You are now arguing about something that has nothing to do with the original reason for the group.

The group was formed, no doubt, for many reasons. I doubt at all if it was started for charitable reasons. However, it is now persuading people to donate their money, as it is christmas after all.

I’m glad it is malicious. The pop scene in the UK has been completely overwhelmed in business and moneymaking. As sting put it (if you remember the band ‘The Police’) it is ‘killing a generation of its self expression’ if you happened to see the ONE show recently, which I doubt.

This is a view mirrored by many well respected musicians.

You are naive to think that ‘oh, people are buying it, it is not a conspiracy’. No it is not a conspiracy, but in standard business terms, for every 1 pound spent on marketing, you get 1.5 back in sales. Simon Cowell is quite simply a money making machine, a business man concerned with one thing only. The whole show places ordinary people on pedestals, making them appear godlike to anyone watching.

He is not only killing the music scene in the UK, he is taking advantage of young inexperienced people:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2778291/X-Factor-star-blasts-rival-Rages-riffage.html

Who are not old enough to comprehend what they are doing, or have the experience to know the effects it could possibly have on youth. Being told to pose for the cameras, and do what he’s told. He doesn’t even know who the lead singer of RATM is. So why is he taking part in those staged shots? Complete ignorance on his part and yours.

If you want to get places in the world, you should be told that you have to work damned hard to get there. Not that after 3 months on a show you are now a popstar.

Which, let us be frank, he is not. He is on there because hes a good looking lad (which you basically HAVE to be to get anywhere[granted a few exceptions]), he can sing, and doesn’t have a braincell between his ears. He has not written the music, he is spouting out lift music covers of original tracks by hard working artists.

This program teaches the younger generations the completely wrong attitudes to life.

I don’t care about christmas number one, I just hate Simon Cowell. He’s an idiot, and it is scary to think how much music he owns in the top 100 chart. Why don’t you take a look.

How much further from the point could you be? You’re so far from it the point isn’t even a dot on the horizon, its on the other side of the globe.

The point, or at least to me, and I need to stress this point – AS A MUSIC STUDENT studying the music industry – is that the music industry is broken. A monopoly has been placed upon the charts by a businessman, not a musician. Joe, whilst a talented vocalist, has unfortunately taken, what nearly everyone in the music industry sees as, an easy route to fame, where he personally has not made the choices, but a businessman has made them for him. That, Lisa, is not music.

Music is tribal, a primal instinct that humans use to convey emotions, feelings and talents. Its a form of communication, not a commodity to be traded and marketed so monstrously as Simon Cowell does. This campaign is to get music that has a heartfelt message BACK into the charts and back to the top.

Rage Against the Machine have a message in their track that is appropriate to this campaign, and to today’s political atmosphere. Joe’s track… well, where is the message? You tell me.

This is a campaign about getting TALENTED MUSICIANS back into the domain where they so rightfully belong, not pawns of businessmen.

Whilst we’re all entitled to our own opinions, at least make sure you know where you’re coming from when trying to debunk the RATM4XMAS clan.

Merry Christmas, however! Hope you have a good one =)

At first the group was set up without a thought of charity – this is true. Who would have thought this group would have got anywhere near as many members when it was first set up. It was just a bit of fun. When it started to look like a serious option, charity donations were set up. Plus, if you knew anything about RATM, you would know that they’d definitely donate proceeds from an effort like this to charity. They’ve donated millions and raised money and awareness for many different causes throughout their career.

Charity is secondary in fans of both Joe and RATM when buying the single.

Some people want to stick it to Simon Cowell. What is wrong with wanting to stick it to Simon Cowell? He doesn’t care about Joe’s career? He just doesn’t want to be humiliated. What use is his X-Factor Sy-Co empire if it doesn’t guaranree a xmas number 1? The guy’s made a fortune out of humiliating hundreds of people on national TV. He lectures people on what good music is. What the hell does he know? The Robson & Jerome, Teletubbies and Mr Blobby songs were ALL his idea!

A TV show running for weeks on end just to get a single to number 1 is hardly a level playing field so what is the difference?

Who cares about this nobody’s career? If he was good enough, he would have made it on his own merit. If he does get to number 1, he’ll be forgotten about in the blink of an eye anyway like every recent male X-Factor winner.
Why do you care about him anyway? You’ve been sucked in by Simon Cowell’s slick multi-million pound machine. Do you shed a tear when you see his “journey” in the montages in his promotional video? Get a grip.

I think the reaction to your article says it all. You haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.

Smile, bow, put your hands up, have a laugh and accept the original article was lacking in some important details and we promise to leave you alone

Sure look at the hits you got from this – marvelous really.

Peace and Love

Mark

In addition, this ‘competition’ will only increase money for all charities involved.

Your article is extremely biased and you’ve left out these very important facts, I think you should be ashamed and if you had any professionalism as a writer you’d amend it immediately.

plus there are already enough christmas related songs in the world..surely we don’t need another!!

I don’t dislike the song, I just said its not Christmasy. I listened to Rage back in the 90s and am a fan of Tom Morello.

http://www.nme.com/news/rage-against-the-machine/48727

Also notice in this article there is no mention made of any charity affiliation.

Lisa, the charitable side of the ratm4xmas campaign was not an afterthought – the first donation was on the 6th, before 99% of us even knew there was a campaign.

Here’s the first page of donations:

http://www.justgiving.com/ratm4xmas?pid=2174849&dtpn=212&ShortUrl=ratm4xmas#DonationTable

I’m sure the 800k supporters have many different reasons for wanting RATM to be xmas no. 1. Personally I hope it will encourage more musical diversity if XFactor is not guaranteed the no. 1 spot, and give a chance to artists that do not have the benefit of a 12-week multi-million marketing campaign. For example Tim Minchin’s Christmas song “White Wine in the Sun” is one which I’m sure a lot of people would buy if they had heard of it, yet it’s nowhere in the charts as it doesn’t get any mainstream media exposure.

Perhaps next year there will be an abundance of good songs vying for the no1 spot, with a realistic chance of success – I hope so.

All I was saying is that the winner of the X Factor doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment. However, I also said in my article that “It takes the fun out of the Christmas number one if you already know who its going to be.” So I understand where the Rage Against the X Factor people are coming from on that point.

I am not a huge fan of pop music, and I actually really a huge fan of Audioslave and Tom’s other projects, but I respect that not every person has the same taste in music as I do. The fact is that the Rage Against the X Factor make it seem like there is a vast conspiracy to make the X Factor single the number one when really the only conspiracy going on here is the Rage Against the X Factor campaign. Which is what my main point was.

If Rage wanted to release a new single they wouldn’t need the help of a facebook group to sell records and worldwide they would easily outset Joe in a heartbeat. But this campaign isn’t about liking Rage’s music, its about disliking pop music and that is why I think its malicious.