Here’s what critics and pundits from around the web have to say about the X Factor first live show! You can read my recap HERE.
‘The X Factor’ on the scene: Simon’s shameless cheerleading, and L.A. Reid’s soft side – I’m torn. After spending two-and-a-half hours inside the sound and light and choreography blender that is The X Factor live studio, I cannot decide whether my nom du snark for the place should be the Xanadome or Starship Migraine. Whatever I’m calling the joint, it lives in the exact same space as American Idol‘s Idoldome — Studio 36 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles — but other than the live studio audience and the judges’ table, that is where the similarities end. (Entertainment Weekly)
‘The X Factor’ recap: The Fakers’ Dozen – BOOM! WHOOSH! I have started associating The X Factor with its dramatic sound effects in my mind — the BOOM! of the red ‘X’ logo that always manages to seem like it’s brutally cutting the segment off, and the WHOOSH! of the spotlights lowering to the floor so that the contestant at hand can face judgment. If those spotlights could talk they’d be saying “Time to face the music, bitches.” Even though the music just ended. Well, it’s time to face the bitches, in any case. (Entertainment Weekly)
‘The X Factor’ recap: It’s down to 12 – In a show that at times sounded like an overproduced amateur hour (Simon Cowell’s two questionable picks) and at other times like something out of “Jerry Springer” (those judges are bound and determined to cook up some bad blood between them), “The X Factor” burst into its new “live” format Tuesday night. (Los Angeles Times)
‘X Factor’ recap: Live shows begin – With “X Factor” star Simon Cowell having rejected Melanie Amaro last week and then regretting it, and winding up with five X-testants in his chicks’ group instead of the required four, and what with Fox reportedly having to make it up to X-vertisers for the singing competition’s less than X-credible ratings, Tuesday night’s first-ever live episode is destined to be two and a half hours long — that’s 30 minutes longer than Fox’s primetime. (Washington Post)
The X Factor Recap: The 30 Degree Angle – Two and a half hours! Tonight’s X Factor is LIVE and it is two and one half hours long, like some kind of big-budget charity dance-a-thon. It will indeed be an endurance test, but here’s my ace in the hole: I am on an airplane (Virgin America, for whom I am not a paid spokesperson, but from whom I will listen to an offer). I am in many ways an actual captive audience. Also, I hew very strictly to what I call my Airplane Red Wine policy which is that I always drink lots of red wine on airplanes. Bring. This. Shit. ON. – (New York Magazine)
‘X Factor’ Recap: Drew Ryniewicz, Josh Krajcik Dominate With Stripped-Down Performances – Last night’s “X Factor” was a two-and-a-half hour blast of flashing lights, thunderous music and spit-fire fast performances and eliminations. Was this “American Gladiator” we were watching? No, it was the first live show of creator Simon Cowell’s British import, which made “American Idol” look like Disney by comparison with all of the barbs thrown at each other and instant, ruthless farewells that brought the crop of 17 contestants down to a final 12. (Huffington Post)
‘X Factor’ Recap: It’s a Real Live Free-for-All – Fleeing the sanctity of the judges’ homes, the competition goes live in front of a stadium-sized audience, extending the show’s already-formidable length to two-and-a-half hours. Fortunately for us, the judges can now slam each other over song selection and arrangements, so the floodgates are open for personal attacks. Let the games begin! (Rolling Stone)
‘X Factor’ cuts 5 acts in XL episode – In a special event designed to accommodate the World Series and torture fans with itchy remote control trigger fingers and short attention spans, “X Factor” cut the field from 17 acts to 12 over a gargantuan 2½ hour episode Tuesday. One by one, the four judges heard their mentees sing and then decided which three in each category would make it to next week. For those who couldn’t resist the opportunity to change the channel, or who didn’t have 150 minutes to devote to a singing competition, here’s what happened. – (MSNBC)
The X Factor – We made it, guys! Y’know, no matter how much the death march of auditions/boot camp/judges’ homes threatened to bore us into a 21st Century Twilight Zone, tonight’s X Factor reminded me of why I signed up for this gig in the first place. And here is, where I suspect, I may start to part ways with y’all – I have a pretty deep appreciation of the live shows in this kind of competition. It’s not that the live format leaves less room for bullshit – on the contrary, bullshit abounds, but it’s a different, more exciting kind of bullshit. It’s the same reason I’ve been a faithful, beginning-to-end viewer of the Academy Awards for as long as I can remember – watching this kind of bloated, meticulously choreographed telecast is sort of like watching a balloon at the Macy’s Parade float, bob and occasionally careen into buildings. It’s not pure schadenfreude, there’s also some genuine warts-and-all appreciation of the American pursuit of the Spectacular. – (AV Club)
It was the end of the road for five performers on the first live show. – The X Factor is proving to be a tough competition to predict. First 16 finalists turned into 17 when Simon Cowell decided that Melanie Amaro should move on. Then, as America wondered if it would finally get a crack at voting on the performers, the show announced that the judges would cut another five performers on Tuesday’s live show. (The Hollywood Reporter)
