Simon Cowell is evil - Are we surprised?

The Dark Lord Satan


So, after inflicting Joe McElderry, Shayne Ward and Leona Lewis on us, it turns out Simon Cowell not only releases terrible music, he's also a deceptive batty-sleeve.
Yes, the 'X Factor' has been auto-tuning its auditions. Watch the link. Could it be more obvious? Whose gonna win the 'X Factor' this year, T-Pain? With a cover of Kanye West's 'Heartless'? Actually, can Kanye West win the 'X Factor'? "I'm really happy for you, and I'ma let you finish, but Nelson Mandela had one of the best sob stories of all time. Of all time!". Did I really just compare the 21 year struggle of Nelson Mandela to an 'X Factor' sob story? I think I did. These blogs really should be less of a stream of consciousness, I don't come across well...
So, where was I? Ah, yes, Simon Cowell. ITV/Syco/Our Dear Leader/Big Brother (that was a '1984' reference, if you thought I was referencing the Channel 4 shitefest leave now) have released a statement today saying, and I quote :
"The judges make their decisions at the auditions stage based on what they hear on the day, live in the arena. The footage and sound is then edited and dubbed into a finished programme, to deliver the most entertaining experience possible for viewers. When it gets to the live shows, it will be all live."
Now, I don't watch the 'X Factor', whatever Matthew may tell you. However, surely the viewers should be able to hear what the judges hear? Apart from the fact they're being treated like idiots in that statement, basically telling them what they want, they're going to be voting for these people, giving their money to the very people editing the vocals. Before anyone jumps in, I KNOW that you don't vote in the auditions but this is your/our first impression of these people. Andrew O'Keefe, an expert in human behaviour says :
"Humans make quick judgments from first impressions and use these quick judgments to classify experiences. Once people have classified their opinion, it's hard to shift that opinion. We judge subsequent events by how we have already classified the information."
this means that many people, consciously or otherwise, will now have decided to vote for Gamu Nhengu, based on a performance which was tuned to make it as perfect as possible. Now, she may be a fantastic singer, she may deserve to win the show but shouldn't people who are going to be spending their money have access to all of the facts? I can use auto-tune on my computer. If I record myself singing, auto-tune it so I sound good (it's a leap, but bear with me), audition for the 'X Factor' and mime so well to my track that they put me through, would they accept that? Or would I be kicked off the show? Most likely the latter am I right? And why? How is what I have just described in any way different to what the "bosses of the show" (Simon Cowell) are doing to viewers? It's deceptive and it's WRONG.
Just to clarify, I'm not attacking auto-tuning in itself (I have Jay-Z to do that for me), because the fact is that 99% of artists these days use it, and if you think the bands you like don't you're in for a shock, it may be subtle but I can almost guarantee you that they do (either that or they do 100 takes of a song, cut the best bits together and auto-tune the gaps into a coherent take) but in a live performance you're cheating fans out of hard-earned money whether that be a gig or a 'talent' show.
Ok, I have finished my rant, 'X Factor' fans, how do you feel about auto-tune gate? 'X Factor' haters, should Simon Cowell be strung up? Metal fans, think Metallica and Slipknot don't use auto-tune? You're an idiot. They do.
Thanks for reading.