Where's the magic?

Revamped X Factor judging panel is lackluster & Britney Spears is bland inAustin debut

Fans embraced the new team at Austin's Frank Erwin Center.
Photo by Tara Seetharam
From left, Simon Cowel, Britney Spears, Demi Lovator and L.A. Reid
Photo by Tara Seetharam
The set sparkled more than the judges did.
Photo by Tara Seetharam
The X-Factor returns in September

AUSTIN — The X Factor’s first televised audition of Season Two swept the Frank Erwin Center on Thursday and Friday, with two new celebrity judges and a whole lot of spectacle in tow.

I experienced a bite-sized portion of the audition when I sat in on the final segment, which ran for about two-and-a-half hours Friday. The judges — now Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato and Britney Spears — were met with roaring applause from the crowd of 4,000 – and a notable number of Spears and One Direction shout-outs.

Cowell was easily the most congenial of the four to the audience, declaring Austin his favorite audition city and stopping to shake hands with those seated near him during breaks.

Pop star Spears has far more relevant experience in the entertainment industry than fellow singing competition judge Jennifer Lopez, but you’d never be able to tell from her brief, dispassionate critiques.

Twenty-two acts in total took the stage, akin to the flashy talent that marked the show’s first season. They included a handful of youthful boy groups (“This is the year of the groups,” Simon promised, a nod to his protégé), a few over-the-top dancers (look for a flamboyant AT&T rep who worked the stage to Rihanna’s “Hard”) and several older, “last chance” belters.

The best of the night was 22-year-old Megan “Mugsy” McCullough, a free-spirited redhead whose gorgeous, husky rendition of “Be My Husband” earned high praises from Cowell.

But the real story of the night was the new judging panel, which —despite the recent media attention —seemed to lack the kind of magic that the show’s glitzy premise requires.

Pop star Spears, 30, has far more relevant experience in the entertainment industry than fellow singing competition judge Jennifer Lopez, but you’d never be able to tell from her brief, dispassionate critiques. Her only meaty comment was directed to McCullough, who came dressed in a midriff-revealing leopard top much like Spears’ “Slave” ensemble. While Lovato suggested she cover up next time, Spears disagreed, saying that she’d spent her entire life being unfairly criticized for her outfits. “Rock on,” she advised.

Contrary to Spears, 19-year-old Lovato was a natural conversationalist with the contestants. Her energetic, biting personality is well suited to television – but her age showed. With a limited amount of experience in the industry, her critiques often rang hollow. “I think you need to spend some time figuring out who you are,” she told one contestant in his 30s.

Cowell and Reid remained the backbone of the panel, delivering rational if not compelling critiques. Their tension from the first season was non-existent; instead, Cowell and Lovato traded the most jabs (“Demi’s single,” Reid told one attractive male contestant; “Today,” Cowell quipped). Though mildly entertaining, their banter lacked the earnestness of Cowell and former judge Paula Abdul’s love-hate relationship.

The most telling interactions, in fact, were off camera - Cowell made a point to frequently chat with and look after Spears, who sat beside him.

If there’s a unique dynamic to this new judging panel, it’s yet to be found. The most telling interactions, in fact, were off camera - Cowell made a point to frequently chat with and look after Spears, who sat beside him. I got the feeling he sees something in her that he wants to draw out and nurture. As tepid as Spears came across as a judge, I think there’s a reason –ratings aside-- that Cowell brought her on board: Once upon a time, she personified the show’s namesake.

We’ll see how it all plays out when the second season of The X Factor premieres in September. Tune in this fall, and sound off below with your thoughts on the show’s makeover.

Get more of Tara Seetharam's pop culture musings on her website www.taraseetharam.com and follow her on Twitter @TaraAshley

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Movie Review

Cookie Queens goes behind the scenes of Girl Scout Cookie season

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Girl Scouts in Cookie Queens.

Few people are strong enough to resist the lure of Girl Scout cookie season every year, with the cookies’ limited availability and unique flavors a strong incentive to indulge. But only the girls and their families who have sold the cookies know the joys and stresses of trying to get people to buy them, a process that is detailed in the new documentary, Cookie Queens.

The film by documentarian Alysa Nahmias uses the stories of four different girls to represent the nationwide ritual for the Girl Scouts. They include 12-year-old Olive in Charlotte, North Carolina, a longtime top seller; 8-year-old Shannon Elizabeth in El Paso, Texas, who wants to earn the reward of going to camp; 5-year-old Ara in San Diego, California, whose goal is modest compared to most other girls; and 9-year-old Nikki in Chino, California, who has to compete with her older sisters in the cookie-selling bonanza.

The girls represent a cross-section of both ages and backgrounds, with some girls coming from wealthy families and some girls dealing with more limited means. And how much money your family has makes a big difference, as not only does someone richer have more freedom with their time and supplies, but all scouts are required to reimburse the organization for every box they take in, regardless of whether they’re able to sell it or not.

That caveat makes the journeys of the four featured girls feel wildly different. It’s clear from the start that Olive and Nikki’s families don’t give a second thought to the personal economics of selling cookies, with each girl taking in thousands of boxes at the beginning of the six-week selling season. With both Olive and Nikki rightfully confident that they’ll have no problem offloading their supply, their stories turn to how selling is personally affecting them, with each trying to reconcile the fun of doing it with the pressure they feel from their family members.

Shannon Elizabeth’s story is more harrowing, as her parents feel a strong desire to help her accomplish her lofty goal, but worry that the cost might literally be too high for the family as a whole. More than once, the parents are shown fretting that they won’t have the money to pay back what they owe should they fall significantly short in their sales. Their selling approach, which includes walking through an empty swap meet and standing outside a chain restaurant at night, only adds to their stress.

The most fun story to watch is that of Ara, whose innocence is matched by her confidence. Her parents teach her how much money they’ll owe with her small goal of 55 boxes, but right away she takes on more responsibility than expected. She’s shown making sales pitches and tallying the total number of boxes she’s sold with little-to-no help from either her mom or dad. With her high voice, glasses, and a monitor on her arm to manage her diabetes, she becomes the cute and sympathetic part of the film.

There are times that the film starts to feel more than a little manipulative, however. While many of the moments documented come off as organic, some of them seem like Nahmias is actively guiding the participants in order to get a better story. This is especially evident with Shannon Elizabeth and her family, whose early struggles turn into a miraculous feel-good story by the end, a turnaround that seems implausible at best. Everything with them might have been aboveboard, but Nahmias and her team edit the family’s journey in a way that pushes a bit too hard for emotion.

Cookie Queens, which was produced by a company owned by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, helps to give insight into the business of selling Girl Scout cookies for those who’ve only been on the purchasing end of the transaction. The dedication of each girl toward selling their allotted supply proves fun and interesting, even if the filmmaker tries to gild the lily on occasion.

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Cookie Queens is now playing in theaters,

movies girl scout cookie film