The “X Factor” results show following the Top 10 performances was not only surprising in which acts made the Bottom Two (in popular votes) but also in the reaction one of those artists had to the fact that they were in danger of being voted from the show. Before the evening was over, Astro (whose real name is Brian Bradley) stopped his music, asked his mentor if he should perform, subsequently and obnoxiously asked the audience if they wanted him to perform, got upbraided by his mentor, and scolded by Simon Cowell. To add to the surprises, he made the “X Factor” Top 9.
But shouldn’t Simon Cowell, as executive producer as well as judge and mentor, have met Astro’s attitude with a vote against him, signaling that such behavior was not the act of a professional, nor worthy of the $5 million prize that awaits the ultimate winner of the competition?
The drama began when Lakoda Rayne, the last remaining group and a Bottom Two finalist in the Top 11 results, was unexpectedly told they had made it to the next round. When all the top voter-receiving acts were named, Stacy Francis and Astro remained. But trouble was brewing and Astro resignedly told the audience to not be sad, that at least hip-hop had made it to that point.
When it came his turn to perform, inevitable defeat had apparently sunk in. Astro told the sound guys to wait and ask his mentor, L. A. Reid, if he should even bother to perform. L. A. frankly told him that he had come this far and needed to proceed. Astro then asked the audience if they wanted to her him. Encouraged, he delivered an uninspired performance.
Reid immediately took him to task, telling Astro he had the attitude of a “quitter.” But he was his mentor, so he voted him through. Nicole Scherzinger, mentor of the “Over 30s” and Stacy Francis, voted for her protege. Paula Abdul voted for Astro after alluding to unprofessional behavior. But Simon Cowell added to Reid’s remarks, telling the 15-year-old rapper that he was disrespectful, not just to the audience but to his own mother. Astro said he wasn’t disrespectful, that he felt that if America didn’t want him to sing, he would comply. Cowell said Astro had a disrespectful attitude, but he had to vote for who had the best chance of winning. He voted against Stacy Francis.
But did Simon do the right thing? Known for his brutal honesty, the show’s executive producer seemed to let his fans down after the scolding. Choosing not to axe Astro also put the burden of dismissal on the “X Factor” fans (which could have been done immediately by voting against the teen, forcing a tie, and allowing the actual audience vote to break the tie). And what of Astro himself? Surely, brat-like behavior encouraged — even with rough criticism — by allowing him to stay on the show only reinforces the behavior.
But then Simon Cowell wants to win the competition. Voting Stacy Francis off allowed Astro to stay, most likely to face the audience backlash on the “X Factor” Top 9 results show. Going into the Top 8, Simon Cowell would then most likely still have all three of his contestants still in the running.
So, in the final analysis, did Simon let a lot of people down or did he control the vote in a strategic move to win the competition? Although the latter move was competitively astute, it seems that the “right” thing to have done would have been to have voted against Astro and allowed the audience vote decide the outcome.