Oh dear, the Daily Mail has got itself into a right old froth over the appearance of American pop goblin Christina Aguilera on the X Faxtor final on Sunday. Aguilera performed a song from her new film Burlesque and was, surprise, surprise accompanied by a group of lady dancers dressed like burlesque artists. Over 1,000 people complained to the UK's broadcasting watchdog OFCOM, it seems. That means that approximately 17,999,000 people didn't complain, of course.
The big issue was over the fact that the programme was on before the 9.00pm watershed before which "inappropriate" material can't be broadcast. What the Daily Mail seems to have failed to realise is that Aguilera actually appeared after the 9.00pm watershed.
The newspaper had this as its front page story and followed it up inside with a double page spread which featured lots of photographs of the dancers to "show the fury they have caused." Honestly.
Later in the newspaper there is a science story about a new "gun" which can zap enlarged prostates. So do they find a picture of this new wonder machine? Not at all. They use this picture of Jane Fonda from Barbarella! Double standards? Surely not!
Of course the "shocking" pictures they used in the newspaper and on their website were shot by a stills photographer on set; they were not taken from the video of the performance. So, in fact many of these pictures are of dancers who were well to the background of the actual video and do not, sadly, feature as prominently as they make out.
In fact, the dancers are the only reason to watch the X-factor and certainly Miss Aguilera's tuneless little number needed something to brighten it up. The Daily Mail would have a fit if it saw what dancing girls on Italian TV shows wore and they often feature in children's shows. Imagine Blue Peter with Pan's People in it. People have also obviously forgotten what dancers on British TV shows wore in the eighties. Hot Gossip on the Kenny Everett show and Hills Angels on the Benny Hill show, both of which went out at peak family viewing time were far raunchier than this little routine.
We particularly liked the blonde on the left and hope she gets offered a pictorial by the likes of FHM soon! The only problem is that she made Aguilera look like a dumpy troll.
