Came in and caught the end of BGT. What has happened to Cowell’s face? Forget the orange make up that he and Walliams seemed to be wearing. Is his face in danger of collapsing from a Botox overdose? His cheeks looked all puffy and his left eye was out of synch with his right one. Almost looked like a mild stroke victim. Most bizarre. Is this going to be a Lesley Ash type public safety warning about ODing on Botox?

Came in and caught the end of BGT.

Yes, course you did. 🙂

is it not that the queue to smack his face is getting so long some people have been let in?

With hair like that and pants just below the nipples, it doesn’t really matter! Meeoow 🙂

DD – truth, I was playing tennis until it got too dark!! Plus I hate his shows as they are all so contrived and stage-managed. Travesty for proper musicians that average performers are fast-tracked from obscurity to the pedastal of Cowell inc and the great GB public fall for it. But genuinely shocked by the mess his face looked. The puffy eyes and the left eye lid – hmmm, I hope his cosmetic surgeon has good insurance!

Travesty for proper musicians that average performers are fast-tracked from obscurity to the pedastal of Cowell inc and the great GB public fall for it

I think there’s been plenty of hard-working and talented musicians that have been on BGT that would be a tad miffed to hear they were not “proper”. Talent shows have existed for years but now they’re big business. I’d take what Cowell churns out on BGT over drivel like N-Dubz any day…

No idea but I hope it does not stifle his great ability to produce high quality Tv programmes nor stifle his phenomenal [ and heterosexual] sex drive

Crosses fingers.

Talent shows have existed for years but now they’re big business. I’d take what Cowell churns out on BGT over drivel like N-Dubz any day…

Talent shows have there place but I’d rather go back to the days when TV also included a bit of proper entertainment.

EG – Otis Redding and Eric Burdon live on Ready Steady Go

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xftlNlajvUA[/video]

It’s his face of thunder apparently.

“Simon Cowell left the BGT studios last night with a face like thunder”

(Can I just add I don’t watch BGT or read the Daily Mail!)

although I did used to work with one of the contestants 😯

Talent shows have there place but I’d rather go back to the days when TV also included a bit of proper entertainment.

One man’s “proper entertainment” is another man’s torture but at least nowadays we have the choice. Avoid what you hate and if there’s nowt on that appeals, turn it off.

at least nowadays we have the choice

Well that’s the point I was making, we don’t. As you quite rightly point out talent shows have existed for years, but they used to be a minor addition to regular professional entertainment, they have now become the mainstay.

Whatever happened to that blog that the “insider” wrote a few years ago about BGT?

Was it all a hoax or did the Cowell legal machine bludgeon it out of existence?

I always thought of Britains got talent as a show for variety acts that are performing at clubs or events week in week out and it was a way of getting their talents on TV (it was called opportunity knocks in my day). You can’t deny amongst all the freak acts that there are some pretty talented people on that show. As a Cowell sceptic I watched it last night with my kids and was quite impressed with most of the acts on there. I’m far from an expert on operatic voices but I thought the big lad at the end had a really good voice that I would most definitely describe as a talent.

Well that’s the point I was making, we don’t

…

You really don’t think we have choice?! How many TV channels did you have when Ready Steady Go was on the air? 2 maybe? I bet they didn’t broadcast 24 hours a day either. Now you have no end of channels as well as endless on-demand entertainment from the likes of You Tube, Netflix, iTunes etc etc. If you think you don’t have the choice you need to open your eyes and ears to what’s available. There’s no excuse in this day and age to put up with stuff you don’t like.

I think it’s fair enough to have a whinge about stuff like BGT and it’s perniciousness. It’s easy to say “there’s an off button”…that’s what I exercise when it comes on too…but we’re also allowed to discuss how crap it is or isn’t on our own little corner of the internet.

I don’t think BGT is crap, as I said, I think it’s got its place. Unfortunately I also think its place has become too big.

I think TV is useless and watching TV is pointless, that said how utterly idiotic is debating watching TV?

I do agree that it takes over. Especially as the BBC think the best way to compete with BGT and xfactor is to put on the voice or Strictly come dancing. So we then have the 2 main channels competing with similarly themed shows.
Roll on Euro 2012 and the Olympics.

that said how utterly idiotic is debating watching TV?

Probably not quite as idiotic as debating Simon Cowell’s face.

Or even clicking on a thread titled “Cowell’s face – what is going on?”

ernie_lynch – Member

that said how utterly idiotic is debating watching TV?

Probably not quite as idiotic as debating Simon Cowell’s face.

Or even clicking on a thread titled “Cowell’s face – what is going on?”

Havin a curry innit!

the GF and i watch the auditions on youtube on a sunday night.

the latvian comedian i thought was hilarious! i’m sure he knows what he’s doing. very dry.

but, i’m sure some of the acts are set-ups. how some of the people/groups make it through without some kind of behind the scenes help i don’t know.

the ponly fun bit is the auditions, anyway. after that it all appears too slick and there’s little spark left.

Whatever happened to that blog that the “insider” wrote a few years ago about BGT?

