ONE attribute that has characterised competition in this part of the world is the inability of the loser to accept defeat. Now, the average talented contender can go to sleep, knowing that the SMS voting pattern, employed in most reality shows can fill the gap. Indeed, this method has upturned results that could have gone the ways of more talented participants.
The first time I noticed this obvious case of this deficiency was two years ago, Vickiola was kicked out of the Glo Naija Sings competition as first evictee, and viewers who thought she probably did better than one or two participants did not feel too good about her abrupt exit. Even some judges of the competition who saw the prospect in the lady couldn’t do anything to keep her in the house.
What did she get afterwards? The usual words of consolation that says a competition is a platform for artistes to show and develop their talents. Such phrases like; ‘win or lose, the experience and exposure is the most important.’ I’d wondered how much experience a girl like Vickiola acquired in just one day of being on stage. Is it not likely that her fate has been finally sealed forever by that imbalance?
Will she not forever blame her fans, friends and family members for not being responsive enough to buy loads of recharge cards and send multiple text messages, just to keep her in the competition? Wouldn’t that have at least galvanised her to the next level?
There is need for people to continue to vote for their favourite contestants and not rely on popular accolades. For all you care, the contestants who feel disadvantaged get more aggressive with his campaign for votes.
Sole singer, Vicky and group performers, SmoothBoiz who are considered the best performers in the ongoing Glo-sponsored X Factor reality show nearly exited the competition. Vicky is seen by the three judges; Onyeka Onwenu, Reggie Rockstone and MI, as having the best voice among the remaining contestants. On the other hand, members of SmoothBoiz have continued to earn the judges’ plaudits for their beautiful renditions and synergy and have been tipped to go far in the challenge for Globacom’s N24 million and Sony Music’s recording contract. But with the voting result in their disfavour, it took the intervention of the judges to keep both of them in the show.
Perhaps if Omawuni had been evicted first in the West African Idols that gave Timi Dakolo the laurels in 2007, her self-confidence could have been dampened, while inferiority complex may have set in, killing the fortitude with which she has excelled today. Omawumi, who is today a reference point, fits well into such consolation phrases. The songstress is making great success out of music today because she had enough time to showcase her talent. People also had enough time to judge her based on her low and high moments. Therefore, the result can be said to be largely accurate. And today, she fits properly into the position of the winner of that show, even though she didn’t get the prize money.
A school of thought believes that luck and ability are the two major factors that rule a competition of that nature. Others are of the opinion that, luck seems to be occupying a huge position in the scheme. If the latter is anything to go by, very soon, we may start having contenders going for luck charms just for the coveted prize.
Well, that’s on the lighter side. But candidly, in a world where fanaticism and favouritism reign supreme, it is dangerous to put the fate of the creative largely in the hands of the voting public. However, because every competition comes with its model, and has got its rules, the format for a show that is sponsored by a telecommunications company for example, may not be otherwise. Or how else will the company recoup part of its investments, alongside popularising the network? Suffice to say that, that pattern is not being used by telecommunications companies alone, as a reality show like Big Brother Africa also adopts this method.
Therefore, the popularity of voting system in reality shows is an indication that it has its advantages, one of which may be the fact that there is need for massive participation and consequently, a balance in decision arriving process. This way, the autocracy of the judges is checked while the fans are given a sense of belonging.
Looking at this dilemma, a school of thought is of the opinion that the fear of an unfair result is no longer pointing in the direction of judges of reality contest, but to the unsuspecting voting public. This is because the number of friends and family members you have, and how much money they are willing to spend to make you win a competition, is more important than how talented you are.
Perhaps it won’t be out of place to delay voting by the public until a competition gets to the point where finalists are declared. But should we feel that veto power of the judges would be near absolute, it may be necessary to match the judges’ choice with public votes in equal measures. That way, we can be sure that the decision to pick who stays and who leaves is the prerogative of all.
