Image in TV talent shows/the music industry

Before I go into any details about BGT auditions, let me first discuss something that is personal to me and also key to these talent shows, as well as arguably the music industry in general. I've discussed this in previous projects so here's a really short version - I used to be fat in school. Really fat. Like 20 stone at the end of year 11 fat. I also used to be ridiculously shy and never spoke a word in class. When I got interested in music and found my passion I transformed myself completely. Slowly but surely I dropped 5-6 stone in weight, began changing my fashion style (i.e- actually obtaining one) began lifting weights, and dumped my glasses for some contact lenses. The reason other than it's not awesome being fat was because I took my music so seriously it gripped my life and led me down the path of a complete makeover which I knew would serve me in music.

As the above image demonstrates- my main influence was Bruce Springsteen. And I still laugh when people say I look like him because besides the fact I can't change my face it wasn't completely unintentional. I base most of my clothes on my influences from music. But this wasn't just a nice story to be incredibly vain because the sad truth of the matter is in both TV talent show terms and the music industry...

Image is everything

Bottom line. Sad. Shallow. Indicative of the state of the human race. Call it whatever but it's true.

""Everything became what the format dictated. MTV had a lot to do with it, because how telegenic you were mattered as much as how well you played and sang." [Paul Simmons, 2006]

There are of course some exceptions and before I go on I must state (and I will go more in depth when I do a case study) that the Susan Boyle phenomenon was almost entirely in direct confrontation with this notion, which is why it was so successful. The general populace across the world was irritated by this idea that you have to be attractive and a super model to get anywhere in the music industry. And for the record lets be honest here- Susan Boyle isn't ugly. She wore a poor choice of dress (apparently) and her hair could have used a comb but the tabloid press blew the whole thing out of proportion. The reason that I've kick-started 2012 with a diet and a workout regime other than to burn off a tin of quality streets and Christmas gluttony- is because I know that getting more into shape is going to help my chances of getting into the music industry. Especially if it's through a TV talent show. It's simple- producers of these types of shows like to play the sex appeal card like any Hollywood film does. If I was to walk on stage with a buff body and looking stylish then I'm sure the juvenile nature of the BGT audience would dictate that young females will inevitably whistle and some judge will say "well you got the looks" thank you. Now if I was to walk on stage with a beer belly hanging over my country belt and a big pair of glasses it would immediately be a strike against me.

Record labels like to sign up young artists that are marketable and looks good on the front of an album cover. For me that's interested this year in going down a country artist route- I have competition. I can't think of any male country singer topping the charts right now that don't pack a great physique. And that's because that image is desirable and almost expected as a male country artist which appeals to the young/middle-aged female demographic. So I have work to do.



Image on TV talent shows- Michael Collins

I will use a recent example where the image thing on TV talent shows can work in someone's favour when they don't come dressed to impress. On last year's BGT there was a guy from Plymouth called Michael Collins that came on the stage wearing this.

To which judge Michael Mcintyre said it looked like he was going on a long-haul flight on Easy Jet. That's a fair assumption but what does his hoody and trousers have to do with his singing ability? The clip prior to his audition had him say the following:

My name’s Michael, I’m 19 and I work in a computer shop in Plymouth. I live with my mum and dad on a caravan site. It’s not too bad actually, it’s quite posh really. You’ve got to have a little key card to open the gates, it’s pretty good. My fiancée is called Sarah. About a year and a half ago I proposed to her in a bit of a stupid place – an all you can eat Chinese restaurant, in front of her mum and sister! She was embarrassed and started crying. But Chinese and a pint, it’s gotta be done. [Britain's Got Talent, 2011]

                             "She's dropping crumbs everywhere. What a weirdo! 


Quite clearly in terms of the narrative of the show - that clip was used to set-up in no proper terms that Michael was a bit of an idiot. I'm not being rude because I don't judge people but it's quite clearly there for that. Why is there a random shot of his girlfriend eating a muffin? Because it's trying to make them look like the Adams family or something. What the show has established is that this guy lives on a caravan site which he thinks is posh. He has a girlfriend that likes eating muffins? and he chose to propose to her in Buffet City. "Whoa, what a pair of weirdos!" That's exactly what's happening here. Then as soon as he walks on stage looking like that already the judges and studio audience have judged him, because they are humans. But then this is where the "surprise Susan Boyle" factor comes in...*gasp* he can sing and play guitar really well! Oh man. Now we all feel stupid about judging him and his stupid orange hoody I suppose.

And that's that in a nutshell. In this case his image was used as a device (by the show and not by him) as a way to set-up prior poor expectations only to seemingly knock them away by the fact that this guy has talent.

How many people have gone on this show that look attractive and can sing well? Probably thousands. So you either have to look like a tramp and sing with amazing technical prowess and defy expectations...or you have to be somewhat of a looker and have the "complete package" so you can appeal to a large portion of the audience. I think you are lucky if you happen to fall somewhere in-between that and get through. Guess I don't have much chance then!