X FACTOR was dismissed and disparaged on the streets of Wellington this week as fall-out continued from Sunday night’s bullying of a contestant.
Almost 70 % of people spoken to by the NewsWire team were visibly angry when asked for their reaction to the reality TV show’s blow-up.
In the wake of bullying of singer Joe Irvine, judges Natalia Kills and Willy Moon have been sacked, New Zealand on Air has said it will not fund the programme next year, and TV3 advertisers have criticised the show.
The Broadcasting Standards Authority is likely to also deal with the issue.
Northland student Allie Edwards (20), right, was “absolutely disgusted” and her friend had already lodged a complaint by Tuesday.
“It was not ok and my friend wrote a letter to the Broadcasting Authority,” Allie said.
Student Joe Perrone (18), left, has switched off: “I’ve decided to stop watching it because of them.”
Many of those spoken to by NewsWire were happy to see the judges gone, although viewer Johnny Mearns (47), right, was in two minds.
“I think she was quite hot, and I miss her now, but I thought he was a dick, and I’m glad he’s gone. It was good that they went,” said the Oriental Bay man.
However, others such as Tommy Riley (24), left,of Masterton, were disgusted with the focus on reality TV hype.
“Completely ridiculous, far bigger issues we should be worrying about. There’s a big cyclone coming towards us and we’re talking about some guy who got bullied on stage by some judges.”
Te Aro business owner Jackie Condra (45), right, was typical of a number of people spoken to by NewsWire who were cynical about the blow-up.
“I think that it’s possibly been manufactured for ratings, or they were just asked to be a bit meaner and they took it way too far,” Jackie said.
Rosie-Lee (21), left, is embarrassed for New Zealand.
“I’m embarrassed that this whole thing has gone worldwide. Like Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding and Lorde know about it. It also puts a bad perspective on New Zealand as a country now,” said the Wellington bartender.
Among the other quotes from the 43 people spoken to by the NewsWire team were:
Luke Johnson (25) Mount Cook, real estate agent: “Way out of line. They did the right thing by kicking them off. Joe he handled it quite well, good role model.”
Moya McLennan (26) Te Aro, student, right: “I think the comments were very uncalled for, and I’m kind of glad that they got kind of put in their place and got fired because I think it was definitely not what the show is about and I think they kind of got justice for what happened. I definitely don’t think they were in the right place to be saying something like that and especially because they were very irrelevant.”
Luther Loach (18) Lyall Bay, student, left: “I think that it was appropriate, I just feel like she deserved to get fired. It was just unnecessary, she critiqued him on what he was wearing.”
Olivia Johnson (23) Te Aro, nurse: “I don’t know too much about it, I just know that some woman said something rude. I don’t know whether she was trying to be funny, but I think you can take things too far on a show as a judge, it’s still is a person’s life.”
Roman Akiwi-Thompson, (18), student, Wellington, right: “Well it was extremely unfair to be honest and extremely rude, like they just kinda bullied him specifically and they didn’t kinda have any self-restraint.”
Adam Skinner, (21), clown, Tauranga: “I reckon it’s kind of ridiculous what she said to him. To me, it just seems like she had a massive, massive ego. And not on live television she shouldn’t really be saying that to people you know what I mean it’s just disrespectful. She could have stopped it half way through and it would have been somewhat acceptable but the fact that she carried on and kept hammering him, just get rid of her.”
Hannah Graham, (22), sales & marketing, Wellington, left: “I think it’s pretty stink and they shouldn’t put people down, and it’s kind of appalling, and they shouldn’t have been hired.”
Luke Kershaw, (32), commercial real estate, Wellington: “Yeah well I guess the actual comments were pretty harsh. When I watched it on YouTube I thought it was pretty rough sort of calls on that chap, but he defended himself pretty well, but then on the other side you do wonder sometimes weather this is just a big old jack up aye, so I don’t know really what to think of it.”
Meg Melvin, (43), self-employed contractor, Wellington, right: “Personally I think that it’s a bit of a have, so I get the feeling that it was done on purpose because I heard that ratings were dropping, so I never really trust anything from that reality TV show genre so to me it feels like a bit of a put on.”
