Raging Aginst the X Factor Machine

[Sundae]

There is currently a conspiracy afoot in the UK to get Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name (yeah, that one, "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me") to number one at Christmas instead of the X Factor winner Jo McElderry.

I shrugged it off to start with, after all Rage are managed by Sony, so the money all goes into the same coffers anyway. But the retchingly self-important statements from the X Factor judges have made me think otherwise. I have no money to download the single anyway, but I would roll on the floor clutching my portly sides at such a fingers up gesture to the status quo if it comes off.

The Christmas number one is a really big deal here. They are usually remembered for years to come. And all sorts have made it, from saccharine sweet ballads, to normal pop songs to novelty records. But for the last few years the X Factor macine has guaranteed the winner the Christmas number one through the sheer publicity of the show. It's a ten week advert.

I like the X Factor. I like watching it on Sky+ so I can forward through the ads and the boring bits. But for them to have a stranglehold on the charts and call someone challenging it "cynical", "stupid", "very Scrooge"... well. How stoopid are we supposed to be?

Regardless of whether I buy the song or not, I won't do what you tell me :p