Idol-ness Killed the Radio Star

The great philosopher and musicologist Theodore W. Adorno once wrote that "a country's music has become a political ideology by stressing national characteristics, appearing as a representative of the nation, and everywhere confirming the national principle." If this sentiment still stands true in the modern age, I move to suggest that we are, as a nation, in cultural trouble.

Culture has long been defined as “the best that has been thought and said in the world." But from a musical standpoint, when was the last time that anybody actually said anything of value? Addicted to technology, lazy to the core, the 'Me Generation' has been probed, invaded and hypnotised by the biggest cultural Death Star of them all: Pop Idol.

Worse still is that the plague is spreading. X Factor, Fame Academy, Big Brother even.... where will it end?! Now don't get me wrong, I'm happy to laugh at an over-weight pie factory worker in a cowboy hat, belting out an off-key rendition of Elvis' 'Burning Love'. That and any number of cringe-worthy 'auditions' from the early stages. But as an expression of Britain's talent, this should be relegated to the lowest echelons of circus performance, next to the Bearded Lady and the Man With a Small Head. We're amusing ourselves to death in front of the TV set, and the price we're paying is the loss of great music.

The so-called Winners from these shows, those that earn recording contracts, offer nothing to the Great Library of music history - Gareth Gates, Leon, Michelle McManus, David Sneddon...... I mean come on! And even those with an ounce of longevity, like Girls Aloud or Leona Lewis, are better to look at than listen to, let's be honest. The root problem is that music should have nothing to do with image or television. Yet we encourage the creation of Plastic Popstars with no substance through shows which are little more than Glorified Karaoke, and then offer them up to the universe as the greatest exponents of our national cultural expression. Well forgive me for thinking that we should aspire to greater quality.

Lily Allen hit the nail bang on the head with her recent single 'The Fear': people's aspirations nowadays are solely to be famous, to be a Celebrity, and it is Reality/Viewer-Voter TV shows that fuel this misguided notion. Irrespective of talent or hard work, just get yourself on TV somehow and the world's your oyster. Or at a bare minimum you'll be allowed into China Whites once or twice. And all the while, in pubs, clubs and small venues across the country, hard-working and talented acts scrape out a musical living, but stay ignored by the record companies because it would be too much work and cost too much to find and promote them. Perhaps they don't have the right Look.

Groucho Marx had a point when he noted: "I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book." Our musical culture is being eroded at a fast rate of knots, and it's Death By 40inch Plasma Widescreen.

But then again, what would I know. Anyway must dash, there's a Cheeky Girls special on channel 39.