So Cheryl Cole got axed from U.S. X Factor. Despite being sad over this I can't deny that I'm surprised. As someone who spent three years in the North of England I know first hand how difficult the Geordie accent is to understand. Most people in southern England experience significant difficulty understanding it- if they understand it at all. That's why I was surprised when I heard that Cheryl would be joining U.S. X Factor and not altering her accent. Although I appreciate and love that she's sticking to her roots I knew that her stint on U.S. X Factor would not last. Her accent is just too difficult to understand. Particularly when you consider that she'll be talking over a crowd or other judges.
I find it incredibly odd that Simon Cowell even suggested her for the role. He had to know, after all of his time in the U.S., that people simply wouldn't understand her. I wonder why therefore he suggested her. If he didn't want to harm her reputation why did he simply suggest that she TRY out the gig rather than stating that she was a judge, particularly when she failed so quickly.
A large majority of her appeal in the U.K. is not related to her talent or even her appearance but rather to her story. She grew up effectively in the public eye. Starting her career on a reality program. Living out failed relationships, court dates, trials, humiliation and redemption under the media glare. However, none of that was known in the U.S.; moreover, her singing career was totally unknown to boot.
My question therefore is this: is Simon Cowell a great Svengali then we all thought? Has he sacrificed his past favorite (Cheryl) or his current favorite (Nicole) OR is this intended to allow Cheryl to rise higher in the estimates of the British public, they do love to see her fall and then pick herself up again.
My final note is that this will bring nothing but attention to the U.S. The removal of an outsider in favor of a national favorite and home bred talent and the increase in publicity and interest for the show. Cheryl on the other hand has suffered a public blow in a country that she was hoping to conquer, this is now the first thing that most Americans will know about her- that she was fired by Simon Cowell. She will now return to the U.K. with her tail between her legs after publicly quitting the U.K. X Factor- a show that turned her from a nation's sweetheart to a super star and gifted her with a platform for her solo career, and announcing intentions to leave the U.K. completely and relocate to the U.K and essentially beg for the approval and love of a country she left as a star.
Personally I think if it ain't broke don't fix it. She got greedy in looking for fame in the States and turned her backs on the people who made her who she is, her U.K. fans. One must only look to the success of Nadine Cole's solo career to see the results of such actions.
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For more on this from someone who's paid to comment, click here.
