These two texts communicate their perspective and ideas in completely different ways. They are targeting different audiences, using presentational devises like colour, using different styles of language, presenting and communicating their ideas through different Medias and approaching different subjects of compartments of the show depending on what they are trying to imply.
The webpage is trying to communicate that the show is amusing and that everyone can be a star in Britain, there for it has used a lot of colour and images to portray these emotions and opinions. For example, images occupy a large proportion of the webpage. These images are in very bright colours, but mainly in bright blues and reds which are the main colours on the British flag which make the reader always keep in mind that it’s a British webpage and that the talent in the show comes from Britain. Most images are there to follow an article or to create a background to a heading for example the one in the main heading and this makes it more eye catching and amusing to read. The predominant colours are the blues, reds and whites which are the colours of the British flag, which suggests that the webpage is very patriotic but also proud to be the host of this TV program. These bright colours also grab the reader’s attention straight away so the background colour is white so that it won’t distract attentions and the headings, text boxes, adverts are in the brighter colours so that they will contrast with the white and grab the eyes attention easily. On the other hand, the Scotsman article is approaching a serious subject and thinks that the show is not the best thing for people to watch as it is humiliating and also manipulating, and therefore does not use any colour at all. The text is in black colour font and there are no images to go with the article. This makes it more serious but also allows the reader to visualize what they are reading in their head in their own way and this might be more or maybe less that how it actually is in reality.
The article is also implying that the judges can’t be taken serious and that they are there being played and scripted by the producers as it calls Simon Cowell “a tiny Lego man… with a little plastic helmet of hair”, Amanda Holden “a little plastic Barbie doll” and Piers Morgan a “rubber squeaky toy” and this gives us a feeling that they are there under the control of the producers of the show just like children are controlling their toys. On the contrary, the website has an image at the top heading of the three judges which is at a low angle making them seem very powerful and imposing and that they control the show: who goes and who stays. Having the women in the middle makes her seem even more powerful, but still charming, than the two men especially the way that she is standing with her hand on her hip and faced sideways towards the camera.
The webpage is trying to communicate that the performers are a great importance to the show as it has many images of them taken from a low angle or an eye level shot which makes them seem important and very powerful as they are what makes the show. It is also implying that all people have the possibility to be a star performer as in the logo the A’s are made out of stars and there is a column saying hall of fame and another saying top five which is saying in other words that if they can get there so can everyone else because they started out like everyone else: just ordinary people looking for a door to open. Oppositely the article is communicating that the performers have no respect as the judges are there sitting very bored and waiting to go home as it does say “tapping on their phones … just waiting to jump on a private plane back to London”. Also that the performers have a very tough crowd and that they step on stage and are humiliated just like it is stated in the text “real feelings hurt and dreams dashed to the cruel soundtrack of the laughter of 3,000 people”.
In conclusion the articles are both similar as they are approaching the same topic but are different because they are approaching them in opposite directions. The Scotsman article is communicating the negative points about the show and the webpage is communicating the good points. The webpage thinks that it’s a amusing show and thsat it opens doors to a bright future of the contestants whereas the article implies that it a soul crushing experience and that you are surrounded by careless people.