No-one cared because it was hardly Watergate to reveal that what appears to happen on a telly talent show might not be what actually happens?

Going back to his face (the original intention) does anyone else think there is a serious health warning there? The lazy eye wink and the bulges around the eyes looked weird to me?

BTG is ok for a bit of light entertainment if you like that sort of thing but I get fed up with the blatant manipulation of the contestants and the absurd hyperbole surrounding the quality of the acts. I caught the last act last night and yes those two had a nice story and good voices and deserve a nice break for their spirit, if nothing else. Musically do they compare with young people in the NYO or on Young Musician of the Year? No, hence my (slightly sloppy) comment about proper musicians in the OP. But good luck to them. They can enjoy their Icarus moment at the Temple of Cowell and every now and then, some of them with strike it lucky with the crumbs off his table.

I once read Ben Elton’s satire of the whole pop idol/X factor phenomenum and haven’t been able to watch it seriously since. Great airplane read!!!

No-one cared because it was hardly Watergate to reveal that what appears to happen on a telly talent show might not be what actually happens?

To be fair, it raised more serious issues. Just wondering though.

teamhurtmore – Member

The lazy eye wink and the bulges around the eyes looked weird to me?

Well you still liked Thatcher despite her drooping bulge over lazy eye, so what’s the problem ?

Ernie is right, stilltortoise is wrong. TV is shite nowadays. It’s not just the talent shows, it’s all of the other reality dogshit.

Ernie is right, stilltortoise is wrong. TV is shite nowadays. It’s not just the talent shows, it’s all of the other reality dogshit

😆

Seriously, if you really can’t find anything worth watching you’re really not trying very hard. There is LOADS of quality TV and film to watch – too much if you ask me – but if you’re looking on ITV1 at prime time on a Saturday night you’re not going to find it.

Ernie – I hope you are merely having a laugh with the stereotyping!! 😉 It doesn’t become true just by repetition, you know.

I cant remember the Thatcher eye, the voice was distracting enough. But it is the change in Cowell that seems striking to me. Has vanity gone too far a la Lesley Ash, Meg Ryan etc? is his face going to collapse at some point? Will this be a valuable lesson to the impressionable folk who hero worship his path to career fame?

If you are stupid enough to inject Botox in you face at regular intervals then you can live with the consequences. So I have no problem with him, but I worry about those who copy him.

Ernie – I hope you are merely having a laugh

Not my style mate.

Ah, the dry humour dead pan approach. Are you the Jack Dee of STW? Otherwise, you can’t be serious….unless you are an aging tennis player, of course.

Forget posters of Cheryl Tiegs, its the ones of the Iron Lady that we need to write about then!! 😉

Can’t imagine Thatcher had any money left over for face lifts/cosmetic surgery after she paid the elocution bills!

There is LOADS of quality TV and film to watch – too much if you ask m

😆 if you like Jeremy Kyle
Do you live in the US?

Give an indication of your definition of “quality” from the below
http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/tv-guide/epg/genre/entertainment-channels/today/begin/4/page/1

you can’t be serious….

Only yesterday you were accusing me of the Edinburgh Defence, today you are accusing me of the complete opposite.

BTW since you allegedly can’t remember her eyes (I somehow doubt that you didn’t endlessly gaze at her poster on your bedroom wall) here is a reminder of the droopy bulge over the lazy eye

Do you live in the US?

Nope

Give an indication of your definition of “quality” from the below

Personally I’d be entertained by Jaws, Grand Designs and maybe that Amazon thingy on BBC 4. I don’t mind admitting I find Friends funny too, but repeats don’t count, right? Anyway, you’ve sort of proved my point by posting up a list that is a fraction of what is available to watch if you include on-demand services. Why on earth do I want to be restricted to a list of broadcast programmes when I can go and choose what I want to watch when I want to watch it? Broadcast TV is so quaint and 20th century.

Thanks Ernie – I am sure we both feel so much better now. Always admired Meryl Streep especially in a canoe going down The Cauldron.

[BTW – “accusations” are not normally associated with ?, !, or 😉 And if you want to persist with the stereotyping/narrow categorisation feel free, I am glad it makes you happy.]

I am sure we both feel so much better now.

I don’t. I’ve just had to trawl through photos of Thatcher.

And you’re not happy about Simon Cowell’s face.

Sounds like neither of us are very happy.

I think Cowell works mad hours, so looking a bit worn out these days. Voice, BGT whatever, it’s just telly, youknow? Yeah I know it’s fixed, everyone knows, same as films where the goody wins in the end. Isn’t it?

And. Fwiw I don’t think “proper ” bands are suffering because of these shows

At least one of us spends time looking at/trawling pictures of Mrs T. How very odd!!

Not as odd as you not remembering what the woman who you admired and respected looked like.

Or you being concerned about Simon Cowell’s face for that matter.

same as films where the goody wins in the end. Isn’t it?

Well that’s knackered the rest of my film watching life! 🙁

Ernie – you are obviously having an off day. Not up to usual levels of repartie and not even making yourself happy. Go and have a ride the sun is shining.