mediation

X Factor Tipping: results after week one

well a disastrous week one for Mediation.  I wasn't half right when I said that it wasn't a strong line up for the groups...  if only I'd followed through with that intuition in my voting.  I tipped Girlband and Ruth to be in the bottom two, as it was BOTH girl groups were in the bottom two.

not only did I miss out on five points for not tipping Bad Lashes to be in the bottom two but was then robbed, yes robbed, of an further five when the wrong girl group went.  I'm a fan of neither, but Bad Lashes were the better of a bad bunch...

but thats the way the cookie crumbles and so a bad week for Louis and Mediation sees the scores on the doors as follows:

1. Dale             25
1. Davey           25
1. Philip           25

4. Carole           20
4. Laura            20
4. Paul              20
4. Richard         20

8. Mediation     15
8. Emma           15
8. Jason K         15
8. Nicole           15
8. Simon           15
8. Stu               15

14. Bree            10
14. David D        10
14. Jason W      10
14. Lizzy           10
14. Nick            10
14. Nuala          10

Mediation must do better next week, the question is who but who will join Girlband in the bottom two.  certainly not Alexandra or Laura, my two top faves who were both amazing on Saturday.  we'll see.  as for now, its adios to Bad Lashes...

X Factor Tipping: live finals - week one

so here we are.  a whole eight weeks in, and it's time for the live finals of the X.  but there's an extra edge this year thanks to the lovely Dale who's organised a tipping competition of all things.  the rules are simple, every week until we get to the final five Mediation has to pick two acts I think will survive (yes’s) and two acts that you think could be sent home (no’s)...  scoring is more complicated:

5 points for each ‘yes’ that survives
5 points for each ‘no’ act that's in the bottom two,and
10 points for each ‘no’ act that is sent home

but there is, however, a twist.  if one of Mediation's ‘yes’ acts is in the bottom two I lose 5 points and if one of them is sent home I lose 10 points!

so it's all to play for and with all the acts unproven on live TV there's been a fair bit of discussion, with the final tips going as follows:

first up to stay, Alexandra.  outrageously robbed of a place in the live finals in 2005, this year she gave a performance for Cheryl head and shoulders above the other girls.  she's worked for three years for this chance and Mediation expects her to grab it with both arms.

next up to stay was more tricky but I've settled for Laura.  quirky, down to earth and vulnerable, reckon the public are going to love her.  and great voice makes her solid from a vocal point of view

first of my nominations to go is Girlband.  admittedly Louis had not a lot to choose from (so much so that the producers had to form a band from solo contestants that didn't make it) and it's not a strong line up for the groups.  they're up against another - and arguably stronger vocally - girl group who'll divide the girl group vote in week one.  not a chance.

the second nomination to go again is harder and despite lots of lobbying for Dan, who can't sing for toffee but has a flawless back-story so will stay in the competition for way longer than he should, I'm reluctantly settling on Ruth.  just not convinced that the great British public will buy Enrique-esque stylings on prime time...  sorry.

it would be nice to think that this is all is aid of proving Henry Jenkins' theories of Convergence Culture - demonstrating how the evolving ecology of broadcast and consumer-generated media are developing in a harmonious and mutually beneficial way.  it would also be nice to think that this proof that the live-TV model is still very much (a)live and kicking; proof that this kind of involvement just wouldn't be feasible if the broadcast was time-shifted... but it's not.  Mediation just loves a bit of X.

finally it should be noted that Mediation is very much in two minds about Austin.  please please can someone stop him crying, its all very distracting.  plus the poor boy has been styled to within an inch of his life...  I don't know who put Morticia Adams in charge of styling but they need to be pointed in the direction of the pasture.  fast.

enjoy the show.

Austin before...

Austin after Morticia had her way... poor guy.