The X Factor Nativity Play

HOW do you make sense of the X Factor?

Ian Bradley knows. As he tells Guardian readers:

Pray silent:

For the scholar of religion, there is much that is familiar about these talent shows and the huge audiences they gain. For a start, there is the humiliation on which the ITV shows in particular thrive, with viewers taking a voyeuristic delight in the rubbishing of contestants by the judges. It may seem an aspect of our contemporary culture of shaming and lack of respect, but in fact it closely mirrors the ritual humiliation visited on shamans in primal societies and on sacred monarchs in the ancient near east. We find its echoes in the psalms and, indeed, in the mocking of Jesus by the crowds before his crucifixion.

It’s the X Factor Nativity play, starring:

Eoghan Quigg as Jesus
Diana Vickers as Jeremiah
Alexandra Burke as The Second Coming (Book Of Lewis Leona)
Cheryl Cole as Weeper and Wailer
Dermot O’Leary as the Narrator - literally!
Simon Cowell as King Herod
Louis Walsh as the Inn Keeper
Dannii Minogue as the face of Christmas past, present and future

And millions of sheep at home…

Anorak

Posted: 15th, December 2008 | In: Celebrities Comments (2) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink