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What are they searching for? Well, firstly I would ask who are 'they'? The judges are obviously searching for some poor sap who they can exploit to increase their bank balances. The judges are certainly not looking to take music to a new level. They'll play it safe and go for some middle of the road, attitude-less teenager with a fresh face and a voice which can break glass. The REAL question to me is 'what are the contestants searching for'? What would make someone put themselves forward for that kind of exploitation? Who would want to submit themselves to be a slave to a record executive who (regardless of how successful they if they win) will most likely be dropped in a few years, fall on to the Z-list celebrity ladder and then have the rest of their life ruined by paparazzi. Doesn't sound like much fun to me.

I think that contestants of these shows are victims of a culture of fame. We now see popularity as the be-all-and-end-all of modern day life. People want to feel adored by millions. Such a waste of your life. Many contestants are too young to fully appreciate what they are going through, they don't quite fully the pressures of such a competition, or a life as a recording artist. These contestants will more than likely have been shamefully 'groomed' by their parents to go into such a life, because their parents never had opportunities like that to live out their own fantasy. To me this is slightly sick, people should be allowed to live their own lives regardless.

Of course, money is also a contributing factor for many contestants. However, I feel that this goes hand in hand with the concept of fame. People want to live the high-life: fast cars, big houses, etc. Does this really make people happy? I think not. Consider the number of stars of song and screen currently in rehab, or count the messy divorces and you may find an answer.

In short, if any of the contestants were TRUE artists they would avoid such rubbish at all costs. Being an artist is about expressing yourself, your ideas and putting out your own take on the world. To be controlled by a record label who is trying to second guess the general public is not being true to yourself.

Learn more about this author, Angus Macdonald.
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