The Power of Words and How Bad Criticism Affects Performance:

One can learn a lot from watching X Factor, and observing how the psychological aspect of the judges’  interpretations can affect  the performer adversely, and also affect the public persuasion.  This can have a compounded effect, whereby the performer feels undermined, and gets to deliver a song in a less-than-typical mode, to the satisfaction of the judges who have tried to undermine him in the first place.  This has an effect on the public perception of the performer, and has a huge potential to influence voters.

X Factor judges have virtually destroyed what I consider to be the really incredible  star of the show, Reece Mastin.  The X Factor Australia  has been very upsetting to watch for over a week now.  Although other stars have been voted out strategically by the judges over the past few weeks, in preference for weaker performers, things got really bad last week, when the real knock-out performer, Reece Mastin, was picked on by two of the judges.    The judges’  negative criticisms of Reece Mastin, who had performed  yet another  top-notch show,  helped to sway the public vote which put Reece in the bottom two last week.

It appears that there must be ‘something in it’ for the judges, who do not always judge their opposing acts fairly.  My guess is that Ronan was picking on Reece, to sway public opinion against him, so that his ‘Three Wishez’ would stay in the competition.  And Mel did the same thing, because her weaker performer, Christina, might fare better if Reece was the one picked on to go out.

There was never any doubt about Reece Mastin.  But the two judges, Ronan Keating, and Mel B, said that Reece’s performance was not different enough from what he had done before.  Not enough dancing, they said…..Blah blah blah.  But some of the other performers, such as Stephen Wishart, also performed in their own favourite styles, and without any great dance manoevres, yet these artists were not slammed by the judges.  And Johnny sang very badly last week, but was not slammed at all.

Judge and mentor Guy Sebastian said that the criticisms were unfair, and that Reece should be allowed to display his rock talent in the same way that Ronan’s winner a year ago, Altiyan, had done.  Pity that Guy lost his vision this week, giving Reece such an odd song choice.  Reece sang it beautifully, although his confidence was marred because of the negative criticism which he expected from Ronan and Mel, and which he duly got.

So -  next thing to Reece’s disadvantage on last night’s show, Friday the 10th February 2012, was first that several of the performers themselves had the camera put on them specially so that they could tell us how smelly Reece’s feet were.  This was a REALLY mean tactic which the producers certainly should not have allowed. This had nothing at all to do with Reece’s performance, but was used, seemingly, to influence the public, again.  No other performers were criticized about their appearance or demeanour outside of the competition.

Next was that his mentor Guy gave Johhny a really great song, and gave Reece a naff one.    After all Guy’s pontificating, he gives Reece an unconvincing, totally unsuitable Celine Dion song to sing, and gives Johnny the rocking number which was much more likely to appeal to the audience, even if Johnny had sung it badly.  This allocation of songs looked suspiciously as if Guy himself was favouring Johnny by giving him the dynamic number which Reece should have had.  Although Reece STILL performed his ridiculous song choice well, the song choice was definitely in Johnny’s favour, as he had the rocking number.  This will affect the public viewpoint, for sure, as it did the judges on the Wednesday night show.

I really thought Ronan Keating was better than this, and I must say that I am disappointed in him.   He should not have gone all out to pull Reece Mastin to pieces last week, when Reece had performed so beautifully again. When the chips are down, Ronan Keating is just as capable of ruining a very talented performer as Mel is,  just so that he can ‘up’ his own stakes.  Natalie, who is usually kind but honest in her judgement, contributed to the negative vibe against Reece, saying ‘You looked pissed off in that performance.  You sang OK, but I feel you were pissed off’.  Well – why wouldn’t you be, after being given the worst song to sing of the evening?.  Guy, too, has been very fair, kind, and encouraging to all the performers, but I did not like his allocation of songs on Friday, which gave Johnny a 100% advantage over Reece.

I wonder whether there might be some professional pride in all this, as well.  Reece today is just as much of a knock-out as Ronan Keating was in his own day.  Ronan could be subconciously out to put Reece in his place, by exerting his Alpha-male dominance so that Reece does not stand a chance.  X Factor stars are meant to be good, but not as good as their judges and mentors from X Factor, obviously.  I think that this is why the judges all like Johnny so much, because they can take credit for seeing his bad performances slowly becoming better.

Go Reece.  Go Australia – Put your votes in to have Reece’s confidence restored.  Everybody I have spoken to in New Zealand who has been watching the show, thinks that you really are outstanding.  Get back there tonight and knock the socks off everybody.