.@DanniiMinogue and @Redfoo let loose after @ReiganDerry's controversial performance! Now THAT was #awkies!
https://t.co/7d87JV8RAt
— The X Factor Aus (@thexfactor_au) October 5, 2014
This week on
X Factor (Channel 7, Sunday and Monday nights) an issue arose between the
judges about the oversexualisation of artists.
Reigan Derry
was the act at the centre of the controversy owing to her desire to separate
herself from her past girl group Scarlett Belle where she was not comfortable
with the way she was presented.
Dannii
Minogue commented, “In the
close-ups of this outfit, if you don’t want to be oversexualised … I’m getting
mixed messages.”
“I don’t know if you guys are working
together as a team,” said Minogue of Reigan and Red Foo’s partnership.
“As a mentor I would listen to what you said
in that audition. If you don’t want to be oversexualised … stick to it.”
Red
Foo defended Reigan’s outfit,
saying, “It’s not oversexualised”.
“Look at what you’re wearing!” he said to
Dannii.
“You want to talk about oversexualised, look
what you’re wearing. This is see through. Let’s get real.”
While the
altercation was specific to one particular contestant and the lack of communication
between the mentee and mentor, it also opened up a discussion about the
presentation of the artists and show.
The
contestants should have a say in how they are dressed, but the producers also
need to be mindful of the target market and audience of the show.
This show
(and others such as Australia’s Got Talent and The Voice) market themselves at
tweens and families, and are usually broadcast in the 6.30pm or 7.30pm timeslot
on mainstream TV.
While this
means they are rated PG (‘Parental Guidance recommended for young viewers’) it
does not stop the content from often bordering on inappropriate, whether it be through
the the outfits, song lyrics, dance moves or comments made.
 |
| The X Factor judges L to R: Ronan Keating, Natalie Bassingthwaite, Dannii Minogue, Red Foo |
The show does
all it can to create hype around their contestants and judges, and subsequently
they become role models for the younger viewers. They religiously rewatch each
performance, pore over magazine articles featuring the acts and aspire to
replicate them in any way they can.
We are thus advocating
for Channel 7 and the producers to better consider how the show is presented
considering its young demographic, and ensure the content is appropriate for
the time of night.
What do you
think of these variety shows? Have any performances in particular offended you?
Or do you think they have been appropriate considering the time slot and PG
rating?