Zac Young, (18), Thorndon: “I think it’s blown out of proportion in terms of how much energy and effort is taken up by it, in terms of the public. I think it’s over-hyped in that regard, I think it’s actually not that important, in terms of… What I’m trying to say is people should be getting fired up for more important stuff than this, more (small?) kind of bullying. Like sure, I don’t think it’s okay what was said by those judges, but I don’t think it’s warranted the attention it’s got.”
Jess Perry, (20), Mt. Cook, left: “I think it was really horrible, it was really mean cause I watched it with my flatmates and we were all just kind of like what the (fuck).”
Demi McCauley, (21), Masterton: “I just thought it was ridiculous because it was really nasty that they just really ripped him open when he was on stage and they deserved to be fired because people like that don’t deserve a good job. Judges are supposed to give you positive feedback or else they’re supposed to give you critical feedback but that’s not the right critical feedback you should be giving to someone.”
Lena Taylor (21), student, Kelburn, right: “I think it’s gone a little bit out of proportion.”
Andre O’Sullivan (42), account manager, Miramar: “Aren’t the editors to blame? I’d blame the editors aye.” (For not editing the scene out)
Ruby Leonard (21), student, Newtown: “I think it’s super ridiculous. I think it’s good that they got fired. I think XFactor’s kind of a joke anyway but I feel sorry for the guy.”
Tessa Stott (14), student, Tawa: “It’s just terrible and unacceptable really.”
Paula Mathews (49), Hutt Valley, I.T Worker: “The judges were pretty harsh on him and they were harsh on the judges”
Natalie Butler (18), Kelburn, Student: “She’s a dick”
Becky Holmes (54), Karori, Administrator: “They were rude, but it was funny”
Sanne Van Ginkel (18) Wellington Central, Student: “We signed the petition to get them off the show”
Logan Swete, (24), Greenpeace, left: “I don’t even follow it, I really don’t know,
generally the whole Paul Henry thing, [X Factor] doesn’t sound as bad, they’re a private show so they can get as bad as they want”
Sydel Berryman, (19), Third Year Victory University student: “It was totally unnecessary behaviour on her behalf”
Ashley Atitty, (27), Pharmacy worker: “To be honest I don’t really follow it, I’m from India to watch the cricket, but it was really bad”
Valda Kelly, (58), Works for ANZ: “I’ve only heard it second hand. The guy next to me got a text about it from his daughter. I feel sorry for the guy who was bullied”
Grant Gebbie, (39), Tattooist, Newlands: “It was awesome that they got fired. Willy Moon talks about originality but I’ve seen a video that compares one of songs to an older music video and everything he does is exactly the same as the guy in the video.”
Sophia Gilberd, (18), Burger King employee, Paraparaumu, right: “I can’t imagine treating anyone like that in real life let alone on national tv.”
Tyla-Lee Nelson, (18), Weltech student, Lower Hutt: “It was really rude and really uncalled for. It was possibly planned and could’ve been a publicity stunt.”
Casey Mackintosh, (19), dispensary technician at Unichem Pharmacy, Newtown, left: “It’s a good thing that they got fired. The look comparison she used was ridiculous. Heaps of people have that haircut.”
Oscar Jones, (18), Wellington, student/barista: “Quite well justified to be honest, I really dislike Natalia Kills and Willy Moon they’re crap artists.”
Jonty Dine, (20), Wellington, student, right: “Well I think it is the right decision that they got fired. I think its appalling the way they acted particularly Natalia. And it just sets a terrible example for young New Zealander’s, it perpetuates bullying which isn’t a good look at all.”
Evan Martin, (30), policy analyst: “I thought it was some harsh criticism and the right decision was made in the end.”
Lucy McMaster, (20), student, left: “It’s just a terrible cycle”
Tara Rudge, (19), student: “I thought it was terrible and uncalled for. I think the right decision was made but I don’t think it would have happened without a petition.”
Daniel Woods, (21), musician: “I think it was a set up. I think Willy Moon and Natalia Kills were bound by a contract and the only way to break it was to get fired.”
Tessa Stott, (14), student, “I thought it was terrible.”
The NewsWire team was: Emma Moody, Colin Engelbrecht, James Lobban, Aidan Jones, Jade Maisey, Arana Kenny, Te Huia Moke, Araina Khonthothong, Bree Honores.