Rage Against The Machine -

[Chris_2k11]

Cheryl's kicked off about it now lol

[Chris_2k11]

Cheryl Cole has blasted the online campaign to get Rage Against The Machine the Christmas number one.

Despite being named as the bookies' favourite to top the charts this Sunday, X Factor winner Joe McElderry is still trailing the LA rockers in sales.

X Factor judge Cole has now spoken out in support of this year's winner.

She said in a statement: "I would be devastated to see Joe lose out to possibly the best thing that could happen to him in his life. Every aspiring popstar dreams of a number one record.

"It is a beautiful song. He put his heart and soul into every single week of The X Factor and I cannot bare to see him lose out to a mean campaign that has nothing to do with his efforts."

Cole added: "If that song, or should I say campaign, by an American group is our Christmas number one, I'll be gutted for him and our charts."

[Meh]

Cole added: "If that song, or should I say campaign, by an American group is our Christmas number one, I'll be gutted for him and our charts."

Cheryl, last time I looked the x-factor was a global product. Get that into your barbie head

[Bryan]

i hope the people who are buying this single release what record lable RATM are signed to - Sony. so anyone buying this single as a **** you to Simon Cowell are actually still paying money into his pocket. haha, mugs.

[Meh]

Not really. The flip side is of the campaign succeeds it could mean the demise of the x-factor which will hit Simon Cowell harder in the pocket.

[Bryan]

by joe getting to number 2, that will have no affect on the x factor. its the most watched programme of the year apart from sports events, and that speaks for itself.

it's about finding a new star and hopefully nurturing them into a new talent. We'll see how Joe does, he may do good or he may be the next Leon. But for the flops there have been the sucesses and thats what the X Factor is there for.

at the end of the day Joe's single is crap. but it doesnt mean his albumn and actual work that he has an input in will be, for example Alexandra Burke's Hallelejuah is so far away from the stuff she is doing now, that she only put it as a bonus song on her albumn this year.

i am not advocating the x factor for number 1 at christmas, i think they should let them crack the number 1 after christmas, becuase getting a number 1 for your debut single is impressive enough. then it frees up christmas for the christmas number 1 battle again every year - novelty christmas songs fighting for who will top the charts.

[Meh]

Look at the marketing machine behind the X-Factor. I don't buy that its about talent. It's all about $$$$$ and its partly responsible for promoting the celeb culture.

Firstly and foremost, Cowell is a business man. He knows that this campaign isn't directed at Joe, but himself. Of course, the way Cowell's team are selling this is that its unfair on Joe for all the hard work he's put in. Well, yes it is and most will sympathise, but people power is a funny thing.

[Perdita]

Joe McElderry is once more the bookies' favourite to nab the Christmas number one single ahead of Rage Against The Machine.

New odds at Ladbrokes today put the X Factor winner's 'The Climb' in front at 2/7. Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name' is behind at 9/4.

This comes despite 'Killing In The Name' outselling 'The Climb' as of last night.

Simon Cowell has slammed the Rage campaign, calling it "stupid", "cynical" and "very Scrooge".

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/ne...-xmas-no1.html

[DaVeyWaVey]

Why should Cheryl Cole dictate to us who should be Number 1? I'll make up my own mind, thanks

[DaVeyWaVey]

Look at the marketing machine behind the X-Factor. I don't buy that its about talent. It's all about $$$$$ and its partly responsible for promoting the celeb culture.

Firstly and foremost, Cowell is a business man. He knows that this campaign isn't directed at Joe, but himself. Of course, the way Cowell's team are selling this is that its unfair on Joe for all the hard work he's put in. Well, yes it is and most will sympathise, but people power is a funny thing.

I agree. The X Factor is a Saturday night entertainment show first and foremost and Cowell dresses it up as 'a talent search' to set the premise of the show. The majority of contestants are used as puppets by Cowell and the team to provide us this entertainment and then when the show ends, they've served their purpose. Of course, when genuinely talented people like Alexandra and Leona are found through these shows, it helps keep the credibility of 'the talent search' so we all keep buying into it. It's all about the money for Cowell. I don't think he cares who wins in all honesty, as he can sign up whatever act he likes once the show has finished and even drop the winner from his record label, if he wishes.

The thing is, Cowell is a clever man. His publicity machine hooks up to 15 million viewers each week (up to 19 million for the final) and he knows how to draw the viewers in - even I get hooked! We had Dannii's outburst regarding Danyl's sexuality, which got everyone talking and I wouldn't be surprised if that was in the script for the first live show. The show is now all about the judges and the celebrity guests as much as the contestants, reinforcing this 'celeb' culture.

In each show, something happens so that the momentum builds up and the audiences keep rising and it speaks volumes how all this influences the voting week by week. The night, we saw Danyl's 'breakdown' he topped the vote. Similarly, the night when Cheryl started with the crocodile tears saying she picked the wrong song for Lloyd, he topped the vote as a result. Cowell knows what tactics to employ to get certain contestants at the top of the voting. He knows how to influence the viewers in a certain way and we all can't help but buy into it.

All that matters to Cowell is that the most interesting acts (the ones with stories and who provide the most entertainment) stay until the end so the viewing figures stay at a high level and he'll do what it takes to make this happen, without directly fixing the public vote.

The bubble will eventually burst though..