Joe Mcelderry or RATM get to no.1 Cowell will rake in money because he pretty much runs Sony which RATM are signed to. So yeah, he accuses others of being cynical knowing that it'll cause a reaction and keep him as a main topic on discussion forums, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't encourage the RATM campaign himself for that very reason. He knows people are bound to get bored with X Factor eventually so he had to inject some freshness into the affair. Pretty good plan which seems to be paying off.

Kerching!!!!!

I have to admit to being a longtime Cowell fan (and his original mentor - read my book) so I must say - kudos to the guy, at least he's selling music (more than anyone else is).

have to agree with JK..I reckon Cowell is one of the best things to happen to entertainment on TV for decades..as naf sometimes as the shows are.(then again-I'm a hopless Jedward fan)

I've spoken to him a few times on the telephone-back when Sinita was in Oz and I had to look after her. He was very charming.

Can't wait to read JK's book for the full story.

Concerning Simon Cowell, whilst his music sells well, I cannot help but wonder if we will look back on it in years to come with affection or if it will be consigned to the proverbial music dustbin.

Just listening to Norah Jones this morning singing "Chasing Pirates" makes me wish that Simon did more tracks like that - great to listen to - even on repeat playings.

So let's get this right...
Whatever sells is good if it's Cowell. However, the same rule shouldn't be applied to newspapers.
Newspapers make a fortune utilizing hypocrisy and sophistry. We slate them all the time here.
Cowell makes a fortune utilizing hypocrisy and sophistry. And that's just wise marketing and good luck to him...
H'mmm that's going to take some thinking about.

Not an argumentative post, just my honest reaction.

I think Simon Cowell is great. But enough is enough. The chart should represent a level playing field otherwise it is not fair.

There should be one chart for TV records ( to represent this phenomena ) and one chart for everything else.

There are enough TV shows now ( GLEE - FAME ACADAMY - POPSTARZ - AMERICAN IDOL - BRITAINs GOT TALENT - X FACTOR - C4 UNSIGNED - etc) To float a TOP 20 singles chart and a Top 20 album chart.

This would stop all this bad feeling about the lack of a level playing field.

Today so far my good friend TOM HINGLEY has been on RADIO 5 LIVE - and CHANNEL 4 NEWS - and is due on SKY NEWS and is being interviewed this afternoon on GMANCHESTER radio - as well as loads of press about this very point and to express the grass roots feelings about X FACTOTR.

Over the last month Tom and myself have discussed this whole issue in depth and we are agreed that X FACTOR is killing the Christmas chart - and the TV shows now seem to have a monopoly. The big labels are not signing anyone anymore. They know that every finalist in these TV SHOWS will have had far more exposure than any act they sign outside of the shows. It is a no brainer.

This is not fair. The damage to the grass roots of the industry is massive. I respect people like TOM who have already had a successful career that they are willing to stand up for the NEW KIDS OUT THERE - because it would be easy to sit back and say it does not matter.

I might add that I respect totally what Simon Cowell does - and know the Fullers. They are really good people. It is just that the balance for the rest of the industry now means that music as a business is being destroyed in the UK.

RAGE should be number one. A MILLION people have now signed the FACEBOOK group - and many like me have downloaded RAGE and we are not even members of that group.

I would think RAGE is really outselling JOE by about 3 to 1. Though the CHART is heavily manipulated as we all know.............

The cancer that is TV REALITY SHOWS at the heart of the music industry needs to be cut out - and we need to have a new era of fairness and fair charts.

well i'm a teen and admit that kids are now talking about the charts and what will be no.1 at Christmas. Usually none of us bother. Its not that many of us are buying either of the songs but its the whole rivalry thing that got people interested. Not sure it'll keep kids interested in the chart after new year tho.

What would you like to see at Christmas No.1, Pumpkinhead?

fair points Locked Out but Cowell is exploiting what the media has become and I don't think in a harmful way and you can't really blame him can you ?

There is much that is odious about modern media-or tabloid media but why not exploit it while we can.

I also think Simon Cowell has only got about 3 years left with his current exploits-unless he comes up with some new revolutionary idea which is unlikely.

After-all..he's just today's Hughie Green with Opportunity Knocks. The most watched show in it's day and then just faded out.

I just find it curious that while we criticize the tabs for promoting and encouraging a celebrity culture, we criticize the media for promoting the vacuous and short term-ism and we criticize everyone for exploitative business practices we don't appear to be able to recognize any of these traits in Cowell {and he possesses them in spades} as being anything other than laudable. I think that if we are to criticize other peoples' hypocrisy {as we do on a regular basis} it may be best if we at least recognize our own.

I think the answer is - we criticise tabloids for distorting reality and irresponsible moral behaviour whereas criticism of Simon appears rooted in personal preferences of music.

If the X Factor was discovering new Beatles or Led Zeps, many would be praising it to the skies.

Surely the difference there, JK, is that the likes of Led Zep and Beatles wrote their own music and brought some originality to the music scene. X Factor uses old songs which have often been done to death and doesn't really move music forward at all.

Channel 4's Orange Unsigned Act is the best of the talent shows, focusing on bands who do write their own material, both electric and unplugged. Unfortunately it's never shown at peak time. I found it purely by chance but enjoyed it immensely.

but without Simon Cowell would we have ever discovered Jedward ?

veritas wrote:
but without Simon Cowell would we have ever discovered Jedward ?

Eww!!

umm I dunno whats out there much but I do know that Bob Dylan song is getting shared as well as lotsa old stuff. I like that Mia Rose song.

Jedward have no discernible musical talent but they certainly had more X Factor than most of the other contestants.