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The X Factor and reality television: beyond good and evil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2016

Stephen Graham
Stephen Graham*
Affiliation:
Department of Music, Goldsmiths, London SE14 6NW E-mail: s.graham@gold.ac.uk
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Abstract

Despite huge popularity and lasting cultural impact, reality television shows such as The X Factor, a British music competition that started screening in 2004, are seen by many as a cultural nadir. However, in this article I argue that, while reading reality TV as an index of an increasingly superficial, market-based culture makes a great deal of sense, it doesn't tell the whole story. Using the particular music-based dramas of The X Factor as a case study, I explore ways in which this show and populist reality television in general might be seen to embody both the predicaments and potential pressure points of contemporary neoliberal culture.

Type
Articles
Information
Popular Music , Volume 36 , Special Issue 1: The Critical Imperative , January 2017 , pp. 6 - 20
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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