Tom's primary school had me over a barrel this week. There was an announcement in the weekly newsletter and on the facebook page that the school had been 'specially selected' to take part in recording the Christmas Single (as in record) with 'The 'X' Factor' in the London O2 Arena in November.. Year three to year six students were invited to participate at a cost of £22 per ticket. Payment was needed by 22nd May.
My gut instinct was to say no. Not interested. No thank you. How much??? Why??? 'Specially selected' I don't think so. Specially selected mugs to pay for it more like - they should be paying us if they want our children's talents. Specially selected one in a million - well, how many schoolchildren does the O2 arena hold? There's no real kudos in being a part of that bandwagon (all puns intended).
And this isn't the aspiration I want my son to be exposed to. How tacky. Vulgar. Cheap. Bad taste.
Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel so strongly opposed to it? Is it my age??? (again..).
I've never actually watched 'The X Factor'. Thank goodness we were without a TV for so long. But from what I've seen via the internet, and heard commented upon on the radio, and observed on the magazine stands, it's this fashion for populist TV. Entertainment without talent. Talent without trying. Success on a plate. 15 minutes of Fame. Z-list celebrity. Pop culture. Lowest common denominator. Emphasis on the common. Emphasis on the low. It's too easy, too seedy, too stars in their eyes. Reality TV with nothing real about it. All fakery, fake tan, fake eyelashes, fake smiles. Takeaway TV for the generation that has no attention span.
It's something I lump together with Big Brother, WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends), OK and Hello Magazines and their ilk. And something, under normal circumstances, I would choose to ignore.
But if I ignore this invitation I will isolate my son. The rest of his class are going. And he wants to go. Well. He says he wants to go, but he's more than likely got no idea what it is he wants to go to. He wants to go because all his friends are going and because they were told about it at school, and there was probably a song and dance and they made it sound exciting and when you're 7 that's all you need to know.... and how can I as a solitary parent, go against the flow?
So here I am over a barrel, and I've grudgingly paid the £22 and frankly I'm not happy about it, but what can you do?
Grrr.
Kat.
My gut instinct was to say no. Not interested. No thank you. How much??? Why??? 'Specially selected' I don't think so. Specially selected mugs to pay for it more like - they should be paying us if they want our children's talents. Specially selected one in a million - well, how many schoolchildren does the O2 arena hold? There's no real kudos in being a part of that bandwagon (all puns intended).
And this isn't the aspiration I want my son to be exposed to. How tacky. Vulgar. Cheap. Bad taste.
Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel so strongly opposed to it? Is it my age??? (again..).
I've never actually watched 'The X Factor'. Thank goodness we were without a TV for so long. But from what I've seen via the internet, and heard commented upon on the radio, and observed on the magazine stands, it's this fashion for populist TV. Entertainment without talent. Talent without trying. Success on a plate. 15 minutes of Fame. Z-list celebrity. Pop culture. Lowest common denominator. Emphasis on the common. Emphasis on the low. It's too easy, too seedy, too stars in their eyes. Reality TV with nothing real about it. All fakery, fake tan, fake eyelashes, fake smiles. Takeaway TV for the generation that has no attention span.
It's something I lump together with Big Brother, WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends), OK and Hello Magazines and their ilk. And something, under normal circumstances, I would choose to ignore.
But if I ignore this invitation I will isolate my son. The rest of his class are going. And he wants to go. Well. He says he wants to go, but he's more than likely got no idea what it is he wants to go to. He wants to go because all his friends are going and because they were told about it at school, and there was probably a song and dance and they made it sound exciting and when you're 7 that's all you need to know.... and how can I as a solitary parent, go against the flow?
So here I am over a barrel, and I've grudgingly paid the £22 and frankly I'm not happy about it, but what can you do?
Grrr.
Kat.
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