The kind of non-sporting rant

There are few enough things that bring out the grumpy old man in Jumpthefence - Eddie Hobbs, people who bladder on endlessly about recession - and generally it's not a side we like to share with people. But when we walk into the local boozer, a place where we normally get to watch football in the company of a quiet pint, and the following conversation ensues, there's nothing for it but whining.

Us: Any chance of turning on Barcelona-Real game?
Barman: Sorry, I can't. X-factor is on.
Us: Ha! I thought for a minute you said X-factor took precedence over the football in a pub.
Barman: Ahem... That's right. People want to watch X-factor.
Us: What sort of deprived, uncultured, needy people are seriously wanting to watch X-Factor?
Barman: Them! (points to group of respectable looking middle aged men in corner of bar)

Now, Jumpthefence would prefer to ignore completely the nonsense that is this programme but when it impinges on football watching, there's gonna be a problem. Is it just us that cannot quite understand the appeal of a bunch of talentless wasters making eegits of themselves week after week? Is there anything more genuinely nauseating on TV than the way they weekly exploit some poor 16-year-old kid by pushing them on the audience as some kind of downtrodden, in-need-of--happiness story before they then sing and the "uplifting" music appears as they've told how wonderful they are? Is there any possible reason for a programme that holds up a person who won't/ can't sing (that's Britney Spears)as the world's biggest star, gives her a standing ovation for the biggest joke of a performance ever,and holds her up as some kind of person to aspire to? Is there no end to the lengths these people won't go to to make the audience think this is somehow important so they can fleece people of more money? Is there a more smarmy, annoying head on TV than Louis Walsh? Is there any reason for watching this drivel (besides perhaps Cheryl Cole)?
Please make this never have to enter our world again.